Thinking about how useful they could be at some of the events I go to. At the moment I have a large, cheap and complicated tent from Argos which does the job for the annual family trip but a pita when I’m on my own.

Was looking at those 2 second pop up tents from decathalon – anyone used them, any good? any others to consider?

I have the old version of this one:

….and it’s ace.

If it’s for the family, you’d probably want one like this:

Friends have the family size version and it’s excellent. Probably wouldn’t want to go a week in it without an extension of some sort, but for long weekends it’s difficult to beat for the lack of hassle.

We’ve had a 3 man 2Second tent for nearly 10 years now and its very good, including surviving winds that crumpled and destroyed frame tents and easy-up gazebos. Ours is the version with the ability to get better airflow through it, which is very useful when camping in the summer. We also have a 2Second gazebo which is ace, if difficult to fold away again – works well with the tent as they’re designed to nestle together.

orsum bits of kit. We have a the base seconds XL (100 sq ft). When the boys are a bit older (but not much older TBH) we wil get a 2man pop up tent which “docks” with the base XL to stuff them in at bedtime. We can get this up in <5mins and down in about 5-6mins. Packs to 900mm diameter x 15mm thick pack. Weighs about 10Kg.

We’ve got a couple of standard Base seconds popup tents.
Very easy to put up, tall enough to stand up in, we’ve got an inner in one to make a bedroom.
Putting them down takes some practice, but it’s easy once you’ve done it a few times.
Ours in Wales last year.

Simon – how well does your Base Seconds match with your Bongo? Do you have any other photos from different angles? Might be about to get Bongo….

We’ve had three, been really pleased with them – bought a two man in 2007 and used that for four years until it started to get a bit tatty, got another two man but also splashed out on one of the bigger ones with a room either end, and we’ve had three fortnight-long summer breaks out of it, got another lined up in August, plus assorted weekends away here and there. Fantastic bits of kit, still use the two man if I’m away on my tod – we found with the first two man the poles did eventually rub through, but our big one’s had plenty of use and still going strong. For sheer no-****-aboutness, they’re hard to beat.

aP – we use a remio single sheet awning to bridge between the too. Then just pull the sheet out and drive away.

Kryton57’s your man for this. Now where is that video……?

We’ve got a big 2Seconds tent – think a 3-man XL one (with a porch). It’s been brilliant for car-camping and festivals, super easy to put up, fine to take down (find the youtube video the company did to show how). Very sturdy in the wind and not needing guy ropes is great where people might trip over them, like festival campsites.

Useless for carrying anywhere though and not an ideal shape to pack in the car either – a huge disc.

I’ve got a 2-man Quechua air, it’s ace tbh. Not as durable/bad weather resistant as my Proper Tent but then Proper Tent takes about half an hour to pitch or strike and you need to be an engineer to get the poles right. The venting’s bloomin superb, nothing grimmer than lying in bed in a tent for that 1 minute too long when it suddenly becomes a blast furnace, and it’s too hot to stay in it but too hot to move…

Do practice taking it down though.