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Looking to get a better tent for weekends away/week in the Alps etc.
Torn between Vango Beta 350, with a 2000mm head and fibreglass poles, and the Omega 350, which is 3000mm head, alu poles, and a few more features.
However, the beta is £50, the Omega £130.....
Realistically don't think I'd justify the Omega as it'll be used infrequently, but don't want to 'waste' money on a tent that won't be sufficient.....
Both tents are practically identical in size/setup.
So, will the beta be fine for me?
DrP
No. Not IME anyway. We bought a fairly decent Gelert tent with a 2000mm head and went camping in Wales a couple of 'Summers' ago. It was one of the really wet weekends (Yeti Tribemeet, ask DezB, he never made it) and it only stopped raining for about 4 hours. It wasn't heavy rain, just persistant drizzle, and after about 8-10hrs water started leeching through the material, and the 2nd night we had to sleep at opposite sides of the inner tent with pans inbetween us to catch the drips. I sent it back and got a refund
I'd also suggest that the alu poles will hold the tent up better in a typical Welsh gale than the fibreglass poles. I used to camp a lot on Anglesey and used to see many cheap tents flattened by the wind.