We've just been away for the weekend with a Quecha T6.3 and it didn't quite meet our requirements, which are...
- 3 separate bedrooms.
- Either one of the bedrooms big enough for 2 adults and a dog; or the main part of the tent is enclosed such that the dog can't just wander off under the wall.
- Packs as small as possible for a large tent.
- Likely to be available second hand and ideally not too expensive.
- We'll only camp in the summer so doesn't need to be warm or particularly sturdy.
This weekend's tent failed on the dog bit - the bedrooms are the size of a double mattress so no space for the dog; and walls were easy for him to walk under.
I'm expecting to end up with 2 tents. We have a single room '4 man' tent that's perfect for us and the dog; and we could get another tent with 2 bedrooms for the children. Will be a bit dearer to stay at sites that charge by the pitch not person.
Does anyone know of a 3 bedroom tent that would work for us?
We used a secondhand Outwell tent with two bedrooms, for years. Would meet all your criteria bar packs small and cheap.
What about this https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/16111694/vango-callao-600xl-family-tent-16111694
I would start trawling FB Marketplace and Gumtree etc to see what is available. There are often MASSIVE tents for sale. They won't be small when packed.
I'm expecting to end up with 2 tents. We have a single room '4 man' tent that's perfect for us and the dog
If you do end up with two tents I've used a Robens Fairbanks Grande a couple of times now and it's a spacious tent for two adults and a dog. Id say it would work as a "social" space before turfing the kids out into their own tent to sleep. It's polycotton so is a bit more comfortable than normal tents, but larger pack size, but still a compact pack size compared to an equivalent "sleeps x number" tent that's inflatable which all seem mahoosive.
Pitches in 10-15 minutes.
Â
We have a Khyam Airtek 8 it ticks all your boxes except it is so large when packed that it resembles a small planet and has a similar mass. Â
I've been trying to get rid of it as we have passed the heavyweight camping phase for our kids. Â
It's great.Â
Tunnel design with 3 blackout bedrooms at the closed end plus a potential internal 4th. Â
Big lounge area in the middle fully sewn in. Built in porch on the front with no door, waterproof door or mesh door. Â
Not a stealth ad 😉 and there will be similar designed pole tents that'll be more faff to pitch but lighter and smaller to pack. Other air tents with similar layout too I'm sure. Â
We have a Khyam Airtek 8 it ticks all your boxes except it is so large when packed that it resembles a small planet and has a similar mass. Â
I've been trying to get rid of it as we have passed the heavyweight camping phase for our kids. Â
It's great.Â
Tunnel design with 3 blackout bedrooms at the closed end plus a potential internal 4th. Â
Big lounge area in the middle fully sewn in. Built in porch on the front with no door, waterproof door or mesh door. Â
Not a stealth ad 😉 and there will be similar designed pole tents that'll be more faff to pitch but lighter and smaller to pack. Other air tents with similar layout too I'm sure. Â
Thanks all. The Vango 600xl is probably too big - but otherwise looks like it would work. They come up cheap on eBay.
@piemonster That looks lovely but again is too big. We've already got the tent 2 adults and the dog can sleep in and it packs small.
We need to get everything into a Peugeot 308 estate. Can't store a trailer anywhere. Was fine pre-dog: he's new this year and has tipped us over from tight squeeze to having to leave some stuff behind.
Khyam Airtek 8 would be great but yes inflatable pole tents too big for our car.
There's a few deals going on Sportpursuit, including quite a few Big Agnes tents https://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/product/view/id/3866074
Would an Alpkit Tarpstar work? You lose the space rapidly as you stand up, but it's a fairly cheap and light tent.
How bigs the dog? I allow around 70cm width in floor space for the dog.
8 man vis-a-vis layout would work, eg Vango Longleat 800XL. One end take out the bedroom divider to make a big double bedroom, kids at the other end with a room each.Â
The dog is a 10 kg cocker spaniel - so not huge.
Current favourite on eBay is this https://ebay.us/m/FT2ufo Outwell Woodburg 6A.
Quechua air seconds 6.3 also looks good if I can find one second hand.
These are both air beam but pack sizes don't look too bad.
Gratuitous photo of the dog in question from bonus sunny day this weekend.
If you consulted a mental health practitioner about your growing anxiety you might think he said "you're getting two tents".