Old School Dome Tent acquired (and sorry for another tent thread.)

Well, I say acquired, more found in the garage. I think it was my mum’s which means it will not have been used. She liked to buy ‘stuff’ but often never got round to actually doing anything with it all. She probably saw this new fangled dome tent design (as it was when it was first released) and thought ‘I’ll have that…’.

So, to solve my tent requirements at least until I know that a) I actually get out camping and b) FBG actually wants to join me and for £nil outlay it’s ideal. Worked out how to put it up, tested it with a hosepipe and it is at least moderately waterproof – no leaking from anywhere.

I give you the Ultimate Phazor Dome. Has all the mod cons such as the outer pitching first, zips that zip, sown in groundsheet etc. I am quite taken but it. OK it’s not the latest and greatest and, like me, it carries a bit of weight but hey – why not get some use from it 🙂

Anyone else still using old school tent technology?

Fab tents. I did most of my motorbike touring with one.

I still have a Saunders Spacepacker. In fact I used it last year.

@scotroutes – worth getting some use out of it then. It went up quick enough given this was the first time I’d seen it and seems well thought out.

I no longer have the dome. 😭

That’s not old school, Vango force 10 FTW

I had a blue tent very similar to that Vango. Small inside but but toughest thing ever. Rick solid

Ultimate were pretty good tents back in the day. We had a Peapod that was great. If it’s not been used, just make sure the seams are sealed. Some tent manufacturers left it up to the user as to how they were sealed. Seamgrip can be pretty effective, but you’ll need quite a bit!

Force ten for the full Enid Blyton look all the way

The Famous 5 wish they had a force 10 that’s a full on everest tent.

This is what they would have….

image host online

Next door have one I gave them – found abandoned on WHW. Great tent.

My DofE store for Boys Brigade also has a few F10 Mk7’s and (purple!) Vango TBS 200’s.

They seemed so cool back in the day. We once made a giant beach ball from 2 stacked tents. Just for a moment

Vango Force10. Dear gods, hat takes me back.

Heavy, solid as hell. Also, looks really weird when a bunch of scouts find a tonne of cammo netting in the forest and use it to put over a bright orange tent.

Force tens are ace.

I should nick my dad’s for the collection

Someone posted on one of the other tent threads about his tent being blown down whilst wild camping in Torridon.

There’s a ruin up the pass which we used to wild camp near during winter climbing./mountaineering trips. I was using my Karrimor Marathon (IIRC?) 2 man backpacking tent – wedge shaped, 2 vertical front and 1 short rear poles. We had a gale overnight and it did well but didn’t survive. 4 of us decamped into the other pairs Force 10 for the rest of the night – still standing, hardly flapping. We all had to lie on our sides and turn over in synch… Bombproof.

Aaahhh, blue remembered days…

Ah the Force ten, tripled in weight when it got wet, lovely.

Nowt wrong with that dome so long as the material hasn’t delaminated.

Next door have one I gave them – found abandoned on WHW. Great tent.

Are you sure some poor bugger hadn’t just gone for a day walk? 🙂 Comes back all confused, “I swear I was camped here.”

Well tomorrow night is the first proper test night for it. Hopefully the boy will last the night and enjoy it.

I have been on a bit of a shopping spree for other bits and bobs. Lordy – the tent may be old however things like sleeping mats have moved on loads. These new ultra lightweight air matrasses etc are amazing. I remember the big old air mattresses that were red on one side, blue on the other and weighed a few kilos and needed a rucksack each.

I will be doing a fair bit of camping even if the boy doesn’t join me!!

I still have one of those Phazor Dome tents. To be honest, I haven’t used it for a few years – partly as I’m 40 years older than when I bought it. But it’s still a good tent, and I’d trust it on a windy hillside.

3 years ago…

Terrible headroom, but great as a Basecamp.

That’s not old school, Vango force 10 FTW

Fantastic tents, a bit heavy for backpacking at about 4-5kg, but utterly bombproof.

At one point i’d about 6 of these, Mk3 and 4, and the rare Mk3 expedition. my fav was a mk2 with the front extension.

There seems to be a bit of a resurgence in them, prices are quite high at the moment. I would love another Mk2, but im not paying £150+

Ours is a decathlon one, survived 40mph winds just off lindisfarne last time! We used to go often but haven’t for a bit now, she turned it into full on glamping which I’m not going to lie-is very comfortable!
Inflatable air bed
Fridge
Induction hob
Portable fan heater
Fairy lights (I can do without those 🤣)
Chairs

Semi-geodesic domes count? I’ve had a few Halos and rated them highly. Currently have an older Vango (pre-Halo) Storm 200+ which is probably the wrong side of 4kg. Fine for two to carry, and is a weatherproof tardis with two exits/entrances and two porches/vestibules. I use it for car-camping solo and would be more than happy to trailer it bike-touring simply because it’s such a nice, versatile and roomy place to live (in any weather, windy, rainy, hot or cold). Great feature is that I can get pretty much everything under the largest porch (including the bike with wheels off) while still having a free (smaller) porch on the other side for cooking a brew etc.

Certainly not the worst £20 I ever spent!

I’ve still got a Blacks Timberline 2 from 1978

My team carried a Vango Force 10 to do Ten Tors in 1995. Bag was heavy the first day but day 2 the flysheet had swollen so much I could barely get it in my Berghaus Vulcan 2 (which I still have). We finished nicely, in step as a 3×2 squad but my hips were pouring blud for hefting that sodden mass!

I’ve just been given a Saunders Backpacker 2.
I’ve not pitched it yet, but I’m intrigued.
(Not my pic).

I think that’s a JetPacker. The Backpacker had two (vertical) front poles (see my Bol d’Or posts).