Time to think about tents!

[Kalcius]

With June fast approaching, and the inevitable spring/summer price hike on everything camping related, it's time to think about buying a tent.

My last abortive attempt at Glasto was many years ago, and at the time I bought a cheap and cheerful pop-up effort of the giant disc type, which never actually saw a field as I wasn't able to make it so ended up selling it.

This year there's no question of not going, annual leave is already approved, money is put away to pay the balance and transport already booked, so now looking at the best tent option.

 

Originally I'd thought about another of the pop-ups similar to last time, but the more I think about it the more I reckon it may be a bit cumbersome to carry. I'm travelling alone, so only needs to accommodate me but also only me to carry it!

When I first booked tickets I did find a kind of pop-up/quick pitch tent which had a kind of telescopic frame on the outside, and was a good price, but now can't find the link that I thought I'd saved. I've also been looking at the inflatable ones, as they seem to pack a lot more compactly (although with the added weight/bulk of a pump) . 

 

Anybody seen any decent deals, or got any recommendations for me please? 

 

Cheers,

 

Marc

[stuartbert two hats]

Quick question, how tall are you? And do you care about being able to stand up?

[Kalcius]

I'm just a shade under 6ft. Not overly worried about being able to stand, portability is probably more important than that, although if there's a hidden gem out there that will let me stand up and also easy and light to transport, without breaking the bank, then added bonus. The holy grail of tents, haha. 

[giantkatestacks]

Do you need a porch?

[Kalcius]

Erm, not something I'd really thought about. I don't need a large porch for sitting in, but a bit of boot space would be useful. Not essential though. 

[Kalcius]

This is what I'm currently considering...

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/quechua-air-seconds-xl-2-man-inflatable-tent-airbeam-style-down-54-99-4-man-family-2591346

[justperfect]

We have bought a Coleman instant for this year. We haven't tried it personally but one of our camp neighbours had the exact same one and it stood up well to last year's heavy conditions and was up in minutes. 

The bag is quite long(ish) due to the fact the poles stay in position whilst collapsed but it is very lightweight

[Stokesy10]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eurohike-Deluxe-Tent-Blue-Size/dp/B00WUH6XQG

Got this the other day. Never been so excited about a purchase!!! Bostin' porch ay it?! Can't wait!

[bexj]

Not sure why you need an inflatable 2 man tent, poles dont weigh much. I'd rather spend my budget on a bit more space, you'll roast in that inflatable one. And there is no porch at all. Think about coming back to your tent late, mud and wet up to the eyeballs... do you really want to sit on your nice dry sleeping bag while you get changed?

[Kalcius]

It was one of the Coleman tents I was originally looking at, although they are a little bit more expensive and I wasn't sure whether the longer bag would be an issue to carry?

There's also a 4 man version of the Quechua inflatable at £79.99 which has a much larger porch area.

I guess ease of pitching was the main reason I was looking at the inflatable or a pop-up/skeleton like the Coleman. So it's a case of the best value for money which offers this whilst remaining portable, ideally so I can strap it to the bottom of my rucksack. 

 

Thanks for the input folks, really helps as gives me plenty of different angles to think about, particularly the porch which I hadn't really placed much importance on before.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Kalcius

[bexj]

You can pitch most 2/3 man tents quickly and alone.  I have one similar to the one in the amazon link and can pitch it singlehanded in about 10 mins... or its a good excuse to get to know your neighbour!  I know tge porch thing doesn't bother some folk, but just having that bit if extra space to get dressed,  make a coffee or whatever is well worth it if your tent budget allows.   IMHO and maybe just cos I'm an old fart i think you are paying for the trendiness of an inflatable.!

[bexj]

Oh, and those pop up jobs might be a doddle to pitch but they are an absolute bastard to put away!  

[semmtexx]

Porches are quite nice to have.  Looking at the 4 man tent it doesn't look like the porch is sheltered when you open it. If it's raining the rain will come into the porch. Just a thought. Obvs no rain at glasto but for anywhere else you might use it...

We have the pop up version of the family tent. 2 sleeping pods either end and a massive central bit you can stand up in. Has done 3 glastos and a few other festivals without any issues. They seems to be pretty decent tents. 

The link below is the air beam version but other than that it looks pretty similar. Think ours was about 200 in the sale. 

https://goo.gl/Ay0yby

 

Edited January 8, 2017 by semmtexx

[grumpyhack]

I never thought of the tent as just a place to sleep.  We would go as a group of four or five and having a central social area was as important.  Somewhere to cook, eat, drink and chat.  And a porch to sit out under in the scorching sun helps a lot.

Given that you are staying for the best part of a week whether it taken ten minutes or a hour to put up hardly seems to matter compared to the comfort you'll have for the week.

Edited January 8, 2017 by grumpyhack

[giantkatestacks]

We have got about ten tents here for all situations and we take something like this to glastonbury as its light for the coach, packs relatively small and has a porch to contain mud.

As grumpyhack says it is lovely to have living space but we cant bring that sort of tent by coach or fit it in to our field by Thursday so this does the trick.

http://www.coleman.eu/ee/p-25683-rock-springs-3.aspx

[zero000]

Not sure inflatable tents are a great idea for festivals. One hole and you're fucked.

 

[kalifire]

I'm potentially in the market for a new tent, given I couldn't find mine following my mother's 'tidying up' since I last visited.

I'm not too fussed about standing up, but would like a porch and ideally I'd like the space-blanket type tech already installed (plus black out if possible). Not sure if I'm asking too much.

[Harry49]

I view the the porch as essential rather than nice to have. If it is a wet/muddy conditions keeping your sleeping area as dry as possible is paramount and boots/all weather gear can be stored there. So I have picked up a OUTWELL Earth 2 Tent.  At my advanced age catching a few hours decent kip is a must.

[CaledonianGonzo]

6 minutes ago, Harry49 said:

I view the the porch as essential rather than nice to have. If it is a wet/muddy conditions keeping your sleeping area as dry as possible is paramount and boots/all weather gear can be stored there. 

Word.  It's one of the basic must haves.

[ukmountie]

For years now I've used a Vango Beta 250. Discontinued but you can get the Omega 250 which is  more expensive but supposedly better made.

http://www.sportswarehouse.co.uk/vango-omega-250-tent/?gclid=CN-ay_fntNECFVTNGwod4_ADWQ#.WHNgObTfWhA

Packs fairly small and at just over 4Kg not too heavy. Huge porch for storage and changing. Not standing height at all, but high enough I can sit in my Heliox chair and have a libation or smoke out of the rain, not that there will be any rain.

Had mine since 2010, been to a couple of Glastonbury's, a couple of Green Man (men?) and just random camping. Still in good shape, though I had to replace a pole segment that split this year.

Sometimes simple is best.

[The Nal]

Another shout for Vango here. Bought one of these for last year and its really great. Not a drop of rain/moisture got into the tent all week. Big enough to stand up in too which is nice. 

 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Vango are quality kit - but, being 'proper' outdoor gear I dunno if they're maybe more of an investment purchase than something you'll just use once.  But if you're planning on using it over a number of years then it's worth the extra cash.

I used to camp in on of these things, which my dad has had since the 1960s.  It's still going strong, albeit I don't lug it around any more.

 

 

[The Nal]

Ha thats great. 

I paid less than £200 for my Vango tent on sale. Considering I (stupidly) paid megabucks to rent a campervan on multiple occasions the tent has already paid for itself many times over.  

[CaledonianGonzo]

Vango have a warehouse in Port Glasgow and twice a year they have* a factory sale where they offload all their surplus stock.  Almost all my gear comes from it. 

* Or at least had.  It's been a fair few years since I went and online info seems sketchy.  Maybe it all now goes on eBay or summat. 

 

[Kalcius]

Thanks ladies and gents, plenty of food for thought.

Ok, you've got me, the hidden geek within is drawn to the novelty of the inflatable haha!

I think a trip to Decathlon to have a proper look at a few different tents and ideas is in order, to find the one that's right for me.