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Small, light two-man tent - recommendations please


pie_and_a_pint
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Hi Folks

Mr P&P usually take our trusty old 4-man to Glastonbury, but as I'm travelling solo this time I need to get a new, smaller tent for this year's festival. I'm travelling by train, so need something light and good quality, easy to pitch, two man with a small porch. I probably can't carry a big circle on the train so I guess it needs to be traditional style rather than pop-up. I don't want Milletts crap (after a bad experience in 2015 I vowed never to shop with them again) or Tesco crap, but rather something that will see me through the next few years of festivalling without leaking, breaking, or generally falling to bits. 

Any recommendations? The choice out there is rather overwhelming!

Thanks!

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3 hours ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Hello pie_and_a_pint,

It's been years since I had a two man tent, so can't offer any advice. Just wondering why Mr pie_and_a_pint isn't going? I thought he liked the place as much as you?

Yeah, I don't think he's quite as obsessed as me! He loves the food and the atmosphere but he goes for the music really - he loves to go from stage to stage seeing eight or ten bands a day (whereas I can go for the whole week just bumbling and see zero bands!) and I think he'd only go again if he got a ticket through normal means, whereas I now prefer to work. I'm perfectly happy to go with friends or go solo, so I guess he might return in a few years but not sure he'll be a regular in the future. He also loathes camping, and as we get older it gets harder to convince him a week in a tent is A Good Thing. 

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39 minutes ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

Yeah, I don't think he's quite as obsessed as me! He loves the food and the atmosphere but he goes for the music really - he loves to go from stage to stage seeing eight or ten bands a day (whereas I can go for the whole week just bumbling and see zero bands!) and I think he'd only go again if he got a ticket through normal means, whereas I now prefer to work. I'm perfectly happy to go with friends or go solo, so I guess he might return in a few years but not sure he'll be a regular in the future. He also loathes camping, and as we get older it gets harder to convince him a week in a tent is A Good Thing. 

Eight to ten bands a day! Wow, he is a serious music head. I like to see a band or two a day but prefer the other distractions much more. Good luck with your tent hunting.

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We have used the bigger version of this one for a few years and it is very good:

https://www.outdooraction.co.uk/tents-tents-by-use-backpacking-tents/coleman/coleman-coastline-2-compact-tent-pd-10718.php?gclid=CM2zoeWno9ICFQ4R0wod57kEFA

But last year my 12 year old came along with his own tent which was a big circle and he carried it and his big rucksack and when I carried it back to the coach station it was actually really easy. My problem wasnt the carrying or the getting it back in the bag but the fact that it doesnt have any sort of porch and the footprint is quite wide for Tom's Field.

What day are you going? I want to go down on Tuesday but hubby wants to wait until weds for childcare purposes. harrumph.

 

 

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Can I suggest this tent,have used this for few years now at fests and camping trips. Very good,relatively light and comfy(as much as tent can be) Also prefer tents with side door and with this you can use the front door area as muddy dumping ground then use side door to get into sleeping compartment without dragging too much mud in.http://www.worldofcamping.co.uk/coleman-cortes-2-tent?

Edited by glastolover19
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3 hours ago, giantkatestacks said:

We have used the bigger version of this one for a few years and it is very good:

https://www.outdooraction.co.uk/tents-tents-by-use-backpacking-tents/coleman/coleman-coastline-2-compact-tent-pd-10718.php?gclid=CM2zoeWno9ICFQ4R0wod57kEFA

But last year my 12 year old came along with his own tent which was a big circle and he carried it and his big rucksack and when I carried it back to the coach station it was actually really easy. My problem wasnt the carrying or the getting it back in the bag but the fact that it doesnt have any sort of porch and the footprint is quite wide for Tom's Field.

What day are you going? I want to go down on Tuesday but hubby wants to wait until weds for childcare purposes. harrumph.

 

 

Monday - I'd like to be on site by teatime so I can wander around in the evening, pop to a few bars etc. then have all day Tuesday for wandering and taking photos etc. Hopefully travelling will be nice and easy again. Our friend made the error of waiting till Wednesday last year and he ended up taking 14 hours to get on site from Bath, the poor sod :(

1 hour ago, glastolover19 said:

Can I suggest this tent,have used this for few years now at fests and camping trips. Very good,relatively light and comfy(as much as tent can be) Also prefer tents with side door and with this you can use the front door area as muddy dumping ground then use side door to get into sleeping compartment without dragging too much mud in.http://www.worldofcamping.co.uk/coleman-cortes-2-tent?

Two consecutive recommendations for Coleman tents is telling me something, isn't it! Cheers both for the help - I like the look of both of those so I'll take a closer look.

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I got this one last year:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Tents/Coleman-2000012148-Darwin-2/B00BM7A3R0/ref=sr_1_10?s=camping-hiking&ie=UTF8&qid=1487776711&sr=1-10&keywords=coleman+tent

Considering the price it's excellent. Decent sized porch for your muddy bits. Kept all water out despite some fairly heavy rain at times. Was very easy and quick to put up and take down. Just the right size for going on your own I found.

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2 hours ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

Monday - I'd like to be on site by teatime so I can wander around in the evening, pop to a few bars etc. then have all day Tuesday for wandering and taking photos etc. Hopefully travelling will be nice and easy again. Our friend made the error of waiting till Wednesday last year and he ended up taking 14 hours to get on site from Bath, the poor sod :(

Two consecutive recommendations for Coleman tents is telling me something, isn't it! Cheers both for the help - I like the look of both of those so I'll take a closer look.

Only used Colemans tents now after being recommend after years using the cheap 20 quid tents for few years till I realized using the cheapies each year added up to same cost of semi decent tent after 3-4 trips and so far the Colemans have held up with no problems,you can find it cheaper then link supplied,think Amazon sell for around 50. But honestly don't think you can go wrong with any of the suggestions on here as know many people with vangos and they say their great too. Personally whatever you choose I wouldn't go for anything less then 30-40 quid as it really does seem you get what you pay for. Happy camping :)

Edited by glastolover19
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My first year volunteering, I went solo, so needed a smaller tent than our family one. I found one in Lidl, of all places! It's advertised as a 3 man, but I found it just right for a single airbed, storage space for a rucksack and a few other bags, and a decent porch for mucky boots etc. Its double skinned, and coped really well with the downpours in both 2014 and '16. It's done a couple of other trips too, and I'm using it again this year. I think it was £29.99 originally, but I got one for a bit less, as new 'products of the week' had come in, so they'd been reduced. Expect they'll have them again later this spring, probably April sometime.

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42 minutes ago, guypjfreak said:

And as I've written elsewhere.. Please please when leaving take a larger tent that some gig has left behind... 

If we all took a tent home as well as our own I believe it would help.. 

Not when I'm on public transport I can't. I'll leave the wombling for those with trollies and cars! 

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There's too much choice when it comes to tents.  You need to think about what your criteria is.  So far: you're looking for something that's good quality, is compact to carry, 2-man with a porch.  That narrows it down to about 10,000 different designs!

I'd throw in two other criteria to help narrow the choice down:

1.  Not too much of an oven.  Waking up with a hangover in a hot tent is hell.  Therefore anything with multiple doors to allow a through-flow of air is good, plus being a reflective colour probably helps.

2.  Cheap to buy.  (I've got some expensive tents for biking/kayking but wouldn't want to leave them to the tender mercies of clumsy drunkards and canvas-slashing tent robbers.)

(Don't get too anal about hydrostatic head - provided (1) the shape is smooth, without troughs for water to collect (2) you put it up properly and (3) you don't leave your stuff inside leaning against the walls, then any half-decent tent will keep the rain out.)

I don't own this one, but it was highly recommended by someone on a sea kayaking forum, and I may give it a whirl:

http://www.gearbest.com/tent/pp_326670.html

Might not be the one for you, as it doesn't really have a porch you can hang out in.  Maybe someone can recommend a tent similar to this which does?

 

 

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I have a Vango Omega 350, I believe they do a 250 (2 man) version.  I can out the 350 up alone, its got a porch as big as the sleeping compartment and I can stand up inside enough to put tights on.  Its done over 10 yrs of camping trips and festivals, just love it.  

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Thanks for all the recommendations folks! I'm starting a new job on Wednesday and I'll be doing some tent shopping on my first payday - lots of food for thought here so I'll look at some links in closer detail and let you all know which one I decide to buy!

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Update on that tent I linked to above.  After a long wait, they emailed me to say they've got supply problems and would refund, however the refund came in the form of a credit note for the store!  No drama though - I emailed them and got them to instead refund to my card.

The tent is still showing as available on that link though, so avoid.

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4 hours ago, Mark E. Spliff said:

Update on that tent I linked to above.  After a long wait, they emailed me to say they've got supply problems and would refund, however the refund came in the form of a credit note for the store!  No drama though - I emailed them and got them to instead refund to my card.

The tent is still showing as available on that link though, so avoid.

Noted, thanks!

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