Tent

[Migraine]

While every company is flogging off their tents cheap I thought I would pick one up in preperation for next year, my last one didn't make the return trip from Benicassim. I can't decide to get a normal type tent that requires some assembley or one of the pop up ones. The biggest thing putting me off the popup idea is the size of the thing when it is packed.

Has anyone got any thoughts on this?

[michaladaisy]

Was my first festival last year and after queueing for several hours at the gate, there was nothing better than flipping up my Quechua pop up and cracking open a beer in minutes. I didn't find it that hard to carry either so pop ups all the way for me!

[Milbert]

I can't be doing with them. Putting a tent up isn't difficult, and the hassle of carrying and storing the thing isn't worth the minutes saved putting it up.

Also worth bearing in mind that the bigger the pop-up tent, the harder it is to pack away. Three of us spent a good twenty minutes getting increasing frustrated, angry and hurt trying to pack a 3-man effort away at Beautiful Days last year.

If you are going to buy one, make sure you test packing it away before you buy. If the staff tell you it's easy but don't/won't demonstrate how easy, then you know it'll be a problem.

[johnmcga]

When I went through the turnstile this year, I first had to give the bloke in front of me a push. His pop-up tent was too wide for the turnstile!

Make of that what you will ... personally I'm happy to put up with the whole ten minutes it takes me to put my normal tent up.

[cejx]

get a Khyam. A proper tent with internal poles, so you can erect it in about 60 seconds (with a bit of practice). Enuf room for 2 plus gear storage.

I have a Freelander, as after years of scrabbling on my knees, my poor back required something I can stand up in, but the highlander and igloo's are brilliant.

http://www.khyam.co.uk/

[rischbrit]

We've got a vango 3 man pop up tent easy to carry with the shoulder straps it's double skinned and really warm and easy to pop up.

However it's a pig to take down and really snug so if you tall/large build it could be cosy!

[theampersanddevil]

Can't be doing with the pop ups, really easy to put up and a pain in the arse to put down.

My 4 man vango tent takes 10 minutes to put up myself, only 3 poles, all the same size and everything inside and only about 9kg.

[coma girl]

The size of the pop up tents and the hassle of putting them away has always put me off. Unless you have monster of a tent then I'd say most can be put up by one person within 10mins, just practice before you go.

[lea7784]

we got a litchfield one and it was up in ten cough cough i did try to put it up in my living room dont do this its badddddddd

but hubby sorted it hehe

[Paul ™]

Can't be doing with the pop ups, really easy to put up and a pain in the arse to put down.

My 4 man vango tent takes 10 minutes to put up myself, only 3 poles, all the same size and everything inside and only about 9kg.

[HurrahBrother]

took a pop-up in 2007.

Quencha 2 Air, not a bad tent, however.

The tent got rubbed through on a corner by the movement of the luggage in the luggage hold. Abraded away on the noslip surface.

Real awkward to carry when you have a rucksack and that (actually a real effing pain).

Felt like an over dressed overweight spartan though lugging his shield (with or or on it).

The Vango ds 200 pop-up seems to have solved several problems (packed size, lack of porch).

I have gone back to using Igloo/domes since (nuff said)

except last year, used an old school poncho tent (like a mini teepee), replaced the inner single pole with a tripod (extendable washing line poles) and it is near perfect (but not used it in really bad weather like 2005/2007).

[bambina]

Pop-ups are a piece of cake to use once you learn the knack of putting them down.

First couple of outings I made sure I had the video from the Quechua website on my phone just in case.

I own 4 Quechua pop-ups from a 2 birth upto the 4.2 and can quite easily fold them down on my own.

Easily strapped to the outside of a rucksack using the straps on the bag and a couple of bungees.

I would never go back to faffing around with rods and canvas ever again.

[irons]

No interest at all in pop-up tents. Not packable in a rucksack or kit bag.

I picked up a 3 man tent in Millets the other week for £25, reduced from £60. I've got 2 now, cracking tents. Don't think they do them anymore but there'll be something similar.

[BuriedBones]

Nothing over 3kgs, what's the point in bringing a tent that is any bigger than my actual body when lying down?

Don't intend to be in there any longer than is strictly required.

Just like Gazebos and the like, people with 3 / 4 / 5+ man tents and just one person inside them (plenty of room for their t-shirts to breathe?) is just not glastonbury in my mind.

Not sure about pop-ups, can see it from both sides. Carrying them on site and putting them away looks like a pain up the hoop

[MamaJojo]

Nothing over 3kgs, what's the point in bringing a tent that is any bigger than my actual body when lying down?

Don't intend to be in there any longer than is strictly required.

Just like Gazebos and the like, people with 3 / 4 / 5+ man tents and just one person inside them (plenty of room for their t-shirts to breathe?) is just not glastonbury in my mind.

Not sure about pop-ups, can see it from both sides. Carrying them on site and putting them away looks like a pain up the hoop

[Paul ™]

And 3kg is very very light for a tent, my 3 man lightweight one with alloy poles, light alloy pegs still weighs 3.3kg

[HurrahBrother]

it's all very well saying that 1 person in anything more than a 1/1 man tent is 'not glastonbury' but there is another side of the coin - its 'home' for a week being reasonably comfortable = good, and and 2 man tent for 2 people is just asking for a panic attack (claustrophobia) in my eyes. There's no way on hell or earth that I could sleep in a 'popup coffin'

[LEDZEP66]

Now is the perfect time to pick up a tent. All the camping shops are getting rid of this years models cheap to make space for the new ones coming out. I have managed to pick up one of these :

My link

for a bargin price of £120, perfect for 4 of us

[gibbin82]

Not going to advise on what tent to buy as tents like music are what suits you. I go to Glastonbury with my misses and she likes a bit of comfort; air bed, being able to stand up, etc, so we have invested in a 4 man for next year. I find it amazing that at home she is the one who makes sure everthing is tidy and put away (where it can never be found :angry: ), but get her in a tent and the roles are completely reversed, she turns into a slob and I develop an obsesive compulsive disorder becoming a tidy up nutter . What I do suggest though is check out http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/ as they have a huge range of tents and if you wait a while they regularly run offers These change ever two weeks, you can get a great tent for half price or even much less. A couple of examples currently on offer (possible due to change soon) that may suit you depending on whether you like to camp light or luxury below.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-whirlwind-2-p143527

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-atakama-5-5-berth-family-tent-p143499

Edited October 24, 2010 by gibbin82

[grumpyhack]

There are five of us and we like a bit of space so always used to take a large dome tent you could stand up in with separate bedrooms running off.

The downside was that it was very heavy (we needed a decent trollley especially with all the cooking gear as well) and it took a couple of hours to fully put up and secure.

The upside was comfort, a social area where we could sit and chat and put the world to rights (very useful when it's hissing with rain).

On balance If I was just spending one night camping I might go for a pop up but I think it's worth spending a couple of hours putting up a comfortable tent when it's going to be your home for the best part of a week.

[The Pink Peril]

Is there such a thing as a 2/3 man tent that's standing height? Nearest I've found is the Vango Beta 350

Go Outdoors linky

Was my first Glasto this year, and though I love my little tent I think I was (very) bloody lucky with the weather - I think lack of a proper porch and not much space would be hell in a wet one.

[cejx]

Is there such a thing as a 2/3 man tent that's standing height? Nearest I've found is the Vango Beta 350

Go Outdoors linky

Was my first Glasto this year, and though I love my little tent I think I was (very) bloody lucky with the weather - I think lack of a proper porch and not much space would be hell in a wet one.

[ukmountie]

I've got a Vango Beta 250 which is the two man variation. It's a big two man unlike a lot of two man tents that would be a squeeze. The height on mine is 120cm which is just tall enough to get to your feet, bent over, and pull on your trousers. You wouldn't be walking around in there. The 350 gives you an extra 35cm of height which would would be a nice addition.

I used mine at Green Man last August and on the Thursday night I was afraid we'd all get washed away. Not a drop of water in the tent. I'd recommend them highly.

Is there such a thing as a 2/3 man tent that's standing height? Nearest I've found is the Vango Beta 350

Go Outdoors linky

Was my first Glasto this year, and though I love my little tent I think I was (very) bloody lucky with the weather - I think lack of a proper porch and not much space would be hell in a wet one.

[The Pink Peril]

Cheers

Is 10.5kg as heavy as it sounds... ?

[HurrahBrother]

Cheers

Is 10.5kg as heavy as it sounds... ?