What Tent?!

[burger93]

Hey can anyone recommend a cheap 3 person tent that I can take to leeds. Most ones I can find are single skin, but is this going to cause a problem if I lean against the side of the tent if it's raining? As all double skin tents seem a lot more expensive? Hoping to find a cheap one so it doesn't matter if it's destroyed by anyone throughout the festival. Tesco seem to do cheap ones (£20ish) but these are single skin. Thanks!

[jump]

Look on Ebay.

[Mark E. Spliff]

It's the other way round: if you lean against the fly-sheet of a double-skinned tent, there is a risk of water ingress. This isn't the case with single-skinned tents as they're made out of non-permeable fabric. And this is why single-skinned tents are crap - they don't have sufficient ventilation, so by the morning, you'll be in a pool of water from all the condensation which has run down the side of the tent.

There's really no need to spend a lot of money on a festival tent. Any cheap double-skin tent will do the job providing you put it up properly and it's big enough. Typically, for three people, you'd want a 5 or 6-man tent as the manufacturers are always hopelessly optimistic about how many you can squeeze into them. As jump says, look on ebay and you'll find loads of adequate tents within your price range. I've just had a look, and this, this and this seem to fit the bill.

[burger93]

I don't know why I didn't mention this but the tent is just for me, I thought it be best get a bigger tent for bags/food/drinks and I just like having space So you would recomend getting a double skinned one, I've heard a fair bit about condensation making puddles in tents. Wow some seriously cheap tents on ebay there. Thanks, I'll have a look now I know a double skin is the way to go

[kirstykustard]

see personally i always get one of them £20 single skinned tesco tents every year, use it through the festival season and then chuck it at the end. i've never had problems with them in any weather.

[mooseman]

Yep you need to double skin, it gives extra protection but when you touch the sides it still feels wet.

[Mega Ross]

Don't skimp on a tent, everyone who bought a single skin in our camp last year ended up bunking up in other peoples tents because they flooded.

Buy a double skinned tent, they are better insulated and better for keeping water out in torrential rain, with enough room for you and all of your stuff.

In a light colour incase it's sunny, dark tents turn into ovens on hot days.

And make sure it's poles on the outer skin, not the inner skin. If you have to put the inner skin up in the rain without the outer layer you'll get water in your sleeping area. Not a good situation to be in.

If you have an awning and it's raining, tuck the groundsheet for the awning under your tent and have bare grass else it'll flood.

You can get quality single skin tents with good Hydrostatic head ratings, they'll keep you dry in a storm but a cheaper double skin is a better option if you just want a cheap tent. Shop around, if you go with millets google for money off codes.

I've got 2 options this year, left everything behind last year, due to the extreme cold without a fire.

Sharing one of these with 3 freinds, it's more of a glorified 5 man so should be a better fit than last year when I took in two stragglers to my 4 man.

Or getting myself another 3/4 man (2 mans are too short for me as I'm 6'6") and telling the inevitable squatters to go sleep in an awning somewhere.

One last thing, don't buy a package, the sleeping equipment in these packages is always gash.

Edited June 11, 2011 by Mega Ross

[PurpleFire]

ASDA have some decent tents at the moment for around 15 to 50quid!

The Ideal Festival Tent

Double the size for the amount of people who are sleeping in it. So if your on your own, 2 man tent is perfect. If you have 2 people you need a 4 man tent and so on. A Two Man Tent is A Two MAN tent, thats all that should fit in it, no clothes no equipment.

Duel Skined - Key single skins get wet inside from all the condensation overnight and the seems do sometimes leak due to the waterproofing on them wearing out.

Seperate Sleeping Area - Nothing worse than having a one room tent and having to put you dirty shoes by you blow up bed. If clothes and shoes get wet outside your going to bring all the wet and dirt into the tent where you wish to keep clean. So having a porch is key for me, just to leave wellies and wet clothes and also gives you a bit more space to store stuff!

Dont comprimise on your tent! Unless you plan on sleeping in other peoples tents everynight! Your tent is your home for the 4/5 days your at the festival. If you have a crap tent then you might aswell put all your clothes in the shower before you come if its a rainy weekend!

ASDA as i have said have a tent for 25, two man! But im not sure about the qaulity!

http://direct.asda.com/Ozark-Trail-2-Person-Tent/000933797,default,pd.html

4man 40quid again not sure on qaulity

http://direct.asda.com/Ozark-4-Person-Trail-Tent/000933804,default,pd.html

For more money Go Outdoors High Gear tents are brilliant, i have a large 5 person tent from high gear and the qaulity is second to none... i go holiday camping every summer and high gear equipment is never let me down. For 40quid i strongly recomend!

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-neutron-2-p143491

[tolywoly]

Here's mine:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3401864/Trail/searchtext%3EREGATTA+TENT.htm

[PurpleFire]

Here's mine:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3401864/Trail/searchtext%3EREGATTA+TENT.htm

[FiestaDave]

Smart looking tent that, good price aswell... After looking at that tent ONE MORE TIP!

Practise putting up your tent and putting it away before you go! That frame tent looks very clever but a bit complicated but all ways check your tent before by having a practise run!

[PurpleFire]

Not 100% necessary. I never have done and never will and I buy a new tent every year.

As long as your not retarded you'll be fine. In the unlikely event there's something missing, you can just buy it at the festival.

[Haydn]

i usually take a 16 man tent just for myself, then tape off 150 square feet around my tent, a few people get a bit annoyed but feck em i like my space.

Edited June 12, 2011 by Haydn

[Mega Ross]

i usually take a 16 man tent just for myself, then tape off 150 square feet around my tent, a few people get a bit abboyed but feck em i like my space.

Edited June 12, 2011 by Mega Ross

[FiestaDave]

i usually take a 16 man tent just for myself, then tape off 150 square feet around my tent, a few people get a bit annoyed but feck em i like my space.

Edited June 12, 2011 by FiestaDave

[burger93]

Well I found a tent in the end, got this coleman 3 person tent from argos on offer.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9275537/Trail/searchtext%3E3+PERSON+TENT.htm

Just put it up to check it's all good, seems fine, more than big enough inside for just me bit annoying the poles are on the inner tent so better not be raining when putting it up! Just need to get a roll matt or something comfy and lightweight to sleep on sorted now!

[Mega Ross]

Not bad value that, not bad at all.

And I highly recommend the millets self inflating camping mats. I suffer from a bad back and it was absolutely fine last year on it, it offers just enough support, weights sod all, inflates itself and keeps you really well insulated from the freezing cold mud.

I've had it up and down a couple of dozen times now and it's still going strong.

[kaytee...]

I bought a 3 person double skinned Gelert tent. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gelert-Rocky-3-Person-Tent/dp/B003WUXN86

Shop around though because I got mine for £25 off a random camping website

[burger93]

Well to sleep on It's either going to be something like a self inflating mat like : http://www.millets.co.uk/camping/sleeping-equipment/sleeping-mats/product/095617/multimat-camper-compact-mat.html?attribute=3706136

or just a cheap beach lilo that I can blow up. Can imagine the lilo being prone to punctures though.

[Mega Ross]

I'd recommend the camping mat like before man, don't let a bad back and shitty sleep ruin your festival.

When you're only getting 4 hours a night the quality of the sleep is damn important.

[burger93]

I'd recommend the camping mat like before man, don't let a bad back and shitty sleep ruin your festival.

When you're only getting 4 hours a night the quality of the sleep is damn important.

[Mega Ross]

I actually have that mat, it's bloody good for the money.

A lilo isn't really great for sleeping on, go lay on one on your floor and you'll see what I mean. It's completely different to how they are in a pool due to the pressure you're putting on it, very solid.

They aren't designed to insulate you from the ground which is basically like a chunk of frozen mud on the really cold nights.

The foam in inlatable camping mats (which is how they inflate you see, the foam expands inside when you release a valve) is designed to insulate you and offer support on your back. The same applies with the roll up foam ones but I don't rate them as highly.

Inflatable mattresses and camp beds are debatable, I say I waste of time for 5 days, too much to carry.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Mega Ross

[FiestaDave]

Inflatable mattresses and camp beds are debatable, I say I waste of time for 5 days, too much to carry.

[burger93]

I actually have that mat, it's bloody good for the money.

A lilo isn't really great for sleeping on, go lay on one on your floor and you'll see what I mean. It's completely different to how they are in a pool due to the pressure you're putting on it, very solid.

They aren't designed to insulate you from the ground which is basically like a chunk of frozen mud on the really cold nights.

The foam in inlatable camping mats (which is how they inflate you see, the foam expands inside when you release a valve) is designed to insulate you and offer support on your back. The same applies with the roll up foam ones but I don't rate them as highly.

Inflatable mattresses and camp beds are debatable, I say I waste of time for 5 days, too much to carry.

[Gary]

http://www.millets.co.uk/camping/sleeping-equipment/camp-beds/product/096368/vango-camp-bed.html?attribute=3741555

Get this. £13... it's a little bit heavy on the way back but it's a bloody metal framed bed. at a festival. I was a king at Glastonbury and didn't have to pump it up every morning. Loved it.

Plus I haggled at my local millets when buying some other bits and they gave it to me for £9.99.