New Quechua "Fresh & Black" Tents

[squirrelarmy]

I used my F&B at Sziget this year. Temperatures were getting into mid to high 30s every day and I was managing to sleep in my tent until 10/11am. 
 

There were people sleeping on the beach because their tents were too hot. 
 

The only negative is lack of porch on the Arpenaz. But it’s not going to be muddy so won’t need a porch! 

[Johnnyseven]

On 9/14/2019 at 9:54 AM, gooner1990 said:

Can anyone help? Used my fresh and black at Truck Festival no issue since Ben at BoomTown and Pilton party the poles won’t sit straight and the whole thing is sequiff...

 

 

I have this tent and found that if I peg the 4 corners of the inner tent groundsheet out first so the whole tent is taut it goes up no problem.

If this doesn't work try and wrap the hook/strap in the middle at the top around both poles, in the middle where they cross, to hold them together, then clip the hook onto one of the poles. The inner should hang loose though, it shouldn't be tight up against the poles - if it was, when it rains, the water would leak through and you'd get wet.

I thought the fresh and black aspect of this tent was great, it was alot cooler inside than other tents i've used. The only time it got hot in there was when I got up on saturday, but then it was super roasting hot outside at the time. All other days were fine though.

Edited November 21, 2019 by Johnnyseven

[tarw]

23 hours ago, crazyfool1 said:

youve posted in the right thread ... fresh and black is the way to go .... and decathlon have some great deals on black friday thats where i got mine last year ... its a self inflator though and might be a bit bulky and heavy at 12kg ? Ive tried space blankets in the past and they have a small effect but they won't keep out the light as it gets light quite early in June .... decathlon is the website you need 

@crazyfool1 What date was the Decathlon Black Friday thing when you got your tent?  I need a new tent for next year and have decided on the 3 man Xl pop up.  Keep looking on the decathlon site but cant see any Black Friday deals or info about when it is. Thanks

[Crazyfool01]

54 minutes ago, tarw said:

@crazyfool1 What date was the Decathlon Black Friday thing when you got your tent?  I need a new tent for next year and have decided on the 3 man Xl pop up.  Keep looking on the decathlon site but cant see any Black Friday deals or info about when it is. Thanks

Had a quick look myself .. don’t know if they aren’t doing it ? But it should be today .. will keep an eye but some companies have stopped it and it doesn’t seem to be as prominent this year 

[northernringo]

20 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Had a quick look myself .. don’t know if they aren’t doing it ? But it should be today .. will keep an eye but some companies have stopped it and it doesn’t seem to be as prominent this year 

Despite what most companies will tell you, Black Friday is next Friday. Some of them are now doing a week long one hence why a few have 'started' today.

[tarw]

Thanks I’ll keep looking until next weekend then.

[Crazyfool01]

1 hour ago, northernringo said:

Despite what most companies will tell you, Black Friday is next Friday. Some of them are now doing a week long one hence why a few have 'started' today.

that'll be why Ive not spotted anything then  cheers 

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Has anyone used these tents in wet a d blustery conditions. I am siding with the Coleman tent as I trust the  brand and has a larger hydrostatic head. 

[Mark E. Spliff]

3 hours ago, Rufus Gwertigan said:

Has anyone used these tents in wet a d blustery conditions. I am siding with the Coleman tent as I trust the  brand and has a larger hydrostatic head. 

Mine survived unscathed through Boomtown this year,  when the post-hurricane wind/rain forced some bits of the festival to shut down and many of the attendees were refugees from Boardmasters, which had been completely cancelled.

However:

1.  'Fresh and Black' is just a brand label applied to loads of different tents which have nothing else in common.  Mine is the 'Quickhiker 3.'

2.  Hydrostatic head is a red herring.  Almost all of the tents in the Green Fields (e.g. Small World Stage etc.) are canvas, which effectively has zero hydrostatic head.  They keep you dry because they've been put up properly and their design means the line of least resistance for water is down the canvas rather than through it.

[stuartbert two hats]

2 hours ago, Mark E. Spliff said:

 

1.  'Fresh and Black' is just a brand label applied to loads of different tents which have nothing else in common.  Mine is the 'Quickhiker 3.'

I understand and agree that they share very little in terms of durability, but don't they all share the heat repelling/blackout properties, even if they have nothing else in common?

[Mark E. Spliff]

1 hour ago, stuartbert two hats said:

I understand and agree that they share very little in terms of durability, but don't they all share the heat repelling/blackout properties, even if they have nothing else in common?

I just meant they were all different with respect to their design and therefore how they cope in wind and rain.  I'm sure you're right about their light/thermal properties - anything with Fresh and Black written on it will be a reflective blackout tent.  It could even be a proprietary fabric that they all use?

By the way - Fresh and Black tents are one of my many 'should have put my money where my mouth is' scenarios.  Here's me preaching about reflective tents on here in 2009, way before Quechua got involved:

And this was the one I was banging on about ten years ago.  Still a brilliant tent for hot weather, but I couldn't get them to send over a replacement when my last one fell apart:

http://www.instanttents.com/shop/3p-mosquito-dome-fly-sheet

 

Edited November 23, 2019 by Mark E. Spliff

[stuartbert two hats]

They're very good, but were beaten this year - there's not much you can do when it's 25c at 1 at night. Reflecting sunlight doesn't really help!

Although having said that, the vents did help. But it doesn't have an air conditioner, they're not magic!

[stuie]

4 hours ago, stuartbert two hats said:

there's not much you can do when it's 25c at 1 at night. 

Man, I miss those days! How much winter is left please? 

[Johnnyseven]

8 hours ago, stuartbert two hats said:

They're very good, but were beaten this year - there's not much you can do when it's 25c at 1 at night. Reflecting sunlight doesn't really help!

Although having said that, the vents did help. But it doesn't have an air conditioner, they're not magic!

My Fresh & Black was only beaten by the sun on saturday morning this year. Every other morning it was lovely and cool inside.

Edited November 23, 2019 by Johnnyseven

[stuartbert two hats]

56 minutes ago, Johnnyseven said:

My Fresh & Black was only beaten by the sun on saturday morning this year. Every other morning it was lovely and cool inside.

It was Friday night that I was suffering. I should have just stayed out later.

[tarw]

20 hours ago, Rufus Gwertigan said:

Has anyone used these tents in wet a d blustery conditions. I am siding with the Coleman tent as I trust the  brand and has a larger hydrostatic head. 

Depends on the type. My quick hiker 2 stood up to storm winds on the beach at Shell Island. Not sure if some of the stand up in tents of any type would have done. 

[Crazyfool01]

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/black-friday.html

cant see them yet ... but I would imagine as last year we will get some good tent deals  .... its on a countdown but dont remember any availability issues when I purchased mine last year .... hope this helps a few on here  

[RB85]

Does anyone have the Arpenaz 4.1?
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/arpenaz-41-freshblack-family-camping-tent-4-man-id_8492957.html

Starting some Glasto prep and need a new tent after mine gave up at another festival last year. A search through these forums shows Quechua seem to be a favourite brand. Haven't been to Glasto for 10 years though so any pro's / con's more regular attendees can spot would be appreciated!

[stuie]

4 minutes ago, RB85 said:

Does anyone have the Arpenaz 4.1?
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/arpenaz-41-freshblack-family-camping-tent-4-man-id_8492957.html

Starting some Glasto prep and need a new tent after mine gave up at another festival last year. A search through these forums shows Quechua seem to be a favourite brand. Haven't been to Glasto for 10 years though so any pro's / con's more regular attendees can spot would be appreciated!

I have it but don't use it anymore.  It's not got any of the heat reducing quality or black out material that the Fresh & Black range have.  It's quite a nice tent and very roomy, but if it's a hot festival, it gets hot.

[RB85]

I think this is a version with the Fresh & Black material. There's another without it which I assume is the one you mean. Was the heat the only major issue with your one?

[pahqman]

Fresh and black pros:

-Pretty cheap.

-Really good at keeping the heat down due to reflective top layer (I slept until 11-12ish each day this last festival, and it wasn't baking when I got up)

-Pretty good at being dark (not full-full blackout but I don't see that as an issue - it's dark enough)

 

cons:

-Instructions for setup suck, but aren't impossible.

-Air flow could be better (there was only one zippered "window" on my model.)

 

I bought the 3-man F&B last year and will be taking it back this year

[stuie]

9 minutes ago, RB85 said:

I think this is a version with the Fresh & Black material. There's another without it which I assume is the one you mean. Was the heat the only major issue with your one?

Wow! So it is.  Well this might change things.

It's a perfect tent otherwise.  Like all tunnel tents, it relies on the guide ropes to stay up but if you take your time and pitch it well, it'll be great.

Now thinking about selling other tents on ebay and getting this!

Thanks! :-)

[RB85]

1 minute ago, stuie said:

Wow! So it is.  Well this might change things.

It's a perfect tent otherwise.  Like all tunnel tents, it relies on the guide ropes to stay up but if you take your time and pitch it well, it'll be great.

Now thinking about selling other tents on ebay and getting this!

Thanks! 🙂

No problem! I think that feedback is enough for me to go ahead and buy it, cheers!

[stuie]

Just now, RB85 said:

No problem! I think that feedback is enough for me to go ahead and buy it, cheers!

Well, I like to have a porch to wash in and somewhere we can sit if it rains but I sacrificed all that for the fresh and blackness (they don't have porches)

Now you've just told me I can have both.

 

[Bennykill]

i have the inflatable version and it was great last year, kept cool and dark

Link