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I'm looking to buy a 3 man pop up tent and a self inflating matress, and I'm looking for recommendations please.
I'm tempted by the Quecha tents for less than a ton, as they're double skinned and have a reasonable size porch area for shoes etc. Does anyone have any first hand experience with them? Or any other competitors for less than £100?
Then the mattress, do I need to buy a proper Thermarest, or are there any cheaper variants that'll offer me the same toasty warm, comfy sleep?
Ta 🙂
I assume this is for car camping as you won't want to carry a pop up tent far?
I have a quechua pop up tent. It's OK. I use it for gentle conditions for one or two nights where the time spent putting up a proper tent is disproportionate to the time spent in it. Its not very good if it's windy and putting it away takes practice - for the first few times it will take longer than a proper tent.
My vango self inflating mat has been great. Highly recommended at a third the price of a thermarest. Much bigger packed size though.
Hth
I have a "three man" pop up from decathlon and it's been spot on for the last two years. Pitched it in all weathers without issue. I has been used for everything from drug fueled festivals to coastal camping in gale force winds. Me and the girlfriend use a vango comfort double inflatable camping mat which is bulky but comfy.
Got a couple of quecha pop ups. A basic 2 man and a bigger three man which has a porch section. Both have been great. Up and down in seconds. Only downside is storage due to size but the pop ups are so good I can't see me ever using a normal tent again. When you're pitched in seconds and relaxing with a beer while your mates are struggling with theirs, its a no brainer
Heres the bigger one
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They're great. Go for a size "one man" bigger than you need.
used the four man one - bit low in height- ie short stays or nice weather- but it was easy to put up and take down.
IMHO if car camping get a proper air bed as self inflating are for heat rather than comfort IMHO - they are ok but not great
Done a lot of camping over the years. Would avoid a 'pop up' tent. Would not stand up to much weather.
With tents you get what you pay for. Would good for a Vango and get one size bigger
Would avoid a 'pop up' tent. Would not stand up to much weather.
I was on the Shell Island campsite when an absolute brute of a storm moved in over night. There were many tents blown and broken that night and my pop up wasn't one of them. Nowt wrong with a pop up for car camping IME.
For mats if car camping forget the lightweight 2.5cm thick Thermarests and go for something much thicker. For example 5cm thick mat around £20
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andes-Explora-Inflating-Camping-Mattress/dp/B00J64PWOA
The last time we used our Quecha 3man pop-up there was carnage all around us next morning, bent and snapped frame tents, gazebos sticking out of car windows and rubbish and peoples possessions everywhere. We were fine, it was a bit blowy and bouncy and occasionally the tent flexed alarmingly - but that was it.
Done a lot of camping over the years. Would avoid a 'pop up' tent. Would not stand up to much weather.
Been in some proper blows over the last few years camping and the decathlon pop ups always stood up to them particularly the samurai helmet ones that were very popular, much better than some fibre glass poled Hi-gear and the like. Having said that I wouldn't actually want to be inside one. Think 70% is in the pitching anyway (?)
Done a lot of camping over the years. Would avoid a 'pop up' tent. Would not stand up to much weather.
Well mine survived a night that destroyed most of the other Tents on the site. I was sceptical at first, but they just collapse in bad weather and 'pop up' between gusts.
I've had the £300 plus Mountain tents - Vango, Vau De, Coleman, Phoenix and the like and I'm converted.
Hth
Marko
Regarding sleeping mats, you need a good R value
I use this sleeping mat. [url= http://www.simplyhike.co.uk/products/Multimat/Superlite25SelfInflatingMat-RedandBlack.aspx ]Multimat 25 superlite sleeping mat[/url] But all depends what seasons you are to be camping and where.
Ditto on the pop ups. I wouldn't like to sleep 3 adults in my 3 man but 2 adult and a child is fine for a few nights camping. It's even got little led lights built in.
Anything longer and the kyman goes up.
I'm cracking open a beer when others are still scratching their heads trying to put theirs up.
Inflatable mattreses are awful. For me, a nice thick self inflating one is way nicer than a bouncy castle. We have one that is about 5" thick. Lovely.
Cheers all, some really helpful info there 🙂 I am indeed looking at car camping, mostly for race weekends tbh. At the end of a race run, I hate messing about trying to put a tent away, I want to just fold it up and get on the road, so a pop up seems ideal. If it sucks, I'll go back to one of my others.
As for camping mats, if I'm carrying my kit and wild camping I just use a roll mat. Blow up air bed things are bloody awful, hence wanting to try a self inflating one, as I've heard good things.
I'll have a scour of the interweb for some deals!
Look for the online sales now. Look +50£ on budget and +/- 3more peeps. Big tents don't take longer to put up and you get more space for when its chucking it down.
We use Gelert expedition 10cm self inflating mats. Proper comfy. Massive when rolled up though.