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The time has come to take the kids camping so looking at big family tents. A tunnel tent like the Outwell Montana 6P, probably with the extension, seems the obvious choice. Wouldn't want to spend much more cash than that. Anyone got an opinion on them or care to suggest an alternative?
Thanks.
If you are getting the Montana 6P with extension, you might as well go Vermont LP (although discontinued, you might find one cheap). Or Vermont XLP if you have 4 or more.
Our tent is too old to be much help with recommendations but I would say have a read of the tent reviews at http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/index.asp
Proper reviews by actual owners. I found them pretty helpful.
Thanks, been checking that out. Lots of good reviews.
All the tentists out tenting today?
Ive literally just got the Montana 6p with fleece carpet got both for £670 with a £50 voucher from Yeoman's. First erection trial this afternoon!
We have a Vango Nadina 600. Massive inside, plenty of room for sitting about in the living area, nice and airy due to a couple of big windows and 3 doors. 3 separate bedrooms as well.
Drawbacks are, the sheltered bit at the front isn't that big so cooking if the weather is inclement is a bit pot luck depending on which way the wind is blowing. The other thing is the weight of it. Steel poles so bloody heavy and it's a bit of a bugger to get back into the bag. We only use it if going anywhere for a week or longer.
We have the Outwell Aspen 500. The two "bedrooms" each have enough room for an inflatable double mattress so the kids (8 and 4) go in one and us in the other.
We've got the side extension that we use as a kitchen (actually, we often leave all that shit at home and just go to the café to eat)
We have an outwell Nevada M with extension for sale if interested. Itd be pick-up from lincs.....
Just done this recently. Ended up buying a Decathlon Air Seconds 6.3 tent.
Only used it for 1 night so far but pretty happy. Goes up in minutes and lots of space inside and then came back down again very quickly. It is a big heavy thing when packed however. Real shock when pretty much all my previous camping was in 2 man lightweight tents. Being able to stand up inside to get dressed and sit under the awning to have a cold beer in a chair was very nice though
Decathlon stuff usually seems to be decent quality. I would happily recommend it so far.
We went for a v large tent for our first two years, a vango Amazon 600.
This was ample for five of us plus a dog but the effort to put it up became too much.
We downsized to an outwell whitecove 500 but this is probably too small in hindsight.
Had we planned on camping more this year, likely we would have bought a vango rivendale 600.
It's an air beam and has in integral foyer/canopy and having trawled many many shops and sites, that is where my own money would have been spent.
Don't under estimate the benefit of a dry rain shelter if the weather is pants.
Just purchased and am very impressed with our new Outwell Drummond 7. The steel poles are essential if it's windy and it's huge inside, plenty of room for the 4 of us.
Got it for £580 delivered from Blacks when they had a 10% offer on.
We bought a Vango Amazon 400 for £300 including carpet (really makes a difference). It weighs 40kg but the two of us can erect it in half an hour and we are both shortarses.
Extremely light and airy inside,plenty of room even for us claustrophobes, and nice and solid feeling in bad weather due to steel poles.
Even cheaper now, £249.99 from JR Leisure
Thanks all, shall check those out.
Don't underestimate the benefit of a dry rain shelter if the weather is pants.
Definitely. Was thinking the tents with an extra porch or awning look a good bet for that if on a longer stay with potential for dodgy weather.
What's the verdict on the air beam ones? Seems a lot of extra cash for the feature. Not had to put up a tent that big before and would probably be doing it on my own while the missus manages the kids.
Friends have a Vango airbeam. Goes up very quickly, and the beams are replaceable whilst the tent is erected which is a handy feature.
They are bloomin' pricy though, for an equivalent size to our Amazon 400 we were looking at around £1000 and decided it wasn't worth that much to us personally - your situation may differ of course.
EDIT: whatever you settle on, think about how the doors open & if they have a rain porch/canopy. You really don't want to be opening the door on a tunnel tent in heavy rain & have all that water flowing off the roof & onto the floor of your tent.
Wow that tent is massive, we've just been away with our 2 and dog in a Vango Beta 550XL, all had enough space.
Cheers, Steve
We have a Vango Marista 600 for sale if you are near Southampton
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Vango-Maritsa-600/2177
Used a couple of times before the Wife decided that we no longer like camping.
£585 New so £400?
Also got so instant uo beds in the attic I think but might be keeping those 'in case'*
email in profile
*no, I have no idea in case of what but she said it
We have an Outwell bear lake 6 and this will be our 8th year of Camping in it. The heavy canvas has taken everything thrown at it and other than being a little sun bleached it still looks like new. The only thing of note is that it is very heavy and can take up a lot of space when packed.
If you aren't in a rush it's worth stick an eBay search for local tents on. We've just picked up a outwell Tenneesee 6 for £140. Didn't realise even when packed quite how big it would be, barely fits in the boot.
The guy I picked up the Tennessee from has just moved to a larger vango air beam, he claims the quality isn't quite as high as the outwell.
Have you got a camping shop local that has a selection of tents to wander round?
Not too sure about air beam tents. The fibre glass tents flex in the wind and if raining, then collect water and can leak. Steel poles ensure rigid at all times and taught so rain just runs off. The air beams although pretty solid, don't keep the tent as taught as steel. However, the up and down time is very convenient.
Were making a similar decision at the moment. Currently have a cheap 5 person Higear tent plus canopy which was a bit big for 2 of us but is about right now we have a baby apart from the hassle of setting up and taking down.
Mrs CD doesn't do minimalist camping so anytime saved is good, especially as its normally just a long weekend.
We are now looking at the Kampa Croyde Air Polycotton but the air beams and poly cotton are twice the price of standard but on paper it will work good for longer trips to France and family expansion.
Outwell bear lake 6
A mate has one of these too, very nice but difficult to justify the extra expense for the amount of camping we're likely to do.
Have you got a camping shop local that has a selection of tents to wander round?
Checked out the local go outdoors. For size and layout we liked the HiGear Oasis 6, but don't really know much about the brand. I'd rather an Outwell.
EDIT: whatever you settle on, think about how the doors open & if they have a rain porch/canopy. You really don't want to be opening the door on a tunnel tent in heavy rain & have all that water flowing off the roof & onto the floor of your tent.
Did wonder about this when looking at the awning or extension option. Better to have an open fronted extension or an awning with a slopey door? I guess the Montana has the covered side door porch as well which would be good for getting in and out in the rain.
Definitely get a porch if it is a tunnel tent for the reasons given. Bear in mind though that lots of the porches will fit most similar sized tunnel tents, so you can buy second hand and pick up a porch that will fit if necessary.
The Oasis 6 is boss - I have one and you see them up and down the country for family camping. Very sturdy. It's prob as good as the Montana in general, but may not have the longevity [just on the basis that HiGear have some dodgy tents in their range IME, so the brand isn't at the same level as Outwell].mrblobby - MemberOutwell bear lake 6
A mate has one of these too, very nice but difficult to justify the extra expense for the amount of camping we're likely to do.
Have you got a camping shop local that has a selection of tents to wander round?
Checked out the local go outdoors. For size and layout we liked the HiGear Oasis 6, but don't really know much about the brand. I'd rather an Outwell.
The Montana is tried and tested and well known as an excellent tent. So you'll not go wrong there.
The inflatable Outwell Montana looks good - but the price is eye-watering:
http://www.getoutwiththekids.co.uk/camping/tents/inflatable-montana-smart-air-tent/
We looked around at options and when we figured out everything we would need to take we reasoned that we would need a trailer... so we ended up getting a trailer tent which has a 4 bike rick on the a-frame. A sunncamp 400 SE, bought second hand, came fitted with 8 power points and comfortable beds raised off the ground and a 4m2 living area.
Bit of a faff to put up and take down but if it's just at the beginning and end of a holiday it's fine.
we figured out everything we would need to take we reasoned that we would need a trailer
We just use a massive roofbox.
We just use a massive roofbox.
3 kids? 6 bikes? roller skates, fridge, tables, chairs.... could have left some stuff but.. hey ho
Buy something from EBay and save your money. We got everything we needed (tables, storage, inflatables, stoves, lights, electric hook ups etc) for less than £200 - and that included two 8 man tents.
The Oasis 6 is boss
Doing a bit of digging it does look like their premium range is fairly well rated. May give them another look.
3 kids? 6 bikes? roller skates, fridge, tables, chairs.... could have left some stuff but.. hey ho
Two kids and a dog here, hoping a massive roofbox and a tow bar bike rack will be sufficient!
Buy something from EBay and save your money.
Always think used tents would be pretty manky, but there do seem to be some very lightly used kit for sale out there.
GrahamS, thanks for the link, useful that. Does make a good case for inflatables! Though really don't think I could justify the cost for the sake of saving some 20 mins a few times a year.
Likewise - if I was going to spend £1269 on a tent I'd buy a van! 😀
GetOutWithTheKids is a good general site though - lots of helpful info for camping and outdoors stuff with kids.
While I'm at it, check out https://www.pitchup.com/ which is really handy for booking UK & European campsites.
Always think used tents would be pretty manky, but there do seem to be some very lightly used kit for sale out there.
Yup - the stuff we got was all pretty clean, just the inflatables had got a bit of mould on them (they looked like they had been upcycled as they looked way older than the rest of the stuff) so they were replaced, but everything else has been great.
We came very close to buying a Montana as friends have one but it really is huge when packed and heavy. It is a bit of a faff to pitch and our friends are usually grateful for an extra pair of hands when putting up/taking down theirs. We went for a Robens Cabin 600 instead. It is not quite as big internally as the Montana but plenty big for a family of 5 and much lighter as the poles are aluminium. We are really pleased with it. We also brought the Shadecatcher extension which provides an excellent covered cooking/chilling area. That said the Montana will be easier to buy on ebay and there are some crazy bargains to be bad. Why do some people buy evey camping accessory available and decide after one trip that they don't like camping!
**FREE TENT**
If anyone wants a free Montana 6 with front sun shade (not estension) and footprint ground sheet then contact me via my email. It's from 2007, prolly a couple of seasons left in it, the last time we used it, August 2015 it was damaged in a big blow, the hole is on the side so not that critical and was successfully patched at the time. Pickup from Hertford.
Disagree that the montana is difficult to put up, it's definitely hard to do it singlehandedly but very easy with two.
Imo these large family tents are not optimal, I'd go for something smaller and then a day tent or something like the coleman event shelter. If the weather is good you don't spend any time in the tent, if the weather is poor then a day tent is more comfortable for the never ending tea/coffee drinking, kids can hang out in the tent.
If you're in the mood to push the boat out and/or you're planning on camping in that Europe then get a polycotton or canvas tent.
We bought a Vango Orava 600 last summer and its perfect. Have a cooker stand and two tables setup inside the main part of the tent, dog cage in the covered in porch bit and two/three sleeping compartments. Its very spacious...
Am wondering if a smaller tent and optional extension and/or day tent combination is a better more flexible bet as most camping will probably be weekends away.
Am wondering if a smaller tent and optional extension and/or day tent combination is a better more flexible bet
This is our main tent by the way:
[img] 
[/img]
[url= http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/SunnCamp-Evolution-600/117 ]SunnCamp Evolution 600[/url]
Not as huge as those big Montanas, but two bedrooms and plenty of room to sit in if it is lashing down outside. Cheap (£250 new) and only three poles so it can be pitched by one person (though a second definitely helps!).
We added a footprint and fitted carpet for extra glamping points. We'll probably add an awning and/or a little tarp at some point.
GrahamS, looks pretty good that.
The Kampa Croyde 6 seems to come up a lot when reading about big family tents. Anyone got an opinion?
GrahamS, looks pretty good that.
That's why I married her. 😉
[quote=mrblobby ]Am wondering if a smaller tent and optional extension and/or day tent combination is a better more flexible bet as most camping will probably be weekends away.
We have a bear lake 6 that is great for a week or so away but puts you off going for a night or two as it takes 2 people and about an hour to put up.
I've just gone through this and ended up with a Vango Solaris 600 airbeam tent. I love camping but the pole tents always seem such a bloody faff to me!
Takes approx 10 mins to get the basic tent up, then another 10 to guy it out. I can put it up on my own at a push. Taking it down is slightly more involved as you do need to get as much of the air out of the beams as you can before rolling it up or it's a bugger to get back in the bag, 2 people definitely need to take it down! They are solid (heavy!) bits of kit, and the 2 trips we've had out in it so far have not been kind weather wise and it's been ace. I've not had to use the tensioner system they fit, it's not budged even in a decent bit of wind.
We don't bother with the bedroom divider and just all sleep in one big bedroom - fits 2 x double + 1 x single airbed across. Nice big living area and a good sized porch. Will take a side extension if we wanted some more space, but it's plenty big enough for us as a family of 5.
Tent + footprint was about £500 from charliesdirect.co.uk, so a premium over similar sized pole tents, but well worth it IMO.
Crap pic, sorry about my grubby windbreak 🙂
[img] http://bit.ly/1U8Z5u1 [/img]
mrblobby » Am wondering if a smaller tent and optional extension and/or day tent combination is a better more flexible bet as most camping will probably be weekends away.We have a bear lake 6 that is great for a week or so away but puts you off going for a night or two as it takes 2 people and about an hour to put up.
Very much this, we have a Trout Lake, pita to put up and when doing weekenders use our Outwell Virginia 5, which is very much like a Vango Icarus. Incidentally by far the cheapest tent I've ever bought and also the only one which has never leaked at all. Takes 10 minutes to erect and prolly another 10 minutes to pitch and guy properly.
Oh and get a carpet, definitely worth it.
So you may get a larger tent later on but you'll still have a weekend tent for now.
Well I do have a 4 man dome tent already which would do for that. Plenty big enough for me and a load of kit on biking trips. Would be fine for an overnight tent. Missus isn't keen though as not suitably mansion like!
*Shameless plug*
I have a Royal Camping Memphis 4 for sale, as it's not being used any more. It's an older style, but it's been used once so it's in great nick. Set it up yesterday to check it over, and take some pics.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3EeUq0JJ-TGV3c5VW9PWFhuRms/view?pref=2&pli=1
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3EeUq0JJ-TGMXQ2Uzk3YXJQNHM/view?pref=2&pli=1
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3EeUq0JJ-TGczlhMTJUdHM3cTQ/view?pref=2&pli=1
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3EeUq0JJ-TGblJrcWNmS3Z2V2s/view?pref=2&pli=1
Not sure if those links will work, but if not email me and I'll send you pictures. Only want £80 for it. Based in Preston, Lancs.
*Shameless plug over*
Not really that helpful, but we got a Gelert Nemisis 8 from a dodgy cash and carry a few years back for £160. Absolute bargain, and a very very good tent.
The Kampa Croyde 6 seems to come up a lot when reading about big family tents. Anyone got an opinion?
Just borrowed a Kampa this weekend (Watergate 8?) - the zips were poor on the bedrooms, kept unsticking and it was nearly new.
We'd bought a Montana 7P .. only opened the box and there were only poles inside
Cue panicked Facebooking to borrow something for the weekend....
Interesting thread is interesting, Bimbler, I've emailed you, I've never owned a tent, now that I'm running a couple of nippers I should probably consider one...
now that I'm running a couple of nippers I should probably consider one...
Yup - that's why we did it - for a few hundred £££s we have got everything we need to have little breaks and show the children there is much more to holidays than 2 weeks in the Med.
Decisions decisions.
I'm quite tempted just to eBay something half decent for a few hundred quid, use it for a few weekends away, just to de-risk the whole process! (.... or if someone hasn't already taken Bimbler up on his offer.) Then if we ever get to the point of wanting a week or two away then get something like the Bear Lake.
Do quite like the flat fronted ones with a large porch area. Maybe I should just get the Oasis 6. But then I could get something like the Outwell Denver 6 for about the same price 😕
Seriously do the Ebay thing and if you don't like it then you lose very little (if any) money. I think it is utterly bonkers for anyone new to camping to buy all the kit new.
I've done a lot of camping (hence wanting decent stuff) but not with the family (hence concern about initial enthusiasm not lasting.) That's probably the root of the dilemma 🙂
Not being funny, but have you seen the size of some of these?
We were looking recently and checked out the Outwell Montana after the good reviews on here, but it's absolutely massive, and with the front extension (needed IIRC because the front slopes meaning if raining, you get wet if you open the door!) it's big enough to park my car in!
There's only three of us, so we plumped for a Vango Padstow 500 - not very fashionable, but serviceable, with a decent enough porch if it's mashing it down. On the day we went to look, it had been raining and it was the only one with the door left open which was dry inside.
I'm sure the Outwells are great, but some of these are humungous - obv great if needed, but worth seeking one out to see if you do need all that space!
I'm sure the Outwells are great, but some of these are humungous - obv great if needed, but worth seeking one out to see if you do need all that space!
Been and had a look at a load and these do seem to be the sort of size we want.
Quite a few of my friends do a lot of camping with their kids and some have 4/5 man tent, they're all looking to up-size. They make a convincing argument for big tents!
So we camped a lot with and have done with our kids from the age of 0 upwards in both the UK and France
We used a Vango Icarus 600 with a Front awning (in fact we used 2 because we wore the first one out)
Great tent and very versatile in that not too massive for a weekend away and quick to put up / down.
Adding the awning for longer stays made it very liveable.
Time again though I'd buy a better quality Outwell and Airbeam over poles. I'd stick to the modular nature of the medium size tent + front awning though
If your just trying it, then a Vango Icarus 600 is a great budget starter tent.
Big tents are great, especially if you have kids. Mine are 7,5 and 2 - a big tent means we can play games easily inside the tent, plenty of room for all the gubbins they like to bring with them, room to change without having to be a contortionist etc etc 🙂
If your just trying it, then a Vango Icarus 600 is a great budget starter tent.
Do they still do these? I did look at Vango's, and the Langley 600 looked like it'd fit the bill, but the reviews weren't great. Tempting though for 340 quid as a budget starter.
MrBlobby, not sure where you are but I am selling my [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/outwell-nevada-m-tent-extension-and-camping-gear ]camping gear, all in great condition. [/url]
If you want to get a cheap set up this will cover everything but the sleeping bags for a lot less than you were going to spend.
Same thing
http://www.millets.co.uk/equipment/157014-vango-iris-600-v-tent.html/451736/
http://www.millets.co.uk/tents-camping/006193-vango-iris-600-awning.html
Tiger6791 - Member
Same thing
http://www.millets.co.uk/equipment/157014-vango-iris-600-v-tent.html/451736/
http://www.millets.co.uk/tents-camping/006193-vango-iris-600-awning.html
The only thing to watch out for with those Vango ones is the small spec differences. I was struggling to see the difference between the one we bought and another, seemingly identical tent (pictures exactly the same and indeed swapped on some suppliers' sites) - turns out one had a sewn-in groundsheet, the other attached to toggles under the flysheet, so in heavy rain you might end up with water coming through the floor of your tent!
craigxxl, looks a good deal but I'm down south.
Ah, was just going to say you could borrow my Icarus 500 & awning if you wanted to try it - but you are in the South.
We have the Montana - highly recommend it. Essentially it's so good we're not worried about poor weather - it's big and solid. We do also have a weekend tent for the 1 or 2 night trips away, because I can't be bothered to put it up and down in a weekend.
We have a North Face Trailhead 6. Sleeps 6 adults with no space to spare. They don't seem to do them any more. Like this:
https://www.rei.com/product/732598/the-north-face-trailhead-6-tent
We've camped with our two (just turned 2 and 4). Plenty of space for sleeping and short stretches inside, but we did find ourselves wondering if one of those behemoths mentioned above might be in our future. A couple of nights somewhere that serves fry ups (recommend the http://www.thepigplace.co.uk/ near Banbury BTW) is one thing, but a week away with regular cooking and possibly bad weather could be hard without a bit of extra space. And a wine cellar.
We have an outwell Nevada M with extension for sale if interested. Itd be pick-up from lincs.....
I have the Nevada MP, which is basically the same tent only with more windows. It's a great, great piece of kit.
most camping will probably be weekends away.
How old are the kids, are they of an age to be left alone in their own tent? Two small tents would be less trauma to pitch than one dirty great big one.
Montana here. Not used it since we bought the caravan. It's a brand new one. Old one developed a leak & Outwell were straight on the case. Keep saying we will go camping but the last time I did a trial pack of the car (& our car is a Galaxy...), I gave up. Caravan was a lot less hassle.
Montana is a fab tent, so practical for a family.
How old are the kids, are they of an age to be left alone in their own tent? Two small tents would be less trauma to pitch than one dirty great big one.
4 and 2, so probably not!
Not used it since we bought the caravan.
Not sure I could do it. Trailer tent maybe.
Does seem to be a bit of a toss up now between the Outwell Denver 6 and the HiGear Oasis 6. I really like the look of the Oasis. Big, steel framed, good size porch, can get an extension porch too, pack size isn't too huge (would easily go in our top box). Both about the same price.
We have a Royal Atlanta 8 for the four of us, (same as other makes as many tents are) whilst massive, & even enormous with the awning, it has been nothing but a disappointment. The poles are crap & split, it leaks (I may of been asking to much as I was in northern France last week), thoroughly disappointed with it, OK it didn't help that the kids burnt the groundsheet on the first outing with hair straighteners but overall I couldn't recommend it as it's really for the bin after only 5 or 6 outings.
That Hi Gear Oasis 6 that was mentioned before looks to be a really good idea, yes it maybe heavy & cumbersome but if you want to camp with kids & your other half actually only likes the idea of camping whilst constantly moaning about how the next tent will have built in 6 burner Arga & hot water with underfloor heating that can maintain 25 degrees then you need to be realistic in what you want V's what is acceptable to them.
HTH.
Cheers.
Both about the same price.
But only one of them is made by Gelert. That really is a no brainer of a choice.
But only one of them is made by Gelert.
I did read that some of the HiGear models were made by Gelert and that they just re-sell models from other manufacturers. Their [url= http://www.higear.uk.com/hi-gear-premium-frontier-6-tent-p286290 ]Frontier 6 Premium[/url] for example looks just like a blue [url= http://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/camping.aspx/tents/new-tents/green/outwell/montana-6-tent/53605705016#.V1Xim1fVt8V ]Outwell Montana 6[/url]. I'm not sure where they got the Oasis 6 from, not seen anything similar yet.
One for the camperists with young kids... I noticed that Coleman have the Blackout Bedrooms (which I think they've won some awards for so guessing it's pretty good.) Knowing what our two kids are like I'm very tempted by this though they only seem to do it on their fancy new air beam range. Don't know much about Coleman tents, and wasn't really looking for an air frame one, but I'd be happy to spend a few hundred quid extra if it means I don't get destroyed by a week of 4am wake ups.
Anyone got a view on this or come up with some other solution? Speaking to my mates about it the general feedback seems to be "yes it's sh*t for a while but it does get a bit easier over time" 😕
The Vango tent I've got has "lights out" inner tents which definitely make the bedrooms less bright, though not dark as such. Ours all slept though till 7am at least, whether that was down to the darker tent or just years of training i don't know 🙂
The coleman version definitely looks darker, probably cooler for summer camping too.
I have an old Vango, precursor the the 500 I think, which is ideal for me and the kids (10 and 13) for a few nights every summer (Mrs doesn't do camping 🙂 )
If I was replacing it my cash would be on a blackout inflatable one, like this :
[url= http://www.decathlon.co.uk/air-seconds-family-4-xl-freshblack-inflatable-tent-4-man-id_8357358.html ]decathlon[/url]
but I'd be happy to spend a few hundred quid extra if it means I don't get destroyed by a week of 4am wake ups.
With our two (age 5 & 2) they are a total nightmare every time we go away, regardless of whether it's a tent or a bedroom. They keep each other up late and the first one to wake gets the other one up. They usually sort themselves out into a better sleep pattern by day 3, which isn't much use for a weekend away.
All I'm saying is that if yours are similar, a darker tent isn't going to make any difference.
All I'm saying is that if yours are similar, a darker tent isn't going to make any difference.
When staying somewhere with a proper bedroom we take blackout blinds with us and they do ok, makes a big difference. I do worry about the light thing.
The coleman version definitely looks darker, probably cooler for summer camping too.
Is quite tempting, but then that'd be the Valdes 6 probably and that's the best part of 800 quid 😕
If I was replacing it my cash would be on a blackout inflatable one, like this :
decathlon
I was looking at those. I'm quite tempted to get one of the small 2 or 3 man ones ([url= http://www.decathlon.co.uk/arpenaz-2-freshblack-tent-2-man-id_8357354.html ]like this[/url]) and use it instead of a bedroom pod in a big 6 man tent. Crazy idea?
Well a visit to a tent show later...
Had a look at a fair few and I can see why the Outwell's are well rated compared to others. Bit disappointed in the Coleman ones, the blackout rooms are very good but the quality seems pretty poor, even the display one had tears where the bedrooms attach to the fly sheet. Quite tempted by the air ones but really can't justify the extra cost.
So about to order an Outwell Drummond 7. Seems a good bet for a large family sized tent. Good choice? Madness? Will I surely die?
I'm waiting for my weekend eBay purchase to arrive. An Outwell Nevada M for £133 delivered. Result.
Not everyone's cup of tea of course, we've got a 5m bell tent. Although there are only three of us, we tend to go away for the whole of August so it swallows everything. Add to that a fortnight at easter and a couple of weeks in June/July and it's in use around 8 weeks a year.
I've just come back from a week away up the Cantabrian coast, just me and the 3yo, and we rattled around inside it but the weather the first night was atrocious (should've slept in the van tbh) so he could at least play indoors.
I love it even if I do feel like a pillock erecting a wigwam.
[img] 
[/img]
After much to-ing and fro-ing, did the Outwell Montana and extension thing off eBay. It arrived in two wheelie bags plus poles.
Did the trial erection and I think I could have parked my van in it twice.... No bad for rainy days in the UK but in Finale, it effectively was a greenhouse, took up al the pitch space so had to park the car elsewhere... and thats without the extension.... Its like a mobile conference centre. Used it once, back on eBay and sold it for what we paid for it.
The Khyam Rigi-dome makes more sense, well made, very quick and robust
Probably going Teardrop Caravan next.
I didn't think the Montana was actually that big 😐
I agree with your choice.