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Our current tent is very much on it's last legs. Can't complain, bought it second hand and have had some good use out of it. However it's a pig to put up so I'm thinking of looking at inflatable options. Has anyone here had any real life experience of these? Sound a bit too good to be true. If horror stories have been experienced, any other recommendations?
Thanks in advance.
Have a Coleman. Really easy to put up and is very steady in windy conditions. It’s definitely faster than a pole version the same size. Although, like a pole tent, it still has to be guyed out and the groundsheet has to be pegged etc. And I can do it myself without fighting with Mrs dd. 😬
The major drawback for me is the weight and size of the bag. I can only barely lift our 6 man and it’s just so bloody unwieldy.
Yup, our Decathlon 4 man tent is definitely heavy but awesome. The cool and black lining delivers everything it promises. I'd happily recommend one to anybody.
Outwell Airville here. I really like it. As said previously you still have to guy line and groundsheet it but it causes so much less arguing I'd buy it for that alone again. Also said earlier which is my only downside is the weight of the thing. So much so that if I know that I'm going to a site which does not allow a car up to the pitch then I have a small sac barrow to lug it with. I wouldn't go back to poles now.
We have a Vango 500 it's so easy to put up the wife does it, I pack it away. We've not used in any really strong winds but feels sturdy enough.
It saves on arguing and setting up is a breeze, by the time I've fetched water the tent is up.
We have a Vango 500 it’s so easy to put up the wife does it, I pack it away. We’ve not used in any really strong winds but feels sturdy enough.
From experience they are awful in the wind you cant put enough air through the supports to keep them up. ArdMoors last year my group ended up with two vans parked around the tent to stop the wind hitting it and the thing still came down.
They are ideal for what they are for the weekend away somewhere with the family but bit of serious camping I would stay well away.
Same experience here regarding how easy they are to put up. The first time we put one up was in fading light and we had an 8 person tent up with the carpet in 20 minutes after getting it out of the car. Also the same regarding the size, we have just changed our for a lighter model but it still weighs 30kg packed. We’ve survived 50+knot gusts with a 6 man tent on an open field with no shelter (although the tent was fastened to my Landrover with ratchet straps), when a big gust hits the beams collapse then spring back. Overall, well worth it if you have the space to carry it.
I have a Vango inflatable awning for my camper - very easy to pitch, just peg it out and get pumping. We were camping at Dunvegan on Skye where there were 40-50mph gusts - the tent was blown flat but sprang back up with no damage. Talking to the campsite owner, he says that in his experience when it gets blowy, the pole tents get trashed because the fabric tears where it touches the poles.
We have a big Vango Stargrove (6 man, about 7m long). I can put it up in about 10 mins single handed - peg out corners, inflate one beam after another, go around and peg the rest. Down in about 15, mostly from doing careful folding so it all fits in the bag. We have young kids so one parent putting the tent up while the other keeps the kids busy is a godsend.
No issues so far in higher winds, but inflatable should mean a beam just deforms and springs back where poles might snap. Ours has some straps that triangulate from bottom of sides to top middle on a couple of the beams that stiffen it up if it is particularly windy.
Downside is cost (poled version of ours was about £150 less), bulk and weight. If you’re trying to do family camping in a smaller car then that extra space counts for a lot.
Yep, all the feedback from camping friends is that air tents are much more stable in high winds.
We have a Vango 500 it’s so easy to put up the wife does it,
I watched a car pull up to a campsite, chap got out and took a chair out of the boot then sat down and read the paper. His female companion got out, put the tent up, created a washing line, hung out clothes to dry, assembled a camping cooker and table, cooked the meal, served up and then sat down...
We have a vango airbeam with an extender porch. V easy up, 1 man job. Survived proper west coast.of scotland storm. Getting it down is easy but a lot of work to pack as you need to get all the air out.
It is very heavy and takes up most of the boot of a large estate but its very luxury camping!
That is a massive tent!
I would argue that’s a small marquee
Handy hint for anyone struggling to roll them back up into their bags. Roll once - with the usual huffing and puffing, getting everybody to sit on it etc. Then unroll and roll again. Rolls up much smaller second time.
Yip its huge. Fitted 8 bikes in the porch alone. We had planned on doing a euro tour but it never happened. Its amazing in crap weather, the middle section has a carpet and is great for wee ones.
I maintain we could be happy with smaller but the Mrs bought it so who am I to argue 🙂
I would argue that’s a
smallmarquee
Corrected it for you
Decathlon Quechua 5 man.
Dropped on and got ours for less than half price off eBay a few years back, had been used once.
Putting up / taking down is a doddle, to the point that a pal called me a cheating bar steward 😁👍🏼
Withstood the storm at Camp Bestival a few years ago that brought the fence down and ended the festival a day early.
Wish we had the cool and black version but would definitely recommend.
Decathlon Air Seconds - fantastic tent, from taking it and its footprint out of their bags to sitting watching everyone else struggle with fragile bendy poles was about twenty minutes. So much space inside, two metre headroom is wonderful.
Here’s mine at Greenman a couple of years ago:
We've got an inflatable 2 man and a 4 man, both decathlon cool and black jobs. Both excellent. I'd say the advantages diminish a bit as you get to the larger sizes, so our big family tent is a steel pole job.
currently eyeing up a Vango Alton Air tent as I really like the idea of the integral porch/awning. Full RRP though! Seen one of last years models (Celino) for £100 cheaper. Seems same design, different colour, anyone know of the differences between the two?
Pah, what you want is a Khyam. Bag to watertight in about 2 minutes...
I had an inflatable tent and while it worked (and I had a large vehicle to carry it in) it was grand. Certainly erecting it is easier than one with poles, but it is fairly heavy.
Thing is, when it started deflating it was a goner really - there was no way I could feasibly get it into a bath to see where the leak was, so I just binned it and bought a traditional one with poles. More chance of poking someone in the eye when putting it up, but beyond that it just works
what brand? (good one or cheapo?) Could you not just go over it with a spray bottle filled with soapy water to find the leak?Thing is, when it started deflating it was a goner really – there was no way I could feasibly get it into a bath to see where the leak was, so I just binned it and bought a traditional one with poles.
Thing is, when it started deflating it was a goner really – there was no way I could feasibly get it into a bath to see where the leak was, so I just binned it and bought a traditional one with poles.
You can pull the tubes out of the Berghaus ones, so this sort of wastefulness shouldn't be necessary.
We have a Berghaus Air 4, which is plenty big enough for 2, and an extension thing that almost doubles the floor space - handy for keeping bikes etc out of sight.
We have a large Vango job. Its ace and goes up really quickly and is rock solid once up. Taking it down and getting it back in the bag is a real pain though so gonna try deadlydarcey's tip of rolling it up twice next time.
Taking it down and getting it back in the bag is a real pain though so gonna try deadlydarcey’s tip of rolling it up twice next time.
After a few major battles trying to get it back in the bag, and boy did we battle with it, I admitted defeat and googled. I’m pretty sure I found the solution on that guy’s website: getoutwiththekids.co.uk
[it’s actually a pretty good site for camping suggestions, how-to’s and honest kit reviews.]
The trick was to get it folded to the width it needs to be to go in the bag, then roll once - helps if there’s an adult/kids to sit on it while you’re doing it and then unrolling and re-doing. I was as sceptical as any proud manly man would be when someone actually knew better than he did 😂 but to be fair, it flew in the bag the first time we tried it that way.
what brand? (good one or cheapo?) Could you not just go over it with a spray bottle filled with soapy water to find the leak?
Good question, I think something cheapo. Didn't think of the spray bottle at the time; tbh it had stayed erect just long enough for me to put it up in the afternoon, then go to sleep at night, before collapsing overnight, so it was fighting a losing battle after that!
Vango AIrbeam. It was the only tent standing after a howler of a wind at Horgabost in Harris.
Biggest weakness is no canopy over doors, so if it's wet it comes in.
Now quite a few years old. They may have designed that out.
Quick up and down, no fiddly poles.
Get one.
If you’re in the market for a Vango - there’s a specific Facebook selling group for their Airbeam tents.
Thing is, when it started deflating it was a goner really
The Decathlon Quechua tents have replaceable bladders, should one get punctured, and at £190-ish, worth looking at.
Regarding folding them, it takes a bit longer than putting up, but not as long as my double-size, 10cm self-inflating mattress, which was almost impossible to get back into its bag!
DecAthlon air seconds next size up from one pictured. Very good tent for the £