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Looking for a new tent for campsite+car-based camping, having survived since the mid-00s using various tents wombled from festivals 😁*
Never actually bought a tent for this purpose (see above) so not really sure where/what to look at. Vango always seem to be popular on campsites, and seem a decent quality without a premium price tag. We only use it a few times a year, so don't want to spend hundreds of pounds on it, but at the same time, hoping it's going to last a good few years, so wary of budget stuff.
It's just for me, her and the dog, so looking at a four man sort of size, tunnel tent with a big porch that I can stand up in (6'1"), which is the main bugbear of our current tent options.
Second hand would be considered: should I post a stealth wanted ad in the main forum? 😉
*I've suggested we go to a festival and pick up what we can on the Monday morning like old times, but this doesn't seem to be flying... Despite me pointing out that the equivalent 6 man Outwell tent I got from Leeds fest 2008, brand new, with the tags, would set us back a good £500 today 😮
Decathlon do a basic pole tent for £140 that fits the bill.
Bell tents are worth a look too, you get plenty of height, tend to be in nice canvas so cooler in summer and not covered in condensation in the morning - plenty of covid-boom "glamping" companies selling off used ones pretty cheap.
Bell tents are lovely, yes. They do have a slight downside. Here’s mine safely packed away in the boot* of my car.
Also: it weighs 90kg when dry. When wet (and you will have to pack it wet once or twice), it’s a LOT more than that.
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*and the whole of the back seat.
Decathlon tent with air poles, no bother.
https://www.vango.co.uk/gb/camping-equipment/930-mokala-tc-450.html
We have a previous version of this. It was a load cheaper when we got it.
It's been a great tent, a bit rusty in high winds, I've never had it out in super strong winds.
I’ve owned a khyam one for over 15 years, it’s survived many festivals, and windy campsites. Poles stay in the fly sheet, so no faffing threading them thru the sleeves. It’s not light, but I’m amazed at the weather it’s put up with. You’d be able to stand up in it. It also goes up in minutes. 8 pegs for basic pitch.
Years ago a pal and I realised that when car camping using backpacking tents was a PITA, so bought one of these:
https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Wild-Country-Homestead-5/548
'fin huge and heavy - but, solid as and never moved a mm in the highest winds, 100% waterproof and loads of room, even for 4 blokes and all their gear.
Now, I'd look at the inflatable ones as we watched a couple (and he had a broken arm) put up one last summer - piece of p*ss.
Price-wise, think value rather than cost.
I’ve owned a khyam one for over 15 years, it’s survived many festivals, and windy campsites.
I've got one of that vintage it has been a really good tent and an even older one. Both are quick to pitch but large when packed relative to the amount of living space (both have the click straight pole system).
I also have a more recent Khyam air tent (2019). It is not up to the build standard of Khyams of yore. It's not bad per se I'm just not sure the premium is reflected in the actual quality.
Air vs. pole (my view)
Air - easier to put up but bulkier and heavier when down, more challenging if you have a "pole" problem (e.g. leak)
Pole - more faff to put up, lighter and smaller to store/pack in car
At 4 person size the bulk is less of an issue but for our 8 person behemoth it was the difference between car camping and taking a trailer even before a dog took over half the boot space.
We've had a Vango Airbeam tent for quite a few years and it's been excellent. It uses inflatable tubes instead of poles, so it's a bit lighter and less faff to put up, but the main thing is it's immenseley resilient. The airbeam tents were the only ones left standing on the campsite in Cornwall the morning after a storm-with-a-name blew through - all the tents with poles had been twisted and bent out of shape, the airbeams had just flexed, allowing the tents to deform, but had then just returned to their original shape as the wind died down. We had to replace a couple of guy lines that had broken, but the tent was otherwise unharmed.
I'd definitely recommend one.
Decathlon pop-up (assuming they still do them, if not probably the air beam equivalent). Literally seconds to put up (peg out the footrpint, undo the packing strap, let it spring into shape, peg to the footprint, add guy lines if required. Packing away will get you a few predictable jokes about how it'll never go back neatly, before folding up in less than a minute. Ours is made up of 3 pods (two sleeping pods and a central living area), the two outer once concertina in, then you just grab the frame and twist the whole thing into a figure of 8 before folding it in half and putting it back in the bag.
I’ve owned a khyam one for over 15 years, it’s survived many festivals, and windy campsites. Poles stay in the fly sheet, so no faffing threading them thru the sleeves. It’s not light, but I’m amazed at the weather it’s put up with. You’d be able to stand up in it. It also goes up in minutes. 8 pegs for basic pitch.
My first ever tent was a second-hand Khyam Highlander "quick erect" (fnarr) that I got, what, 25 years ago. I bloody loved it, it's the best tent I've ever owned.
Camping at a beer festival. Out of the car, unzip the bag, unfold, snap-snap-snap-snap, clip the little handkerchief vent cover down, I was sat in the tent with a can on the go inside of about two minutes watching everyone else wrestling with tent poles and instruction leaflets for the next hour.
Properly pegged out it was bombproof. Camped in the Peak District one time, we were hit by a huge storm. The next morning we awoke to devastation across the campsite. There were two tents left standing, the Highlander was [insert obvious joke here] one of them.
I subsequently bought a larger one (Freelander?) which wasn't quite as good because the QE system was only the living area, the sleeping pod somewhat irritatingly still used a traditional pole. But was still decent. What Khyam is like today I don't know, but I'm historically a fan.
Decathlon Airbeam with blackout bedrooms. Quicker to put up a massive one than a small poled tent. Got a second hand almost new 4 man for <£200.
Think about where you will dry any large tent if it's a wet pack up.
Thanks for the suggestions. Will have a closer look at Decathlon ones given the love for them.
Not really interested in the air ones. They seem to add extra expense and complication for no real gain. Incoming humblebrag... I've never met a tent I couldn't put up in 15 minutes on my own, and quite happy to do that half a dozen times a year if it saves £100. Interesting point about the storm though - but I'll take my chances.
I kinda like the bell tents (though not the price) but they seem an unhappy compromise, to me, between style and practicality. We have a 12' willow framed yurt with 10oz canvas cover that I made (as a baby brother to the 14' ash framed 16oz canvas cover that needed a mid-sized van to transport) if we want to go down that route 😝
Me and a mate used to use one of the large 2 bedroom types. Room each end and a middle section tall enough to stand up in.
Because i used my own tent, the mate used one room with a big campbed and his 2 dogs. The other bedroom wee removed and used that space with a kitchen table/cooking/storage
With the middle section and one room removed it was a good space to sit around one of those larger collapsible tables and a couple of camp chairs.
This type of tent -
Go Outdoors had some Eurohike ones that fit the bill for circa £125. Seemed decent value.
We acquired a 6+2 Vango airbeam from my sister. She was looking to sell and we were looking (not necessarily at that size). It's massive (7m x 4.5m) and heavy (35kg) but still went up in 20 mins the first time I tried.
We've removed the +2 bedroom to gain more living space.
We have upgraded from what I'll call back packing self inflating mats to 7.5cm SIMs for the boys and a 10cm double for us. These have added a lot of bulk but also a lot of warmth and comfort.
We now need a bigger car.
I've not looked again but the Berghaus ones at go outdoors seemed less expensive.
At the site last week there was a few good looking decathlon tents.
The roebens Klondike seems to be a good compromise between the amazing ariness of a bell tent and a tent made of not an old sail. Glawning have also recently started doing a polycotton version of their bells. Just need a carbon pole set and it might be almost liftable.
I’ve never met a tent I couldn’t put up in 15 minutes on my own
Me either, but I won't get another big tent that isn't Airbeam.
Vango worth a look if you camp windy places as their TBS system on the tunnel tents helps with side wind loading. Used all sorts of them over the years from backpacking alloy poles to garage sized air beams.
Had a Wild Country Etesian 4 that was stable for something so tall and packed reasonably small. Lost it in storage during house works unfortunately.