Which tent to go for

delmar39

I was considering buying a camper van for odd weekends away mainly to avoid the expense of renting a cottage, but financially it's not viable.

I'm now looking at the tent option. For now a one or two man tent.

Anyone got any ideas what I should be looking for. I'm aware of the basics like water resistance etc, but anyone know what type of tent is best for short one trip stop overs?

Any advice or sharing of experiences most welcome.

Bob_the_Saver

Why is it that a 2 man tent is only really big enough for 1 man but take 2 to put the damn things up?

Hotspur

Depends on what level of comfort you need and how much kit you will take. A Quecha pop up tent from Decathlon or a Coleman one will be fine for somewhere to sleep but no storage space. A coleman bi space 500 will be great for two on a weekend and loads of room for a table chairs and to stand up and space in poor weather. Have a look on e bay for cheap second hand ones.

As a general rule get a 3 person tent for two, 4 person for three or two if you need more storage space. Min of 2000mm hydrostatic head.

Blacks own brand are pretty good as well.

Tunnel tents are easy to put up alone and most two person tents of any type are a well. If you need two bedrooms go for a viz a viz style with bedrooms separated by the central living space.

This is a good compromise between size and space
http://www.blacks.co.uk/camping/tents/all-tents/product/092010/blacks-aquila-tent.html

Coleman bi space; I have one and it's big enough to stand up in and space for a table and chairs etc. Need two to put it up though.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/coleman-Bi-Space-500-/160491673256?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_HikingCamping_Tents_JN&hash=item255e0c96a8#ht_500wt_1156

RosieLee_2

i recently bought one, but it really depends what you want it for.
i personally wanted one we could stand up in and get a table and chairs and cooking equipment in, and a decent bedroom.

i bought a hi gear gobi 4 from go outdoors when it was on offer.
most of the high gear stuff has great reviews online, it was easy to put up and most importantly stood up to heavy downpours.

if your not in any hurry i would suggest keeping an eye on go outdoors for offers, i got my gobi4 for £60 instore instead of £179.99.

i saw an offer the other day on the quick grab it thread for wildday.com.

you can get reviews at ukcampsite just google it. HTH

Poly,put_the_kettle_on

You really need to figure out what your needs are before buying. Will it literally be just space to sleep & store a bag, or do you want to cook inside, have somewhere to sit if the weather turns etc?

I've always been a "hardcore" camper, but was recently meeting up with my other-other half for 4 nights camping. As it was just me in the car, I decided to take the Gelert Cadiz 7. I put it up entirely on my own in the space of half an hour. I left the 2 berth bit out, and we used that space for cooking/ storing shoes & weapons. We had two folding camping chairs in the living space, and had tons of space in the bedroom. I even took the sprung double mattress from the sofa bed!

Can't say I'd do it every time- I kinda like sleeping on the ground & cooking outside, but in questionable weather we were able to do all the important stuff- stay dry, cook, stand up inside and not have to crawl everywhere.

Envisage what you want the tent for- and do you need to stand up inside etc...

olias

If you can't afford a camper, but want a bit of camper like comfort, have you considered a trailer tent? Easier to put up, more robust than a standard tent, and have mod cons like proper cooking rings, sink, etc. May be a good compromise.

Olias

Poly,put_the_kettle_on

I was going to suggest the trailer tent option too- but then you do have to maintain the trailer/brakes etc. They are an excellent compromise between comfort & cost though- we loved ours.

delmar39

Thanks all especially for the advice re trailer tent. I'd never really thought about that option before. I'll look into it. Really, it's just for me on my walking day / night away in North Norfolk. Eventually OH and little un will want to come, but for now it's me on my own walking and drinking real ale in a local pub somewhere. Pure heaven. Just going to search for trailer tents thanks again for the idea.

delmar39

olias wrote: »

If you can't afford a camper, but want a bit of camper like comfort, have you considered a trailer tent? Easier to put up, more robust than a standard tent, and have mod cons like proper cooking rings, sink, etc. May be a good compromise.

Olias

Poly,put_the_kettle_on wrote: »

I was going to suggest the trailer tent option too- but then you do have to maintain the trailer/brakes etc. They are an excellent compromise between comfort & cost though- we loved ours.

delmar39 wrote: »

Thanks all especially for the advice re trailer tent. I'd never really thought about that option before. I'll look into it. Really, it's just for me on my walking day / night away in North Norfolk. Eventually OH and little un will want to come, but for now it's me on my own walking and drinking real ale in a local pub somewhere. Pure heaven. Just going to search for trailer tents thanks again for the idea.

Thanks for giving me this idea. Excellent. Isn't this site just great for things like this...:)

daveyjp

Look on a few camping websites for expensive ones then look on e-bay for the same brand - there will be lots on there from disillusioned campers!

Shelldean

try looking on ukcampsite.co.uk you'll find info on tents, trailer tents, van etc on there. Free to join.
You'll also be able to find out about campsites as well