Wild Camping

[ttxela]

Hey - ttxela

I've been looking at those outwell tents. guessing thats the Hartford XL. 3 bedrooms.

Its a pain - but with one child and one on the way, my days 2 man mountain tents are over. Reckon these look like the dogs, full of little 'features'. Outwell certainly seem to outnumber other manufacturers on the campsites by about 4 to one.

My only concern is, is it *too* big. On some campsites - due to slopes etc, I thought it might be hard to get a pitch big enough.

And also - how long does it take to pitch, I can imagine turning up at a campsite, in the dark, pissing it down after a long drive, 2 kids in the back of the car - I dont what to be hammering pegs in for an hour.

Any thoughts

Hello Sam

Yes it is a Hartford XL, I believe they do an XXL with 4 bedrooms too! My wife bought it after our previous family sized tent suffered a bit on it's last trip, it had been used alot over the last few years and I'd had to straighten and weld a few of the poles and make a few other repairs, in the end a tear in the groundsheet made us decide it was time for a new one. The previous one was a Sunncamp which had 2 much larger bedrooms and a smaller bit in the middle, I could put it up on my own in about half an hour.

Our old Sunncamp

The new one I think might be too big for some sites, I have heard that some places will charge you for two pitches if you turn up with one of these, that's probably fair enough. The floor area of it is big enough but once you take into account the guy ropes it's huge.

The bedrooms are much smaller than the old tent but now we have teenagers with us most of the time it's useful to be able to seperate the boys and girls.......

I think on a uneven site you'd definitely have problems even with a slight slope it started to pull everything out of shape a bit then you can't do up the zips inside etc.

It took about an hour to pitch, it could probably be done quicker as this was only our second go. It would be very hard if not impossible to pitch on your own as you really need someone pushing up inside. Taking it down also took about an hour although I was on my own then, with help it could be done much quicker.

I'm really quite pleased with it, we had a thunderstorm on Friday night and some quite strong gusts of wind which it stood up to very well, the ballroom sized middle living area is very handy. The size is a bit of a curse as well as a blessing though, even packed away in the bag it's huge. I can forsee if we take it on an extended holiday next year I'll need a trailer as well.

 

[ttxela]

I definitely wouldn't want to carry it far, once you've got it all in the bag it's almost impossible to lift on your own. I'm still trying to work out where I'm going to spread the flysheet out to dry as it's bigger than my garden when you lay it out.

Chuck it in the corner loosely scrunched up and keep turning it three-four times a day - it'll soon dry.

Think I might have to try this way, probably in the boot of the car.

 

[ttxela]

Just noticed there is an Outwell tent in the background too (the rather expensive BearLake 6 if Im not mistaken)

There was a dog show on at the same time we camped there and those type of tunnel tents seemed to be popular amongst the doggy folks. Several people had two, one for them and one for the dogs.......

 

[Geoff R]

I used a lightweight tunnel tent in a wind and have been immediately converted to a more ridged structure for both my small and larger tent. The material between the loops flapped and flapped, regardless of rigging tightness

but they do give plenty of internal space 

 

[ttxela]

I was put off tunnel tents by looking around the tent "showroom" (outside) on a windy day. It was just by luck it was windy that day but I reckon if I go shopping for tents again I'll definitely try and pick a blustery day to look over them.

 

[SamT]

Cheers tt

they also do an L with just two bedrooms and a door (where the middle bedroom would be). Its a bit smaller across the middle living room too.

Might consider that.

Reckon I might wait to see what the 2008 season range brings.

 

[Agrophobic]

I'd recomend my tunnel tent for lightweight wild camping trips but sadly McKinley went bust, mines a starlight 2, about 12 yrs old and starting to fail now, but has stood up to many a highland gale with minimum flapping.
enough room for two and plenty room for one plus gear.
simple and quick to pitch too, never found one to beat it, hence i'm still using it.

 

[Rachel]

I was put off tunnel tents by looking around the tent "showroom" (outside) on a windy day. It was just by luck it was windy that day but I reckon if I go shopping for tents again I'll definitely try and pick a blustery day to look over them.

Our tunnel tent managed to withstand being pitched at GG for 3 weeks (the tent was there considerably longer than we were. It is only a little one though, but I found it handy that it was fairly easy to flatten when not in use and could be popped back up in less than 5 minutes.

One thing I did find annoying was that it was described as a 3-man tent, when we seriously struggled to get 2 adults and one child in there. Is this a common thing with tents, or have I just been done?

 

[andymorgan]

One thing I did find annoying was that it was described as a 3-man tent, when we seriously struggled to get 2 adults and one child in there. Is this a common thing with tents, or have I just been done?

It seems to be a common problem...

 

[SamT]

Thats because they are all designed for primerily for use in the himalaya rather than a nice weekend in the Cotwolds.

My Mountain Hardware Trango is billed as a 3 man tent. It makes a nice 2 man tent in the UK with enough room for our clothes - and stove/food/coolbox etc in the porch. However - M.H. most definately designed it for Everest Basecamp/expedition type use.  Hence its absolutely f**kin bomb proofness. And in that environment - it would definately be a 3 man tent - cause you aint gonna be bringing the kitchen sink with you - the sherpas will be bringing that - and putting it in the huge mess tent. Just 3 of you - at camp 2 at X thousand feet - sleeping bag, roll mat one small stove.

so its not what you'd call a 'common problem', Its just that folks (like me) by top notch mountain tents for normal UK use. They've not been designed for a week in devon with 2 kids.

Which is why Im looking at the outwell tents.

 

[andymorgan]

My experience with tents are Eurohike tents or Decathlon own brand (for music festivals), which I don't think are designed for anything more than a summers day in Devon...

 

[SamT]

My experience with tents are Eurohike tents or Decathlon own brand (for music festivals), which I don't think are designed for anything more than a summers day in Devon...

Just bought a decathlon 2second pop up jobbie - perfect for stuff like hidden earth. And only 35 quid!!
Roll up - throw tent up (literally) Go and get pissed - fall back into tent and pass out.
I was never allowed to take our nice M.H. one to such events  after I threw up all over the inside of my mates tent once.

Would never consider taking it anywhere other than a festival or party. They will not really stand up in much of a breeze and I dont reckon they are particularly waterproof.

 

[ttxela]

There's obviously a difference between 2 man tunnel tents for mountain use and the great huge things for campsite camping with families, they do have flappy almost vertical sides. I expect the really expensive ones are good but the ones in our price range were a bit unconvincing.

My little 2 man tent we used in the Berwyns is a Eurohike bought from Millets for ?35, it's alright..... I've used it quite a bit in summertime bad weather but I'm not sure I'd want to camp up high in the winter with it for sure.

My 3 man tent is comfortable for two (especially if one is a child) being round though it's not quite long enough to stretch out in.

At the WCMS party

I did have a really good 2 man ridge tent that was seemingly indestructible, one easter in Wales it was the only one left standing. However my Dad managed to capsize a dingy he was racing round the Isle of Wight and it's now at the bottom of the Solent somewhere. 

 

[anfieldman]

We purchased a Gelert Renesse 3 plus because my father-in-law had one. No good for wild camping but excellent for HE or any caving weekends. Well waterproof and stable,easy erection phnr, lots of doors and a big living area for all your gear.
Looking to by a small 2 person tent for trekking now.

 

[wormster]

I used a quazar 2 man ten many years ago on am mlc course in the wilds of the Rhinogs.

Kin brill it was went up in no time and packed down to manageable lumps, poles and pegs on 1 backpack and the rest on the other.

Mind you my Bedouin tent is an aztec palacio 3 bedroom dome tent, its wonderful for things like the DP big bash or bunging up on the front lawn at Upper Pitts for DP members to snore and fart in after too much Butcombe and chilli down at Roger's :alien:

 

[BAZZA666]

my eiga is sweet ,stormproof pop up.
goes up in less than one min
says 2man but fits dbl airbed and my caving kit cooler an cooker under the flaps,
given 9 years use all year round still perfect

 

[Sumpy]

This is my Yurt not light (or wild) but great fun to go camping in. In the middle of winter fire up the pot-belly close the stable door and bobs your uncle snug as a bug!

But if you want wild try to top this, a recent charity camp hanging off one of the faces of Cheddar Gorge.

 

[ttxela]

This is my Yurt not light (or wild) but great fun to go camping in. In the middle of winter fire up the pot-belly close the stable door and bobs your uncle snug as a bug!

Outstanding! 

Is it home made or can you buy them?

 

[Sumpy]

This is my Yurt not light (or wild) but great fun to go camping in. In the middle of winter fire up the pot-belly close the stable door and bobs your uncle snug as a bug!

Outstanding! 

Is it home made or can you buy them?

I made mine three years ago, bought the canvas off a friend who makes them for a living www.thereallyinterestingtentcompany.co.uk/. Its fab fun I take it to loads of the festivals in the summer and it stays cool all day and in the winter with the stove going you can still sit in tee shits.

 

[gus horsley]

I used to work at a holiday park on the coast and had plenty of fun helping people pitch their megatents in blustery weather.  On one occasion I got a radio call asking for assistance from a family who had borrowed a neighbour's tent as they were experiencing extreme difficulty putting the thing up.  When I got there I saw what the problem was immediately but waited for someone to tell me that the tent was defective because the guy lines were on the inside.  Duh.