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Can anyone in to camping recommend me a tent!
daniel mason - 1/7/14 at 08:13 PM

I need a tent for when I'm away sprinting . Only needs to be small. Single air bed with just me in it. It must be totally waterproof and very easy and quick to put up as it's usually dark when I arrive at events. Most of the small pop up ones I've seen suffer condensation issues! Cheers

[Edited on 1/7/14 by daniel mason]


Nickp - 1/7/14 at 08:15 PM

C'mon spit it out Dan


daniel mason - 1/7/14 at 08:16 PM

Fecking I phone


Nickp - 1/7/14 at 08:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
Fecking I phone



Andybarbet - 1/7/14 at 08:31 PM

I have a coleman 1 man tent similar to this one on ebay: 311001055013

It was nicknamed the body bag at one of the kitcar shows but it only has two small poles, a couple of guy ropes & is really good quality & very waterproof

Might be worth a look

Mine even came in one of those rubber waterproof/dry bags so you can go off kayaking & not worry about it if you like that sort of thing.


Volvorsport - 1/7/14 at 08:33 PM

Vango. Have you got one for sprint weekend?

or a khyam....


whitestu - 1/7/14 at 08:35 PM

Is there a Decathlon near you. They have some great pop up tents.

Stu


adithorp - 1/7/14 at 08:41 PM

I use a Vango Dart200 pop up tent for our Alps tours. Not the most compact but still fits in the Fury. It's a two man (would be cosy) but plenty of room with just one; Space for an air bed and my kit. Put it up in seconds and pegs down with just 8 pegs (get some HD ones). Taking it down isn't hard once you master it

Higher roof than the decthtlon ones makes life easier.

[Edited on 1/7/14 by adithorp]


Andybarbet - 1/7/14 at 08:41 PM

This looks like a newer version of mine, same shape & design - ebay item no 221478317413


daniel mason - 1/7/14 at 08:47 PM

I've got nothing at the moment and have been sleeping In the front of the volvo for tha past couple of years. It's ok for one night at a push but 2 nights is bad


BigLee - 1/7/14 at 08:58 PM

You'll get condensation in all tents, hence the inner lining. So long as inner and outer don't touch, you'll stay dry. They're all much of a muchness these days. Look for alloy poles over fibreglass, and note the hydrostatic head. That's the figure that tells you how waterproof it is. A goretex jack for example would be 5000mm from memory, meaning you could have a column of water 50m tall before it lets water in, basically enough pressure to cause skin damage! (The common misconception is people say they leak, when they are simply experiencing condensation forming on the inside, or the collection of sweat from the wrong base layers) - anyways, back to tents - buy an extra pack of tent pegs, as they never supply enough. Have you looked at good 'ole Sports Direct? The Karrimor tents are alright.


JoelP - 1/7/14 at 09:15 PM

I saw the title and was going to suggesta kalahari 10, but that definitely isn't a small tent!


bi22le - 1/7/14 at 09:15 PM

quote:
Originally posted by whitestu
Is there a Decathlon near you. They have some great pop up tents.

Stu


They make great products that last forever and have very nice design qwerks.

I have used one of their little ish tents for 4 X Glastonburys, mountian climbs and many other things and it is still faultless.

We have just brought one of their "pop up" 6 man Family XL tents. Its a work of art. Very clever. I can put it up and down on my own in about 2 mins each way. No kiddin.


austin man - 1/7/14 at 10:32 PM

how about a VW transporter pulling the car no need for a tent then


daniel mason - 1/7/14 at 10:45 PM

Can't tow it on my license! Am still rated at 3500kgs and am pulling 1300-1400kgs when loaded up


ste - 2/7/14 at 04:54 AM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
Can't tow it on my license! Am still rated at 3500kgs and am pulling 1300-1400kgs when loaded up


You can easily tow that behind a van on your license. 3.5t gross train weight minus 1.4t trailer gives you 2.1t for your van.

You can tow a max train weight of 4250kg on a 1/1/1997 - 19/1/2013 license anyways. (3500kg vehicle and 750kg trailer)

If in doubt get it straight from the horses mouth HERE


daniel mason - 2/7/14 at 05:58 AM

I know what I can tow but the transporters weigh around 2t mark. Meaning I'm borderline and don't want to risk it as sometimes I'll take extra gear with me like 4 sets wheels/ tyres which can soon add weight.
The 4250kg is irrelevant as my trailer is my he heavier than that!
Any way I was thinking of a few quid for a tent, not a few grand for a van as budget is tight. Cheers


cliftyhanger - 2/7/14 at 06:32 AM

Another vote for decathlon tents. Got a family one and a smaller 3 man tent (both conventional ie not pop-up) which are giving sterling service. good designs and well made compared to many, and prices are good. Way better than millets etc these days.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of their pop up tents. In fact I plan to at some point, probably when the existing small tent dies. It is only 10 years old though, and not looking bad (a few weekends a year, plenty of overnights in the garden with the kids, youth camps for a few weeks, it has had a tough time...)


nick205 - 2/7/14 at 07:59 AM

Vango have always served me well.


mcerd1 - 2/7/14 at 08:19 AM

if your budget will stretch to it look at Terra Nova

I've used plenty of other tents before and I used to swear by vango which are normally really good for the money
(even used a fairly basic one on the summit of ben nevis at new year!)
but now I'm converted to terra nova

currently I've got 4 usable tents:

a cheap vango 3 man (£60) which is ok, but bulky and heavy - its basically using 20+ year old tech and fairly cheaply made, but its still works well considering how cheap it is (its done 4 years of very wet festivals)
this is the ideal festival tent IMHO

the last vango I got was one of the newer force10's (vortex 200 that I found for a bargain £240) its been really good and stood up well to severe weather, but next to my mates old terra nova 'quasar' its 1kg heavier, smaller inside and no where near as solid in the wind

next I got my terra nova 'voyager' (found it on a deal at £315) its a 3 pole design with loads of room at one end and not much at the other - but its really light ~2kg, packs down to a tiny volume and has kept me dry in force 10 storms (camping next to the sea in the Outer Hebrides)

the last one is a 'wild country' 1 bed big family tent (made by terra nova) its massive and really solid - got it out of there factory clearance for £150
its big and heavy (over 20kg!), but very comfortable to live in - I don't even need to duck to walk into it (I'm 5'10" )

its horses for courses, but having used all of these and several others kinds over the years I wouldn't go back to other brands
and they are built to last too
http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/ (keep an eye on the sale section)




[Edited on 2/7/2014 by mcerd1]


Wheels244 - 2/7/14 at 08:32 AM

I'll be having one of these for track days and shows

www.smartent.com/product.php
Weight - 12.2kg. Weight Limit tent - 120kg(18 Stone). Dimensions 217w x 70D ...

I got a pop up one and it's rubbish.


MK9R - 2/7/14 at 08:53 AM

I built a frame over my trailer and used a roof tent, pops up in 5 seconds and really convenient and the built in matress wasvgteat. I am trying tk find the company I bought it off as it only cost £280 but it was this type of thing
Autohome Overland rooftent


micksalt - 2/7/14 at 08:55 AM

I've got a Khyam Nimbus that is over 15 years old now and absolutely spot on. Maybe a bit big for your purposes. However, Khyam aren't as good as they used to be. I see that the ripstop nylon flysheet is now a plain polyester one for starters.


MK9R - 2/7/14 at 09:06 AM

Heres my old setup (the rainbow is an extra)




[Edited on 2/7/14 by MK9R]

[Edited on 2/7/14 by MK9R]


MK9R - 2/7/14 at 09:23 AM

Ok found them thia is who j bought it from and theybshipped from germany. Itvwas on uk ebay when I boughtvit but cant find it now.
http://www.sportsshop.de/Dachzelte-und-Zubehoer-AUTODACHZELT-WASTELAND---DACHZELT-gruen---240x140x130cm/a4394099_u3167_z31079020-a816-470e-a99a-301b54 e7bba3/


MK9R - 2/7/14 at 09:24 AM

Ok just fpund them on uk ebay searcj for car top tent. Doubled in price since I bought iy though :-(


Matt21 - 2/7/14 at 09:56 AM

i have a north ridge torre at the moment (from gooutdoors), 2 man
you can just fit a double air bed in it, though it seems very cramped and it much more spacious with just a camping mat in it



its great if the ground is flat, any unevenness and you struggle to get the skin taught on it

This design is very good (i had a coleman one that was identical

http://cdn.gooutdoors.co.uk/Products/19843-290212122731891847858.jpg

but it is a one man tent.... unless you leave the inner down and you can get two in tightly.
one pole, very light, very quick to put up

pop to go outdoors, they have a whole selection, your nearest one is penrith
anything by vango, coleman, north ridge are great

all depends on the size you want and your budget


jeffw - 2/7/14 at 10:21 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MK9R
Heres my old setup (the rainbow is an extra)




[Edited on 2/7/14 by MK9R]

[Edited on 2/7/14 by MK9R]


the little green tent and the great big white one behind?.....cool.


MK9R - 2/7/14 at 10:29 AM

Nah white one not mine.

Other option is a nice good quality pop up gazeebo with bedrooms hung in it. You can worl on tje car and sleep in it then.


mcerd1 - 2/7/14 at 10:29 AM

if you want to be comfortable always get a tent that's at least 1 or 2 man bigger than you need

if it says 1 man its going to be like sleeping in a coffin
if it says 2 man you'll be fairly comfortable on your own
if it says 3 man you'll have a very comfortable one man or a quite comfortable 2 man
and so on.....

quote:
Originally posted by Wheels244
I'll be having one of these for track days and shows
www.smartent.com/product.php
Weight - 12.2kg. Weight Limit tent - 120kg(18 Stone). Dimensions 217w x 70D ...

from what I can see I'm not sure that's really much better than those silly wee pop-up tents you can buy in asda...

yes your off the ground which is probably better than the pop-up's that I've seen as it'll mean you won't be lying in any ground water / mud (most of the pop-ups I've seen always seem to end up full of water)

but its heavy, quite big when packed, got a low head height, no proper covered porch area (this is needed if you want to keep the inside of any tent dry), it looks like its only a single skin design (meaning its hard to get good ventilation and stay dry at the same time) and I'd bet it would tip over in high wind or if you sat at one end of it (just like a fold up camp bed)
so I'm not really that impressed



my festival tent (£60 vango 3man, so less than ½ the price) is a twin skin tent with a porch and it kept us dry through some of the wettest and windiest weather they had ever had at T in the Park - all the pop-ups had either blown away or flooded
and its big enough for a king size airbed which always makes things more fun
and it only takes 3-4min to put up, which is slower than a pop-up, but its hardly a long time and I'd trust it to still be there in the morning !



[Edited on 2/7/2014 by mcerd1]


mcerd1 - 2/7/14 at 10:46 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MK9R
Heres my old setup (the rainbow is an extra)



how did that feel on a windy day ? did you have stabilisers/legs on the trailer ?


MK9R - 2/7/14 at 10:54 AM

It was absolutely fine. Only time I noticed it was at anglesey in a huge storm. Not stablisers


Irony - 2/7/14 at 12:52 PM

Plus 1 for Decathon Pop Up tents.

Also Plus 1 for:

1 Man tent is next to useless
2 Man = 1 man comfortably
etc etc

[Edited on 2/7/14 by Irony]


amalyos - 2/7/14 at 01:39 PM

Decathlon 4 man pop up tent is great. It has an inner and outer, and plenty of room for your gear. I think I paid around £69 for mine.

I did get fed up with camping though and converted a Transit into a camper, much more comfortable


kingster996 - 2/7/14 at 03:38 PM

I have a Vaude Taurus http://www.vaude.com/en-GB/en/Taurus-2P-chute-green.html

Not cheap, but very light, easy to put up, really well made, had it for 10yrs+ and still going strong.

Best bit is the decent sized stuff bag to put it in, so you never have to roll it up and try and squeeze it into a bag that is two sizes too small for the tent (why do they do that!)


daniel mason - 5/7/14 at 10:35 AM

Got a kyham 2 man In the end. With built in poles for ease! Hopefully it will do the job!