I'm buying a new family tent - Vango or Coleman

[tenohfive]

Ciaran said:

I've just bought 5 Vango Nitestar 350's and some airbeds. Hope they are sufficient.

Then when you next go away make a note of where the nearest camping shop is - if people complain about the temp then a foam roll mat will be in order.

Speaking from experience here - I took away a friend who assured me they were happy with their sleeping setup. Airbed and warm sleeping bag weren't enough (in April), suffered overnight with the cold. Bear in mind that sleeping bags don't insulate you from the ground as the insulation gets compressed (if it's compressed it doesn't work) by your bodyweight. After a miserable night I bought said friend a £5 foam mat to put underneath and provide ground insulation. No issues for the rest of the trip despite the temps dropping.

Personally I'll never touch an airbed again, I'm a complete convert to TAR/Exped etc - but the airbed/foam mat combo is the cheapest option to provide some warmth/insulation from the ground.

[Ciaran]

Happy to report our first trip was a success, not a single complaint from anyone about the cold when asleep. It was very cold at night - 4/5 degrees but once into the sleeping bags everyone was fine. I had the footprint down under the tent then a few blankets under the blow up beds and a blanket on top of the beds.

Next trip is in June. Might invest in a portable bbq this time round and another carpet for the "bedroom".

[Ciaran]

Obligatory picture.

[exitwound]

This is mine.. no complaints. Its easy to erect, its 5.5m x 4.5m x 2m high, sewn in groundsheet, no condensation due to a double skinned vented roof.

We camp in all weathers with out any hassles or leaks. Its a simple tunnel tent.

https://equipment4camping.co.uk/product/campfeuer-...

[spookly]

I've had a few Quechua tents from Decathlon. Always been very waterproof, even in torrential rain and gale force winds.

The last one lasted 4-5 years of regular use before falling apart due to UV aging.

Now have a couple of their small/medium size inflatable tents.

You could try one of these: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/air-seconds-family-63-...

[anonymous-user]

Ciaran said:

Happy to report our first trip was a success, not a single complaint from anyone about the cold when asleep. It was very cold at night - 4/5 degrees but once into the sleeping bags everyone was fine. I had the footprint down under the tent then a few blankets under the blow up beds and a blanket on top of the beds.

Next trip is in June. Might invest in a portable bbq this time round and another carpet for the "bedroom".

Great you enjoyed it. A few things I found that really added to 'ease of experience'

1.) Portable BBQ (as above) - weber go-anywhere was great for me from basic sausages to a 1.5kg lump of rump offset cooked for 45mins
2.) Stable table - I got 2 of the Halfords Urban Escape tables for about £20 each, not sure they are worth £50..but they are very stable and pack easily
3.) Awning/canopy/tarp - I got a cheap halfords event canopy £60 I think (agian was half price ish) - means you can put all the cooking stuff right outside the tent for most of the time

A dedicated tarp is prob easier to keep bulk down as the canopies take up a fair amount of room, but are easy to put up once you've worked them out.

have fun

[Simes205]

Tarp is very versatile.
Even with our large sized tent I still take a tarp and build a sheltered cooking area!

[tenohfive]

I wouldn't buy another tent without a built in awning for cooking and taking off boots etc. Both of mine have them and they make a world of difference in bad weather.

[exitwound]

tenohfive said:

I wouldn't buy another tent without a built in awning for cooking and taking off boots etc. Both of mine have them and they make a world of difference in bad weather.

We cook inside in bad weather (got a wee homemade kitchen system with gas and electric) in our Campfeuer 5000 (above). The large vented roof lets you do that. No condensation either. Not many tents have that feature

[tenohfive]

exitwound said:

We cook inside in bad weather (got a wee homemade kitchen system with gas and electric) in our Campfeuer 5000 (above). The large vented roof lets you do that. No condensation either. Not many tents have that feature

Because with the risks involved no tent manufacturers want you to cook inside. The fact that you're doing it isn't a feature, it's something you've chosen to do. I'd be surprised if the manual doesn't tell you not to cook inside because doing so is a fire hazard, plus usually labels inside saying likewise?

I'm not telling you not to do it, you've made a call that's yours to make (and one that I would never make, incidentally.) I'm just saying it's not a 'feature.'

[exitwound]

tenohfive said:

exitwound said:

We cook inside in bad weather (got a wee homemade kitchen system with gas and electric) in our Campfeuer 5000 (above). The large vented roof lets you do that. No condensation either. Not many tents have that feature

Because with the risks involved no tent manufacturers want you to cook inside. The fact that you're doing it isn't a feature, it's something you've chosen to do. I'd be surprised if the manual doesn't tell you not to cook inside because doing so is a fire hazard, plus usually labels inside saying likewise?

I'm not telling you not to do it, you've made a call that's yours to make (and one that I would never make, incidentally.) I'm just saying it's not a 'feature.'

By cooking, I mean an electric kettle, a Kampa hot plate (if you don't have one, get one, they're awesome. I use it in the house too), and a flat gas burner for toast etc. The huge supervised space means no risk and we use boards protect the fabric as a secondary measure, so there's no risk. BBQs are for outdoors only in case your wondering, but we aren't going to go hungry if its raining!

I've been in a serious house fire, so I'm a bit paranoid and extra safety conscious and have anti-fire measures around. If you saw the size of a Campfeuer 5000 you'd understand, and yes it is a feature hence the huge double skinned, vented roof. Its more like a mini marquee. Best tent ever!

For extra space, we don't use the bedrooms, we just have a double mattress at the back with a duvet (bedside cabinets/lamps and rugs at each side) and an inflatable sofa at the foot. Storage, fridge, water down on one side and cooking on the other. I could probably park the Corvette in it too if the entrance was bigger!! We love to camp, but we also like our comforts!

Read the great reviews here.. There was one bad review from someone who somehow managed to break a pole and couldn't find a replacement. If you read the one star comment from him, you'll see where I corrected him in my reply..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CampFeuer-Tunnel-Tent-Per...

Edited by exitwound on Monday 1st May 09:36

Edited by exitwound on Monday 1st May 09:40

[tenohfive]

exitwound said:

I've been in a serious house fire, so I'm a bit paranoid and extra safety conscious and have anti-fire measures around. If you saw the size of a Campfeuer 5000 you'd understand, and yes it is a feature hence the huge double skinned, vented roof. Its more like a mini marquee. Best tent ever!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CampFeuer-Tunnel-Tent-Per...

Size doesn't really have a huge impact on safety; the risk in my view is open flame and a flammable structure. Point of reference - my Croyde 8 has more floor space than the CampFeur and judging by the shape of the poles more headroom, and I wouldn't cook in that. But then I don't need to. (As others of pointed out - with cheap tarp awning setups, neither do you for the record.)

My cooking setup (for both my tents) is a Beauclaire gas grill/griddle - think a Cadac rival/beater. Next to that is a small table for food prep and on which I pop an MSR Pocket Rocket (canister stove) for quick cooking tasks like rice/pasta etc. That fits comfortably under the outside built-in awning on both Croyde 8 and Capri 500XL, and I've cooked in gopping conditions including 1500m up a mountain (a memorable experience) without issue.
The other side of the awning gets used for a bin and footwear storage.

Electric setup inside is something I've never really considered and I don't really intend to - a kettle is enough. The manufacturers I'd turn to for a new tent (Outwell, Kampa, Vango etc) seem to be incorporating built in awnings as standard and we aren't talking the top end, super expensive ranges either - so I just don't see a good reason to buy a tent without one.

Edited by tenohfive on Monday 1st May 10:06

[exitwound]

We keep the catering part really simple and streamlined (my wife's a chef and doesn't need a 'busman's' holiday) hence the hotplate which can do four steak dinners with all the veg and an excellent breakfast too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kampa-Fry-Up-XL-Large-El...

This is the best toaster ive tried for the gas hob, for perfect, even, toast..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRIGHT-SPARK-TOASTER-ADA...

Our gas hob..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Butane-Gas-Cooker-Camp-S...

We really don't do 'roughing' it as our tent is just a base for our holiday adventures and always insist on an electric hook up, but we do like living space. At 5.4m x 4.5m its also just over 2m high for the full length of the tent and about 3m wide across the inside for that 5.4m length before my head touches the curved sides (I'm about 1.6m tall) if that makes sense. All sewn in too and no condensation issues.

What I need to get is a breathable groundsheet, but at this size, its not cheap.