The Camping Forum

[sarah]

Hello

My name`s Sarah & i`m married with two children. Jake who`s 5 & Penny who`s 2. Been thinking about giving camping a go for a couple of years now but to be honest i`m quite nervous about actually doing it. The only experiance of camping i have was when i was in the girl guides (ok you can stop laughing now ) not the most pleasent of experiences!.
We normally stay in the relative comfort of a static caravan on a Haven site, so the thought of sleeping on the floor, dragging two kiddies to the loo`s & showers & only basic cooking equipment really scares me. However my sister & brother in law go camping alot & make it sound such fun. Also it is sooooo much cheaper to holiday in a tent.
I have no idea where to start & what are the essential basics so i`m hoping you lovely experianced campers will help me . The only thing i do know is that i`d like a tent where the children can sleep in with us & not in seperate compartments.

[Wayne]

the thought of sleeping on the floor, dragging two kiddies to the loo`s & showers & only basic cooking equipment really scares me.

Is the idea of it also quite exciting

Hello and a warm welcome to the forum.

I'm sure between us we can help you take the first steps into camping. Actually you have already successfully took the first proper step and consulted a knowledgeable base of information rather than going on blindly


Don't want to give you information overload, so lets start at the top and just deal with the tent for now.
What sort of budget do you have to spend on a tent.
Have you any other ideas what you would like your tent to have/do like be able to stand in, separate cooking area, large living area etc etc. Just write what you imagine a perfect tent to look like.

As for the children sleeping with you, that's easy. Most sleeping compartments that are side by side have the option to unzip the divider and make one large sleeping pod, best of both worlds.

What we do know is, you do not want a vis-a-vis style tent (sleeping pods at each end of the tent with living area separating them.

What part of the country are you in, we might be able to advise where you can go see some tents set up and point some out to look at.

[sarah]

Thanks for replying

I guess my perfect tent would have a good size middle bit that you can stand up right in & maybe another area where we can store our things out of the way. Where does the kitchen area go though, urm bit confused now. Oh dear not a good start lol. Obiviously don`t want to spend loads in case we don`t like the camping life but also don`t want to get a to small one either. I`m from Banbury in oxfordshire.

[Rob-merlin1973]

Hi Welcome to the forum

The most important thing is to make your first time as good as possible, (no smut wayne)

Will it be just you and the two little ones camping?
Just wondering as ease of pitching will be an issue to consider

[Wayne]

Hi Welcome to the forum

The most important thing is to make your first time as good as possible, (no smut wayne)

Will it be just you and the two little ones camping?
Just wondering as ease of pitching will be an issue to consider

I think there is Sarah's husband that hasn't got a mention yet, Oh I know how that feels .

I'll get back later with a few suggestions, and I'm sure there will be some other suggestions coming forth as well. From there tell us what you like and don't like about each suggestion and it helps you narrow it down to a smaller list.



This is a picture of two sleep pods with the central divider removed t make one large area. Notice there are 2 doors. (click on the pic to enlarge)

[Rob-merlin1973]

Oh yeah missed the married bit

[sarah]

yeah sorry there is a hubby ( easy to forget! ) Paul, although ease of pitch would still be an advantage seeing as he`s never put up a tent & isn`t the most patient of men lol!
I like the sleeping area in the picture u put up, thats the sort of thing i was thinking about.

[Wayne]

As promised a few tents to look at and think about. Please add any comments, especially negative comments towards the tents as this is the best way to fine tune and find a tent that suites.

I have tried to stay with tunnel tents as these are generally a little easier to put up and also the pods are not usually side by side. Although that's my opinion and I may have a bit of opposition in favor of Dome Tents.

I will quote the Hydrostatic Head for each tent, this is how waterproof they are. I won't show any tents that have an HH below 3000mm as I think this is about right as a minimum also click on the pictures and they will enlarge.

VANGO TENTS



[url]Tigris 400[/url] The Tigris is actually the tent that is shown in the picture you like of the bedrooms together.
It has standing height in the living area and is fairly easy to pitch. It has an HH of 3000mm, costing around £170 and available in Smoke (pictured) or Laurel



Tigris 600 slightly bigger than the tigris 400 with an extra end bedroom that would make an ideal storage area. Has a HH of 3000mm, Costing around £220 and available in Smoke or Laurel (as pictured).

OUTWELL TENTS



Minnesota 4 A small compact family tent with standing room in the living area. Has the added strength of steel poles which tend to stand up to stronger winds if pitched correctly. Has an HH of 3000mm, Costing around £299 (it is currently in a 1week only sale in the link for £220)

There is also a Minnesota 6, which again has the further end bedroom that can be used as a store.
I would just need to double check that the inner pods can be made into one pod on this tent as I can't remember. But I can soon check.



Oakland XL A family tent like the Minnesota 4, but slightly bigger, also with standing room in the living area and again the steel pole system and a HH of 3000mm, Costing around £280

There are bigger tents I could list, but I'm thinking that this might be along the line you are looking. But please comment on the ones you like and don't like and any questions on them, what you wish they had and didn't have etc. Its cool if none of them fit the bill, but please say so .

[Rob-merlin1973]

There are a couple here that might be of some use.
The Corado 4 costs £299.99 and has a HH of 3000 and a sewn in groundsheet. It has steel poles so is very sturdy and you can get a carpet (don't laugh it will keep you a lot more snug and warm) for £34.99


The other choice is the Corado 6 which for a price of £329.99 would give you a lot more space for your selves and your luggage and plenty of room for the littleones to play when the weather gets bad.



Both tents have front and side doors and covered front areas so you can cook or sit outside when it is raining.
Hope this halps a little

[sarah]

Some lovely tents there, do like the look of the corado ones. Nice lot of space. Just one thing about those ones , how long are they can they effect what size pitch you have i:e needing two spaces?

[Wayne]

I like the look of the Corado tents Merlin, I plan on having a closer look at them, when I finally get to "Go Outdoors".

Lot of tent for your money.

[Rob-merlin1973]

Some lovely tents there, do like the look of the corado ones. Nice lot of space. Just one thing about those ones , how long are they can they effect what size pitch you have i:e needing two spaces?

These are no where needing 2 spaces but are a nice family size
Mine is 8.5 m x 9.5 m and usually as long as i let them know the size they find me a big enough pitch

But the corado should be no problem.

They do an 8 man variant and this may be my next buy

[Wayne]

Yeh agreed, the Corado is well within most standard pitches. My biggest tent is 7.7m long and I have never had a problem

Like Merlin, I always make it clear what the dimensions of my tent are (or if I plan to set up a utility or pup tent) when I book. If you don't I think your leaving yourself wide open to being ripped off on arrival.

[andyk68]

I know this thread is a couple of months old but I thought I would just throw my 2 cents worth in. After numerous tents, and trailer tents over a period of 5 years we have finally settled on the Corado 4. Its an amazing tent with plenty of head room and there is also an extra canopy (£59.99) you can buy to extend it while still keeping it size of a normal pitch. The extra canopy is useful for those grey days were you want to sit out but dont want to be cold.

My only issue with this tent (and i've read other users have the same issue) is that the main door A, doesnt have a fly net and B, doesnt seal completely and therefore can allow a huge draught to get through. This was easily sorted by some double sided sticky velcro so no real biggy.