The Camping Forum

[vagabond]

Hello,

I'm sure this is a perennial question here; we're new to camping and are looking for a suitable tent for our family of 5 - Me, Mrs Vagabond and kids aged 12, 10 and 5. I'm assuming I'll need a 5 berth job as a minimum and perhaps a 6 or more if we require a bit of storage or extra space? Saying that, I don't want to have something that is bigger than a country estate either.

Looking at what's available there seems to be quite a choice, not just of brands but of configurations too; tunnel, vis-a-vis....??? What are the pros and cons of these layouts? Considering that we will probably only be going to less adventurous camp sites initially, it doesn't have to stand up to gale force winds or avalanches etc. Rather, something that will be easy to pitch and will feel snug and secure on a moderate day.

Now I know these are all Vango tents but just been browsing online and these are a few that I fancied the look and price, in no particular order;
Vango Orchy 500
Vango Artemis 500/600
Vango Icarus 500
Vango Breakout DLX 600

Obviously there are a lot more makes out there than Vango and I'm sure you will suggest others. What I'm ideally looking for is something that we can comfortably spend a weekend in and won't break the bank. I don't want to spend more than £300 on our "first" tent.

If we like the experience and think that we will take it up regularly, then I don't mind spending out on a bit more on a "lavish" tent. However, initially I'd like to keep things simple but still fairly comfortable and having some "luxuries" such as a tent carpet may make the difference between a good/OK experience and bad one. So I would really appreciate some advice on what accessories are worthwhile spending a bit extra on - such as footprint, carpet, awning, extensions etc.

And finally, OutdoorWorldDirect currently have a deal on the Vango Breakout DLX 600+ footprint+Carpet for £211 - this caught my eye. Sounds like a good deal....... or is it?

Thanks in advance.


P.S. Forgot to add that we have a large estate+roof box so space isn't too much of an issue.

[pitkin2020]

Ideally you will want twice as many berths to people, a 5 berth for 5 people will be fine for a very short trip but you won't have anywhere to put clothes etc as all berths will have people in them. You would probably be better with an 8 man for a week long trip.

Most berths are designed simply for that many people, try getting 2 double airbeds into a 4 berth and you will see what I mean. You will get 4 people in there but they will need to be on roll mats lol.

Another option is maybe kick some of the older children out into pup tents and go for a 5 berth as the main tent.

[creatingastorm]

Hi ,

just saw your post and had to reply, if you are buying now i.e September and at the end of the season for most then you can get a lot of tent for your money by having a really good look around as most dealers are trying to shift this years stock.

In terms of choosing a tent for 5 of you, I completely agree with the last post, we are a couple and I have just bough a larger tent (4 Berth) as we have started to take longer breaks and things were getting cramped. The only other thing I would say, is that Vango tents are good, i have had a few, but watch for the Hydrostatic head counts (how waterproof a tent is) on them, larger tents tent to have less water resistance and if you are planning a late summer/Autumn trip you may want to consider this.

Enjoy

[pitkin2020]

Very good point about bargains to be had at the moment, but as already mentioned in another thread just watch what you buy. If you buy something that is going to be replaced by a new model next year you may struggle to get footprint/carpet/extension so if you can buy them in one go.

[Wayne]

That deal is a good one from OWD, if memory serves me right the Breakouts are made exclusively for them.

I would be tempted to go with that deal if its not yet sold out, a lot of good deals will begin to sell out soon.

I think the footprint, carpet and porch are all essential parts of the tent. The footprint helps keep the tent dry underneath when packing away and helps protect the SIG from damage as well as giving a little insulation.
The carpet again gives some good insulation and makes a warm tent underfoot as well as making it feel more homely. The porch/awning gives an area to cook and sit if its raining as well as allowing the tent door to be kept open even in heavy rain.

I am a tunnel tenter through and through, its just the design I like.

If you decide to go with the breakout 600 then in time as you decide you would like to upgrade to a larger tent, don't feel this will become redundant as you will find it will make a good weekend tent.
We have different tents for different occasions, you need a lot less stuff and creature comforts for a weekend and as such get by with a smaller tent.

Hi ,

just saw your post and had to reply

Hi and a warm welcome to the forum, please join in with some of our other conversations, we love a good chat

[Camp Moose]

I'd just like to say the 5 of us fit adequately into our 6 berth tent.
Daughter has all 3 kids clothes in suitcase in her bedroom, we have our clothes at bottom of our bed in our room.
2 boys share their room.
On some holidays we've been stuck in the tent during the rain & never felt cramped.

[vagabond]

Thanks for the replies, I'll have to try and do some more research this weekend and hopefully buy something in the next week or so.

[Bigroy]

We are a family of 5 and have just had our second outing in our Vango Maritsa 700. We have found it excellent with plenty of space available. We could survive with less space but if it was a rainy day it would be a problem as the Maritsa has a cracking living area

[OutdoorWorldDirect]

Hi,

The deal is a decent price and offer for the 6 man, carpet and footprint.

The only down side is the fact that we are sold out of the canopy, though the Tigris Side extension would fit onto the Breakout 6 or 8 tent. The colours will not match completely though, i am trying to source another canopy in the same colour.

Cheers

David

[Wayne]

Hi,

The deal is a decent price and offer for the 6 man, carpet and footprint.

The only down side is the fact that we are sold out of the canopy, though the Tigris Side extension would fit onto the Breakout 6 or 8 tent. The colours will not match completely though, i am trying to source another canopy in the same colour.

Cheers

David

David.
Is it possible to still get a canopy of some description for the Tigris 800 (2010) in Laurel ????

Not that I need one, but if the time came I did and it was not possible to get one any more and so on.
Seen this Litchfield one, that's a fit

[Rob-merlin1973]

The Infinity 800 one would fit ......... then you could het the tent to match

[OutdoorWorldDirect]

The Laurel colour is discontinued, so i think you would be limited to picking one up from Ebay.

Moss Green has replaced this now and is available for the Tigris 800 going forward for 2012

Kind regards

David