We have just got back from a very wet but fantastic weekend camping. It rained putting the tent up on fri and all day sat it was torrential. Then the sun came out on sun, the tent dried out and we had to come home. But we still enjoyed it.
We want to add a bit of outside undercover space but don't know what to invest in. Do we buy the canopy and put windbreaks round or do we buy the extension?
We have the extension for the minnesota and i couldn't live without it now, gives a lot more sheltered space away from the wind, rain and sun. Great for cooking in too. IMHO the extension is more usefull than the canopy, depends what you need it for really
I had this same dilemma recently.
I had pretty much decided on the extension, then Charlies Daddy persuaded me to get the canopy instead. His argument was that with the canopy it is more of an 'outside' space, though of course you can add a windbreak if you want to for privacy. If you want/need to be 'inside' then there is space in the tent for that. We dont cook in the tent anyway, so that didnt affect our decision, it was more about shade/cover on an evening for eating, a place for taking muddy boots off and keeping the side porch free for the kampa khazi.
Having said all this, I am still not sure which is best -they both do good things, just a bit different !
There is more than enough room inside the tent I didnt want to be enclosed. The canopy keeps any rain away from the main door, provides some shade but still lets you feel as if you are outside.
The windbreak is a good idea and works really well. I know someone had a photo in their gallery showing windbreaks with the canopy and it looks really good.
weve got the extention for our monty 6 and we wouldnt go without it.it gives you loads more space to leave your stuff and you can still sit out when its raining.
We have the extension too. It is great. The extension gives you the shelter to cook under and a place to sit outside in the rain and still keep dry. Great for kicking your boots off before going into the tent. Wouldn't go without ours.
Extension is brilliant. We have had the canopy for 2 years and always felt a bit of wind protection would be great. Our canopy finally gave way in high winds over the bank hol so we bought the extension. Used for the first time this w/e and it is brilliant.
We cooked under the canopy but it is so much better under the extension. I have heard of people using the 2 in tandem tent - extension - canopy but can't imagine that stand up in strong winds.
tent-extension-canopy would be a bit weird - size of a footie pitch and guys all over the place ! I'd like to see it though :-)
I really don't think there is a 'best', they are just different and it's good to have a choice.
We have the canopy and it`s great for sitting under on a sunny day. We put windbreaks around it and they help a bit if you are cooking under the canopy in the rain, but I think the extension would be better for that purpose tbh. We would buy the extension, but we tend to use our Vermont for holidays of longer than three nights and just use the Monty for 2 or 3 night breaks, during which we can manage with just the canopy.
Sadly not, we can't make it - we will be there 9th to 21st August, maybe a few days sooner if there is a pitch free, that was the best start date we could get for EHU.
Charlie has packed twice already poor love !
We have the extension and used it for the first time this weekend and it was great. While others were sheltering in their tents or using windbreaks and other such items to build areas for cooking and sitting in we were fine with just the extension.
It adds so much more space to the tent it is well worth the money.
We have had the canopy with windbreaks but found that when it's raining, which unfortunately it often is, it was very difficult to cook as the rain would come in between the canopy and windbreaks. This year we bought the extension and it is fantastic. We were much better protected and we still felt like we were outdoors. In fact, we could be outdoors in weather that others couldn't sit out in.
Charlie's Mummy is right though. It's a matter of choice. If you camp in the South of France, for example, you might prefer the canopy.