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Hi! I have just joined the boards and this is my first post.

I have 3 children aged 6, 5 and 3. We are dying to try camping but my husband is not keen at all. I am thinking about going on my own with them.

First of all, am I mad?!

Secondly, I am looking for a tent I'll be able to pitch almost single handedly, with a little help from the older 2 children. Would like something of reasonable size, incase hubby is won over and decides to join us. Preferably with 2 or 3 sleeping compartments.

Does such a thing exist?

Thanks.

No, you`re not mad. Lots of parents take their kids solo.

I often take the kids (almost ten, and four) away on my own and   Hubby joins us later on. so I have to pitch the tent on my own. I bought a Vango TSB Oregon 600 as a  weekend tent...two pods, the larger of which can be divided into a 2x2 berth, lots of living space and easy to put up solo, though it helps if someone can hold a pole occasionally.

http://www.outdoorfocus.co.uk/tall_fibreglass_steel_tents/Vango/Oregon/Vango_Oregon600_info.htm

Great tent, very sturdy with lots of good features.

Before the Oregon I had a Gelert Cadiz 5+2, also easy to put up solo. But I preferred the Oregon for living space, which is why we changed it.

The one thing that would worry me is the three year old. When my girl was three her brother was eight, and he was responsible enough to be trusted to look after her at the swing park while I put up the tent. Who`s going to look after your tot? It can occasionally get dangerous to allow very small kids too close when you`re putting up a tent, what with the chance of the wind flipping the canvas like a parachute or poles flicking free of moorings. . Do you have a car DVD plater or somesuch, for emergency babysitting for the vital twenty minutes while you get most of the tent up?

Thanks for the advice, Val. Will check out those tents.

Good point re the 3 year old too. Will require some thought...

No not mad, I almost always take my kids (7 & 10) away on my own - the OH, does not like the idea of no room service.

I find that my 10 year is an excellent help with the tent, but not the 7 year old, so i suspect you might be really on your own erecting the tent.

What you might want to do is not get such a big tent to start with (and not spend too much) and then if your OH does take it up, upgrade.

Look at something like the ever popular Vango Venture 500 (£90) - easily put'able by one person and big enough to sleep you and the three kids and even hubby (a squeeze) just for the one time to get him interested.

Do it a few weekends with the kids and hubby will get jelous - the kids will work on him.

If you have the money (£300+) then there are bigger light weight tents that can be put up single handed, from the likes of Robens and Jack Wolfskin; but I am not sure you would want to spend this kind of money straight out.

To be honest, I don't think we could stretch to a Khyam right now.

Would the Vango be good enough to start with? I was also looking at the Coleman bispace 500, but the sleeping area looks a bit smaller.

Hi Gillian

I was in the same boat as you last year with my OH not wanting to camp - but he came around eventually (still not 100%) but comes along sometimes.  I have three kids and they all help out, I would suggest going for any easy tent something along the lines of the Campus Harvard Delux or the Yale.  The Harvard sleeps six (4/2) and I think the Yale does too but has an SIG (sown in ground sheet).  The tents are very easy to put up, it took us about 20mins on our second attempt to put up the Harvard.  Anyway you have a huge choice and there will be plenty of people to offer you lots of advice.

Happy camping

HI DE HI AND WELCOME!!

When you get the tent you want have a few practice runs at putting it up and get the kiddies to help!!  I gotta do this myself as my OH cant come the day we are going now so I've gotta try and put ours up with my mums help, and she's not long had a hip replacement!!  Should be interesting LOL!! 

Anyway if you do get stuck of site, I'm sure some nice campers will help out!!

Just looking at the measurements...

The Vango Venture 500 is 270x270cm in the bedroom. If I have 4 of us on single airbeds each 70cm wide, it's going to be a bit of a squeeze.

Do the kids need airbeds? I never had one as a child!

Quote: Originally posted by Gillian76 on 29/7/2006

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Just looking at the measurements...

The Vango Venture 500 is 270x270cm in the bedroom. If I have 4 of us on single airbeds each 70cm wide, it's going to be a bit of a squeeze.

Do the kids need airbeds? I never had one as a child!

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Your measurements are correct - but most people do not put small children on airbeds, usually ready beds or matts, which are thinner.

If you do want air beds (as we do) and there is a chance the other half comes along, you may want to look at something slightly bigger, such as the Khyam/Campus Yale, as already suggested. A very comfortable, and well tried, tent.

We all sleep on the self-inflating mats, Sunncamp do child size ones. Otherwise the ground could be a bit hard and cold for them. I camp solo with my 2, aged 5 & 3 and have done so for 18 months. I bought an Outwell Oregon 4 as I can put that up quickly, but it might be a bit cosy for 4 of you, they also do an Oregon 5 which might be ideal for you. I find tunnel tents are easier to put up solo, you don't need someone to 'push up' the crossover bits in a dome tent. I find it easier to all sleep in the same room, saves me getting up every time they wriggle or stir in their sleep, I just pop an arm up and cover them up again!

The Vango Oregon 600 will take two double airbeds in the large pod and a double in the small pod. You don`t need single airbeds for kids...either two can share a double or can use self inflating mats. Small kids tend to roll off airbeds or get stuck in the gaps anyway.

Seriously, I`d go for the Oregon. It`s big enough to camping in for a week or more with all of you but still easy enough to pitch for a weekend. You and the kids could all fit in the big pod on two double airbeds and have plenty of living space for wet days if you don`t hang the other pod, and if Hubby comes you could share the small pod with him and let the kids share the big one.

My feeling is that though the Venture is a good tent, it doesn`t have as much living area. On a wet day with all your kit inside you won`t have room to move.

Any Vango though is a good quality buy, and good enough for all conditions you would want to camp in with kids.

Thanks for the replies.

Just to clarify... Are Campus and Kyham the same? I found a Campus Yale for £115

http://www.outdoorcampingstore.co.uk/product.asp?productID=270

Am definitely still considering the Oregon, Val.

Quote: Originally posted by Gillian76 on 29/7/2006

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Just to clarify... Are Campus and Kyham the same? I found a Campus Yale for £115

http://www.outdoorcampingstore.co.uk/product.asp?productID=270

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Kyham own the Campus brand. Up to last year they marketed them equally in the UK, however, they seem to be wanting to drop the Campus brand and just trade on Khyam.

The "Campus Yale" you found may be a 2005 model.

I beleive there are some diferences between last years Campus Yale and this years Kyham Yale - possible on windows; but I will let someone more in the know answer definatively.