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I too have a Montana 6.  Absolutely no problems putting it up and I am only 5ft 2/3.  It takes approx 20/30mins.   V.sturdy in wind. No leaks as yet. 

V.pleased with it.  Would recommend anyone to get one.  I appreciate the price puts a lot of people off, but if you could get it, it wouldn't disappoint.

Hi Numbersix

Thanks for all your help with the tent selection. Yesterday we decided that the Outwell Montana 6 was the tent that best suited our needs, so we got it.

The next issue however is sleeping bag selection. Could anyone advise us to the best sleeping bag for our needs. We are confused with the amount of different styles on the market.

We will be camping between May through to September and would like to have two extra large bags, rather than two single or one double sleeping bags. Would anyone recommend the 3 seasons over the 2 seasons?

Also whats the best outer fabric to go with I'm confused on the shiny outer verses the cotton outer. We have been recommended the Vango Nitestar 300XL or has anyone got a good alternative to this product. I'm concerned that if we select the wrong bag our trips might be spoiled due to being cold.

Regards and thanks for your help!

Regards Lloyd

Quote: Originally posted by howty on 04/6/2009

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Hi,

I am new to all this too - have been lurking and reading for about a week now.  I have today 'bitten the bullet' and ordered a Vango Columbia 600, with a wide canopy for the front and a footprint.  Hopefully I have made the right decision!!  That totalled £430, so within your budget.

We went to a tent show last weekend which was a great way to see exactly what we liked and would want.  It soon became obvious that though i thought i wanted a dome tent, we have a tunnel with loads of head height and plenty of room.  There are 2 adults and a 4.5 yr old.  Loved the bedroom split, meaning we get the space for 4 and the boy gets a decent space too.  Canopy won't be taken for shorter trips (well that depends on how well we get on with pitching it!).  This tent has loads of space, and a useful side door for leaving wet gear etc.

Get to try it out in 5 weeks time, and getting quite excited by the prospect.  Let the sun shine in Cornwall!  Hopefully this will see us good for many years to come.

Good luck with your decision, it has become all consuming for my friend and me!!

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Hi Howty

We also attended a tent show last week, and also went along with the intention of selecting a Dome Tent the (Vango Diablo 600 XP).....on testing out the tent we decided that although it looked really impressive the lack of head height towards the sides, along with the pitch size required and length of time in putting up was not for us and decided that the Tunnel style would be more suitable for our needs.

We also decided that the extra footprint and carpet would make the tent more comfortable. As we are getting back into camping and probable require a bit extra comfort lol

We are planning a long weekend in two weeks to test the tent out. However we were advised to pitch the tent prior to this as when they manufacture the tent apparantly the needle used is larger than the seams thread and can leak on its first trip. They advised us the lightly spray the tent with a hose to expand and contract the fabric......not sure if this is genuine advice but will do it just in case.

Hope your trip is sucsefful..

Regards

Hi All,

I'm completely new to camping and I too have been lurking around the site for a while trying to decide what tent etc etc to buy. This site is brill and has helped no end. Anyway, we eventually decided on a tent (for up to 2 adults and 4 kids) and after trawling the online offers we decided on a Coleman Matrix X9. We bought it online for £199.00 and are delighted with it. We put it up in about 45 minutes (not bad for novices, I think) and took it down in 20 minutes then spent another 15 minutes trying to put it back in the bag-on wheels. More practice needed there I think.

To get back to the original question of what tent to buy, If as we did, you spend some time weighing up the different options available then with the help the experts on here you shouldn't buy a pig in a poke. One thing we have realised is that your overall budget must take into account the cost of equipment/accessories. We have found that this can easily double the initial cost of the tent. We are currently about to purchase cooking, sleeping, lighting equipment and are planning to stick with the Coleman brand as it seems to be top quality. Any of you experts have an views?

I've just realised this sounds a bit like an advert for Coleman, I assure you it's not, It's just that as novices we think a bit of quality might avert a disaster.

My first post......hope that's ok!

Welcome to the forum!!!

Good to see another Coleman Xponent convert here! What you say about budgeting for other camping equipment is important, but should not detract from putting as much money as you can afford for a quality tent, and looking at genuine bargains is part of the process that can influence choice. Whilst it is nice to have all matching gear and brand loyality is to be respected, it does not follow that Coleman will have the best gear for everything. But for a first timer, it can be the safest way to get reasonable equipment, and from a brand dealer, you may secure a bit of discount or extras.

Quote: Originally posted by Mickeyfrick on 05/6/2009

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I too have a Montana 6.  Absolutely no problems putting it up and I am only 5ft 2/3.  It takes approx 20/30mins.   V.sturdy in wind. No leaks as yet. 

V.pleased with it.  Would recommend anyone to get one.  I appreciate the price puts a lot of people off, but if you could get it, it wouldn't disappoint.

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I called arround when looking for the Montana 6, and played a few retailers off agenst each other. I got the tent for £375 new with a foot print thrown in for free.

I also purchesed the carpet at full price, not a bad deal Im thinking all in all. Cant wait untill next weekend when Im planing a dry run on setting it up.