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 Topic: WHO MAKES THE BEST TENTS?
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08/5/2013 at 3:35pm
Location: uk
Outfit: Karsten - sun storm - doesnt matter!
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Joined: 14/9/2012 Diamond Member 
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As the owner of amongst other makes, vango, Lichfield, Kampa, i also own 3 current Outwell Lake tents.
I'd say they are very good tents, quality is good.
But what is the best tent for you, may very well be a different best tent to me and the person next door as we all place different values on different aspects of a tent.
I adore cotton or Polycotton - the smell, the sound, the weight of it gives a tent a re assuringly strong solid feel.
The Outwells that I own I like them all for different reasons.
The trout lake is a cute weekend tent, easy to put up, but a bit too cutesy/small for longer than 3-4 days.
The Bear Lake I love for its spaciousness, So many quality features, all the side windows can open, with or without fly screens, tremendously heavy sturdy rubber 10,000mm h/h ground sheet - feels like you could drive a bull dozen over it and it wouldn't puncture.
It's so strong with the design of its frame having lateral supports on both sides - it would take a tremendous storm to bring this tent down if pitched correctly.
The Concorde L - tent goes fom bag to up in about 7 minutes Plus pegging + guying time. Not as large as the Bear Lake 6 but comfortable nevertheless. Not keen on non-opening tinted windows - unless your camping in suth of France or Italy - makes the inside of the tent very dark!
None of the above tents is perfect. The trout too small for short breaks, the bear too heavy & big to put up single handed
, the Concorde too narrow and lack of opening windows and thin flimsy permananetly attached groundsheet irritates me.
Yet some folks who own 1 of those tents will tell you its the best tent to buy - ask them why, then ask yourself - but does it suit My needs?
From a quality perspective, Outwell are good. If they were a car, they would for me be a ford or a vauxhall. Good cars.
But they are not the Maseratis or the Bentleys of the camping world.
That belongs to Karsten and DeWaard.
Or as someone once said, - DeWaard owners can disregard the weather and carry on camping.
As an example though, you ll need to seriously up your budget if you want to consider one of those premium brands.
Like double it from an Outwell budget.
A family De Waard like the Paradijsvogel complete with inner bedrooms, ground sheet and front porch will cost you in the region of £3200.00
Makes an Outwell look like a bargain.
That is, until you notice the difference in the quality.
Park a ford beside a Bentley and I'm not talking size, but the tiny details.
The thickness of the cotton. The faultless stitching. The finished off threads. The way the poles are so perfectly engineered and just click together and for perfectly.
They are a different standard altogether.
There's a thread under Tent Talk - 2nd page - First Pitch De Waard Lepelaar - have a look at the pictures - of course the pictures can't let you see the quality of the tent. And the shapes and styles are not to everyone's taste. But the quality is unquestionably up there at the pinnacle of tent making.
Suddenly the cheaper Outwell looks like just like that - cheap!
Except of course it isn't cheap at all.
Somehow though I still love my impossibly hard to put up on my own 2012 used once Bear Lake 6 and I'm finding every reason to not put it up for sale!
Sorry, this hasn't answered your question of Who Makes the Best tent, well I'd definitely say, it isn't Outwell, but maybe iv opened a new avenue for you to explore.
And if your hankering after a once used 2012 year Bear Lake 6 with every extra - make it easy for me and just buy the bloomin thing from me and then I can be put out of my misery and get on with using my Concorde L!
Happy camping !
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Living the Dutch Dream - Karsten 300 pod + extns in Sea Green and Pure Cotton
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Cabanon Bora Bora cotton
Outwell Brandon 4e
Zempire Aero Shelter 150D
Vango Illusion 500TC & 420D
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Outwell Concorde 5SATC
Vango Capri 400xl
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and this thread will probably continue for a while as well
I have been searching for my 3rd tent & my head hurts after weeks of looking up tents and failed bid attempts. I loved my last tent a Vango icarus 500 so been trying to find another or 600. 
