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The problem is the tent isn't the only cost!

I have an old Relum 7 man 3 bedroom Frame tent. Bought second hand for £40 to see if we like camping.

Other equipment needed stretched the cost somewhat Camp kitchen - borrowed, 2 hob cooker £1 - including gas cannister! Beds 4 £40 Sleeping bags 3 £30 420l Roof box and bars £50 3 way ehu £50 14l leccy fridge £30 Picnic table and parasol £25,

Total cost £266. But we knew if camping was not going to be for us we could sell the lot and re-coup most of our money!

Just had 9 days in France - loved it. Bit scary first camping trip above a weekend is abroad, having not even been abroad for 4 years!

Experienced campers nearby reckoned our tent was at least 20 years old, and was in the old 'blacks' style (whatever that means). They think the tent was a bargain, and if we are careful (with the more seethrough, threadbare bits) should last for several trips to come.

We think that if it gets us through the year, we will seriously invest £400. But it will be a one off cost that we will hope will last for years. We will pass our good fortune of the old tent to others to let them experience the thrills of listening to owls at night and being woken by cuckoos and woodpeckers, and hoppefully they will catch the bug!

Hi! We change tents quite regularly. True this is partly because I enjoy buying new tents but also because our needs change as the family grows up and the type of camping we do varies and also because the tent market is, I think, much more dynamic than it used to be. So each year new design features, improvements  and innovations come along. If you sell the previous tent, then the extra needed to buy the new one is not a lot. As someone else pointed out, the major expenditure is probably on all the stuff you put inside the tent, and that just carries on from year to year. MT

Quote: Originally posted by Merry Terrier on 07/06/2005

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. As someone else pointed out, the major expenditure is probably on all the stuff you put inside the tent, and that just carries on from year to year. MT

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That is just so true, and that`s not going to change even if you own two or more tents. If buying a small weekend tent, or a big long-stay tent in addition to what you have already means that you go camping more, then the cost of these non-tent items will get cheaper per use.

So in a way, the second tent will pay for itself. Well, that`s my excuse!

We had a tent for one night and realised it wasn't for us. Bought it for £90 and sold it for £65 so £25 for a night away to find out we loved camping! We now have a Khyam Tourer 400 which cost us £200. We've used it for three nights and have just booked another 2, so that's £40 a night so far. That's no different really to a B&B. We also plan at least another weekend or two, so could be looking at £20 a night this year.

We are looking to buy something with a bigger living area and are looking at the Khyam Rigi-pod. We love the Khyam Tourer, very impressed with the whole thing just want more space, so we will stick to Khyam.

The plan is that the Rigi-pod will last us for a good few years (I hope so at that price) but the most important thing for us is that we have discovered something. WE ADORE CAMPING!!

Well we took up camping last year and bought a Vango Diablo 600 which we love.  This year we have bought a Vengo venture 500 for weekends.  So I suppose thats us on one a year so far.

It is all the other stuff you can't help buying that mounts up!

Earn

What an excellent topic!  Im obsessed with tents had loads currently have 5 and just cant resist a camping show, I buy 1 or 2 every year.

TENT = FREEDOM= FUN

Von