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A few weeks ago I posted a query along the lines of:

"My wife and I would like to resume camping but being 60 can no longer comfortably fit into our old Robert Saunders Wyverne 3 backpackers ridge tent !

So we are looking for a tent for occasional weekend use in the summer.

We don't think we need height in the sleeping area. We would like a living area with standing height and space for a small table and two chairs. We don't expect to do much cooking.

Two side opening and one front opening door would be useful so we could arrange to suit the wind direction, sun or even neighbours!

Our requirements are guesses; we probably won't know what we really need until we have camped a few times."

Of the tents suggested by respondants, two most closely seem to meet our needs; the Coleman Bispace 400/500 and the Outdoor Revolution VRX500S.  The Coleman Lakeside was ruled out because it had two completely separate sleeping pods and we didn't want to squeeze into just one.

The Bispace seems to be a very well made robust tent but appears to have only one 'front' door - furthermore it points to the side so you are always facing your neighbour.  The Outdoor Revolution has everything we need, including 3 'front' doors but few people seem to have this model.

I am wondering why so few manufacturers offer 3 'front' doors?   It seems essential to me to be able to decide where you 'face' according to the wind and sun direction and the neighbours! Are my requirements unrealistic?

I would welcome views of more experienced campers,

thanks, Davie

Bispace  500 certainly has   two  doors   at opposite sides , either of which   can  be  put  up as a  canopy  but  only  one side  has  those  pointless  gussets  on .

good  height inside  main living area  too  and  well vented  so  no  condensation ,It  is a  well made  tent . 

The photos I've seen of the yellow cotton BiSpace seem to show a zip which might allow the front to be opened too; but don't know if the cotton version has two side doors also.

I am finding it difficult to get information on Colemans; they don't have a functioning UK website and their american website has a different range to that available in the UK.

cheers, Davie

We've had a Coleman Bispace 400 (green polyester) for 4 years and it's been great for sunny to wet conditions (it didn't cope so well with the foul bank holiday weather but that's the worst weather we've ever camped in. Outside flysheet got saturated and small leaks inside the main living area, sleeping pod stayed dry).

For 2 people this is a very comfortable tent - spacious sleeping pod and plenty of room to fit a table & 2 chairs in the living area. Doors on each side mean that you can get a good through breeze if it's warm.

We're only upgrading our tent this summer because of new arrivals to our family and we need extra baby space. Good luck.