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Quote: Originally posted by Skatty on 08/9/2008

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If you are after going in winter and standing hieght isnt an issue ,you should be looking at the more technical 4 season tents rather than family/liesure tent

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I think where Julie is struggling is that she is looking for a tent with all the strength and durability of a technical 3/4 season tent but with added family tent features of more living room, windows and a SIG.

The Venturi range does, I think, tick all of those boxes except the SIG, which could possibly be retro-fitted via some cut-to-shape pondliner.

The Cabanon Guadeloupe and Noumea pyramids would be very comfortable winter car camping tents as they are very stable, canvas, have SIG, living space, windows. They are excellent in windy conditions because of their slippery shape but I honestly have no idea just how extreme they will go weather wise.

My own unanswered query re the Guadeloupe and Noumea in really cold, windy conditions is about just how warm they would be to sleep in as their sleeping areas are single canvas skin as opposed to the Pyramide 4 and 6 (or any small canvas frame tent) which do not have SIGs but do have traditional double skinned inners. MT

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and I reckon those upright poles would be horizontal before long!!

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Nope. Stable as a very stable thing ... it gets windy in Holland too you know.

I meant the pesky dog would knock them over!!

Hi there,

The issue is the SIG really. Anything not fitted would just because dog to stick her nose out and be constantly attempting to escape!! I make her sound very badly behaved, but she is not, just lively and very curious. Also rain gets in under the fly if a groundsheet is not fitted properly.

Tents are all about compromise! I have a North Face VE25 for snow conditions, but wanted something for a bit more comfort......I am away on Friday for just under a week so went for a Minnesota 4.....ticked many of the boxes, but bigger than we had intended. I looked at vaious fibreglass poled tents, including those with TBS and they do sway alarmingly in the wind. The Minnesota was £199 from Millets so pretty good I think.

The Equinox/Venuri tents are almost there but no SIG and the pack size of the polycotton tents means extra care in packing to get it all in.....all a pain for a couple of days. So Minnesota it is....I'd have preffered a Montana but alas no longer made.

I have seen them stay stable in fairly awful conditions so hoepfully this will do....until someone makes the perfect tent

tHANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE TIPS.

Hi. Is the packsize of the Minnesota 4 very much different to the Cabanon Guadeloupe then? They are about the same weight.

We had a Montana previously and its a fine tent with many pluses but it was the coldest tent I've ever camped in in wintry weather because there was just too much cold air inside it to keep warm, and too much nylon fly for it to escape through. This was very noticeable in the full height bedrooms too.

I'd vote Guadeloupe over Minnesota for weekend winter camping every time: more comfortable and much quicker to get up and down. I wouldn't worry about the dog and the centre pole in the G., trust me on that one  . MT