I have just bought a 2008 outwell iowa tent and wondered if anyone knows this tent what is the difference to the 2009 version apart from 50£ and why is the front extension only available in green and not blue like my tent i paid 150 for the tent from Go Outdoors
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To the best of my knowledge there is no difference, and any difference that there is will be superficial. Maybe they are cheap because Go Outdoors did a deal with Outwell for stock that they knew was "out-of-date", i.e. using former colour-schemes.
Personally I think that a canopy for your type of tent is more than useful, since getting in and out of the tent when it is raining risks getting the inside very wet. I wouldn't bother about colour-coordination too much; many don't and would refer to those are overly obsessed with getting everything to match as "glampers" not "campers". However, there are a number of universal canopies (i.e. ones that will fit many different types and makes of tent) including the Coleman one that can be bought from Argos. (It has, in the past, been available in blue from some places. Do a Google.)
we are not the most expierienced campers but are starting from scratch buying all the stuff we need i think i will take your advice and buy the canopy.
We all started at some point. In my youth I did a lot of camping with the Scouts and friends, but didn't then do any for over 15 years when I started to take my children camping (DW won't camp); despite my prior experience I had to re-learn a heck of a lot of stuff.....often the hard way.
My Outwell Minnesota has two doors and the side one even has a little canopy over it; but, in the rain-sodden camp that we had in May last year even that modest canopy was insufficient to allow us to get in and out of the tent without the inside getting wet. So now I have the dedicated extension for it which makes life much easier.
Do not be shy of asking any questions on this forum - there are pleanty of people who are more than happy to pass on their experience.
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