Hi,
I am new to the forum, someone on another forum recommended it as you guys are all so friendly. I hope you can help.
We are looking to buy our first tent, for a family of 5 - all children under 8. Budget - max £200 for the perfect tent. Less if we can get away with it.
We plan to give it a go for a couple of weekends this year and if we take to it will use it for 7-10 days next year - although we really have to see how we get on. We plan to go to Haven type sites which I think - if anything - tend to have slightly smaller than average pitches in general (6m * 6m) in addition to more camping orienting sites which have more space. Basically I would like something that gives us flexibility for the future. Obviously because we are tent virgins ease of pitching is also important.
So far I have established that I need 3000HH, and that the Hi Gear Safari 6 (old Gelert Zenith 6 I think) is too big for many pitches despite being a baragin price of £200 and appearing to be luxuary inside. Also having lokoed at a few styles i didn't like the tunnel tents with a bedroom at either end. They feel too enclosed in the living area.
So here are a few we are looking at, and our thoughts. I would be greatful if you could point me in the right direction, add comments and offer alternatives. They all appear to get good reviews on here (except matrix X6 which has not been reviewed yet)
Coleman Matrix X6. On paper this is our favourite. Generous sleeping and living areas. 6000HH. 6.5m by 4.7m so should squeeze it onto a Haven pitch? Can't find any reviews though (I guess it is new?), and haven't seen it in the flesh. £175
Vango Orchy 600 Bedrooms seem spacious so a bit of room for storage. Skylights make it feel more spacious. I wasn't as keen on teh fact that it is an all in one tent with the bedrooms sewn to the main groundsheet. I think I can get this for about £170-£180. Felt sturdy in teh wind when I viewed it today!
Gelert Lakesbury/Hi Gear mojave 5. Very spacious for a small footprint. Didn't seem fantastically stable in teh wind at the show field though. Front and sides both open up to canopies making it feel more spacious (as long as weather allows), bit little sotrage room outside main living area. At £199 this seems less of a bargain cmpared to my other shortlisted ones.
Gelert Horizon 8 Bit of an wildcard. I think I have seen this for £200ish. Not overly keen on the tunnel layout but we would probably only use 3 bedrooms at most have at least 1 bedroom for storage/inetgrated with living area. If we only need to use 2 bedrooms we can open up 1 end and use it like the Mojave/Orchy, giving us as much space as the Sahara. At 7.5m long this won't go on all of the standard pitches....
Any help, advice, other suggestions you can give much appreciated.
------------- I know not where to start!
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