i ve been doing a lot of research into what the best tent for us would be, but only managed to confuse myself. we were occassional campers (short trips a couple times a summer) but now have 2 small children (1 & 3) so need a new bigger tent.
looking to spend 200-300 max and think we need a 5 man tent. i like the look of the outwell nevada m or the gelert lakesbury - both with 2 bedrooms and living space. want something of quality that will last.
however, my young daughter wakes with the light and i have read that the nevada is quite light in the bedroom and i am wondering if anyone has any suggestions - eg a similar tent in a darker colour that might keep out a little more light.
any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
the Vango Icarus 500 is what we have but i think you would all be cramped, but the 600 version is ok, my nephew has bought this and its much larger than the 500, he has it in blue and is quite dark, we have the green..which is not too bad too.
Here are a couple of suggestions - just over budget im afraid - im sure there will be more along later with other ideas for you. Once you have a few tents on the shortlist its worth looking at the tent review section at the top of the page to see what others think.
You could consider the Outwell Oakland XL or , a bit bigger but with an intergrated canopy the Kampa Croyde 6. The Kampa has steel poles all round whilst the Oakland has 2 steel poles and 2 fibre glass ones - worth bearing in mind with all the bad weather weve been having.
Another tent dilema best advice is if you can see before you buy as tents are quite a personal thing and what suits one family wont suit an other
We have the Nevada M and its a very nice tent and would be ideal while your children are younger, its good quality, light weight and very easy to put up. We like the large windows and light airy feel of this tent, its actually nice to live in on a dull rainy day.
We were in Go Outdoors on Sunday (dull and rainy) and some of there tents with dark roofs and small windows were really dull and depressing on the inside.
If you are looking to do longer camps and with the children growing then you could consider a 6 berth tent for extra space and please do have a look at some of the Kampa tents less well known but very good quality
------------- Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Everything has been said before, but since nobody ever listens we have to keep going back and saying it all over again and again and again
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
Two of my suggestions have already been suggested and all three have dark bedrooms.
If you go for the Vango Icarus I would suggest the 600. It's available in green or blue (the blue is darker but both will give protection from sunlight). However I think that you will need to get the extension as well since getting in and out of the tent in the rain will be difficult without getting the inside of the tent wet. Also the living area is almost as dark as the bedrooms so you might find it a little gloomy.
Better is the Kampa Croyde which will be lovely and spacious as a six-berth. The bedrooms are dark but the living area has a light roof and very large windows which will be nice to look out of if you are trapped inside due to the rain. It also has a built-in canopy. Unlike the Icarus the Croyde's poles are steel. This means that the package is bulkier and heavier but it will be very stable in the wind.
Finally consider the Kampa Finton 5. Another steel-poled tent it is made of even better materials than the Croyde and, although it doesn't have a built-in canopy, it does have a sheltered side door. Like the Croyde the bedrooms are dark but the living area is light.
Both Kampas come in slightly above budget (~£330) but they are much better tents. Having said that the Icarus is a very popular tent with good justification.
Have you looked at the Royal Tents, they tend to be dark blue, and I noticed on one site in here, they are very reasonably priced. So would fit in your price bracket.
------------- Had to give up the camping due to the rubbish Weather and Wind, so got myself a campervan!
wow thank you all so much for your suggestions. i havent camped with kids yet and when we went as a couple, we just tended to sit outside and just go in to sleep. if it really rained, we went home. not really possible with kids, so some of your tips really useful.
i am going to look into the kampa, vango and royal - have to say that i like the sound of the 'sleeptite blackout pods', maybe i should get one of those for my home as well! thanks all so much. it has also reminded me that we now have a big go outdoors close, so i'll go and have a look at some tents too.
fyi, i have decided on grounds of price, ease of putting up and the darkened bedroom to go for the vango icarus 600, 6 man tent. think that should do the job. now all i want is a bit of sunshine ....