forgot to mention the front canopy is 115cm wide at the bottom
------------- May 2012 Bolton-le-Sands
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Thanks for all the posts. I think my best bet, if I went down the airbeam route, would be to fully test it in the garden and send it back if there are any leaks - and buy a decent pump!
It is a shame there are no other quick erect alternatives...
not got sideby side bedrooms and is proberbbly slighly smaller than your originaly wanted but might be worth a look ? the daddy of all pop up tents and they do seem to have a good following.
if you were to add a extra tarp or maybee a seperate kitchen tent it might work for you
as for airbeams the choice is yours to make, if you do i hope it goes well i would love to see some positive reviews for the eternity
another option allthough crazilly expensive is karsten inflateable tents by all accounts the daddy of inflateable tents
------------- May 2012 Bolton-le-Sands
May 2012 Salterforth
June 2012 Riverside Southport
July 2012 Salterforth
July 2012 Penrhyn Bay
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Its now between the Filey 6 and Airbeam Eternity 600.
The living space for each is very similar:
Filey 6 325 x 400
Eternity 600 320 x 440
The Filey has many advantages - better bedroom, the canopy, the windows, the quality of materials etc.
But it takes about 90 mins to set up – compared to 5 minutes for the airbeam. So I keep thinking about all the potential issues with the airbeam and the extra that the Filey brings – but the thought of erecting a tent in 5 mins is such a drawer!
At the moment – we get to our campsite and although the Glendale is relatively straightforward to pitch – it still takes a good hour to set up and then when you add time to get everything else in means the whole thing takes a couple of hours which reduces the number of camping trips we can do each year – as going away on a Friday night means its quite late before its all sorted and then have to pack up on Sunday morning (which is the bit I find stressful – trying to get out on time). For longer breaks its not such an issue – I suppose we could have a smaller ten for weekend breaks but my wife wouldn’t want to sacrifice on space.
If we had the Airbeam we could be up and sorted within 10 mins – plus the tent going up is fun for our son to get involved in and then we could all enjoy setting up bedrooms.
The Airbeam would also mean less car space (which is limited) being taken up as we wouldn’t need a pole bag.
So I am seriously thinking of giving the Airbeam a go. Yes, there are loads of bad reviews – but there are so many potential positives.
Has anyone had a good experience of an Airbeam in the wind and rain?
Also re. the leaking issue – is this due to over inflation and seams (the seams seem to have been done differently on the 2012 ones) or is it because water is soaking into the tube outer and then leaking down into the tent?
Where do you get 90min for the Filey and only 5min for Airbeam from..? I love the idea of the Airbeam tents - but for the cost and manufacturing problems think they are overpriced.
If you look at the real timings then the Airbeam will only be quicker at the stage of inserting the poles. You still need to peg the tent out and then fill it with your equipment this will take the same length of time for both tents...
Most videos show the tent laid down ready on the floor then pumping up the pole sections. If you get a standard tent to this point and then just slide through the poles you may save 5 mins...
If you practice ereriting the tent I’m sure it won’t take 90min to put it up. Fully guyed and all the equipment in maybe.
Personally I wouldn’t get obsessed with the time it takes to erect the tent focus more on whether it is right for your needs. If you are worried about solo pitching then other tents maybe an option
Just as a point of reference I could have my Vango Icarus up in less than 10mins and fully guyed within 20mins..
Post last edited on 18/06/2012 11:52:16
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If you are determined to get the Airbeam then go for it but maybe see one erected at a display first. With the problems highlighted just buy from a reputable dealer and make them aware that you know the tent range has a history of faults. Ask about the returns policy and if the tent is faulty how easy will it be to return the tent for an exchange or full refund. On this occasion price is not the key but customer service will be
I know we have already talked about the airbeam but re the Filey, type "Kampa Filey 6 pitching video" into youtube and I think you might be very pleased with how quick it is to pitch. I would say the quality of the filey is better, the fabric etc. The airbeams are quick and I have used the Eternity as my family weekend tent but my honest thoughts are if I was looking for a tent that was going to be super solid etc for longer holidays I would go for the Filey. It has loads of vents, great poles, a roof liner to keep the heat down, darker area for the bedrooms. In short the Filey is one of the best tents out there.
There is also a walk through video on youtube normally listed below the pitching video, this explains alot of the features also.
It all depends on what you want the tent for...If its mostly 2-3 nights then the airbeam is great, even better if you think you might be putting it up on your own but if its mostly longer trips then the Filey is the way to go. Saying all that in the video you can see Kez puts the Filey up in 10 mins pretty much on his own.
bbwales has just had delivery of his new utopia 400 cotton airbeam and seems very happy with it so far.
theres a thread in tent talk, if im right the utopia is the same design as the eternity but with a polycotton flysheet
------------- May 2012 Bolton-le-Sands
May 2012 Salterforth
June 2012 Riverside Southport
July 2012 Salterforth
July 2012 Penrhyn Bay
Aug 2012 Haven Scarborough
Aug 2012 Flamingoland
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes