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Topic: tent options for large family

aliceguy

27/2/2014 at 6:34pm
Location: None Entered
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We usually camp for a week in the summer and would like to go for a few weekends but it is such a pain putting up our large dome tent with 4 young kids - age 8 6 4 and a baby. It is a sunncamp dxl and we find it very awkward to put the big dome up.

We,re looking to get a big tunnel tent for our main holiday. Speed of putting up is very important! And something smaller for a night away - maybe 2 smaller tents. What tents are good? We are in Suffolk and there aren't many places to look at tents near us.

Thanks :-)

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sorenlorensen

27/2/2014 at 6:43pm
Location: Peak District
Outfit: 5m Bell

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Would you consider a bell tent rather than a tunnel tent? Obviously you'd all be in one room but the children are quite young so that might suit ok. We have kids of 5, 3 & 1 and it works for us.
Anyway, I'm just suggesting it as they are so easy to put up - I'm 5ft and a bit of a weakling and can put up our 5m bell on my own and very quickly too. One of us tends to look after the kids while the other does the tent (otherwise we just have kids walking/crawling all over the tent and wandering off with mallets etc so just too hard to manage!) so we need an easy pitch.

debs398

27/2/2014 at 6:46pm
Location: Nottingham
Outfit: Eldiss Affinity 482

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Norwich camping have a very good display of tents, I don't know whereabouts in Suffolk you are but they are off A47 between Norwich and gt yarmouth

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Debs

aliceguy

27/2/2014 at 7:21pm
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I think a bell tent might work as we would book at the last minute so only choose nice weather. Most seem to be only 5 berth though? Alice

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paul+kate s-o-t

27/2/2014 at 7:32pm
Location: stoke on trent
Outfit: Bailey 75-2

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maybe an inflatable

the 6 berth vango airbeams have bedroom pods split 4 x 2 with a zippy divider so parents and 2 youngest in the 4 and the 2 oldest have there own den in the 2 berth pod

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April Peak District Beech Croft Farm
May Peak District Duke of York
May Holland Delfse Hout
June Cotton Arms Nantwich
july/aug Cornwall Pentewan Sands
And quite a few local weekenders

sorenlorensen

27/2/2014 at 7:47pm
Location: Peak District
Outfit: 5m Bell

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You'd definitely sleep 6 of you in a 5metre bell.

I think if you buy the inners to hang in them, perhaps the sleeping space is then a bit more limited.

The only downside we've found is keeping it tidy with everyone together and no separation between living/sleeping so if you were going for longer than a couple of nights, it might be worth getting an awning so you can at least chuck kitchen kit etc outside.

Intend

27/2/2014 at 7:58pm
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Peugeot Boxer AutoSleeper

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we are in Suffolk and go to go outdoors at Colchester, the Norwich shop, very good, got our monty 6p - last august, t from a camping shop in Essex Allweathers at Billericay had lots of tents on display.

not been yet but Cross Camping - think his name is Gary and is an avid poster on here.

Happy hunting. and if you know of some gems sites pleae let us know.

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Intend

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aliceguy

27/2/2014 at 8:07pm
Location: None Entered
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Thanks for the info. We're in Ipswich so the Colchester shop would be closest to us. We only moved a couple of years ago so not tried out many sites so far.

My hubby loves Low Farm in Waldringfield for taking the boys. It's so close so they usually do a night in the summer a couple of times. There are great walks from the site but its a bit basic so hubby hasn't taken me yet ;-)

We also liked Brighthouse farm near between Bury and Sudbury which is really relaxed and peaceful.

What are your favourite sites near here? We love somewhere close with the kids so young!

Cross Camping

27/2/2014 at 8:30pm
Location: Hertfordshire
Outfit: Anything I like !!!

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Theres also Camperite in Colchester. They will have a good selection of Kampa tents and I would imagine an inflatable would be best as even the biggest inflatable can be easily pitched for a quick weekend meaning you will only need one tent. The Sunncamp Sapphire 1000 plus has been upgraded to a 150 denier fabric for 2014 and is one of the best priced large inflatables.

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Gary Cross - The masked camping guru.

Intend

27/2/2014 at 8:36pm
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Peugeot Boxer AutoSleeper

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gary - is that the place in Marks Tey?

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Intend

Cross Camping

27/2/2014 at 9:42pm
Location: Hertfordshire
Outfit: Anything I like !!!

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Yes... Not huge but they know what they are talking about.

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Gary Cross - The masked camping guru.

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Tynxuk

27/2/2014 at 10:23pm
Location: Sunny Suffolk (West)
Outfit: inflatable dome Palamos6 frame tent

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Quote: Originally posted by aliceguy on 27/2/2014
I think a bell tent might work as we would book at the last minute so only choose nice weather. Most seem to be only 5 berth though? Alice

We are a family of 5 and use a 5m bell tent, we fit 5 beds in half the tent and use the other half to live in. We went to view the soulpad bell tents as they are just outside Thetford.

hankakampa

27/2/2014 at 10:46pm
Location: uk
Outfit: Karsten - sun storm - doesnt matter!

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i dont know your budget but the HiGear Kalahari 8 is on sale in Go Outdoors just now for 239.99

easy to put up large tunnel tent and sleeps 8 in 4 pods. they get good reviews on here too.

for the money its great value for the space it will give you.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/kalahari-8-p150790

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