My god this tent researching is taking over my life lol. I have read reviews on countless of tents and have even managed to see some erect. It seemed the bigger man tent I want the smaller the sleep space becomes! We are a family of 4, the kids aged 4 and 6. The tent is going to be used for festivals and weekend camping. So here goes, its between the Kampa Croyde 4 at £350 its a steel poled tent and the Kampa Carbis 5 which is £229 and has fibreglass poles. Both are almost identical in style and size, the only difference I can see is the poles, is it worth paying an extra £120 for steel poles? I would be very grateful of any opinions.
Post last edited on 20/04/2014 10:01:54
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
If 3 years ago when I was looking at the Carbis and it was offered me at £249 I would have snapped it up, with its removable front panel that gives huge indoor space when zipped on the front or a good size canopy when front is zipped on further back. It also has the horizontal poles that go inside to make it more rigid. It was £330 when we looked at it which was a bit more than we wanted to spend, so you would assume I would suggest buy it. But I like to think I know a bit more about tents now 3years on, and the one type I don't think I will ever buy again is a tent with fibre glass poles. We just hated them apart from wondering if they would snap every time we bent them I just found it a nightmare getting the tent to look straight and even when pitching in a slight wind. Other people love them as they are light, but for us it has to be steel poles for the extra stability and peace of mind. So out of the 2 you are looking at it would be the Croyde for me. Geoff
If you can find the space in the car for steel poles, I'd suggest the Croyde hands down. Steel poles are heavy and take up a lot more space than fibreglass, but in return offer a much more stable tent. From memory, the Carbis has curved sides whereas the Croyde has a vertical pole and a curved roof which gives more usable space inside the tent.
On the other hand, £120 is a few night's pitch fees!