My old 4 man Coleman tent has died, so I'm looking to replace it (we use it for 1/2 night stays and festivals only, as we have a bigger tent for 'proper' camping trips.
I've seen a cheap Eurohike tent (EUROHIKE Rydal 500 5 Man Tent) for £120. Anyone know if this will be ok? I've only been able to find 2 reviews online.
If not, any other ideas for an under £200 4/5 man, 2 bedroom tunnel tent?
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Most "decent" tents start about 4000mm ok the acceptable standard for uk tents is about 1500mm IMMSMC but no harm in been better when the wind is howling and the rain is pouring you dont want to be getting wet...
In the lab they stretch a bit of tent fabric over a tube and fill with water slowly till water seeps through the fabric...
so a 4000mm (4M) HH is 2x as water proof as a 2000mm fly sheet (outer skin) tent... which equates the the chances of getting water misting inside in heavy rain fall
Go have a look at some tents and have a feel look see how they put up..
Do you like the lay out / number of pockets / how the doors open or are arranged. and what you actually like in terms of colour or shape then shop about and try and get a good deal its easy to shop about and save a few quid
The Eurohike Rydal 500 looks a pretty nice tent to me and is typical of this style of tunnel tent.
I wouldn't worry too much about it only being 2000mm HH. It is unlikely to leak directly through the material itself. My very first large tunnel tent was a Eurohike of only 1500mm HH and it weathered many a storm, although the seams leaked which was typical of Eurohikes at that time (about 13 years ago). I would hope the seams are now taped and properly sealed.
I now prefer a similar style of tent but with metal poles on the outside which the flysheet clips to. Although the fibreglass poles on the Eurohike are quite substantial they will buckle and sway in high winds. Metal poles are more stable and stay rigid in windy weather.
You may also find that threading fibreglass poles through full length pole sleeves is a pain in the backside...it's like threading elastic through a pair of knickers...takes forever and the material keeps rucking up.
Apart from that it looks as a good a tent as most of that design and even has extra storm protection at the doors.
Haha Bob, yes I know what you mean, but it is a better spec. and a better layout for us as a family, as it has a proper divider between the two bedrooms. Never has a carpet or footprint before so, we'll have to see it they are worth the extra money!
I wouldn't pay out for a proper tent carpet but if you can get a good package deal then fine. I use waterproof backed picnic rugs which are pretty much the same thing, and yes, they are worth the money...nothing worse than getting out of bed in the morning and putting bare feet on a freezing cold groundsheet. They help to insulate and are nice and warm underfoot.
I never used a footprint until last year and I am glad I started using one. I bought one because I had a series of rough pitches the year before and felt I needed to protect my groundsheet. I use a tarpaulin rather than the ready made footprint but again, well worth the money. They keep the bottom of your tent fairly dry and clean making packing up so much easier and you just need to hose them off when you get home. They also help with insulation and protect the groundsheet from stones, thorns and tree roots etc.
Good luck
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I am not joking about the colour, I love it! I would love an orange pollycotton tent and I bet it feels sunny inside no matter what it is like outside.
Quote: Originally posted by jonbyrne on 27/3/2015I am not joking about the colour, I love it! I would love an orange pollycotton tent and I bet it feels sunny inside no matter what it is like outside.
Our gorgeous kauai reef:
Cant get the picture to work - never had that problem before!
Hydrostatic head is a bit of a strange thing. My very old Campus Borneo 4 is 2000 hh and has never leaked. It's weathered many a storm over the years and never let me down. Not once. I'll never find another tent that pleases me as much as the Campus, but I have just nipped down to Blacks Outdoor and bought a Tamar 3 in green, in their sale for £40. It's cheap, its simple, its 2000 HH and I like it! Its sitting in the garden right now enduring steady light drizzle with winds apparently coming our way this weekend. I'm interested to see how it gets on. Having had hardly any sleep this last month due to the stifling heat in the house, I want a tent I can pitch in the garden when we get these heatwaves (the Campus is a bit large for my tiny garden). I had a 5000 HH tent a couple of years ago and it leaked. I also have an MSR Hubba NX with a HH of 1500 and its bombproof in the wet. Like I said, HH is a strange thing :)