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Subject Topic: New Weekend tent needed - Trout Lake? Post Reply Post New Topic
Personnag1_uk
10/5/2015 at 11:58am
 Location: Leicester
 Outfit: Outwell Norfolk Lake View nag1_uk's Profile View Profile   Reply to nag1_uk Reply   Quote nag1_uk Quote  
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Hi all,
Im on the lookout for a new weekend family camping tent to replace my aging Coleman Bispace 500.

2 adults, 1 8 year old, 1 baby.
Already have a Norfolk lake that we love, but its too big for quick getaways.

I did consider a bell tent, but I think we need the separate spaces/bedrooms.

What I can not work out is should I get another polyester tent, possibly an Outwell Birdland 5.

Or should I get a small Outwell Lake series tent. Trout 4??

We do love the Norfolk lake, but it takes a while to put up and pack away. Especially when wet!

So I guess I am looking for any advice regarding the use of a small lake series tent for weekend use.
Cheerrs


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PersonKatieep
10/5/2015 at 8:15pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Xplore 422 View Katieep's Profile View Profile   Reply to Katieep Reply   Quote Katieep Quote  
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What about the outwell kensington 4 - the attached porch would give you a bit of flexibility but wouldn't be that much harder to pitch. Even for a weekend in the uk we struggle if there isnt somewhere for wet/ muddy/ sandy stuff.

The new style trout lake doesn't appear to have as much useable space as older models and I believe its been discontinued so ypu'd need to find a 2014 version.


Personnag1_uk
10/5/2015 at 8:45pm
 Location: Leicester
 Outfit: Outwell Norfolk Lake View nag1_uk's Profile View Profile   Reply to nag1_uk Reply   Quote nag1_uk Quote  
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Cheers for the input.That looks like a nice tent, but I think it is too similar to the Norfolk Lake.

I think if I went for a trout I would get a second hand one with extension.
EG:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Outwell-Trout-Lake-4-berth-tent-in-very-good-condition-includes-extension-/331550193607?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4d31ee77c7


PersonKatieep
10/5/2015 at 9:08pm
 Location: None Entered
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Ive always found extensions a right pain and take longer to pitch than the actual tent - you might find the trout with extension lakes longer than your norfolk lake?


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Personnag1_uk
10/5/2015 at 9:21pm
 Location: Leicester
 Outfit: Outwell Norfolk Lake View nag1_uk's Profile View Profile   Reply to nag1_uk Reply   Quote nag1_uk Quote  
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That is a massive worry, as is space in the car I guess. No point in getting a "smaller tent" that is no faster to put up!

I guess it takes us 90 mins from parking to putting the kettle on with the tent+ extension up and all set up.
Ideally want to get it to 45 mins for a weekend tent I guess.

I do like the extension option though, so you can use it on those bad weather weekends that we never get.....
Also I do have a hate of sloping doors letting the rain in. so the extensions do cure that!


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Personnag1_uk
12/5/2015 at 8:13pm
 Location: Leicester
 Outfit: Outwell Norfolk Lake View nag1_uk's Profile View Profile   Reply to nag1_uk Reply   Quote nag1_uk Quote  
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Any more input regarding pitching time for a Trout Lake setup??
Cheers


PersonTimCESmith
12/5/2015 at 8:45pm
 Location: London
 Outfit: Karsten 350 + SE CA EA RA FW & ZIG View TimCESmith's Profile View Profile   Reply to TimCESmith Reply   Quote TimCESmith Quote  
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Concorde L or M, surely?


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PersonGrotbags
13/5/2015 at 7:25am
 Location: Rutland
 Outfit: Outwell Montana Lake & Trout Lake View Grotbags's Profile View Profile   Reply to Grotbags Reply   Quote Grotbags Quote  
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Hi - we have the Montana Lake & extension for long stays and and a Trout Lake 4 with extension for shorter stays. The Trout is defiantly much quicker to pitch! Using the cross camping method I think my daughter and I can pitch it in about half an hour. The extension is easy enough to put up too. For us it's just a smaller version of the Montana. We wanted something smaller for weekends/short stays but wanted polycotton and this was the best option I could find!

If you are worried about space in the car it's maybe not such a good idea. It's still 3 quite big bags for the tent, poles and the extension.

Hope this helps


Personnag1_uk
13/5/2015 at 10:22am
 Location: Leicester
 Outfit: Outwell Norfolk Lake View nag1_uk's Profile View Profile   Reply to nag1_uk Reply   Quote nag1_uk Quote  
Joined: 10/9/2009

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Yes very useful info thanks.

To get the Norfolk Lake up we always follow this method:
Insert all poles
Erect all of the poles in 1 bunch
Peg out one end middle guy rope
Walk away with the bunch of poles from that end, separating out the poles as required
Peg out single guy at the opposite end.
Insert the horizontal poles,
Ground sheet in
Peg out the base,
followed by the rest of the guys.


PersonGrotbags
13/5/2015 at 1:48pm
 Location: Rutland
 Outfit: Outwell Montana Lake & Trout Lake View Grotbags's Profile View Profile   Reply to Grotbags Reply   Quote Grotbags Quote  
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That is the way we used to do it but it was definitely harder and I found it quite difficult to lift all the poles at once as the polycotton gets heavy! If you google the cross camping method we find it much easier and quicker - I am a single mum and my daughter and I can do it with ease! The twins sometimes help a little :)


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PersonKatieep
13/5/2015 at 8:53pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Xplore 422 View Katieep's Profile View Profile   Reply to Katieep Reply   Quote Katieep Quote  
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Another vote for the cross camping method - we also have a heavy polycotton - we leave ground sheet and bedrooms in and with the integrated porch it goes up really quickly.

We've got a Quechua pop-up for a sunny w/e tent and festivals which takes seconds to pitch. However we often just take the Kauai Reef as it really doesn't take that long to pitch and we've found that the best way to speed up our set-up is to take less stuff!


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Persondijo
14/5/2015 at 8:48pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Outwell Birdland 5 View dijo's Profile View Profile   Reply to dijo Reply   Quote dijo Quote  
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I use the birdland 5 as a weekend tent and for that its very fine. Its so fast to pitch due to the 3 poles and yet its relatively spacious. Im very happy with it but it does have Two drawbacks, first no sidedoor which means its difficult to ventilate in warm weather and secondly the front door isnt rain save. But still for a weekend get away its splendid😀


Personjackuk
15/5/2015 at 11:10am
 Location: Surrey
 Outfit: Lots of outwell !! View jackuk's Profile View Profile   Reply to jackuk Reply   Quote jackuk Quote  
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The trout lake 4 is a great tent for short trips, there is no need to unzip the ground sheet, it packs away easily as a whole tent (also keep the bedroom pods in). This makes pitching and packing way very quick and easy, with the tent only having 3 poles.


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Current tent line-up (all outwell)
Yellowstone falls - for week or more
Clear lake - Flyball team entertainment
Cedar lake - not been used yet!
Trout lake 6 - short weekend trips
Trout Lake 4 - for just me and the dog
Concorde L


Personnag1_uk
15/5/2015 at 11:24am
 Location: Leicester
 Outfit: Outwell Norfolk Lake View nag1_uk's Profile View Profile   Reply to nag1_uk Reply   Quote nag1_uk Quote  
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Cheers for the Info.
At the minute I am torn between a second hand Trout and extension. Or look for a second hand inflatable set-up like Concorde!

I must say I was put off by the idea of an inflatable, but looking at the Outwell system it does look pretty good. Ideally would still be polycotton though.
The main downside I see is the cost!


Personissym
16/5/2015 at 5:50pm
 Location: Cambridgeshire
 Outfit: Outfitless!!!Vauxhal View issym's Profile View Profile   Reply to issym Reply   Quote issym Quote  
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We too had a Norfolk Lake and bought a Trout Lake for weekends away. We soon realised that there wasn't a lot of difference in set up time, just a few less pegs. We still took all the stuff that went inside. NL set up 1 hour plus 1 hour to "furnish. Trout Lake (no extension) 45 minutes plus 1 hour to furnish.
We only did weekends if the weather was nice, so we looked for campsites that had a fridge and then just took our beds/bedding, chairs, cups, plates and cutlery. We had enough to get a cereal breakfast then we bought sandwiches for lunch and went to the local pub or fish and chip shop for tea. A lot of campsites have a kettle or vending machine for hot drinks so we were sorted.
We didn't have many dry week-ends to go away for, so we sold up and bought a caravan.
BTW our son has an outwell concord and he came away with us at easter. He only brought bedding as he was next to us. Tent was up and beds made in 20 minutes of arrival!!!!


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Started with a motorbike and tent.......my gallery, my life.



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