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Topic: Tent advice

Barney19

26/3/2016 at 9:24am
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Hi everyone, very new to this so if I have posted in the wrong place I apologize.
My family and I are in the process of buying a family tent (2 adults 4 kids) we were looking at the Vango 600 solaris air tent. Ticks all the boxes in my novice head but would like the views of someone who has used it or an experienced camper as im a green horn to camping, all advice welcome thank you.

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RichJean+Ellie

26/3/2016 at 10:17am
Location: Telford Shropshire
Outfit: Kampa croyde 6 Series 3

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No experience of that tent but a good rule of thumb is to choose a tent berth for the number of people plus 2. The Vango 600 is a 6 berth so would be better suited to 4 people so it might be a bit of a squeeze for you. Tent manufacturers tend to base their sizes based on a sleeping width of 600mm per person and is really only a rough guide to the size of tent!

We are a family of only 3 and have a Kampa Croyde 6, I wouldn't really want to have more than 4 in it comfortably.

It really depends on how old your kids are and how long you want to camp for, if the kids are young and you only want to camp for weekends then you might get away with it, but believe me it will seem very cramped with 6 people on a rainy day!

Also, you can't beat seeing a tent in the flesh. Then you can imagine what a tent will be like full of furniture and people!

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ladycake

26/3/2016 at 10:41am
Location: norfolk
Outfit: vango tempest 200 icarus 500

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i agree go 2 berth more than a tent says. we are a family of 3 and have a 5 berth vango icarus 500. car camp alone i use a tempest 200 (2 berth). only wild camping i use an actual 1 man tent. for 2 of us i use a 4 man outwell cloud 4.

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ladycake

26/3/2016 at 11:00am
Location: norfolk
Outfit: vango tempest 200 icarus 500

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i would suggest an 8 berth tent for 6 of you. don`t forget you need space for chairs and bits.

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Barney19

26/3/2016 at 11:01am
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Thanks for the replies was considering going bigger but the kids are 10, 5, 3, and 1 and probably 3 days max at a time but your both right on a rainy day it will be fairly cramped, do camsites charge a 2 berth rate for an 8 man.

ladycake

26/3/2016 at 11:04am
Location: norfolk
Outfit: vango tempest 200 icarus 500

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just had a look at solaris 600. nice tent, porch, lounge area etc! but the sleeping area/storage for clothes/food... will be almost zero. we use an icarus 500. use the wider sleeping area for a bedroom, the smaller one for storage of food/clothes/stuff. can`t really go wrong with a vango. used them for years, although i`m a poles girl. what are you planning to sleep on?

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Barney19

26/3/2016 at 11:17am
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We were looking at inflatable mattress and sleeping bags

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ladycake

26/3/2016 at 11:37am
Location: norfolk
Outfit: vango tempest 200 icarus 500

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for bog standard airbeds be aware they can be cold. so insulate under them and between the airbed and sleeping bag. use blankets, cheap foam rollmats (got mine for £1 each in poundland last year lol!) . foil backed mats/picnic blankets? blankets? i would reccomend the use of sleeping bag liners. they are like duvet covers/sheets on a bed. keep the bags clean. its a slow death for them if you wash the bags.....i`ve done that.

sims are good and a bit more insulated, especially if you put something under it. go for a 5cm + thickness if you can. less likely to deflate , puncture. but costly.

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ladycake

26/3/2016 at 11:41am
Location: norfolk
Outfit: vango tempest 200 icarus 500

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to be ultra posh and pack away tiny something like a thermarest air mat. has insulating foil in it. but are used by hikers mostly. i have one....its lush!! but these are insulated against cold ground and 5cm thick! love mine neoventureair.

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Campernic

26/3/2016 at 12:05pm
Location: Northern Ireland
Outfit: Bell Tent Vango Coleman and Quechua

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If you go for campsites that don't have marked out pitches an 8 man tent will be no problem. For campsites with marked out pitches many will accommodate a 'large' tent but you would have to ring them first to check.

An alternative is to get the 6 man tent and if you are happy for the eldest to have a 'pup' tent (a one man tiny tent) who can go outside. That's a judgement call for you and him or her. Some kids would be too scared at 10, some would love it.

A campsite will often have a charge for a pup tent (usually £4 a night or thereabouts from what I've seen) and sometimes no charge at all. Again, talk to the campsite.

Gambolia

27/3/2016 at 12:49am
Location: Dunfermline
Outfit: Rapido 987M

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Agree with Campernic. Air tents seem to be huge these days and you could have difficulty getting pitch sizes in the UK. Europe not a problem.
We have a 5 man for the two of us but would agree that an 8 man is probably best for six persons.

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Barney19

30/3/2016 at 9:48am
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Thanks everyone for your replies definitely a few things to think about, thanks again

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