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Topic: What is the appeal of the Karsten?
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Page: 1 2 3 4
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06/9/2018 at 6:51pm
Location: County Kildare Irel Outfit: Tents
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Well being serious for a minute. A Karsten is a modular tent. You order it the way you want it and, yes, it would be suitable a family and a dog.
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06/9/2018 at 8:03pm
Location: west yorks Outfit: Vango inspire 600xl 5m bell tent
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I bet we would be looking north of £4000 for a karsten set up which would give enough room for a family and pets,
They do look nice and will last and last no doubt, but where does camping and common sense meet?
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06/9/2018 at 8:18pm
Location: County Kildare Irel Outfit: Tents
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Some pay up to 1500 for a poly tent that will turn to powder under UV after a few years. ... If a Karsten lasts 25 years, and it should, it will work out cheaper than 25 years of buying polyester tents. When poles are too much for me, I will fork out for a Karsten.
------------- Durston Xmid-2 solid
Durston Xmid-1 solid
Hypercamp Alaska - Dutch Pyramid
Vango F10 Helium UL1
Coleman cobra 2
Eureka solitaire
Naturehike Star River 2
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07/9/2018 at 6:56am
Location: Leicestershire Outfit: Karsten 380 Veranda
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Quote: Originally posted by john,mel,3kids! on 06/9/2018
I bet we would be looking north of £4000 for a karsten set up which would give enough room for a family and pets,
They do look nice and will last and last no doubt, but where does camping and common sense meet?
Keep an eye on eBay etc for used ones - might get one for more like £2500.
There was a post recently on the Karsten Facebook group where in the storm last month several families were forced to refuge for the night in someone's Karsten. Who wants scared kids and a wife put off camping when you buy a tent that you know will be the one giving the refuge not needing it.
When you consider what you will sell it for when you've finished with it the price is not as bad as you think, even more so if you buy used.
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07/9/2018 at 11:26am
Location: west yorks Outfit: Vango inspire 600xl 5m bell tent
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A 300 on gumtree with awning,£1250
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07/9/2018 at 3:40pm
Location: Outfit:
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It can be quite a difficult argument that spending £4k on a tent is a good idea - my wife would never buy second hand and for that money the instant comparison including camping kit etc is two weeks five star abroad. It's not an investment in that case. I guess it's extremely rare for anyone's first tent to be a karsten as much as it's rare for anyone's first car to be an Aston Martin. For us, we will stick with our cheapo polyester tent until our family have flown the nest then maybe upgrade to a karsten , but by then we won't have to holiday at peak season and it'll only be the two of us so five star hotels here we come -:we will be camping less I am sure, which will make the karsten a luxury item . I do think it's easy to forget most people start camping because it's a cheap family holiday, not because they covet the very best tents , titanium cooking stoves, and £500 self inflating mattresses that roll up to the size of a peanut. For many of us it's damp loo roll , swingball, and baked beans, and if it falls apart thats a risk you take or you end up doing nothing.
Karsten 's seem to me to be the very best tents but it's not right for everyone
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07/9/2018 at 3:49pm
Location: County Kildare Irel Outfit: Tents
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Quote: Originally posted by Mitchamitri on 07/9/2018
It can be quite a difficult argument that spending £4k on a tent is a good idea - my wife would never buy second hand and for that money the instant comparison including camping kit etc is two weeks five star abroad. It's not an investment in that case. I guess it's extremely rare for anyone's first tent to be a karsten as much as it's rare for anyone's first car to be an Aston Martin. For us, we will stick with our cheapo polyester tent until our family have flown the nest then maybe upgrade to a karsten , but by then we won't have to holiday at peak season and it'll only be the two of us so five star hotels here we come -:we will be camping less I am sure, which will make the karsten a luxury item . I do think it's easy to forget most people start camping because it's a cheap family holiday, not because they covet the very best tents , titanium cooking stoves, and £500 self inflating mattresses that roll up to the size of a peanut. For many of us it's damp loo roll , swingball, and baked beans, and if it falls apart thats a risk you take or you end up doing nothing.
Karsten 's seem to me to be the very best tents but it's not right for everyone
We camp because we always have and we enjoy it. It wasn't because it was a cheap way to holiday. With that in mind we get the best kit we can afford be it car camping or backpacking. The five star hotels aren't usually worth the price.
------------- Durston Xmid-2 solid
Durston Xmid-1 solid
Hypercamp Alaska - Dutch Pyramid
Vango F10 Helium UL1
Coleman cobra 2
Eureka solitaire
Naturehike Star River 2
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07/9/2018 at 7:13pm
Location: Outfit:
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It all depends on your point of view some people love a five star hotel and lIove the extravagance even if it''s not great value. I love both a fancy hotel and camping so when they set up camping in the grounds of a riu palace I'll be there !!!
Everything is personal taste.
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07/9/2018 at 7:51pm
Location: west yorks Outfit: Vango inspire 600xl 5m bell tent
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Quote: Originally posted by Mitchamitri on 07/9/2018
It can be quite a difficult argument that spending £4k on a tent is a good idea - my wife would never buy second hand and for that money the instant comparison including camping kit etc is two weeks five star abroad. It's not an investment in that case. I guess it's extremely rare for anyone's first tent to be a karsten as much as it's rare for anyone's first car to be an Aston Martin. For us, we will stick with our cheapo polyester tent until our family have flown the nest then maybe upgrade to a karsten , but by then we won't have to holiday at peak season and it'll only be the two of us so five star hotels here we come -:we will be camping less I am sure, which will make the karsten a luxury item . I do think it's easy to forget most people start camping because it's a cheap family holiday, not because they covet the very best tents , titanium cooking stoves, and £500 self inflating mattresses that roll up to the size of a peanut. For many of us it's damp loo roll , swingball, and baked beans, and if it falls apart thats a risk you take or you end up doing nothing.
Karsten 's seem to me to be the very best tents but it's not right for everyone
Agree completely, I have a 500 quid tent, canvas, nice place to be. If it went and borrowed money to buy a superior tent such as the karsten I would never hear the end of it off the kids
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17/9/2018 at 12:14pm
Location: Suffolk Outfit: Very variable
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How does Karsten compare with, for example, Esvo?
One doesn't hear much of the latter....is that just down to availability in the UK?
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17/9/2018 at 7:29pm
Location: Derby. Outfit: T6 Hi-Top & Karsten
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Don't know how they compare, but you can get Esvo in the UK just as easily as the Karsten... http://www.campingtravelstore.co.uk/esvo-tents... some being displayed side by side, for the one remaining tent display weekend for 2018...
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20/9/2018 at 2:23pm
Location: Suffolk Outfit: Very variable
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Thank you, Mucker, I was intrigued, as you hear so much about Karsten but little about Esvo, and I know nothing about either..
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30/6/2019 at 8:19am
Location: Leicestershire Outfit: Karsten 380 Veranda
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We were pitched next to someone in a large bell a few years ago, it certainly went up quickly, although more guys than our pod. When calm I would say 7 guys is the minimum you need on the Karsten. 6 holding out the side flaps (we don’t bother with the ones on the front) and 1 long guy holding an air pole. If strong winds you can add up to 3 guys per air pole.
One thing to mention though is the wall height in the Karsten pod compared to the bell. Those side flaps give you a 75cm high vertical wall to put furniture up against. This increases to a metre in a 380 pod. I guess in a bell the wall is much lower to put things against.
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