I bought a Berghaus 6 XL last year. Great tent, very spacious. Pumps up quickly using handpump, but I've had a real issue deflating it. It hadn't occurred to me, but because I'm small and relatively light (8 stone-ish), I haven't got the weight to squeeze out the air. I did wonder about an electric pump to deflate, but really it's probably more the air in the main bulk of the tent that's the problem. Suggestions, please?
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It shouldn't take any real effort to get the air out. I don't know the exact berghaus method but usually the valve completely unscrews or has a push button in the centre. Once the valve is open, just a matter of getting the air out. If you need to force against the valve then something isn't right.
On deflation, I fold my tent in tent bag widths. Starting opposite the valves and taking time to ensure each tube in the folded part has been emptied towards the valve. From opening the first valve to zipping up the bag takes less than 10 mins.
We have an Airgo Solus 4 and leave the front and side doors unzipped. This means that as we deflate the tent starting at the rear, the air inside the tent can escape.
I also remove the valve completely as place in the Velcro pocket attached to the airbeam.
The volume of the tent can be further reduced by kneeling on the tent as you fold and knee walking across the the tent from the side opposite the valves each time it is folded.
Hope this helps.
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Thanks Decto and WeeAID. I do do those things, and eventually get it in the bag, it's just it takes ages to squeeze the air out with so little weight. Oh well, it's only time (sigh)!
Your personal weight shouldn't make any difference...even a sumo wrestler might struggle to deflate a big bag of air.
I know absolutely nothing about inflatable tents but when taking a tent down all the doors should be wide open on the flysheet and the bedroom pod. Leave the corner pegs in the ground until the last minute so the tent doesn't try to take off and having removed the poles (or in your case removed the valves) leave it for awhile to settle and a lot of air will escape naturally.
With my poled tent I then remove one front and one back corner peg and fold it from side to side making sure all the pins remain on an outer edge so they don't damage the material when you roll it up (doesn't apply to air tents of course). Then remove the final two pegs and fold it side to side so you have a long thin strip of folded tent just narrower than the tent bag. I sometimes then crawl along the tent from back to front to flatten it out and expel as much air as possible (this is the point at which you think the entire campsite is laughing at you)
Then, starting from the back slowly roll it towards the front. Reach over the roll and flatten and straighten out the tent ahead as you go. Eventually you should have it rolled up...occasionally according to the luck of the day, you might have to unroll it again and have another go (at this point the rest of the campsite will definitely be laughing at you) but it will then be easier because most of the air will have been expelled.
Then, don't try to lift it into the bag...put the bag over the top and roll the tent into it.
Not sure if that has helped or confused you but I know what I mean