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Topic: Air tent upgrade

jeffmasson

via mobile 01/7/2021 at 10:29am
Location: Worthing
Outfit: vango avington 600xl

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Hi all

I am after people experience of upgrading from a pole tent to a air tent.

I am about to to pull the pin on buying one to replace our Outwell Vermont XLP. But am having a few last minute worries.

Did the extra weight cause you any issues?
Do you have to keep having to top out the poles like air beds?
When you start googling you start getting all the horror stories about exploding tubes and leaking tents, hopefully a thing of the past? or the pointless perfect (never really used the tent reviews).

Anything else really that you found when swapping from poles to air.

Thanks

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Naomibo

via mobile 01/7/2021 at 11:03am
Location: None Entered
Outfit: None Entered

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We swapped from a massive steel poled tent to an air beam. It is heavier, but pitches so much quicker. We haven't had to ever repump the beams, just pump to the required levels and that's it.

We camped in the storms last summer with gusts up to 70mph and it held firm, not going to lie the beams bent in as they were meant to which was a bit scary, and we had pitched the guys correctly. But I felt safe in it.

There is a knack of packing it up, but we get the kids to roll down the air beams to make sure all the air is out first and have had no problems.

Would def buy airbeam again

Mitchamitri

01/7/2021 at 1:25pm
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Its not such a black and white discussion (many people like a massive argument about it, which i find odd....) as a lot of people will have you believe.

We have a big airbeam and a medium poled tent. I think it's a mistake to call an airbeam an "upgrade" - generally they are more expensive and the poled equivalent is cheaper so the poled is a definite consideration... plus if a pole snaps you just buy a length and replace it for a couple of quid rather than the £50+ a spare beam costs. All the beams in our tent are the same size - useful if you choose to carry a spare.

Whatever you buy you still have to peg it out so the time saving is not as much as some people would have you believe, and getting the air back out can sometimes be a pain. Have never had to top up a beam on fortnight long stays, or replace a beam. In bad weather we've had "Pole snapping" winds that have dented a beam but it just pops up again, and pole snapping winds are only usually "pole snapping" if you havent pitched properly.

We like our airbeam but not because its an airbeam, more because it's a really good tent.

One thing I would say, though, is airbeams do forgive people who don't know how to put up a tent properly - if you have camped before that won't be a consideration.

jeffmasson

via mobile 01/7/2021 at 2:19pm
Location: Worthing
Outfit: vango avington 600xl

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Hi

Thanks for the replies. We have to go for a air tent due to oh being unable to help pitch the tent any more due to her disabilities.

The heavy metal poles where just far to heavy. The Vango we have at the moment is fiberglass so I can put it up myself but we miss the space of the Vermont XLP.

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WeeAlD

via mobile 01/7/2021 at 2:44pm
Location: Glasgow
Outfit: Airgo horizon 4 tent

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We are into our fourth season with our Airgo Horizon 4 airbeam.
Just us 2 senior citizens still enjoying camping.
My only issue that I have experienced is that I can easily forget to ensure that I screw the valve in properly. Our front airbeam occasionally needs a little top up with a couple of more goes with the pump.
We paid around £270, for tent, footprint and carpet from Gooutdoors. Weight wise it 14 kilos, easy enough for me to handle.

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