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 Topic: My First Tent Berghaus Air 6XL or Other ?
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13/3/2022 at 2:31pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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I can't (or won't really!) pick someone else's tent for them, it's such a personal thing. But a few tips that experience has taught me.
With an air beam tent, when packed they are often bulkier and heavier than a equivalent poled tent (poled tents can have weight/bulk split with separate flysheet/pole bags - air beam is what it is, all in one big lump!), ABSOLUTELY make sure you can lift/manhandle/transport (will it fit in car!) when packed!
I've two now rather old (steel) poled tunnel tents, one 6 berth, one 5 berth, both are pretty heavy and bulky, but I can split the poles from the flysheet to make handling easier. I've also got a largish air beam awning for the caravan, so plenty of experience of both types.
Separate porch areas are a Godsend! They enable you to keep wet/muddy gear and cooking separate from your main living/sleeping space. An open ended porch is better than nothing, a porch that can be enclosed with it's own door/wall to keep out the elements is the best option. Last thing you want is to be dragging wet cloths/boots etc. into your main tent space, it makes EVERYTHING (including clean/dry cloths, towels, bedding etc) damp, causes lots of condensation to drip off inside of flysheet and things never dry out!
Read the blurb/instructions to see how many people are necessary to erect/break down the tent, some tents are a nightmare!
If you do opt for a air beam tent, try to find one where each airtube can be (by valves), or is isolated from the others, so than in the event of a leak only one tube deflates NOT the whole tent!
Decent head height is something you will come to appreciate, being doubled over inside a tent or constantly brushing head on condensation soaked flysheet/beams/poles becomes tiresome, bedroom areas are less important as you spend less time on your feet. If considering camp beds (as opposed to airbed/sleeping mat on the ground) ENSURE bedrooms are large enough to accommodate them, stated sizes will be at ground level, sloping walls will reduce effective dimensions noticeable and often mean that bed/head/feet will be in contact with walls, and walls move/flap! - makes for very uncomfortable sleeping if you are in contact with walls or they keep brushing against you!
Extras like carpets and footprints make a big difference, but don't get too hung up on custom fit ones unique to the tent. Picnic rugs, general tent carpets etc. that cover the main floor area are just as effective and often a fraction of the cost. Footprints are nothing special, a cheap builders tarp will do the job just as well BUT it does need to be cut/folded so that it is around 100mm/4in INSIDE the perimeter edge of the tent groundsheet to stop rain wicking under tent and partially defeating the point (which is to keep tent groundsheet dry and mud free so that when packed up after trip it keeps flysheet as clean/dry as possible).
Plenty more of tips I'm sure, and others will no doubt chip in.
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via mobile 13/3/2022 at 12:37pm
