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HI all. Just getting my family into camping.Looking for advice on a tent,don't want to part with silly money for our 1st tent.Have narrowed it down to 2. Gilert family dome tent and the Vango 500. Both are in the price bracket that we want to spend allthough I can get the Gilert 20 pound cheaper !! Any body got any experience or advice on the above two or any further options that I may have overlooked.My tent budget is 120 pounds.Our family consists of 2 adults and 2 anklebiters both under 8

Many thanks.......

Hi and welcome to ukcs,

I think that is a good budget for 1st tent.  I dont have either of those tents but go for the one that looks the easiest to put up as the littlies will want to help.  I have 2 tents and my lads (ages 13 and 10) always want to help me, in which they have for the past 6 years.  It is great fun as you know where they are when getting sorted.

Hope you are happy with which ever one you decide to buy and have lots and lots of fun like alot of the peeps on here do.

Jo

How about http://www.oswaldbailey.co.uk/eshop.asp?wci=product&wce=51109701&desc=CAMPUS+HARVARD+DELUXE+TENT&

Post last edited on 08/07/2005 15:40:49

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With 2 adults and 2 kids you might find the vango a tight fit (depending on the bed for the kids) - not unacceptable, but tight. Equally the Gelert tight on living space, if it rains. Especially if it is for more than a weekend.

Also consider tents like Gelerts bigger Skydome and the Campus Amazon (both similar in dome style to the Vango, just that bit bigger).

Just note that the Gelert has a sleeping birth width of 140cm - given two single air beds are 80cm each, with two adults you will be squeezed on to the thinest doule air bed you can find (2 singles - which is pref - will not fit). And even then you will still be touching the sides of the compartment. Unless you are very thin and going to use matts, I would try with air beds just to make sure you are actually happy with this.

With two small kids I would be tempted to get a single birth tent with a decent living space - at night you can then put them to sleep and, if the weather is not so good, sit in the living area before you join them for sleep.

I would recommend a comfort factor of 80cm per adult and put the young kids on a thin (130cm) double. i.e. you need a min total sleeping width of somehting like 300cm.

As said, you can use thinner matts, but lack of space in the middle of the night can really bug you after a while (just like poor light in a tent when it rains).

Looks a nice tent, just a thought thats all. Hope it helps.