Just been to France for a week and want to go next year to the Vendee area. Will be arriving via the Dover Calais route so will need to do an overnight stop. Our Idaho tent takes too long to unpack and pack for one night, so need suggestions for a quick pitch tent that will sleep 2 Adults and 2 Kids.
Have been looking at the Quencha pop up but seems I will need to add bedrooms. With this extra time should I just get a small normal tent which would be cheaper?
We took a quick pitch tent with us this year for overnight stops in France, as we travel from NW UK, we stopped at Arras and Chalon-Sur-Saone, on the way to the Southern Ardeche which in total is a 1000 miles one way, so thats 4 overnights in total, but to be honest we ended up using the B&B and F1 hotels for the overnights, at under £50 including breakfast, a pop per night, so much less hassel for the journey to and from your main site, I won't be taking a tent for overnights again next year that's for sure.
Thanks for the ideas. Have considered using B&B but may make the overnight stop a two night stop hence why will need a tent. The Idaho is a big tent and a 1 hour pitch without all the guy ropes. Getting all the air out and back into the bag is another story!
The Licata type tent will probably be the best solution.
Hmm, I'd consider 15kg (and so I assume a matching bulk rather to much for an overnighter.)
We bought a Sunncamp Evolution 300 earlier thisa year (an Ebay bargain - unused, supposedly ex-display, but didn't appear to ahev been ever out of the bag).
It is sold as a 3 berth, but we can fit 4 of us in (2 adult 2 kids - not much spare space , but then we don't need it. Not standing height at all, but the design is pretty sturdy, and we also wanted something that would take the wind as we sometimes pitch ina friends pennine field. The poprch area is big enough to sit in in the evening on the floor in the rain if we needed to.
It is very easy and quick to pitch.
Alternatively, the Evo 400 - a bit bigger and heavier, but standing room.
We havethe quechua 4.2 which comes with groundsheet and 2 bedrooms - it's great for overnights or short stays and even better - I managed to put it up and take it down in no time myself when I got it as I couldn't wait for hubby to get home!
We went camping with a few other families recently and one of them had the quechua 4.2. What a fantastic tent. It really did go up within a couple of minutes and down, too. I would really like one if our family weren't so big.
Pro-action teepee from Argos, HH 2000, sleeps 4 and only has one central pole and guy roles to get it up and down!
I went camping in it last weekend and once you work out that the non-sig has to be tucked under and spare clothes, bags etc around the edges it was one of the best tents on the campsite, I'm thinking cold won't really be a problem for you in France though!
On Saturday night we had terrible storm and mini-hurricane & she stood up really well, I remember waking a couple of times thinking it would collapse but then remembering there was only 1 central pole so more or less impossible... woke the next morning to people's tents collapsed & flooded... we were bone dry and snug all night!!
It's single-skinned so you have to be careful not to touch the sides when it rains but other than that no drips or anything!!
We have an Outwell Jersey M pop-up for overnight stops. It has stood up to some serious wind and rain and we've never had a problem with it. However, it's great if you're just looking for somewhere to sleep for the night - if you want somewhere to sit when the weather is foul, it doesn't fit the bill. Which is why we've now bought the Khyam Freelander, a 3-berth with plenty of space, including somewhere to sit in the rain. It goes up in minutes (not seconds like the pop-up) and comes down just as easily.
Your nearest Decathlon store is in Stockport. I don't think there are any other stores that stock them (I may be wrong) so the only other alternative I know of is Ebay