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Topic: Advice on which wind break to buy
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Page: 1 2
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01/2/2014 at 11:27pm
Location: Lichfield Outfit: Coachman Amara 450
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One of the best windbreaks on the market is the one manufactured by 'Blue Diamond' although it's not the lightest it is known for it's excellent quality. They make both a 5 and 7 pole windbreak.
http://www.blue-diamond-products.co.uk/blue-diamond/windbreaks.html
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01/2/2014 at 11:59pm
Location: Outfit:
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I have a Yellowstone windbreak. It is only about 3 feet high so high enough to provide shelter for cooking but low enough to see over and not appear as a barricade.
------------- Bernie
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02/2/2014 at 12:07am
Location: Outfit:
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There are many different makes of windbreak and most of the well known brands are good. I can only give you my personal advice on windbreaks generally.
Firstly, I don't like the ones with wooden stakes hammered into the ground. Not only are they a pain to erect and stay erected but they make massive holes in the pitches which aren't always appreciated by other campers or campsite owners.
Secondly, if you buy the type made of a material that rustles loudly in the wind you, and probably your neighbour, will be kept awake all night. The best type are those made of cotton or a polyester or polycotton...the same material tents are made of.
Thirdly, you may find buying two shorter windbreaks is more versatile than buying one big long one. Smaller ones can be positioned either side of the tent entrance or in whatever configuration you want but the choice of position is limited with one long one.
Lastly, when you buy a windbreak which is held up by guy ropes, keep the guy ropes on the outside otherwise they will take up a lot of space and you will be tripping over them if they are within your seating area. Also, many people make the mistake of thinking the spikes on the ends of windbreak poles, the type that use guy lines, are for sticking in the ground and they try to hammer them in like you would wooden poles, usually damaging them before realising their mistake. The spikes go uppermost and stick through the loops on the top of the windbreak then the guy lines hook on the top after that. The bottom of the poles usually have plastic or rubber caps which just sit on the ground.
Not much help re brands but hope the advice is useful to yourself or someone else.
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02/2/2014 at 11:08am
Location: Derby. Outfit: T6+HiTop+26+Karsten
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Totally agree with everything Bob said. Except to say my vango one has spikes top and bottom of the poles. One goes through a rubber ring then sticks in the ground, the top one goes through rubber ring then has the guyline hooked onto it. Two guylines to each of the end poles, one each to the intermediate poles (outside, as Bob said).... and don't try to form a straight or L shaped fence!! C shape is the sturdiest, and recommended way to rig it up! The vango ones (well mine, at least) are something like 1650mm tall aswell.... taller than yer average windbreak (but with a see-through window panel).
I'd be happy to recommend it, although I must add, from a snobbery point of view, I do now prefer my newest acquisition.... a pollycotton Outwell one, that is more in keeping with the colour and quality of my tent (Jeez, that sounds awful! ) It's smaller in length (we have the 6 pole vango one, which is a mahoosive 8.3m long), and shorter in height, (and the poles just sit on the grass, as it only has a spike at the top of the pole, ala Bob's description), but the polycotton is quieter than the vango polyester (definitely don't get the beachy striped plastic ones.... may as well use carrier bags on a stick!!), is nicer to stroke (it purrs, like a puddy tat) and of course, smells divine!
I think that covers everything!
For reference/example....
Vango 6 pole (polyester) (They do shorter versions)
Outell polycotton mocha (Think I paid £59.99 for mine?)
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02/2/2014 at 12:10pm
Location: Devizes Wiltshire Outfit: MWB2BVW2BCrafter2
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I have 2 windbreaks.
The first being a 4-pole canopy windbreak by Khyam which served me well as a windbreak as well as shelter for my kitchen stand when I used it with the canopy during rainy days.
It has what some would consider as "thin" aluminium poles, and I learnt not to bash the spikes into the poles by protecting them with rubber doorstops.
I guyed each pole using 2 guys, as I wanted it to stay up all the time without having to worry about changes in wind direction.
If one only guys on one side to save space and to avoid tripping over guys, then there is a risk of the structure falling over should the wind changes direction.
Being only 5'2/157cm tall, I was able to stand under the canopy when it was up. However, taller people will have to hunch and it may not be comfortable for prolong period of time.
This windbreak had served me well until I bought a new tent, namely the Hypercamp Escala 4, and I felt the Khyam Windbreak, being nylon and grey, did not go well with the new tent, being cotton canvas, beige and green.
Hence I forked out for a 5-(wooden)pole Blue Diamond windbreak with an ivy hedge pattern. It does not have a canopy, however, I no longer need one as I use the front section of the Escala 4 for my kitchen set up.
I can never bash the wooden poles deep enough into the ground without the need to use guys to secure them.
And I still use 2 guys for each pole to make sure it is secure in all wind directions.
Aesthetics reason aside, I prefer the Khyam windbreak as it is more compact as the aluminium poles come in sections. Although I can just about fit the Blue Diamond windbreak into my Brenderup 1105s trailer, it has to be packed in a certain way at a certain time of loading. This I learnt at huge cost after I cracked the ABS lid while trying to jam it shut without realising the wooden poles were in the way, DOH!!! Nowadays, the windbreak goes into the car.
As for material flapping in the wind? Personally I believe it is all to do with how well the windbreak is put up, and it is my personal opinion that a lot of people cannot be bothered to spend too much time putting up the windbreak due to being tired after putting up the tent.
Guying on both sides will minimise lateral movements. Making sure the fabric in between the poles are taut makes a lot of difference in the wind. All these take time and efforts.
Here are my own experiences of two types of windbreaks. Hope it helps.
DK
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02/2/2014 at 2:28pm
Location: Staithes Outfit: Vantage Neo
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Isabella Crystal. Brilliant. Doesn't let the rain through but does let you see out.
Paul
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02/2/2014 at 2:38pm
Location: Outfit:
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I've got a Vango one, bought it to match the tent, without thinking too much about how it would perform or ease of use. Would i have another one, NO !! , most useless bit of kit i've ever bought, difficult to put up, and difficult to keep up. No matter how the guy ropes are positioned, the wind will always come from a different direction. Too much hassle and they make a campsite look like a bad day at butline at best, and a gypsy encampment at worst. If you want privacy, don't go camping, if you want to stay out of the wind, don't go camping. camping is about being in the outdoors and fresh air (wind) and being part of your surroundings, not barracading yourself in, in a "this is my patch, Get orf my land" type of way. Rant over.
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02/2/2014 at 3:23pm
Location: Derby. Outfit: T6+HiTop+26+Karsten
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I must admit I made "the mistake" (I know... I know.... each to their own!...) of thinking I'd want privacy, and boundaries, so our very first set up looked, well, exactly like this....
Which, in fairness, for a very first attempt, doesn't look too bad. Except, to everyone else on site, of course, it looks more like this...
(I know.... NOW! )
Anyway, I soon realised that not only does the Colditz approach look unseemly... and unwelcoming, of course... but also, that I could not see wtf was going on elsewhere on the site!! Yes, I'm a nosey git (didn't realise this until I started camping!) As well as making the most of any scenic views we may have available, I find it quite comforting to watch others struggle to put tents up (I will offer to help.... eventually! ) and of course, I need to see if the Jones' are being well and truly kept up with!
So, almost from the very start of our camping career, I quickly realised that, despite also quickly realising we'd prefer to have the kitchen set up outside, we'd also prefer to go without a windbreak, if at all possible/wise to do so.
A subsequent trip meant we had to go from this...
To this...
Due to the windy conditions affecting our kettle's ability to actually boil water! (I rolled it up to effectively reduce it from a six pole to a 4 pole!).
As you can see, whilst it was arguably practical, the clash of both colour and material was, how shall I put it?... of a standard not even befitting of this particular council estate urchin!
Ergo, we eventually plumped for this, which we have used on just 2 occasions thus far.... both when we considered it was needed for it's intended purpose... to keep the wind off...
(Don't panic... those two other tents are part of our group, and we all sat this side!! ) (And it was on a Buxton hill in October, so the wind was chilly, with it!
As we have all agreed on numerous occasions now... it is a matter of personal preference, but for us, no more will we put up a barricade, or a set-up boundary, but will use our windbreak as sparingly as we can get away with, and only when required.
Thank you for listening.
Aren't lazy Sunday afternoons great for piccy posts!!
Post last edited on 02/02/2014 15:29:47
Post last edited on 02/02/2014 15:34:07
------------- 2025: 2 nights and counting...
2024: 43 nights
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From July 2012: 23 nights
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02/2/2014 at 6:01pm
Location: Outfit:
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Quote: Originally posted by murphybrown on 02/2/2014
I've got a Vango one, bought it to match the tent, without thinking too much about how it would perform or ease of use. Would i have another one, NO !! , most useless bit of kit i've ever bought, difficult to put up, and difficult to keep up. No matter how the guy ropes are positioned, the wind will always come from a different direction.
Too much hassle and they make a campsite look like a bad day at butline at best, and a gypsy encampment at worst. If you want privacy, don't go camping, if you want to stay out of the wind, don't go camping.
camping is about being in the outdoors and fresh air (wind) and being part of your surroundings, not barracading yourself in, in a "this is my patch, Get orf my land" type of way.
Rant over.
I bought a nearly brand new windbreak off ebay from a person who thought exactly along those lines
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02/2/2014 at 7:04pm
Location: Derby. Outfit: T6+HiTop+26+Karsten
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Good shout, Bob :-)
Yes, a little patience is required to put them up, particularly if on your own. Fiddly, maybe, but not difficult. In fact, I'm tempted to say it was a breeze!! :-)
And guyed properly, I wouldn't say they were difficult to keep up, either. I was very pleasantly surprised how sturdy and solid this design remains in high wind*, in all honesty.
Obviously, I guess one man's breeze is another man's hurricane!
*According to the forecast, it was gusts of 28mph, and I had no reason to think they'd got it wrong.
------------- 2025: 2 nights and counting...
2024: 43 nights
2023: 47 nights
2022: 40 nights
2021: 30 nights
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2019: 50 nights
2018: 30 nights
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2015: 38 nights
2014: 34 nights
2013: 36 nights
From July 2012: 23 nights
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