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Tent Reviews: Outwell Hartford XXL
Tent and Awning Reviews Index > Outwell > Hartford XXL Reviews
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Current Model?
Berths:
Weight:
RRP on date added:
Bedroom inners:
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Discontinued
12 plus (more 12 berth tents)
39.10 KG
ฃ569.99
4
Fully Sewn-in
In one
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Average User Rating:8.87/10 from 30 reviews
Viewed: 121628 times
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30 Reviews of the Hartford XXL
Showing 11 to 20 Page:
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By: Pj_andrew Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: 
We are a family of four (two adults, four young children) and this tent appealed due to it's sheer size. We bought for the future and the kids won't be getting any smaller!
This tent is huge. The main living area easily accommodates a table, chairs and other camping kit. The standard porch has plenty of room for a stove and food boxes. We use three of the pods as bedrooms and they easily accommodate a double blow-up bed. The fourth pod is a storage room leaving the central area as a living area for any rainy days. Three people in a pod would need to be good friends, but two in a pod is more than comfortable.
I pitch the tent on my own apart from when the central area is lifted to get the three main poles into the pins. My wife does this using a broom the get the tent high enough. Apart from that it takes me 1.5 hours to get to fully pegged out. We also have the footprint groundsheet. This makes aligning the tent simple and keeps the main tent clean. However we've found, try as we might, it's very difficult to properly cover the footprint with the main tent. Therefore rain does get in between the main tent and the footprint. Not ideal however a quick brush with a broom inside the tent pushes out the water.
The external design of the pods is such that the pole holding the pod out, creating the internal space, slots into a plastic cup on an adjacent pole. While this does work it's a worry that this might be an over-strained point of weakness. Only time will tell but other tents use this technique so I'm not overly worried.
In high winds the tent certainly gets blown around. The pod facing the wind blows about quite considerably. We've survived all our trips so far with one visit gusting to 40mph. I use the provided pegs but have some storm pegs for the critical guy lines.
The height in the main area is excellent, more than enough. The porch height is ok although an extra inch or two would be useful. Pod height is fine and if you remove the pod inner the pod itself is huge. N.B. Pods can't be removed however the inner to each pod can. The inner is a zipped bedroom hung inside each pod.
Taking the tent down takes a while. It takes me roughly 3 hours. However I don't rush and fasten up all the guys lines and such like. In a high wind we've done it in less time!
The tent is larger than a lot of 'standard' pitches. However we just book a standard (or maxi if available) pitch and wing it. We've had no trouble so far.
This tent is excellent for those long family holidays.
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By: Startyres Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:
Having owned many big tents (Suncamp Tourist XP+12, S.C Marathon 16b, am quite used to this style tent.
We purchased it after reading how spacious it was and I had a good deal with ground sheet and carpet, (liked the idea of carpet and wife wont camp unless ground sheet is sewn in.)
Found the tent very easy and straight forward to erect and the poles all nicely coded makes it no hassle at all.
We usually go with friends and share the tent (makes pitch fees less.)
TENT GREAT BUT.
Advertised as 12berth, We camp lazy and use ready beds. This makes a 12 berth into an 8 berth, not so good when you have 9 of you.
SC Tourist, 12 easily on airbeds, Marathon was just too big, it was like a marquee but sorry outwell, bedrooms need a little adjustment. Have just sold it and am going to try the new Sprayway canyon 8+2, See if it does as it says, each double room is supposed to accept a double airbed. But 100% to living space and extension, loads of room there, just lacking in the bedrooms.
Was a dry weekend so cant comment on other peoples finding on leaks
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By: Dripping_Wet Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2005 Rating: 
We have used this tent now for 4 years and have to say it is a fantastic tent made even better by the purchase of the front canopy and footprint groundsheet.
The moment we first saw this tent up we knew it was just what we were looking for size wise. With 3 kids we give them a pod each and we sleep in the middle moving our airbed to the 4th pod during the day.
The size of the tent is ideal for rainy times with plenty of space for a table and 5 chairs and it has comfortable standing height in the middle section.
Pitching time is about an hour and and moving the tent once packed is made easier by not packing the poles in the same bag.
Some sites in the UK will try and charge you extra due to the size however we use ours mainly abroad and the size of French pitches for example swallow this tent with ease.
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By: Willig Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: 
What a great design. Easy to put up and so much space. This is ideal for the British holiday as there is plenty of space inside when the weather turns ugly.
Absolutely flawless on its first outing in July 2008.
This year however not so perfect. Pole snapped on erection (replaced with supplied spare) then during one of the many rain storms we noticed water seeping in through one of the main panels, on closer inspection we noticed several holes in the fabric, they seemed to be imperfections in the fabric as opposed to tears. Problem was solved with the use of Gelert fabric repair strips (a must have for any camper) these went on and stuck fast even in the rain.
The tent supplier Outdoor World have refused to help (the product was a week out of the one year warranty). Outwell seem not to be contactable
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By: Ian brown 48180 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:
Just back from our first ever camping trip in our hartford. We took a long time deciding which tent to go for, in the end chose the Hartford because of the huge living area inside, ideal for the kids if it rains. We took one of the bedrooms down and used the space to store our gear, which gave us even more room. We had 2 tables, four adults in chairs and 2 kids chairs in the living area and we still had plenty of room. Must say the carpet( bought seperately )made it feel more cosy in the tent, although we did find it a little slippery underfoot, but that could be because we were pitched on a slight slope.
Pitching the tent was really straight forward, took about one hour to get it all up and all the guy ropes pegged out. The footprint groundsheet was well worth buying as it made it easy to decide which way to face the door, I imagine that it would be more difficult to move the whole tent around to change where the door faced, as well as risking tearing the SIG if you didn't have the footprint. Took us about 1 hour 45 to take down, which wasn't bad for the first time.
My 2 kids (3 1/2 yrs and 2 yrs) both loved the tent and the whole camping experience, and can't wait to go again.
All in all the Hartford XXl is a great family tent for those with a large family or those who just like that extra space inside to spread out.
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By: Woodysteam Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: 
I am new to camping. I spent lots of weeks mulling over which tent was best for our family. My problem was we have 3 children age 5,9,14 and usually a friend of the oldest want to come with us. Our parents often go on holiday with us. Taking all these points into consideration we were left with the hartford xxl as the best option.
I browsed the internet and read every review in the world. I went to don valley camping centre in Doncaster and viewed 1 in the flesh. They gave me a real good deal that was better than any on-line deal. This was good as I believe we should all support our local shops what ever the purchase maybe, otherwise they will close. If you buy such a big item it is worth paying an extra ฃ50 so you have the door step customer support. I would not like to parcel a tent up and send it back, it would be a nightmare! this it just my opinion.
The tents that are on display at don valley had been up since the beginning of the season. They were still in excellent condition. I obviously chose a really windy and wet day in July to go and check them out. After I purchased the tent I put it up in the back garden and left it up for a week. There were no leaks it took me and my partner 45 minutes to erect with no wind. I thought this was good for a pair of complete novices.
Our first camping visit was on a really windy site. This attempt took us 55 minutes. Just remember to gets some pegs in the main body of the tent before lifting otherwise you will be running round for hours. The negatives are: you need 2 people to erect. 1 to lift and the other to insert the poles into the body rings. It takes some rolling up at the end you need to be patient to let all the air out as you roll it up. To take down it takes about 30 minutes.
We purchased the carpet, the foot print and the additional canopy. All of which are a must. The carpet makes it feel very comfortable in the living area and reduces the dampness so children can lay or play on it without feeling cold. The foot print is a ground sheet that is the exact shape of the base. It is ideal when you are starting to pitch. You simply throw a piece of grass in the air to measure the wind direction and peg the sheet down in the correct direction. It is not just a square sheet it is x shaped. You then open your tent up on a nice clean area. This will increase the life time of the tent dramatically and keep the tent very clean. It also provides a nice clean area when packing away. The only dirty area is the bottom of the ground sheet. This folds through the line of symmetry (in the middle) a number of times and fits into a little bag again with very little dirt.
The extension canopy gives you an extra area that accommodates easily 10 people sitting and a camping stove. It is the ideal living area extension. With this extension your inside living area can stay spotless. I have not had any camp-sites refuse our enquiry to take the tent due to its size. I think as long as you are honest about the number of people going and you pay the relevant amount then they are ok. To be honest if 10 people go camping then you should pay more than 2.
It is a great tent I am planing to take it to Spain, Holland and a few places in the uk. I will update my review as my experiences grow. My first impressions are value for money 100%, ease of use(erect) 100%, comfort 100% Outwell for me are the best tents they stand out on any camp-site. Most of the owners past or present give them a good reviews and rightly so.
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By: Deputy230568 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating:
Bought this tent at the tail end of 2007 having bought a 'cheap' tent with everything included to get us started. I can't praise this tent highly enough, we have been away several times a year over the last couple of years in some variable weather conditions (mainly rain though!) and the Hartford XXL has never let us down.
The integral ground sheet is a real boon, our previous tent didn't have this feature and having spent a weekend in the middle of a field with a cold wind blowing through the tent we went out the following weekend and bought the Hartford. We have comfortably had 7 people in it (2007 model was only rated as 8 man) and the internal space is excellent.
We opted to buy the footprint with the tent and this been a great help when putting the tent up as you can easily lay it out. Erecting the tent is a doddle for 2 people although it helps if you can get someone inside when pushing the main poles up.
As previously mentioned we have camped in some variable weather including very high winds and torrential rain last year and the tent never let us down. We ended up last year with water running under the tent and the ground sheet never leaked although it did feel like walking on a water bed!
If I had any complaints it would be that it gets ridiculously hot in direct sunlight, but I guess that goes for most tents and as mentioned by some others the sloping entrance which allows the rain in.
Other than that it is really excellent and has some clever little details; copious storage pockets, electric access point and light hanger and my personal favourite velcro ties for the guy ropes (to stop them getting tangled when stored).
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By: Catalan74 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:
What more can I add to these reviews?!? Over the last few months I have researched and attended many exhibitions trying to invest in the 'best' tent for my family. The family being me, hubby, 2 boys aged 15 & 12 and 3 girls aged 7,9 & 10.
I had seen the Hartford Xl in the flesh and I wasn't that impressed as thought it a bit pokey.But my OH really liked it so we compromised and eventually made a decision and bought the Hartford XXL. All we can say is .AMAZING! FANTASTIC! WONDERFUL.And the list goes on.
It took 1 hr for my OH and bro (as he's over 6ft as read about the need to put the middle up first!) and OH said it was very straightforward - mind you I had made him watch the dvd on the Outwell site a dozen times! I thought it looked fairly medium sized but I was so wrong.It's massive, especially the central living space! We fitted in extra people as well! Had so many compliments from other campers on the campsite and I can honestly say it's so worth the money and my OH even thought the carpet WAS actually a good asset! Just got to get the footprint. The porch is more than ample so probably won't get the extension as we have a kitchen tent too.
We all just want to go camping every day now though! I can highly recommend the product and the prompt and very helpful service I received from outdoor megastore too. The kids room was free but would have paid for it as the kids were entertained when the rain came!As well as having a huge dance floor! 10/10!
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By: Campingrocks Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:
I have owned quite a few tents over the years but most have had something missing but I can honestly say the outwell hartford xxl ticked all the boxes for me
It comes in two bags one for the tent and one for the poles which is handy as combined they are very heavy but on there own are manageable
I also have the footprint carpet and canopy the footprint, it a well worth investment. Firstly for easy of lay out ie you can lay the footprint and see how much space and which way you want to face before even opening the tent bag. The tent itself is very straight forward to erect, you have to have a minimum of two adults and I would advise taking a soft broom and the most awkward part is when the poles are in and you have to lift the tent from the middle as it is heavy. I am 6ft3 and found at full stretch it was hard to hold in place, so I used a soft broom to lift the center with which worked very well.
The tent stands very well even before the guylines are in the tent is massive. Please don't look at the xl and think hmmm it must be like this in size as the xxl is much bigger the main area is very large, some 4 mtrs across at one point. I had a fold up table and chairs three wardrobes and there was so much space left it hardly made a difference. The pods are not really 3 person unless you are not using any camp beds or airbeds. It does fit a double airbed very nicely and each pod has a lovely airvent which can be zipped closed.
The tent is equipped with handy pockets both inside and outside of the pods with came in very handy
The sky lights in the main area are great and let in so much light, but with the tent being a light green I found it very light indeed. With the added luxury of the carpet it was very open light and spacey. There is a hook just off centre for hanging a light and velro ties down for the cable, if you are on ehu which is a great idea.
The pods are removable, I did remove one just to see and the amount of space it opened up was quite shocking. The added length of the porch is much better then previous models and I had no problems closing the door.
I also have the canopy which adds so much more space to an already massive area
The windows on the front porch allow a lot of light into the tent but are not really needed as the tent lets in so much light anyway. The back door has a fly screen which is great as you can leave that down and the door also has a roll up window for even more light
I found this tent to be very strong in design. On my first trip I had rain, blistering sun and 36mph gusts and the tent stood still on standard pegs. I would advise if buying the canopy to make sure in windy conditions to have it facing away from the wind as it can flex in the wind. I was very impressed with the fibreglass poles, as to how strong and sturdy they were and also how much give they had on the canopy as the tent didn't budge an inch.
The build quality is right up there with the best in my opinion the design of the extended pole system on the pods is great you get some much more headroom and beng 6ft3 I need it
To sum this tent up it is a very very good quality very very large, open, light, spacious tent
I would allow for approx 2 hours to erect the tent and as said before minimum to 2 adults but this is only a guide line as it was my first time pitching and I took my time with it but am more then sure it can be done much quicker
Also which has been said before this tent is pitched in one which is so much easier both to erect and take down
This tent is worth ever penny and you would not be disappointed. Some sites have issues with such large tents but most are starting to see that there is a lot of large tents out there know so are starting to accommodate for it
My tribe consists of two adults one 18 yr old with bf one 14r old and one 12 yr old son so all the pods were used and at no point did the tent seem cramped not even when neighbours visited
Every thing else I could say has been said before, enjoy camping :)
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By: Princealbert Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2004 Rating:
When my partner came home with this I thought she had been ripped off by Billy Smart! It is huge. Even for us a family of 5. It just copes with everything. It's so easy to erect and take down and so well made, it's hard to fault. If I have to. It's a big bag so you need a big motor to haul it and all the gear around, but that's the only negative I can give. We love it. If you need a big tent. Buy this, you wont regret it.
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30 User Reviews of the Hartford XXL - Showing 11 to 20 Page:
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Manufacturer's Description
The standing-height bedrooms in all side cabins made possible by the Outwell Extended Frame System (OEF System) are one of the major features in the Hartford XXL. Another popular feature is the outside pole construction which enables easy one-procedure pitching flysheet first, or all as one. This roomy and refined tent sleeps up to 12 persons, and offers amenities such as pre-attached inner tents with O-shaped stow-away doors, as well as handy mesh organiser pockets. Protected by a sewn-in groundsheet, the spacious living area is well-lit by large windows and two skylights, and complemented by the extended porch with a detachable groundsheet.
Specifications:
Flysheet: Outtexฎ 3000 with taped seams
Hydrostatic Head: 3000 mm
Floor: Double-coated polyethylene
Inner tent: Breathable polyester
Pack size: Tent: 43 x 75 cm / Poles: 25 x 63 cm
Weight: Tent: 25.0 kg / Poles: 14.5 kg
Poles: Duratec fibreglass 9.5/11.0/12.7 mm
Features:
Detachable groundsheet for porch area
Pre-attached inner tents
Stow-away O-shaped inner tent doors
Organiser pockets
Mesh pockets in the inner tents
Rear door
Fully seam-sealed flysheet for maximum protection
Reinforcement patch on all stress points
Lamp holder and light cable tidies
Adjustable pegging points
Pre-attached guy ropes
Luminous guy ropes
Heavy duty Outwell zips
Outwell doormat included
Optional Extras:
Carpet
Footprint
... there may be more info on their website
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