Outwell Oakland M Tent Reviews and Details

Tent Reviews: Outwell Oakland M

Tent and Awning Reviews Index > Outwell > Oakland M Reviews

Current Model?
Berths:
Weight:
RRP on date added:
Bedroom inners:
Living area groundsheet:
Pitching Style:

Discontinued
3 (more 3 berth tents)
12.20 KG
Ł249.99
1
Fully Sewn-in
In one

Average User Rating:

8/10 from 10 reviews

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10 Reviews of the Oakland M

By: AquaAura Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating: 8 from 10

I bought this tent for short breaks with my partner. There are some things I like about it -it's a nice roomy tent, big windows, and mostly easy to put up. The build quality is good, bar one issue (see below). The sloping front door, as noted, is tricky in wet weather as the rain does get in when you open it.

The main problem I found was that it was impossible to get the tent straight on the central pole - this resulted in not being able to pitch it nice and square. I am not sure if this a flaw with my pitching technique, this particular tent, or the design in general. Despite emailing the online shop and Outwell, I have not had a reply! I didn't have any problems with the front poles though.

Have now purchased a Quechua family seconds 4.1 which is a similar size (I have used the footprint from the Oakland M with it!) and a breeze to put up, with a side door and porch!

I really wanted to love this tent, it would be great in warm dry weather, but In rainy conditions it is tricky to get in and out and keep the inside dry.

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By: Stubberz Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating: 9 from 10

Bought from Go as a special offer with carpet and footprint because we needed a full height tent to use with the Royal Enfield and trailer. Delighted with the tent and the space for two mature adults. Used when travelling between Brittany and UK, and also on motorcycle rallies. Can now take all the equipment needed for a camping break and have plenty of space. Only 9 out of 10 because Outwell do not make a canopy for this model. When we contacted them their helpful customer service said that they had no plans to produce one but they had heard that the Vango Calisto 500 might fit but could not really comment because it was not their product. On researching we found that the Calisto 400 is the same height and (almost) same width so have bought one on ebay (Ł69.99 including postage). Not yet used but colour is a close match! Watch this space!

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By: Caro S Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating: 7 from 10

I have an Oakland M (only given it 7 out of ten, as only used it twice so far). I've been looking at tarps, and wondered if you could tell me what make yours is, as it seems to work.

The reason that I'm looking for a tarp is that, as others have said, the door slopes in and in very wet conditions, it's not ideal. That said, my husband and I have had a Vaude Space II for over 20 years, and it is pure luxury to be able to stand in the tent and to eat and cook if it's raining - which it did the first trip and we were able to sit inside, with two other friends, round a table with the door shut as the rain hammered down.

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By: Aberj6 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating: 9 from 10

Obtained tent via Ebay for a song. It's been used a couple of times now with myself and son #1 doing the male bonding thing!

Overall I really like this tent, it is tall enough for me to stand up in (5'10')the porch and sleeping area.

We found there's room in the porch for a table, 2 chairs and our large Coleman coolbox plus some room to move. In the sleeping area we managed to fit in 2 large camp beds, If 3 people going (as it's marketed as a 3 man) we'd have to use SIMs and one of us would have to sit on the cool box.

The quality of the tent is good, with plenty of ventilation, we had some condensation but nothing major and by opening the door the air flowed well through the tent drying it quickly.

As we have no tarp I used a couple of Vango King poles I have to prop open the door to cook under. This worked well but it remains to be seen how well when the rain turns horizontal instead of vertical!

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By: JimCall Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating: 9 from 10

I got my Oakland M from Go in yet another of their sales! The reason for getting this one (apart from the obvious - you can never have enough tents!) is to use in better weather (haha fat chance up here!) for 1 or 2 nights camping or multi site camping.

I was fully aware of the design of the sloping front door and the problems it can cause with rain ingress. However it is a relatively simple issue to get round. I just used a tarp tied to the steel pole and set out with 3 king poles in front. This also gives a good chill out space or somewhere to cook in the rain.

Like my other Outwell - the Carolina M - it appears to be very well made and it is extremely easy to pitch and strike. I did not find any problem with the front pole unlike other reviewers, perhaps it is because I am used to the same design with the Carolina. I use my own method of pitching - 4 corners pegged then in with the steel poles and bring it up to its knees before inserting the pins. The rear pole is a durawrap pole (like the front) but is full length. I was a bit wary about that but it doesn't seem to have any detrimental affect on the tent during the small gusts of wind I experienced so I reckon it will be as good as the Carolina in high winds.

All in all a nice addition to my collection

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By: DanMcK Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating: 8 from 10

I recently bought one of these to replace my Vango Beta 350.

I already own an Outwell Minnesota 4 with canopy and am happy with it, so as I wanted a new smaller tent for when I am away on my own, I decided on the Oakland M as it shares a lot of features with my larger tent.

I managed to find last years model (2010) for Ł120 which was a huge saving on the current years, and there isn't a great deal of difference.

It is a good tent and meets all my requirements, sewn in groundsheet so the dogs cant escape under the flysheet at the slightest noise, plenty of room in the porch and I also had to be able to put it up and away on my own.

It went up really easy without any fuss, though when it came to putting it away it held a lot of air inside (like all tents with a sewn in groundsheet) and it was a bit awkward trying to push the air out myself, but I'll get the hang of it after a couple of goes.

I'm not too keen on the door as water will drip into the porch when it opens, and as the groundsheet is attached you cant just sweep it off onto the ground. This was something I expected though as my larger tent has a similar door. I plan to get round this by fixing a tarp over the front of the tent.

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By: Krakinka Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating: 9 from 10

Have just purchased the Outwell Oakland M (2011) & the footprint groundsheet to replace (or complement if DH doesn't make me sell it!) our Vango Orchy 600.

As our DD now refuses to come camping & DH isn't too keen I wanted a tent that most importantly I was able to put up on my own, whilst still having a living area for wet weather.

My first pitch took me about 40 minutes from putting out the footprint to pegging out the last guy & I managed it all by myself! I'm 5' 6' average build female & I can honestly say I didn't struggle at all.

De-camping was also a breeze & the bit I was especially happy with was that it fitted into the bag on the first attempt! :-)

This is an ideal tent for solo or a couple weekend camping or for longer if there's a guarantee of good weather.

Would give 10/10 but found the door a bit of a faff having to unzip the mesh door first, then locate the front door zip.

Looking forward to my next outing!

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By: Peterq Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating: 6 from 10

Used twice this summer. On the second occasion it survived a gale-force storm and very heavy rain on the first night. On the second night, minimal rain, but a heavy dew in the morning-the inside of the tent was soaked. It appears that this tent, in common with other reviews of Outwell, suffered leaking seams. I think that it may well be a quality control issue.

I like the design of the tent, easy to erect.

Replaced without hassle by Go Outdoors-wonderful customer service at their Coventry store!

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By: Jubilada1947 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating: 10 from 10

We bought the Oakland M to replace the orange Vango Force Ten we've used for the last 30 years. When you get to pension age you find it more difficult to put on your jeans horizontally! The M allows us to stand up inside whilst it's still fairly compact to stow in the car. It's perfect for the two of us and a very energetic Labrador. The sleeping area is big enough to lie in any direction if the ground slopes and the living space takes stowage boxes to each side whilst still having room for two chairs.

We found the tent very easy to put up but it would have been difficult without watching the video on the Outwell site first. We made copious notes and practised at home. The poles and pockets are now colour coded. You do have to be a bit careful with the poles but as long as you don't tension the pins at the base of the aluminium and blue poles too much before fitting the front red one it's fairly easy. Takes two people locating the ends and supporting the middle though, so as not to bend the red pole too much.

The 'footprint' available as an extra is really a 'must have'. You can put it down on the site when planning where is best for the tent and it helps with putting up the tent as you know where the poles have to go to place the tent exactly on it. It also protects the base of the tent and gives some comfort. However it's putting the tent down that it really comes into its own - especially if it's raining. You do all the folding up on top of it and the tent itself is lovely and clean to pack away. Then you fold up the footprint, wiping down the underneath.

The tent is extremely well made - no lose threads or velcro splitting - and amazingly well thought out. There are things you didn't know you needed, like a zip to let an electric hook up in and velcro fittings to take the wires up to the roof for lights. There's also a channel to catch condensation at the base of the windows and three different 'door' combinations - mosquito net, transparent plastic or curtain.

We had some really hot days on our recent trip to France and the ventilation coped. We also had three days of solid downpour with flood alerts and the lot and somehow the M kept the rain out. Very impressive! The only slight problem in the rain is that you have to have the door closed as the slope would mean the rain would come in, but we were just so thrilled to be in a completely waterproof space.

All in all an excellent tent. We've decided to sell the Vango!

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By: Sharonwells Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: 5 from 10

This is a nice looking tent.But the front pole is very hard to get in.On my first attempt the pole broke at the angled ferrule. Its not very strong and if the tension is too much it snaps in half. I have found since that many others have had the same problem. Even the experienced tent rigger I chatted to said it was hard to fit without it snapping. I have ordered a new pole and will try again.I will extend the steel pole out as much as I can so the tension is not so great. Anyone else got any tips to make it easier.

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Manufacturer's Description

Clearly intended for small-family camping or brief en route stops, the charming Oakland M sleeps 3 persons in a pre-attached inner of breathable polyester. Indoor comfort is enhanced by the surprisingly large amount of standing area made possible by the Outwell Extended Frame System (OEF System), and protected by the fully seam-sealed Outtex 3000 flysheet and the double-coated polyethylene of the Outwell Sealed Ground System (OSG System). Innovative and eye-catching with its large windows, the Oakland M is quick and easy to pitch with only one steel arch, adjustable pegging points, and luminous, pre-attached guys. Other selling points that will please the target group include the O-shaped tent door, the heavy-duty Outwell zips, and the practical Outwell doormat.

Pitching way: Flysheet first or as one
Flysheet: Outtex 4000 with taped seams
Hydrostatic head: 4.000 mm
Inner tent: Breathable polyester
Groundsheet: Sealed Ground System
Pack size: 23 x 70 cm

Features:
•Large windows
•Pre-attached inner tent
•Stow-away O-shaped inner tent door
•Mesh pockets in the inner tent
•Fully seam-sealed flysheet for maximum protection
•Reinforcement patch on all stress points
•Adjustable pegging points
•Pre-attached guylines
•Luminous guylines
•Heavy duty Outwell zips

Optional Extras:
Carpet
Footprint

... there may be more info on their website

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