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Tent Reviews: Quechua 3 Seconds

Tent and Awning Reviews Index  >  Quechua  >  3 Seconds Reviews

Current Model?
Berths:
Weight:
RRP on date added:
Bedroom inners:
Living area groundsheet:
Pitching Style:
Discontinued
3  (more 3 berth tents)
4.50 KG
£44.95
1
N/A
Pop up
Average User Rating:
8.4/10 from 10 reviews

Viewed: 30884 times

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10 Reviews of the 3 Seconds

By: Alicemaylara  Reason: I own(ed) one  Made in: 2016   Rating: 

SO easy to put up and fold away (I like to show other campers how easy it is and feel smug when I do it in 60secs whilst others are struggling with a Vango! It fits 2 people, 3 is unrealistic. Lack of porch is solved by taking a Tarp with you too. A window somewhere would be good. Value for money is excellent and it has NEVER leaked and that's saying something because the Lake District is never dry! Quechua are excellent - I wouldn't buy from any other brand now.
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By: Snaprails  Reason: I own(ed) one  Made in: 2007   Rating: 

Excellent value and superbly well made we've had 2 main holidays in this tent and a couple of shorter trips. It really is so much easier to pitch & strike than any other dome tent and very spacious inside for 2. Only downside we've found is the lack of 'porch' over the door means it's hard to keep rain from coming in when entering or leaving but that apart we're sufficiently impressed to have supplemented it with the later 2 Seconds III for when the kids came with us.
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By: ChoudrysOnHoliday  Reason: I own(ed) one  Made in: 2007   Rating: 

This tent was my first tentative step into camping and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a doddle to erect and I have had no problems packing it away either, to be honest, I have been getting slacker and slacker in the way I pack it up and it still seems to fit in the bag every time. Easily sleeps 1 adult and a couple of kids. Would agree with comments that this is not a tent to be carrying on ones back though.

I guess having an porch would have been the icing on the cake and gave it (only!) 9/10 for this reason.
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By: Chinagirl  Reason: I own(ed) one  Made in: 2007   Rating: 

I bought the Quecha 3 second tent as a present for my teenage son, so he could camp with the family but have his own space. The tent itself is good, just throw it in the air and its up, peg down the guys and your in it. Enough room inside for ample double bed, and some kit. However, in my opinion, the tent looses points as I have yet to get it back in the bag. Try and try, I still cannot get it folded down small enough. Even watching the video, still no joy.
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By: Mikey b  Reason: I own(ed) one  Made in: 2008   Rating: 

Everything has been covered by the users below, however it is worth mentioning that these decathlon tents have a 3000mm static head which is often a lot better than more traditional and expensive tents available elsewhere and which obviously helps when camping in Britain! Only 4 guy lines are included but when used correctly the tent is very stable in high winds. I also use extra pegs on the poles at ground level, just to make sure.
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By: Spikey_fridge  Reason: I own(ed) one  Made in: 2009   Rating: 

Brilliant lightweight easy to put up, fold away tent,once got the knack. Holds well in gales and the rain and is waterproof too.

Plenty of room for single camper and stuff which fits nicely and neatly round the sides. Has two pockets inside which I havent used as yet but handy for keeping mobile phone or matches out of the way
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By: Jola  Reason: I own(ed) one  Made in: 2006   Rating: 

This is one of the range of the original pop-up tents, very well designed and now much copied by other manufacturers. Quechua is one of the own brand names of the French sports hypermarket chain Decathlon. They have many stores across France but only a few in the UK.

Like Smudger1 I bought the '3-second' tent in France, and it's been fantastic. I believe the '3' is no longer in the current range but presumably the '2-second XL' is very similar.

Putting the tent up is very easy and quick but, as others have noted, there's a knack to folding it back down. Decathlon store staff are trained in the technique; they will demonstrate and let you have a go in the store. It just takes a little practice BUT be aware that the '3-second' tent is rather larger than the '2-second' and it helps to have long arms as you need to stretch and push! It has a flysheet and inner and pitches all-in-one.

Two of us have camped in this tent many times over 3 years with no problems, including in very wet and windy weather. It's never leaked and is sturdy when guyed.

We tend to use it (1) For weekend or overnight breaks where we want to pitch and strike camp quickly and easily and (2) Ancillary to our main tent for longer breaks. If we arrive on site in the dark or rain we pitch this tent to get ourselves settled and then pitch our main tent at leisure when possible. Also we generally pack away our large tent the day before we leave and sleep in this tent for the last night, leaving ourselves a hassle-free relaxed final morning before departure . Especially useful if our big tent is dry the day before we leave the site and rain is forecast that night or for the morning. (Sorry if this strategy is blindingly obvious to you seasoned campers on this website - please forgive me for teaching my grandmothers to suck eggs!)

I agree with the comment about the lack of a porch being a drawback. We sometimes use a small tarp (actually one of those really cheap green weave-type groundsheets) into which we've punched eyelets. Extended over the doorway and back over the tent for stability, and braced with guys and the first couple of sections of some canopy poles (ie not at their full height), this makes a porch under which to cook and sit out, and extra shelter. With a bit of trial and error this is really effective (as we found out in particular during three days and nights of continuous heavy rain at the Dan-yr-Ogof site in Wales . Happy days .)

Though there's no built-in porch overhead, there's a small porch in terms of a narrow storage area at ground level between the tent door 'frame' (flysheet) and the sewn-in groundsheet of the inner; this is ideal for stowing muddy boots and wet gear. Bit of a theme emerging on the weather front as you'll have gathered. Much of our camping is in Wales, 'nuff said.

We used to use a double airbed in the '3' and would then have a bit of room to spare at the front where we could just about fit a couple of small, very low folding chairs (Decathlon sell just the thing) from which to watch the rain. We now take two single airbeds which, alongside each other, give less spare room at night but can be stacked on top of each other to leave more room for manoeuvre during the day. Again sorry if this is what you all do in small tents and don't need telling!

Personally I find it difficult to sleep in a tent with pale walls in the sleeping area. The inner of the version of the '3' we have (don't know if this applies to all the range) is black silk-like very fine mesh fabric. I see the blurb says it's breathable polyester. This dark interior is restful and gives the tent a really cosy feel inside. (My OH says with enthusiasm that it reminds him of a harem . Hmmmm .)

The blurb at the end of this page says the '3' can easily accommodate 3 people: I'd say that's not realistic - it's comfortable for 2 but I don't think three would fit 'easily' unless everyone had narrow mats. Maybe others could comment - anyone tried it with 3 adults?

The blurb also says that it can be carried on your back. There are straps for this but don't even think about it with the '3' unless you want to draw attention to yourself NOT IN A GOOD WAY by looking like a flattened beetle, and are prepared to battle considerable wind resistance. You won't be back-packing with this tent so do the elegant thing and just carry it from the car like a sensible person, yeah?

The single doorway has an insect mesh layer as well as the main flysheet fabric, and there are a couple of ventilation vents. However if you're planning on camping in very hot weather you might want to check out the 'Air' versions of these tents for more ventilation.

Over the years Decathlon have added other refinements to the range. As far as I know you can't get these tents delivered or sold through suppliers other than Decathlon. Really the best thing to do is to get yourself to a store and explore the latest options - and get the staff to demo folding these tents down if you're not familiar with pop-ups. Decathlon have a good range of camping and other sports equipment/ clothing and are well worth a visit if you can get to them.

After three years' camping with the '3' I'd definitely buy another Decathlon/Quechua when the time comes - though ours is still going strong. Highly recommended and only loses one point for lack of built-in porch.
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By: Steelhead31  Reason: I own(ed) one  Made in: 2006   Rating: 

I bought this tent in September 2006, its been used plenty of times, mostly for 1 or 2 night stays and those quick weekend escapes.

I can't recommend this tent highly enough, its been fantastic in some pretty terrible conditions, heavy rain, snow, hail and some pretty strong winds, and hasn't had a single leak, or any other problem.

The positives are that it's easy to put up. 3 seconds pretty much covers it, there's plenty of room for 2 or 3 people to sleep, assuming its just an overnight or couple of nights stay, and its very very good in bad weather.

The only downsides are a lack of a porch, its too small for much more than a day or two away, with having to cook outside, and of course there is a knack to putting it away. Though with a couple of practice attempts it does become much much easier.

All things considered as a weekend tent for a couple of people, its ideal and has allowed me to get away for the odd night, when taking the bigger tents would have made the trip significantly less attractive.
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By: Pokemoncraig  Reason: I've seen one  Made in: 2008   Rating: 

As a single parent with a 9 year old I fast discovered erecting a conventional tent on my own was not going to be possible. I saw this at a UK campsite meet and was so impressed I immediately went out and bought one. Did our first camp without having to call for help, tent and everything was organised in less than 10 minutes. Fantastic! walked around for hours saying ' I love this tent, I love this tent'. The downside if it has one is it is ideal as a short break tent but it is a bit small for a long camp also folding it was tricky but the quechua website and You Tube helped a lot. Got there in the end.

And finally I still love this tent
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By: Smudger1  Reason: I own(ed) one  Made in: 2006   Rating: 

I bought this tent in France in 2006. So easy to put up. Took a few trys to get it back in the bag though! I've got the hang of it now, and the video on the Decathlon site is useful.

Spacious tent for 2 or 3, we had 2 adults & 2 children in it 1 night. That was a bit of a squash.

Awkward for me to store, as it is a large disc shape, and won't go through my hatch in the loft!

Great for the odd night or two away or a stopover tent on a longer journey.
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Manufacturer's Description

Instant pop up tent. Up in seconds, down in 15 seconds.

Designed for camping, for 3 hikers looking for an instant pitching free-standing tent.

Instant pitching! Free-standing, stays taut even without tent pegs. If there is no wind, you can even choose not to use tent pegs. Folds down: in 15 seconds. Tip: leave the doors open for easier
folding (the tent "deflates" faster).

Flat, 100cm diameter disc when packed

Sleeping compartment is 2.45m x 2m. Can easily accommodate 3, ideal for 2. Space between the sleeping area and the flysheet is protected.

Access: High Door. 1 zip

Venitlation: 1 roof ventilation flap + 2 low side flaps. sleeping area made from breathable polyester. 2-way zip on the flysheet door.

Waterproofing: Polyurethane-coated polyester fly sheet. Heat sealed watertight seams. 120g/m2 polyethylene groundsheet. Like all Quechua tents, the waterproofing has been particularly well-developed, approved in lab tests (tent shower up to 450 litres/h/m2!) and on field tests

For carrying the tent occasionally on your back

... there may be more info on their website

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