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Thread: Tent recommendations please

  1. #1
    Tramp
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    Tent recommendations please

    Hi All,

    Thankfully my two young (4+6yrs) grandson's seem to have inherited a family fondness of the outdoors, so now the weather is improving slightly, I have decided to buy them a tent and doss bags etc to get them out as much as possible.

    The tents I have in mind at the moment are the Vango Tempest 200/300, the North Ridge Torre and the North Ridge Sphynx. Does anyone here have any personal experience, good or bad, of either of these which they could share please?

    Thanks in advance

    Alan

  2. #2
    Moderator & Poshcrafter™ Martin's Avatar
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    Where are you planning on taking them and for how long?

    Martin
    Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

  3. #3
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    No personal experience with any of those, but I've been told the Tempest can build up a fair bit of condensation on the inside.

    Like Martin says though, it depends where you're going, and for how long.

    Sleeping bag wise, in mild weather, the tesco microlite and ultralite are fantastic bags for the money. They pack down really small and don't weigh much either.
    Jack of all trades-Master of none

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  4. #4
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    I've just noticed "Mountainous" looks a little like Martin, when he's wearing his bucket hat
    Jack of all trades-Master of none

    Savage Bushcraft YouTube channel

  5. #5
    Moderator & Poshcrafter™ Martin's Avatar
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    Oi!! I don't wear a bucket hat.

    Martin
    Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

  6. #6
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    Ok, ok, it's a fishing hat

    Jack of all trades-Master of none

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  7. #7
    Native Marvell's Avatar
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    I've not used with of the above but have a Coleman Phad x3 and have not a bad word to say about it. Three poles, six pegs and it's up. It has additional lines for when it's windy, as you'd expect, but I find it a good size, well ventilated and super weatherproof. There might have been models up from it since, but it suits me fine.
    Steve Marvell
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  8. #8
    Moderator jus_young's Avatar
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    Just bought 9 of the Vango DS Arks for the Scouts. There are different sizes available and the tents really look pretty good but won't get chance to try them in anger till later in the month.

  9. #9
    Tribal Elder Kernowek Scouser's Avatar
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    I've no experience of any of those tents.

    But, just to muddy the waters, I have got a couple of recommendations you might want to consider.

    If you are looking to get your youngsters a tent each, then you may want to consider either the Gelert Solo or the Vango Banshee 200. I used to have a Banshee 200 and it was a cracking little tent, light, easy to pitch, low wind profile, could take a battering from the elements and roomy enough for yourself and a bit of kit inside and the rest stowed under the outer. Sadly it got damaged in storage. I fully intended to replace it, but stumbled upon a £10 deal for the Solo and thought I would have a pop. It is smaller, less technical tent and the stated hydrostatic head is a piddling 1500, but has served me as well, if not better than the Banshee. I have found the Solo to be the ideal tent, when I've been wandering between campsites on my lonesome, weighs next to nothing, easy to pitch, can take more of a bettering the the HH would suggest and packs up quick and easy. You can pick them up online for £20 and I believe it would be an ideal starter tent for a budding outdoors man.

    If you want to intend to get the lads a tent to share, then you could again get them the Banshee 200 as it would comfortably accommodate two kids (or you and one of them - just about) but little else, or you could go for the 300 and get both lads and all there kit inside the tent (or you and them in the tent and you gear stowed under the outer). I briefly owned a 300 when I was courting and my ex girlfriend had no complaints about that tent (she complained about everything else, but not the tent).

    If you are tempted by the Banshee 200, before you buy it, have a gander at the Gelert Mongoose. It is a lot less technical and the stated HH is again 1500, but you can pick one up for £30 - £40 and like the Solo, it can take a fair bit of battering. A mate of mine let me have a loan of his Mongoose and it is a cracking tent. If I buy another tent this year, it will be a Mongoose (and a big tin of Fabsil).

    Anyway, that might help, or not.

    Happy Camping

  10. #10
    Moderator jus_young's Avatar
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    Here is another thread looking at tent options including my view on the Banshee 200 that I was using before becoming a hammock convert.

    http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/fo...-Two-Skin-Tent

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