Inflatable tents - any experience with these?

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Gurezaemon

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#2641215 24-Jan-2021 21:17

I've just come back from camping at Tauranga Bay in Whangaroa, with very strong winds for several days.

I made a point of talking to people with inflatable tents and gazebos - to a person they loved them. Comments such as "Yeh, even if it collapses in the wind, you just get under it and pop it right back up again" were the norm.

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MadameMoot

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#2645346 1-Feb-2021 16:36

Jaxson:

Quick question, but did the Enterprise 2 Inflatable Air Tent have a internal body and separate full fly setup?

The Torpedo 7 variant does not have a fly, and instead only the sleeping pods include a separation gap.
It's like the pods are tents within and the main tent itself is the fly, if that makes sense?

That approach is quite unusual for a nylon tent not to have a full fly / internal dome configuration.

Hi Jaxson,

After the advice from @jonathan18 I went with the enterprise 2 and we had our first camp trip with it last week. It was brilliant and I can't fault it at all. The setup is similar to what you describe for the torpedo 7 - no fly, but sleep pods. I just love that I can get the tent up and packed down quickly and without help.

We had one really windy night but it handled it really well.

I like the sound of blackout material on the sleep pods, but not sure my kids would fall for it. camping tends to mean late nights but that doesn't bother me.

I got the Enterprise on sale for $999 which was a big decision but now I've got it, I think it's money well spent. Dwight's customer service was excellent too, as I had issued getting afterpay to work, so they helped sort it out over the phone.

Jaxson

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#2645669 2-Feb-2021 09:34

Thanks,

We've gone with the Torpedo 7 600 option for now, the Dwights one is not available anymore until much later in the year.

Put it up in the back yard for several days, including some windy ones.

I'm fully sold on the inflatable approach and found it more solid and forgiving than the standard fiberglass poles approach.

Still prefer canvas over nylon as a tent material, as much less noisy for one and doesn't degrade in our sun as fast, but overall the inflatable approach gives a great result.

The 600 model with the blackout means the main full end sleeping pod is genuinely lined with blackout material and works incredibly well. It's a feature I'd never thought of but in practise is great.

Suspect we'll use it with kids in that end and parents in the main body of the tent without a pod. Not ideal but best use of space.

The 600 and dwights models both seem very long so may be limiting on layout depending on the camp site allowance (thinking typical 8m x 8m at say Kennedy Park Napier).

With the guy ropes (there are heaps compared to just a handful with canvas) the tent takes quite a large area, and if the ground is hard there will be more pegs to hammer in than previously with canvas.

There is no real covered entranceway with the 600, and where the canvas was two rooms and a large open awning, this is essentially 3 room spaces all within the tent.

Bottom line though, we use ours for maybe two trips a year, so hard to justify many thousands of dollars on more expensive tents, and we don't have the car space for anything larger really.

The inflatable approach is really good, saving a heap of time over pole assembly and allows everyone to get on with the internal setup a lot faster than normal.

Means everyone can be helping, rather than longer down periods where poles are assembled.

I'm sold and may even consider an inflatable canvas tent at a later date. Thanks for everyone comments here.

3puttssuck

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#2645717 2-Feb-2021 11:30

Jaxson:

Thanks,

We've gone with the Torpedo 7 600 option for now, the Dwights one is not available anymore until much later in the year.

Put it up in the back yard for several days, including some windy ones.

I'm fully sold on the inflatable approach and found it more solid and forgiving than the standard fiberglass poles approach.

Still prefer canvas over nylon as a tent material, as much less noisy for one and doesn't degrade in our sun as fast, but overall the inflatable approach gives a great result.

The 600 model with the blackout means the main full end sleeping pod is genuinely lined with blackout material and works incredibly well. It's a feature I'd never thought of but in practise is great.

Suspect we'll use it with kids in that end and parents in the main body of the tent without a pod. Not ideal but best use of space.

The 600 and dwights models both seem very long so may be limiting on layout depending on the camp site allowance (thinking typical 8m x 8m at say Kennedy Park Napier).

With the guy ropes (there are heaps compared to just a handful with canvas) the tent takes quite a large area, and if the ground is hard there will be more pegs to hammer in than previously with canvas.

There is no real covered entranceway with the 600, and where the canvas was two rooms and a large open awning, this is essentially 3 room spaces all within the tent.

Bottom line though, we use ours for maybe two trips a year, so hard to justify many thousands of dollars on more expensive tents, and we don't have the car space for anything larger really.

The inflatable approach is really good, saving a heap of time over pole assembly and allows everyone to get on with the internal setup a lot faster than normal.

Means everyone can be helping, rather than longer down periods where poles are assembled.

I'm sold and may even consider an inflatable canvas tent at a later date. Thanks for everyone comments here.

Re the pegs. I got some screw pegs from Amazon late last year. They were about $110NZD total for 50. They have a 13mm nut on top that you use a battery drill with. I used them at Christmas and it made it so much easier / quicker.

lapimate

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#2645720 2-Feb-2021 11:48

Andychchnz: ... go through there return process which is slow to say the least...

Are the airtubes separate replaceable inner tubes? DIY or not - can one carry a spare tube?

One might expect the design to incorporate pressure relief valves.

jonathan18

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#2645726 2-Feb-2021 12:12

I know you're replying to a post about the Torpedo 7 tents, but in relation to the Dwight's ones I can confirm they both include a pressure relief valve and one can purchase new 'poles' at a pretty affordable price, eg

https://dwights.co.nz/collections/tents/products/replacement-airpole-for-enterprise-tents-short

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MikeB4

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#2645730 2-Feb-2021 12:18

The large awning on our caravan is inflatable. The supplied pump works in two ways, that is, to inflate and deflate the tubes. This pump is a stirrup pump design and is dead easy to use and only takes a few seconds to inflate. If we were to over inflate the tube it will release air automatically when the pump is disconnected. So far we have had no issues and have never needed to top up the tubes while staying at a location.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Jaxson

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#2645740 2-Feb-2021 12:51

lapimate:

One might expect the design to incorporate pressure relief valves.

There is a pressure relief valve on the pump itself, to limit to a max pressure when inflating (7psi from memory?).

This is a blow off type, where air is diverted out the top when the limit is reached, and you can hear that sound.

Would watch doing this when really cold, as if got very hot later one you'd risk the beam pressure exceeding this.

The tubes are held in via material loops etc so could be replaced easily if spares are available.

jonathan18:

I know you're replying to a post about the Torpedo 7 tents, but in relation to the Dwight's ones I can confirm they both include a pressure relief valve and one can purchase new 'poles' at a pretty affordable price, eg

https://dwights.co.nz/collections/tents/products/replacement-airpole-for-enterprise-tents-short

Yeah Torpedo 7 don't list spares for their air tents separately. You're buying a generic 'home brand' option through them, which I hope they'll start supporting better longer term if they are popular.
These tents are so similar I wonder if their spares would fix the Torpedo option anyway 🤔

mortonman

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#2646070 2-Feb-2021 17:51

My 2 cents worth on inflatable tents.

I have just come back from 9 days up north. 4 main tents - all inflatable. 2 T7 500, 1 zempire canvas airforce 1 ( proverbial brick Shouse) and my partner and i were in our new zempire evo TM inflatable tent. So easy to put up and pack down.

I have owned a large dwights canvas and a few normal nylon pole tents.

Only gripes with the inflatable were

1. Hotter than either canvas or nylon pole tent. I think the lack of a fly and no rear door to encourage direct airflow meant this was one of the hottest tents ive been in. Too hot for afternoon siestas.

2. We took the bedroom pod out as it took up a lot of space and blocked the rear mesh window and lower vents. Our friends both with T7 inflatable tents did the same thing. Tent feels much bigger

3. The side door was next to the "hinge" of the front door. Once the fridge and table were set up we couldnt use both doors and had to block the side door. Switching the side door to the other side would make furniture placement much better

4. The guy straps (not ropes) vibrated in certain wind conditions - annoying at night.

5. Could do with a couple of storage pockets in the tent fly. Lots of storage if we left the bedroom pod in.

Pluses

1. Easy to put up and take down. Usually the last of our group to get the tent packed up. Not this time. First to lock up the trailer!

2. Bag is great. Large Duffel bag with compression straps. Don't need to squeeze the life out of the tent to fit it in the bag.

3. Was quite windy for a couple of days. Tent didn't move. Quite impressed

4. Front porch area was great for storing the chilly bin, towels etc. Also meant that if raining you could enter the tent without rain run off from the tent getting in. (this was the reason I didnt go for the T7). Had the porch awning and used the mesh attachment to keep bugs and rodents/hedgehogs out at night. Didn't need the waterproof door even in the rain.

5. Perfect size for a couple with enough space to move about in. Kids now in their own pup tents.

6. Lots of light during the day, easy to close up windows at night.

7. Velcro ties along the beams to fix lights or power lead to. Couple of lantern hooks as well.

8 Wider than standard nylon pole tents so feels roomier when loaded up with bedding and gear.

Note: We camp in groups and spend most of our time under gazebos so not sure how cooking/living in the tent would go. Tent only used for sleeping and storage.

Jaxson

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#2646083 2-Feb-2021 18:49

That last bit is really us now as well. No longer require the tent for living full time, just sleeping and storage.
For that reason I’m not sure the big Dwights/T7 600 are what we need, as close to same length but we lose the outdoor area a 2 room canvas plus room sized awning gave us.

jonb

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#2680248 25-Mar-2021 11:20

Some good offers on inflatable tents at the moment.

Torpedo7 have 40% off: https://www.torpedo7.co.nz/shop/camping/inflatable-tentswith extra 10% off if get from TheMarket

I'm actually getting a Decathlon 4 person one, I missed out when they were available at the start of the season:

https://www.decathlon.nz/collections/tents-and-shelters only $370 for the non black out version. Had a decathlon tunnel tent I brought over from UK 13 years ago and still holding up ok being used a couple of long weekends a year.

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