Camping - looking for a tent

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xpd

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#141130 2-Mar-2014 09:29

We got invited to go camping for this weekend with friends, so last weekend I put up our tent (large 3 "room" - 1st time using it - 2nd hand tent from a friend - "has a small tear") with the help of a friend - found the "small tear" was the entire length of one end of the tent (floor no longer attached to wall) - not end of the world.

So off we go Friday night (running late) and got to the camp area, found our friends were well established and into the "refreshments". Started putting up our tent in the dark... then it bucketed down with rain and (as far as we were concerned) gale force winds but somehow we got the tent up.... ducttape was produced and we taped up the tear.... then i found another hole.... the winds picked up even more and the whole thing started collapsing........ we gave up. Piled into someone elses tent (they had a huge tent with a completely open and unused room yet were very against us using it (gee thanks) but had no choice.

So that tent is now outside in the backyard drying out and maybe someone will take it off our hands and fix it.... (wife wants to take to it with a knife)

But anyway, I'm now looking for a new tent... just a 3-4 person dome style is fine, we dont need "rooms etc, just something simple to put up and sleep in. I found the following on FCO - I have a gift card to put towards it...

Escape Quattro
Wanderer Cascade

Anyone know anything about these brands ? Anyone with tenting experience want to put forward anything I should be looking at when looking for a tent ?

TL;DR
Need new tent - which is better out of the two linked above ?

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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#997506 2-Mar-2014 12:00

Get something you can stand up in. I also like to use a cot...more comfy, warmer, easier to get in and out of...something to sit on...travelling light became a lot less important than comfort at some stage!

xpd

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#997585 2-Mar-2014 14:50

I had a look at the 4 person version of the Cascade today, can stand up in the center, but only need one for sleeping in :) So dont think height is much of an issue for me (and kids will be using it more than me).

Not going to be camping a lot, so dont want to be buying lots of gear thats going to be sitting in the garage most of its life ;) Tent was our main issue this time, seating and everything else was already covered in various ways :)

Cheers

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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JayADee

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#997944 3-Mar-2014 09:03

Standing up is good for changing. It gets tiresome fast hunching over. Change from warm clothes to cool clothes to bathing suit to dry to nightwear etc. A middle stand up area will do. ;)

Kingy

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#997988 3-Mar-2014 10:37

My partner and I got this http://www.kathmandu.co.nz/camping/tents/retreat-60-tent-red-grey.html during the boxing day sales.

Spent a couple of nights in it not long after and were perfectly comfortable (although it was perfect weather so we have had no experience with it in bad weather).

Previously we just had the standard pup tent from the warehouse and this new one has poles almost twice as thick which gives me more faith. Was pretty easy to put up and down (getting it back in the tiny bag was a mission though).

I should say, we got that specifically because of the little 'veranda' bit at the front. Was undercover which made it perfect for taking shoes off because jumping inside. Also made for good storage for things that we didn't want in the tent itself (chairs, cooking utensils etc).

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#998008 3-Mar-2014 10:46

wait for a 50% sale for this

http://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/BYRTFW8GA/title/beyond-getaway-tent

or this one (already 50% off)

http://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/BYRTFN0AT/title/beyond-apartment-family-tent

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tchart

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#998010 3-Mar-2014 10:50

+1 for Kathmandu tents.

We upgraded from a 4 person "single dome" tent to the Kathmadu 270 (currently $439). Amazing difference.

While we (2 adults + 2 kids) fitted fine in the old dome tent its things like having space in the tent which makes it better. With the old tent we had to store the stuff in the tent during the day and then pack everything in the car at night (rinse, repeat etc). Gets a bit old quickly.

Even if its just 2 adults I'd suggest the 180 for the height and storage.

With the 180/270 the floor is sewn into the entire tent while the 60 just has a groundsheet for the external bit.

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#998025 3-Mar-2014 11:03

I have the Kathmandu 270 that I use when I go camping with the car. While I don't like branding on camping gear, the tent is easy to put up and quite spacious - enough to use with some of their camping furniture. I've only used it in moderate rain so far and it seems fine, so cant really say what it would be like in a storm.

When doing proper camping or travelling on the motorcycle - I have a Vango expedition tent that I have had for about 20 years.

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#998117 3-Mar-2014 12:55

We have both a Kathmandu 4 person dome tent (quite old, but perfectly adequate for a night or two) and a Navigator south family-sized tent with three rooms for longer excursion and glamping.

I agree with the comment that the smaller dome tent gets tiresome over longer than a couple of nights, as the bending, crouching, moving gear around becomes a real pain (in my case, a pain in the back).

The large tent we will only use for lionger trips as it's a nightmare to erect and disassemble, but it's great in wind and rain and is comfortable, being well over 6ft tall in the enrite interior of the tent, plus vestibules etc.

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#998198 3-Mar-2014 14:38

I have a freedom 3 room dome tent which you can stand up in every room. Middle room is larger which is handy for using as a "lounge" should the weather turn sour.

Very happy with it, pretty sure it was $799 which sounds a lot but the quality is excellent and its very quick and easy to put up and pack away.

Only downside is its quite heavy i.e. 30kg.