Reply With QuoteI won’t recommend a specific tent but cotswold outdoors typically do a roving tent sale every year. You get to try out most of their tents and usually have a good price. Might be worth checking it out.
Before my daughters were born, my wife and I use to take our VW T5 away for weekends at a time all year round. We love being out and about.
Now we have a car and 2 little girls we are looking take them camping for the first time.
I want to do it properly so am looking for a decent 8 berth tent.
I have been looking at the Hi Gear Oasis Elite 8 but before I hit checkout, can anyone recommend an alternative?
Budget around £600.
Thanks
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I won’t recommend a specific tent but cotswold outdoors typically do a roving tent sale every year. You get to try out most of their tents and usually have a good price. Might be worth checking it out.
Great. Thanks for the heads up.Originally Posted by canuck
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You could also try Richard III Camping Supplies. I understand that now is the discount of their winter tents.
Hi gear is mostly cheap Chinese.
Outwell, Vango, Robens or Coleman are better.
Massive sale at Go Outdoors, have a look:
http://m.gooutdoors.co.uk/camping/tents
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Get an Outwell, any Outwell.
We have an 8 berth air tent from Berghaus that we use for our family if 5. Good spec and decent headroom too (some 8 berth tents have a low height). The air tent aspect makes it really easy to put up and take down. We have not had a problem stowing it after use.
Got it from blacks who normally do an additional 10% off deal. Paid £584 in 2016.
It comes in a big single bag (No poles) so you would need an estate/SUV/MPV or a car with a roofbox.
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Berghaus Air 8 now available for £560 from Blacks with 20% off. Bargain.
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For some reason I love threads like this, even though I have no intention of buying a tent.
My ex and her husband have an 8 berth air tent; it sounds like a mansion with a kitchen, wardrobes etc. Fortunately her husband has a van as it sounds like they need one with all the equipment they take with them!
Air beam tents have come a long way pretty quickly and when I'm in the market for a new large tent then it will be an air beam, why? The quickest way to ruin the start of the holiday is an argument on putting the tent up, in our family it always happens, before I struggle to put it up solo.
Look at the hydrostatic head rating for your tent, cheaper tents will be lower but I look for the higher the better, my hike tent is 5000mm HH and I've been out in some horrid weather and woken dry, those in tents with a lower rating came out a little damp.
For a family tent I would look for a large living area as if the weather does turn for the worse you want somewhere you can spend some time in the tent.
I’m after a tent....but that looks massive! I suppose with 3 kids that would be a good thing for me though!
Yes, get a hotel, or at least a B&B.
Sorry not too helpful, it just brought back some horrible memories the 'fun' of camping.
I do remember the good brand names from back in the day, Vango, Berghaus (good but over priced) Colemans. I see not much changes
This may be of use
https://www.independent.co.uk/extras...0-9420515.html
This looks great.
I now have a dilemma. Do I go for the Berghaus air 8 and spend any left over money for additional extras, or do I push the budget and go for the Berghaus air 6 XL with more living space?
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In Costco in Bristol we spotted this.
Looked big as it was set up on display. Might be a option. Sorry no picture of tent itself.
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We’ve got a Robens Cabin 600 and it’s a great tent. One of the few designs that lets you open doors in the rain without getting lots of water inside the tent.
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I ended up buying this....thanks for the tip! What watch is best to wear when inflating a massive tent?
An automatic would get a full charge it you plan to inflate it by hand!I ended up buying this....thanks for the tip! What watch is best to wear when inflating a massive tent?
What sleeping pads are you using? In my experience if you get the first trip right they’ll love camping forever. If it’s not comfy it can sometimes be harder to convince people to go again.
Last edited by canuck; 26th April 2018 at 20:58.
Not got any sleeping pads yet! That could be a whole new thread....
I bought a large (can't remember the model no. right now), Hi Gear tent last year with porch, footprint and carpet as it was at a budget I could stand. I was pleased with it and it stood up very well to some extremely heavy downpours when I was in the Pyrenee's and Alps last year on a 3 week cycling trip. It also withstood some storm with a name I have forgotten when I was at Mother Ivy's bay in September last year !
Of course being cheaper lets see how it performs this season - although camping for me is prob out of the question this year as I'm currently incapacitated due to very recently suffering a fractured hip :(
- - - Updated - - -
that made me chuckle :)
Deserved more recognition :)
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Great choice. Don't over inflate as the supplied pump only needs a few pumps. Your pitching and takedown will be half the time of similar sized pole tent. Very easy for 2 people (one pumps and the other guides the airbeams) but you can pitch and takedown on your own too.I ended up buying this....thanks for the tip! What watch is best to wear when inflating a massive tent?
The only time you really need 2 people for is getting it compacted enough to fit back into the bag. Found this is the case with any large tent (had a Higear Corado 8 before this and getting the trapped air out was a pain too)
I would consider getting the footprint (or a correctly sized tarp) too.
Automatic chrono recommended whilst inflating to time your pitching :-)
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That Air 6XL looks great. I needed 4 bedrooms that the Air 8 offered (kids get their own space) but that living area in the 6XL is a winner.
Get a footprint or tarp to protect the groundsheet. I have a carpet from my old tent that I use too for added comfort.
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Footprint and carpet bought too. Thanks for the timely advice everyone.
Agreed
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
We started camping again two years ago after a fifteen year break and it’s such a chill.
To get away, and we generally stay close to home, and do nothing for a weekend is great it feels like a week away.
I am sure you will have great fun.
Pitch
Timely thread as we have a camping trip at the end of May and the wife is hassling for a air beam tent.
Watched a few YouTube vids and one thing caught my eye in some of the demo vids, some tents look to have nice dark sleeping areas, our current tent hasn't, the walls are just normal tent fabric like the rest of it and the dawn light means we wake up with the sunlight which isn't ideal. Is it a normal feature these days to have dark sleeping areas or is it something to actively look for?
That Berghaus air 8 doesn't look that dark to me.
Cheers..
Jase
We are seasoned campers and take eye masks and ear plugs for camping. Just bought a Vango Amalfi air tent for weekend duties to go with the Outwell Montana and Out well Minnesota and Outwell Cloud. Whatever you do invest in a good matt to sleep on. We use out well dreamboats and they are the business.
Cheap tents are false economy, I've been there.
We've had an Outwell for a few years now and cannot fault it. If you can stretch to one you won't be disappointed.
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Haha...not just me then!
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It is not that dark but i find it dark enough. It is darker than my previous hi gear.
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I've just pulled the trigger!
I went for the Berghaus Air 6 XL, footprint, 2 adult chairs, 2 kids chairs, gas stove, electrical hook up, fold out dining table and chairs, double sleeping bag, double inflatable bed, electric pump, 3 tent lights.
All for a little over £850 after the 20% Blacks discount.
Thanks for all the advice
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Last edited by Taylor; 28th April 2018 at 23:07.
Post some pics up when you use it please. Looks great tent.
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Will do. Will now need to buy a good car roof box to fit it all in.
Well that's all the watch fund gone, but hopefully money well spent on many happy family holidays to come.
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Watch the weight in the roof box as you do not want it too top heavy. Perfect place for the bulky stuff like bedding, bed mats, camping chairs, etc
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you must have been choosing the wrong campsites......
Last edited by jmitch; 29th April 2018 at 01:48.
Very good. I laughed disturbingly hard the first time I saw a mock up of an outdoors shop with that.
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