Family Tent

[Tank]

It looks like go get the girlfriend out camping I am going to have to up the comfort level from my bushcraft kit to more of a family setup too.

I have been looking around the web and on the forum and the girlfriend has taken a liking to the Vango Icarus 500

Is there anything else worth taking a look at?

Her rules are:
She must be able to stand up in it.
Fit 4 or 5 people in with gear and not feel cramped.
And no more than £150

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[sandbag47]

I have the same problem with my wife, her minimum camping is normally an electric hook-up. But we have just got a weekend tent that she agrees with and she and my eldest daughter can put it up without my help and within half an hour.
Here it is I got it from go outdoors.
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-rock-4-tent-p207083

 

[spiritwalker]

a friend has the icarus and she loves it she can put it up by herself..

 

[rik_uk3]

http://www.charliesdirect.co.uk/pro...amping-tent?gclid=CMGsiJj1j7cCFc3HtAodKjQAFQ#

I've got the 8 man version, its a well made tent, plenty of ventilation, roll up windows; great family glamper tent.

 

[redandshane]

The fact that she has taken a liking to the Icarus is a huge factor; and the offer at Go Outdoors is very good
For a summer camping family tent its often worth taking a look at Halfords as they often have deals and you can get extra comfort items at reduced prices
We got ours from there years ago and its been very good I must admit

 

[Broomstickize]

We looked at the Icarus and ended up going for the Calisto - basically the same tent with metal poles.

Sturdy (probably a lot to do with the poles) and the finishing isn't too bad - i.e. you'll find some bits of fly sewn in and the stitching might be a tad drunk in places on the inner, etc. but nothing I saw that'd affect the tent staying together. Fabric is on the thin side so you'll have to watch trapping it in pole joints, etc but it's come through some serious rain without a problem and even took a thumb thick branch fall trying to spear it.

I think most of the tents at this price point are going to be much the same so unless you are advised that a particular brand or model is a howler. For £150 after discuonts you are going to get something useable for spring - late summer that will do fine.

 

[jacko1066]

its a little bit more than your budget but I use 1 of these - http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-zenobia-6-p148235

There are 6 of us and it houses us all with ease!!
Plenty of room for us all to sit in the living area too!!

Cheers
Steve

 

[Tank]

Cheers guys looks like we're off to get the Icarus 500 later.

I think for the price it looks like a decent family tent.

Next will be more comfort to sleep on. And then after a few night out get the girlfriend to ditch the luxury and get into the woods

 

[ged]

Wouldn't it be cheaper, easier and generally more fun to have more girlfriends?

 

[Tank]

Went to gooutdoors and had a look around the tents. Some tents were amazing but sadly a few hundred over our budget. The icarus 500 seems like a good price so we got it.

If I had the cash then I would loved to have got one of the metal poles as they seemed very solid.

It was good to go to see the tents up and get an idea of what they were like before you buy.

The girlfriend got a sleeping bag too while there and we got the extra groundsheet (hopefully that's not £30 wasted)

We're going to test put it up when the sun comes back and rain goes away as I guy I work with told me of his failed trip south when he tried to pitch his new tent to find the poles were missing (already checked there in the icuras)

My son testing out his bed

And the girlfriend testing out her sleeping bag

And 30mins later

Thanks for the advice.