I have been toying with getting myself a new tent with mosquito/ midge net for family camping outings, canoeing trips and a good general all rounder. I currently have a Vango Tempest 300 which is a good size for me on my own but get cramped when my daughter comes along for the trip. Its almost impossible to move when we are all inside it!
Currently for family getaways we have a 4 man, 2 bedroom Gelert which is about 10 years old. Before Heather came along we only hung one bedroom up and used the rest as a lounge/dining area when it was raining. The big issue with this tent is that, when packed away, it takes up the size of a suitcase! Its only ever used if we can camp near the car and has never been taken into the woods as you need a lot of space to put it up. Also its a struggle for one person to erect when there is very little more than a 2 on the beaufort scale!
We have been toying with the idea of getting a Lavvu style tent and are currently looking at the Shangri-La 5 as that seems to offer a very versatile and adaptable package. You can have it as a conventional flysheet over a one piece ground sheet and bug net combined inner. You can also erect it without the inner and have it as a stand alone flysheet or visa versa.
Does anyone have any experience with the Shangri-La range of tents? what's the build quality like?
I would love to get a Tentipi as all the reports I have read say they are the best and you cannot beat them for versatility and durability. However, the price of a Tentipi puts me off as its a massive outlay and quite frankly, well out of my budget! By the time I have bought a 5 man outer and then the inner tent I will be looking at the guts of £1500!!!!
Does anybody else have any recommendations for a lightweight, durable and compact style tent that has enough room for 3 people and still have room to swing a cat?
Currently for family getaways we have a 4 man, 2 bedroom Gelert which is about 10 years old. Before Heather came along we only hung one bedroom up and used the rest as a lounge/dining area when it was raining. The big issue with this tent is that, when packed away, it takes up the size of a suitcase! Its only ever used if we can camp near the car and has never been taken into the woods as you need a lot of space to put it up. Also its a struggle for one person to erect when there is very little more than a 2 on the beaufort scale!
We have been toying with the idea of getting a Lavvu style tent and are currently looking at the Shangri-La 5 as that seems to offer a very versatile and adaptable package. You can have it as a conventional flysheet over a one piece ground sheet and bug net combined inner. You can also erect it without the inner and have it as a stand alone flysheet or visa versa.
Does anyone have any experience with the Shangri-La range of tents? what's the build quality like?
I would love to get a Tentipi as all the reports I have read say they are the best and you cannot beat them for versatility and durability. However, the price of a Tentipi puts me off as its a massive outlay and quite frankly, well out of my budget! By the time I have bought a 5 man outer and then the inner tent I will be looking at the guts of £1500!!!!
Does anybody else have any recommendations for a lightweight, durable and compact style tent that has enough room for 3 people and still have room to swing a cat?
