Show us yer tents!

[Brian.T]

Ive just got myself a cheapie tent for quick getaways - a Cascada 4

http://www.xs-stock.co.uk/shopimages/products/normal/CASCADA--Cascada4.jpg

I put it up in the garden yesterday and it hasnt stopped raining since

Ive also got an 8 man Litchfield frame tent (about 8-9 years old) but dont have a photo. The frame for this weighs a ton! Its tubular steel. In fact the canvas weighs a ton too!!

Ive also got two older ridge tents (2man and 4man) but they are on the way out so I wont be keeping them.

If all goes to plan I will hopefully be getting a bigger tent like this one.

http://www.campersparadiseuk.com/biggerimages/wsaturn6.jpg

This one looks fun though!

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/ishop/images/800/falcon_bivi_tent.jpg

What type of tent do you have?

 

[rik_uk3]

Golite Hex 3 and nest insert


Fantastic bit of kit

 

[Brian.T]

Hi Rik. That blends in well with the surrounding scenery. Is it a 2 man?

 

[Jodie]

I'm borrowing my neighbours' tent but I've not seen it yet - I might get to put it up in the
garden tomorrow, but not if it's raining. I'd rather a dry day for my first tent building
experience. Looking forwards to trying it out though...

 

[Brian.T]

I'm borrowing my neighbours' tent but I've not seen it yet - I might get to put it up in the
garden tomorrow, but not if it's raining. I'd rather a dry day for my first tent building
experience. Looking forwards to trying it out though...

The forecast isnt very promising for you (or me) tomorrow Jodie. I think my tent is going to stay where it is till it stops raining so that it gets a chance to dry out.

BBC forecast for London & the South East tomorrow is...Cloudy and cold with rain for much of the day. Fresh north or northwest winds.

Sorry

 

[Jodie]

That's a shame for the tent plans, but personally I'm delighted. I prefer rainy grey to
sunny and bright, although I don't like being out in it. It's just lovely to be inside, warm
and cosy while it's "miserable" outside. If we can get a spot of thunder and lightning
going I'll be very pleased.

 

[Twoflower]

I've got a 2 man Eurohike jobbie that came in a starter kit with 2 bags and two rollmats from millets, total cost of £40 2 years ago (i'd worn my other tent out from overuse and needed a cheap one at short notice).

I don't have a pic of it though because I don't have a digi cam

As for this weather .. I had a weekend of wandering around the local countryside trying to ID trees/flora/fauna (and also trying to find the grouse looking bird I spotted briefly during the week) but saturday mornings weather annoyed me so i've spent the whole weekend staring at my computer screen

 

[Brian.T]

Nothing wrong with camping in the rain - its just the whole getting the tent dry afterwards thing that can be tricky.

 

[Chopper]

1. Cabelas Big horn 2 with wood burning stove. Easy up and down, great 5 season tent.

2. litchfield 9 man dome. Pig up and down, great for long stays with lots of people.

 

[pibbleb]

I have a two man tent a bit like the Cascada. It was about 20 quid from Homebase. It serves well for the kids in the garden and when I'm not feeling the whole be with nature thing!

It pops up nice and easy, I don't mind the damage I've done to it, I've broken two poles and it still goes up, as it was cheap as chips.

There are some down sides, the main one being that as it's single skin the condensation is a real pain particularly when it's wet out! But I find if I'm on my own I stick to the middle and stay dry! Another problem, although this is probably personal. If I'm staying in the tent I tend to be a bit of a kit slob. Roughing it I tend to be a little more sensible.

Chopper, nice bit of kit you have there, jealousy kicking in!

Pib

 

[Brian.T]

I have a two man tent a bit like the Cascada. It was about 20 quid from Homebase. It serves well for the kids in the garden and when I'm not feeling the whole be with nature thing!

It pops up nice and easy, I don't mind the damage I've done to it, I've broken two poles and it still goes up, as it was cheap as chips.

There are some down sides, the main one being that as it's single skin the condensation is a real pain particularly when it's wet out! But I find if I'm on my own I stick to the middle and stay dry! Another problem, although this is probably personal. If I'm staying in the tent I tend to be a bit of a kit slob. Roughing it I tend to be a little more sensible.

Chopper, nice bit of kit you have there, jealousy kicking in!

Pib

I know what you mean about Choppers tents! I love the stove in the middle of it.

My Cascada was only £45 so like you im not going to be over worried about damage.

 

[Risclean]

I have a Gelert Solo which I got from here. It's very light and cheap but seems pretty good, although I got mine last year when it cost £25. Probably not suitable for very windy sites though.

 

[Northern Giant UK]

Heres the one I used when we (my bro and me, my daughter and his son) went hippy for a few days nearby.

found a nice spot next to a river and surrounded by woods.

Also have the usuall 2 man dome (somewhere in a cupboard lol) and a four man which looks like the Cascada 4's steriod induced big brother.

It has the interesting (and useful in hot weather) addition of a rear vestibule (tho not like the front one), I prefer this tent cos it has more guy's and tie downs that I can shake a stick at and more importantly I bought it from a hiker who was moving house and needed to shed some gear, It cost me. . . .£7. Sadly i think i deleted the piks I took of it but i'll keep looking cos this is an ODD looking tent.

Kev

Found them!
and 5 mins on photoDraw later. . .

 

[Wintrup]

Golite Hex 3 and nest insert


Fantastic bit of kit

I wish I could say the same, i really do, but mine has been a disappointment. The first time trip i took it on the rain leaked in badly through the seams. Enough to create pools of water on the inner floor. When I got home I gave it a coat on fabsil on all the seams hoping that this would solve the problem. Well it didn't. This trip the saw some really heavy rain and the once again it leaked. Not as bad as before, but enough. And then I encountered a secondary problem, instability in the wind. One night the wind was strong enough to pull up one side of the tents pegs and topple the centre pole. I had to secure the centre pole with two guy ropes against the prevailing wind that had picked up dramatically in the night. I was not at all happy to see one of those 2 second to pitch tents unaffected by the high wind. Not the sort of perfomance I would expect from a fairly expensive bit of kit.

I have now used a proper seam sealer on inner and outer fly seams. I do hope this stops the leaking, otherwise the tent will be set aside as a mediterranean special

 

[Zammo]

I have a Vaude Taurus 2, quick and simple to put up and down plu nice and light:

 

[rik_uk3]

I wish I could say the same, i really do, but mine has been a disappointment. The first time trip i took it on the rain leaked in badly through the seams. Enough to create pools of water on the inner floor. When I got home I gave it a coat on fabsil on all the seams hoping that this would solve the problem. Well it didn't. This trip the saw some really heavy rain and the once again it leaked. Not as bad as before, but enough. And then I encountered a secondary problem, instability in the wind. One night the wind was strong enough to pull up one side of the tents pegs and topple the centre pole. I had to secure the centre pole with two guy ropes against the prevailing wind that had picked up dramatically in the night. I was not at all happy to see one of those 2 second to pitch tents unaffected by the high wind. Not the sort of perfomance I would expect from a fairly expensive bit of kit.

I have now used a proper seam sealer on inner and outer fly seams. I do hope this stops the leaking, otherwise the tent will be set aside as a mediterranean special

Don't know what to say mate, had NO problems with mine. I do anchor the tent with the two guy lines provided and I'll brick down the pegs for high wind (as I would any tent). My Hex took a real beating back in January in the Beacons, a totaly exposed camp, very high winds and rain, without problem

 

[Pablo]

I'm pleased with this Vaude Ferret II. I love the side opening as I like to know what's going on around me.

Pablo

 

[Brian.T]

Some nice tents there guys.

I only bought my Cascada 4 on Saturday, came home and put it up in the garden and have only just come in from taking it down (its been dry today so its dried out nicely)

Yesterday was so windy we had a tree come down in our road, and the tent stayed up

Not sure if its because its a good little tent or that I am good at erecting it.

I like to think the latter

 

[Geoffrey_Bubbles]

Wintrup, sorry to hear about your troubles with the Hex 3. I too own a Hex 3 and have had no problems at all and its had a coupl eof real bashings, most notably pitched quite near the edge of a cliff overlooking three cliffs bay on the gower penisula which seemed like a great idea at the time with an astounding view, but later in the evening/night the rain was horizontal and I used the extra guy lines for the first time, but had no notable problem from the inside, in the morning the porch area of my mates coleman biosphere tent had been flattened and the fibreglass poles splintered, but my Hex was kinda sitting there saying bring it on!

I'm suprised you've had one side lifting up in high wind too, maybe invest in some more substantial pegs, but once pegged down firmly at all corners and guyed out I really don't see how the pole could move once the tension straps have been pulled down tight (not too tight though otherwise you start to bend the pole!).

Your expereience doesn't sound good though I have to say. Hope you get it sorted as its not a cheap piece of kit.

By the way, I use the nest when the weather isn't looking good and this certainly helps to make it 'feel' safer/dryer inside, but thats just in my mind...

Geoff

 

[twisted firestarter]

I'm suprised you've had one side lifting up in high wind too, maybe invest in some more substantial pegs, but once pegged down firmly at all corners and guyed out I really don't see how the pole could move once the tension straps have been pulled down tight (not too tight though otherwise you start to bend the pole!).
Geoff

A good way to reduce the chance of your tent blowing away is to use two pegs instead of one. Knock them into the ground in an X if that makes sense and then loop your guy line around the point that they cross