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appletree_man
Guest
Saw a little tent for £7.99 in a pound store today. Would any of you even consider buying a cheap tent like this as a back up, emergency, keep in the car, sort of thing ?
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Honestly? No.
If I was that hard up, I would look for some good second hand gear, make my own or use a different approach. A good thick tarp from a builders yard for example - noisy, bulky, but much more waterprood than a cheap nylon tent
Red
If I was that hard up, I would look for some good second hand gear, make my own or use a different approach. A good thick tarp from a builders yard for example - noisy, bulky, but much more waterprood than a cheap nylon tent
Red
Yes - but not to use as a tent!
Where else could you buy so much fabric for such a low price?
In some shops you would pay that much just for the zip, or the pegs....
Where else could you buy so much fabric for such a low price?
In some shops you would pay that much just for the zip, or the pegs....
Actually, i bought a dome tent from Tesco's for £6.99. Ok, basically, it was bought for Jed Jnr to have in the garden as somewhere shady that he could escape the sun in, a play tent if you will. At that price, we thought that it would be a bargain if it worked, and no great loss if it did not.
Well, the lack of sun this year meant that it was'nt used that much, but i took it to the moot this year as i was using a hammock for the first time, i wanted somewhere enclosed to dump the bergan and a place to get changed (people dont want to see my flabby backside when they are trying to enjoy themselves!
)
What do you know, worked a treat! Granted, the first night i did not site it in the right place and it became 'moist' inside but it dried out a treat and with a little 're-siting' it stood up to the torrential down pour on the Saturday night admirably, not a drop went through!
As a bargain basement item, it may not be suitable for expeditions and i don't think i would rely on it totally, but as a cheap shelter in the boot of the car that will work when called upon for less 'extreme' tasks, i would say yes, a cheap shelter that works reasonably is better than none at all. Oh yes, and it's arather fetching shade of 'Burple'
Well, the lack of sun this year meant that it was'nt used that much, but i took it to the moot this year as i was using a hammock for the first time, i wanted somewhere enclosed to dump the bergan and a place to get changed (people dont want to see my flabby backside when they are trying to enjoy themselves!
) What do you know, worked a treat! Granted, the first night i did not site it in the right place and it became 'moist' inside but it dried out a treat and with a little 're-siting' it stood up to the torrential down pour on the Saturday night admirably, not a drop went through!
As a bargain basement item, it may not be suitable for expeditions and i don't think i would rely on it totally, but as a cheap shelter in the boot of the car that will work when called upon for less 'extreme' tasks, i would say yes, a cheap shelter that works reasonably is better than none at all. Oh yes, and it's arather fetching shade of 'Burple'
Do you need a hi tech expensive tent for camping in the woods in summer? No, of course not. My Hex 3 is overkill for most of the time to be honest, here is a cheapo 3 person tent
cost me about £30 and it performs very well. The main drawback is that it folds up bulky and weighs about 4 kilo, a lot more than the Hex, that said though, this dome is fine for car camping and has kept me dry in very wet weather. You don't need to spend a fortune on kit, why spend £200+ on a tent if you only get to use it a few nights of the year for instance
cost me about £30 and it performs very well. The main drawback is that it folds up bulky and weighs about 4 kilo, a lot more than the Hex, that said though, this dome is fine for car camping and has kept me dry in very wet weather. You don't need to spend a fortune on kit, why spend £200+ on a tent if you only get to use it a few nights of the year for instance
When you consider that most tents are made of the same material and that some of the cheaper ones on ebay give the hyrdrostatic head. If you look you can find some very cheap bargins. Check to see if it has an 'inner tent' the cheap ones tend to use the word 'fly' while forgetting to mention the lack of an innner. ! use a £15 plus p&p tent with and inner and mozzie screen. I have been snug and I must admit smug D ) while others around me have bem damp in things ten times the cost.
Try a spot of silicone spray on the seams and it will cope with most or the UK weather.
Sandsnakes
so the short answer is YES as long as it has an inner tent.
D ) while others around me have bem damp in things ten times the cost.Try a spot of silicone spray on the seams and it will cope with most or the UK weather.
Sandsnakes
so the short answer is YES as long as it has an inner tent.
I was reading an article on Camping in the Times and most people had the cheapo tents and though some of them had to endure bad weather, most of them were perfectly satisfied.
I had someone at the bushmoot ask me why I wasnt using my Vango Force Ten, I told them it was too valuable to get sundamaged when a cheap tent would do just as well. Its for more extreeme conditions which it was designed for.
My tent I got off Ebay for £20, its supposedly a 2 man but would take three in comfort, and has a big porch for putting things in.
it is prone to condensation though.
I had someone at the bushmoot ask me why I wasnt using my Vango Force Ten, I told them it was too valuable to get sundamaged when a cheap tent would do just as well. Its for more extreeme conditions which it was designed for.
My tent I got off Ebay for £20, its supposedly a 2 man but would take three in comfort, and has a big porch for putting things in.
it is prone to condensation though.
my three man tent, also off ebay, also £20, claims to be a three man, but two people can use it at a pinch, it is water proof to use in summer storms, it is as prone to condensation as any other tent I have used. If I needed a back up tent or even a tent to hold my gear in, so I could sleep in greater comfort, I'd look for a bargain such as this one mentioned, but if I needed a tent for the extremes, then I'd invest a bit more, would I spend £200 on a tent, I doubt it, not unless it slept 6 people and had a log fire. but there again I'd not spend £200 on a holiday if I could help it.
well i got my last tent for a tenner off ebay. its a highlander jura single hoop 2 man tent, usually costs £30 to £50 depending on where you get it from. To be honest I've only slept in it once but that's mainly because of the situation rather than because its not any good. its too small for 2 person camping really, more for 1 man and kit but it did the job perfectly and is light enough to carry in a rucksack
in fact i'd take it hiking happily, i'd just take an extra tarp to put our kit under
at £6.99 its really not going to be fantastic but as a backup it would definitely work. i took my 2 man tent with me as a backup to my proper tent when i went camping in france. didn't need it but was nice knowing i had it
in fact i'd take it hiking happily, i'd just take an extra tarp to put our kit under
at £6.99 its really not going to be fantastic but as a backup it would definitely work. i took my 2 man tent with me as a backup to my proper tent when i went camping in france. didn't need it but was nice knowing i had it
rancid badger
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I'm with Red on this one.
I always look for a bargain but cheap isn't always best. I'd rather spend a bit more and hang fire till the right bit of kit comes along at the right price.
R.B.
I would never risk geting court out in bad wether with a cheap tent
ther are alot of diffrents between a cheap tent and a well maid
The poles the fabric and how stable it pitches.
If you buy a tent for the back of the car wich is ther for an emergency buy somthing
which you can relly on .
ther are alot of diffrents between a cheap tent and a well maid
The poles the fabric and how stable it pitches.
If you buy a tent for the back of the car wich is ther for an emergency buy somthing
which you can relly on .
I would most definitely bye a tent for that price, at the end of the day you would check it out before using it and if it was naff you've not lost out as it only cost ya £7.99.
The chances are its not going to be the best but for an emergency its going to be better than a kick in the wotsits
Sorry, but the tree hugger is coming out - I wouldn't because of the rate of pay of the poor suckers who have to make it (granted it would be nothing if they didn't have to make it), but more - after the three weeks of use, think of it in a landfill for seeveral hundred years.
I used to be a bugger for a bargain - even if I didn't need it. I've bceome an eco-militant in my old age. I hate seeing parts of wrecked cheap tents in places I love.
I used to be a bugger for a bargain - even if I didn't need it. I've bceome an eco-militant in my old age. I hate seeing parts of wrecked cheap tents in places I love.
Bought a single skin backpacking tent for half price (£7-50) from Millets recently. Listed as a two man but only really room for one. So far slept out in it in the garden and it didn't let in the rain and there was no condensation.
Bought for the occasional backpacking trip. Not sure how waterproof or well ventiliated it will be in adverse weather though. But for that money I felt it was worth taking the chance.
Bought for the occasional backpacking trip. Not sure how waterproof or well ventiliated it will be in adverse weather though. But for that money I felt it was worth taking the chance.
