UKC

I'm in the market for a new family tent - willing to spend a few hundred on the right one but I do want to see it in the flesh before parting with my hard earned. I was going to go to Blackburn to outdoors action till they said they couldn't get a Robens family tent out of the packaging for me. I've tried emailing Vaude through their website for local stockists and had no reply and google is built to direct me to cyber shops apparently.

My local store Alpenstock did offer to put tents up for me, but for one I could stand up in I'd need a small mortgage (Hilleberg arctic basecamp/portable laboratory thing)


So UKC can you tell me where I can actually see tents which have a big enough porch to stand / cook in and sleep 4, decent quality, reasonable weight. So far I'm thinking of a Robens Double Dreamer / Vaude Badawi Long, but I'm not set on these for deffo.

In reply to 999thAndy: Go Outdoors would be a good place to start, they usually have a few family-style tents pitched. They may not (or may, who knows) meet your needs but having a closer look at them wouldn't hurt as it'd help you sharpen up your list of wants, likes and must avoids.

T.

In reply to 999thAndy:
So are you going to buy at the store, or have a good look, spend some time with the sales assistant, and then hit the internet?
What if you said to Outdoors action you will pay them £30 to unpack so long as they will knock it off if you buy from them.
Just phoned the daughter who works weekends at a tent store and she says they are a bit high class for where she works.

In reply to Pursued by a bear: Tried there. I have a list - basically something in which we can sit out bad weather - so standing or sitting plus cooking room in the porch. I'm looking for decent quality - current cheapo tent's goundsheet leaks, poles have snapped etc hence I'm looking for aluminium poles, and 'mountain tent' style groundsheet in the sleeping area.

In reply to 999thAndy:
Dependent on exactly what you are looking for there are much better value canvas bell tents available than the common nylon varieties.

In reply to 999thAndy: Decathlon in stockport usually have them pitched outside the store. Dont know if theyre "decent" tents though.

In reply to sjc:
Outdoor action initially said they'd unpack the tent, then phoned me up to say there wouldn't be room in the store, which in fairness to them did save me a round trip in the car.

I'm going to buy at the store, if they have what I'm looking for.

In reply to Jamming Dodger: Tried there too. None seemed to fit the bill.

In reply to 999thAndy:
Fair do`s, what about the garden centre on the way into ambleside, don`t they do a lot of tents? Never been.

In reply to sjc: If desperate I guess, but that could be 4 hour round trip.

In reply to 999thAndy: Winfields near Haslingden? Theyve got loads.

In reply to 999thAndy: http://www.winfieldsoutdoors.co.uk/

In reply to Jamming Dodger: I'll give them a ring cheers.

In reply to 999thAndy: No joy at Winfields

In reply to 999thAndy:
I`m assuming you have used this http://www.robens.de/en/Dealers.aspx and had a ring around.

In reply to 999thAndy:
Next to the crossroads in Calver yesterday there was a big tent display going on, I imagine it is still there. Looked to be lots of family tents.

In reply to 999thAndy: Springfield Camping http://www.springfield-camping.co.uk/ between Hebden Bridge and Halifax used to have a lot out on display and the staff always used to be happy to pull tents out and put them up.

In reply to alisonk: Cheers - just been on to those very badgers - might be heading over there later/tomorrow

In reply to sjc: Yes. That's how I ended up talking to outdoor action.

In reply to Strachan: Thanks - good to know that.

In reply to 999thAndy: Most Go-Outdoors have tents pitched and they have the Outwell range which are about the best quality family tents. They are big and heavy so would defo be a car camping option plus not exactly inexpensive.

The also have a few Vango options which are slightly cheaper.

In reply to 999thAndy:

These happily put up a tent for me after running to the store to get the one I wanted as they didn't have it at the site. Also negotaited a decent price, and/or they do 15% off with a BMC membership:

http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/pages.events/sub/tent-s...

If you phone ahead they'll make sure they have the tents you want to look at there.

My guess is that the Calver tent show you saw was the Yeomans Outdoors one: on until the 8th April. Future dates/locations for their tent shows are at http://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/Campshow-Lists.aspx

I've always been impressed with the service from Yeomans: it's little things like 'order on-line, collect in-store' that makes all the difference.

In reply to alisonk:

Well, just back from Springfields, where the very nice man showed me the Robens tent. The groundsheet on which looks exactly the same as our current tent used to look like when we bought it. It now leaks


Does anyone know where I can have a gander at a Vaude tent?