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New to camping

  • 04-09-2012 5:59pm
    #1
    geoffduff
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭


    Camped in EP at the weekend and really enjoyed the experience, granted the weather was on our side

    Has given me a appetite for more

    Looking for some advice on brands/price I should buy/pay, also is it all about hydrostatic head, fixed ground sheet, single or double layer

    1/2 persons with some room for gear

    G


Comments

  • #2
    Aidan_M_M
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,213 ✭✭✭Aidan_M_M


    Is it a tent you're after?


  • #3
    geoffduff
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭geoffduff


    Yeah sorry should have made it bit clearer, looking for a tent


  • #4
    moodrater
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭moodrater


    geoffduff wrote: »
    Camped in EP at the weekend and really enjoyed the experience, granted the weather was on our side

    Has given me a appetite for more

    Looking for some advice on brands/price I should buy/pay, also is it all about hydrostatic head, fixed ground sheet, single or double layer

    1/2 persons with some room for gear

    G

    Always a 2 part tent, every tent will develop condensation on the flysheet which will wet clothes, sleeping bags etc rubbing agaist it and in windy contitions can rain down on top of you.

    Hydrostatic head can be misleading rain room tests have shown that some 1000mm head fabrics are fine. But unless your spending a fortune you'll find that most 1000mm head tents are rubbish, some/no seams taped and stitching pulling sizable holes in the flimsy material. Light tents tear easily in bad weather or just bad assembly. I would look at 2500mm plus for the weight of the fabric rather than waterproofing. More important than hydrostatic head is the quality seam taping and stitching.

    Unless your hiking and have to physically carry the tent there no point in going for a lightweight fabric or an expensive lightweight tent.

    After years of camping in irish weather I wouldn't put 2 people in anything less than a 4 person tent they can stand up in and preferably one with a porch.

    I'd advise you to go to a shop and look at the stitching, zips and seams and reinforcing points for pegs and guy ropes on the expensive tents to get an idea what to look for.

    A second hand quality tent is a much better investment that a cheap new one. providing the tent is in good condition.

    Its hard to find a decent tent value now because the manufacturers are churning out diabolical crud that they expect people to use once and abandon at a festival. If you're looking at reviews you really have to read through them all because 90% of them are 'Great tent used once at oxygen was even able to put it up after 2 bottles of vodka'

    In terms of manufacturers most make to different parts of the market and make some excellent tents but they also make cheap trashy ones.

    The most consistent I've seen are outwell we also have an excellent vango tent we paid 150 for but I've seen some badly sewn/tapes vangos in the same price bracket. Our outwell is more that 12 years old and great perfect nick although very faded. I've never seen a gelert tent I liked.


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