First time camper - few questions

humtydumty

Hi
We are hoping to buy a tent and start having some camping breaks and I have a couple of questions if anyone can help:

1. I've put an offer on an ex hire used tent (Gelert Horizon 6 man) on Ebay (I'm also new to Ebay), and am wondering is this a bad idea. Do people buy used tents or would there be pieces missing.

2. The above tent is large. Do Irish campsites charge you more for pitching a larger tent. We are a family of five so don't see how we can avoid getting a decent sized one but we might want to consider this if we are going to always have to pay more because of the size of our tent.

Hope someone can help

Thanks

OS119

most campsites nowadays accept that a 6 man refugee camp family tent is par for the course, so, no, you're unlikely to be charged any extra for it. they will however charge extra for gazebos, possibly cars, and pop-up tents.

this tent retails for about £170 - £190, its got fibreglass poles, and its an ex-hire tent. personally, i wouldn't touch it with a burning stick.

its possible that you're getting a barely used, mint condition, lovingly repaired and cared for example - but i would reckon its probable that you're getting a tent that had the arse shagged out of it by people who couldn't care less about it, and is being sold because the hire company can no longer find anyone who'll pay to sleep in it.

a mahoosive family tent with bedrooms, kitchens, a scullery and games room is not the only option available for family camping.

if you tell us where you like camping, how often you like to camp, in what weather you'll camp, and roughly what your budget is we might be able to point you towards something more suited...

humtydumty

Yes, I'm inclined to have come around to your way of thinking. A counter offer has been made which is just under the asking price and I've been weighing up whether to 'buy it now' but thinking now I'll leave it. It does seem wrong to pay the same for a used as a new tent particularly as you say when it's a hire tent.

I would be very happy for some advice on what to buy. As I said we are first time campers, a family of five with three children 9 7 and 4. I would look at going to family friendly Irish campsites where the kids might make some friends (e.g. Hidden valley Wicklow or Westport House) rather than wild camping, and I'd imagine our camping escapades would be in summer, maybe spring or autumn if is mild. Definitely want a spacious tent but doesn't have to be quite as large as the Gelert Horizon. My hubbie is 6 foot 2 so must be tall. We definitely want one with a sewn in groundsheet, doesn't leak, and ideally with a canopy or porch or some overhang of some description, so we could have a small area to throw shoes or something. We also want something that is easy enough to erect (within say 30 minutes). My research on tents did suggest fibreglass poles were less reliable, but the majority of reviews for the Gelert Horizon were fabulous. My budget is around €260. As I said any advice or suggestions would be great. Thanks

Overature

if you want good quality stuff i would stay out of stores like dunnes or tesco, it might be cheap but tbh its not the best type of stuff.

humtydumty

Yes definitely want quality. I know there are lots of cheaper tents around but I do want something that will last.

OS119

humtydumty wrote: »

Yes definitely want quality. I know there are lots of cheaper tents around but I do want something that will last.

i think the problem you're going to have - like everyone else - is that a decent quality, steel/aluminum framed tent that will sleep five in comfort and that a six-footer can stand up in are a) not cheap, and b) very heavy, and roll-up to the size of a small boat.

in veiw of the age of your kids, i'd be tempted to suggest a two tent solution: a two man tent, and a three man tent. for the moment, your two eldest would sleep in the two man, with you and the little one in the three man. as the little one gets older, you'd swap tents with the kids...

now, this has two problems - firstly that no 2 or 3 man tent i've ever seen will accommodate a six-footer standing up in it, and secondly that many sites charge a 'pitch fee', so you'd be paying for two tents rather than just for 2 adults and three kids and the site couldn't care less how many tents you put up.

if this is a problem, then i'd look on fleabay for a sturdier large framed tent - from recall Outwell were pretty good at that kind of thing - the issue of course is that a new, steel framed, decent quality, 5 man tent with a sewn-in groundsheet falls some distance outside what you want to spend, so you just have to decide which of your parameters gets the boot.

addendum - might be worth checking out the UK ebay site - there's quite a bit there...

humtydumty

No definitely wouldn't go with the two tent option, we want to be together and we want living space.

So if anyone has any recommendations within our budget, please forward.

Thanks

Orion

I got a Gelert Marbella 6 man family tent on adverts.ie recently for €120. It's a fine tent for camping with the missus and two kids. It's a dome centre rather than the full tunnel of the Horizon. Generally the porches are 2 metres so he's going to have to stoop in pretty much any tent but get a couple of camping chairs and you're good. Keep an eye out on adverts and donedeal for bargains. This one is the Lidl one I think. A friend has it and it's grand for family camping.

If you're in Dublin, Millet's on Mary St. had a nice 6 man up in the shop. I can't remember the model (definitely Gelert - this Millet's is Gelert owned) but it was going for about €250. It has a front porch and then a large room at the back with a central divider to make it 4+2. It's worth popping in if you're in Dublin anyway.

I haven't stayed in Hidden Valley but River Valley (same owners) is supposed to be better for kids. I can vouch for the latter anyway - stayed there twice recently with my family - the kids had a ball. No extra charge for large tent - you pay €12 for the pitch and then for each person. It would cost you €36 per night for your family (€32 for 2+2 and €4 for extra child). Pub on site as well which does decent food for a rainy day.

Nore Valley in Kilkenny is a nice site too. Open farm for the kids to see/pet the animals. They charge slightly extra for a family tent but it still works out cheaper for the family as adults are €4 just like kids. So 33.50 per night for your family. Showers are free there too which is a bonus.

humtydumty

Hi yes I am in Dublin and in fact I rang Millets today and I will pop in later in the week - they have a Gelert Vector 6 man in my price range. I've only seen a couple of reviews of it on line which weren't FANTASTIC but were pretty good...

As regards Wicklow sites, thanks for the tip on the other one, I saw a thread on another website about them both, and the majority on that thought Hidden Valley had the edge, but not by much. As regards Nore Valley, I think the kids would love it but I am put off by a lot of the reviews on Trip Advisor many of which urge people not to go because of the way over the top rules and the way the place is run. I don't fancy having someone bang on our tent (if you can bang on a tent) because we're talking inside after the curfew.

pugsnotdrugs

Hey,

We bought a tent online from outdoormegastore last week and it was fantastic value. They have a sale on tents at the moment.

We got this one for £260. It's huge and very sturdy as it has steel poles.

http://www.outdoormegastore.co.uk/vango-calisto-600xl-tent.html

If you have a look at the vango icarus range they seem to get great reviews. They don't have the steel poles but they're meant to be very sturdy anyway. This one is similar to the one we bought but a bit cheaper at £225

http://www.outdoormegastore.co.uk/vango-icarus-500xl-family-tunnel-tent-limited-edition-1.html

I think it cost £12 to deliver to Ireland and delivery took 2 days so very handy.

Orion

I've only stayed there once and didn't witness anything like that but I have heard stories too. I was coming back from the loo at about 12 with a bottle of beer in my hand and stopped for a chat with the security guard - no hassles. River Valley and Hidden Valley have 11pm curfews too. If you're sitting quietly having a chat there's no problem but too much noise and you'll be asked to pipe down. All three target the family market so it's understandable (and great when you've young kids with you).

That Vector 6 isn't head height - your husband won't be able to stand in it. It's not a porch for sitting in This tent is the one I was thinking of. I was in there today and it's pitched upstairs so you can see it. It's a head height large front porch - I could walk into it at 5'10" without bending my neck. It's a 5 man not 6 as I thought. It's going for €229 at the moment. Reviews of it are here. It would probably be a better tent for family camping - more space in the living area and all fully sewn in groundsheets. Sure have a look when you're in there.

RICHIE.39

Was in nore valley myself last year and no issues. also stayed in river valley. good spot. Just thought id let you know in the sports section on advert.ie there is an 8 man tent goin for E100 in mullingar. have no connection to the sale just thought id let you know. think there's a link to a website with description of tent also. hope this helps.

humtydumty

Thanks for all the suggestions. Hope to get to Millets tomorrow. Having looked at the reviews of the Gelert Atlantis it looks like might be too cosy for us 5, especially as the kids grow. The Calisto 600 looked great though - might have to reconsider the budget and go a bit higher.

humtydumty

Just back from our first camping trip this weekend. Ended up buying a Vango Icarus 600 and we headed to Nore Valley. Overall, after an iffy first day and a half as we all settled into this new venture in mostly bad weather we settled into it and really enjoyed ourselves and the whole experience and will do again.

Need advice from you campers on our tent though. As I said the weather was bad and we had some really heavy rain lasting a few minutes at a time. On the last of these downpours, a very fine mist of not quite rain came in through the roof of tent in the living area. It was very light and not restricted to one area but sprinkled lightly through all the roof area. I was horrified but my husband is of the opinion that the heaviness of the rain exceeded the waterproofness of the tent but I'd like some opinions on that. I bought the tent and a carpet new from a reputable camping shop in the UK and obviously it's a pain to have to return it and pay the postage for the privilege but I'd do it if it is a fault. I've heard you can spray them to waterproof them but don't know if this would 'cure' the problem. So any advice on whether to return the tent or keep it would be welcome.

Orion

That Vango is 3000HH so it would have to have been some seriously heavy rain to get through. Mine is a Gelert also rated at 3000HH. We were in some torrential rain on Inis Oirr for a full day and nothing came through. A friend of mine has the Icarus 500 and got lashed on in River Valley a few weeks ago to but the tent stayed dry. It might be worth giving the shop a call and see what they say.

Glad you enjoyed the camping. Check out www.camping-ireland.ie - there's lots of family friendly campsites around. We spent 4 nights in Lough Key and 3 in Strandhill last week which were great. Maybe we'll bump into you in Nore Valley or River Valley sometime - Look out for the tent with twin girls and a red setter pup

humtydumty

Thanks Orion, no harm to ring the company and see what they say. I'll definitely say hi if I come across you. Hope to get another camping weekend in before the end of the month, probably go for a beach based one next time maybe Morriscastle.

RICHIE.39

It's great ye enjoyed camping. just thought id let you know my experience with mist getting thru a canvas. we used to trailer tent and loved it. Unfortunately we saw a mist come through but it was after a torrential downpour while in cork. i had just reproofed the tent 2 wks previous so i just came to conclusion that sometimes the tent just has to give in. i say sometimes because after the misty evening we had normal rain and none got through!!
As Orion said might do no harm to check with the company but an hour of rain in lovely Eire is like a week in some other countries at times !!!!." :-)

Moonbeam

That should not happen unless someone touched the external canvas.

Our trailer tent is prob 30 years old at this stage (camplet glx) and was not leaking the last time it was used,my small dome tent (french supermarket bought) which only comes out sometimes these days and is 22 years old does not leak and neither does my 10 year old bigger dome (sunncamp) and none of them ever have.
They have all spent months up in Ireland and France in all seasons.

I am not as dedicated as the parents were so I didn't take on the trailer tent even though it is perfect .