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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

Rave About Your Rack Please do not post retail SPAM.

Author
Family tents

gordoste
29-Sep-2010
1:27:31 PM
Can anyone share experiences with particular brands of family-sized tents? What's good/bad and why? If you spend a few extra dollars what are the differences?
Particularly DMH, Oztrail, Diamantina, Coleman, Black Wolf... as those seem to be the ones I find when looking around.

Miguel75
29-Sep-2010
3:33:23 PM
Excellent post gordoste, I was looking to add one like this, this evening... Anaconda seem to have a sale on Spinifex tents at present. My mate has a pretty darn large and spacious tent from them which I've used it a few times and like it so far. Anyone have any other feedback on their tents?

I'm unsure of the etiquette involved in piggybacking/hijacking off someone elses topic. Apologies if I've overstepped the mark gordoste:)
grangrump
29-Sep-2010
3:37:43 PM
Depends quite a lot on whether you're car touring (up and down most days) or setting up for a week or so.
If touring you want really quick set up: watch what the bus tour operators use. Seems to be single pole style (pole is annoyingly in the middle, but get you to sleep sooner).
For big dome tents (e.g. 1 week stay) I like to be able to stand up. These have come down a long way in price over recent years. I havent seen a marked difference in quality between brands.
technogeekery
29-Sep-2010
3:42:13 PM
Can't give you much to go on, but I bought a 7-man Coleman tent for family camping, and its been brilliant. Just humongous when you are used to lightweight hiking tents. Not sure how it would cope in a big storm, but waterproof enough, easy to put up, lots of nice touches like auto-rolling windows, rigid door entry, huge flyscreen area (essential for Aus) so you can actually enjoy eating, seperate rooms indoors so the kids can be walled off. And all for about $180 on sale - just unbelievable value.

I liked - logical construction, instructions sewn onto tent bag, spare pegs, can put up single handed, standing headroom inside for my 192cm
I don't like - lightweight construction and fly not covering walls properly, only roof - think it would struggle in high wind / hard rain.

The Mrs likes door, rollup windows, partitions, flyscreen, size - and especially the built-in cat-flap! (I kid you not...)

HM33
29-Sep-2010
3:57:03 PM
One of the coolest family tents ive seen is the Vaude Badawi.Awesome design and pretty spacious but is substanitally more pricey than the colemans etc.

earwig
29-Sep-2010
5:03:04 PM
That's Vaude thingy is one cool tent.
I have an OzTrail - sleeps four comfortably and it worked well when the kids were little but we weren't putting it up and down each day - that would have been heaps too much work. I could just put it up on my own but it was easier with my wife assisting and that was possible without too much marital strain.
The only trouble we had was sometimes it was a tight fit it into the available flat space between the trees. Otherwise, it lasted well enough and did all a tent is meant to do without breaking.
Still in the shed somewhere.

Paz
29-Sep-2010
9:45:24 PM
Spinifex and Oztrail are made in the same factory. or at least they were four years ago. Coleman's no doubt the same. Had a good big spinifex a few years ago. Used it for a few months at araps. then pyramid rock in some shocking winds... ended up being easier to take it down by just driving my car over it. they don't last. and they print a ripstop pattern into the fly hahah
black wolf turbo tents are pretty alright minus the price. A tarpaulin's probably the best option

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