Anyone recommend a good tent???

[Sonny Halladay]

Hi all,

Im brand new to this site and quite new to surfing in general....I cant afford to get a van so Im thinking the next best thing is a decent tent for camping...can anyone suggest a decent 2 man tent for my girlfriend and I for when we are heading down to the South West in a few weeks?

I have a budget of £250 but have to get a sleeping bag out of that as well. (suggestions for a sleeping bag also welcome!)

Thanks in advance for nay help and advice

Sonny

[jaffa1949]

South west where? For me southwest could be Bells beach, bottom of Tasmania Margaret River because I'm in Australia. Could be Baja California, or the bottom of Portugal , but I'm presuming England

So with the weather you're having the tent will need to be a good one. Sleeping bags, get two that can zip together one big comfy one.
Make sure you don't buy a cheap tent, a frozen girlfriend will not be a keeper or if she stays your future surf trips may be limited.

[Dr Rev]

Halfords used to do the full kit , tent , sleeping bags etc

[nokten]

Halfords i suoppose

[kevinsonnier]

Hi, Of the two, the Karrimor is much the better one. It is a better shape for moving in, and it can be covered easily, as all tunnel design tents can be, with a sheet of polythene or proofed nylon, or a bought flysheet. Eyelets are easy to fix and cheap to buy and turn a sheet of material into a flysheet.
Dome tents are not so easy to cover and though they tend to have good stability in wind they are often not the most practical tents to use.
Pop-up tents have the disadvantage of being bulky to carry. A typical two person pop-up tent folds into a circular pack around three feet in diameter.

[CharlyDontSurf]

I've never surfed & camped but I do quite a bit of camping & canoeing, where you've gotta lug all your own supplies around.
Not sure what's available in your part of the world but here are my preferences:
I use a tent very similar to this, I love the design for ease of setup and it's light weight - I'd also suggest considering picking up an ground sheet if budget permits.
http://www.mec.ca/product/5031-690/big-agnes-slater-ul-2-tent/?Ns=p_min_sale_price&h=10+50130+50055+50858+50830&f=10+50130+50818+50830+50858

For sleeping bags, down filled is the way to go (assuming you plan on camping again, they're the most expensive but lightest, warmest and most comfy) - you can get a summer rated bag and line it with a sleep sheet (I prefer to layer rather than get one super warm bag)
http://www.mec.ca/product/5025-510/mec-aquila-sleeping-bag-0c/?Ns=p_min_sale_price&h=10+50130+50853+50049+50880+50874+50844&f=10+50130+50844+50853+50874+50880

also, pick up a waterproof stuff sack for your sleeping bag and a sleeping pad, it'll keep you insulted against the colder ground.

cheers - hope that helps

[Vertam]

I apologize for bump an old topic from the dead, just have a few interesting observations from personal experience, maybe someone will need this information in the future.
Tentipi, mine is the 5, about under 10kg, sleeps two in camp beds plus room for four inside in chairs warm in cold weather (small open fire) cool in hot weather (roof vent) room to stand.
Stable as anything withstands all weathers, easy to pitch a single hand.
I was concerned about pitching on rough ground but as you can see here it is on a boulder beach. I buried the pegs, no problems.

Downside..expensive. £1000+ you can get the odd second-hand one as we did.
Also I would like to nominate a Vango Omega 350 https://bestoutdooritems.com/best-frame-tent/ which is a palatial one man, superb 2 man and a snug 3 man or 2+2 kids It is a little bulky at 5.5kg and 48x19cm but IMO worth the space. It can stand up to some serious weather, high winds and snow/streams under the ground sheet. Still available at £225 or the smaller 250 version at £190 (manufacturer prices, ebay or shops are about -£80) It's sister tent the Equinox is a little better spec'ed although now out of production but still available 2nd hand. I think Vango have up-spec'ed the Omega so the Equinox was removed from the range.

So what's good about it? Can stand up to some really bad weather, good build quality, midgie netting! Nice big and separate porch that you can cook in (if you are careful with the heat and ventilation) and you can store all your gear in. And it's pretty good value for money. IMO a great canoe tent, weatherproof, roomy and secure.
Yesterday I found a very interesting video on this topic on Youtube, I think someone can come in handy. I hope this helps with the choice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luebRjTB8DU

[BettyCortez]

CORE 9P Instant Cabin Tent will be a good choice for you and its cheap, priced at $220 at amazon.