Author Topic: Pop Up Tents  (Read 6118 times)

Pop Up Tents
« on: 10 May, 2010, 07:06:02 pm »
I've got a few races coming up where camping the night before is required and possibly afterwards too. Whilst I like my current 3-man tent, it's a bit of a faff to put it up for just one night and I'm tempted by the pop-up tents. The 2 man version seems sensible, and I've just seen it in Mountain Warehouse for £30. Seems like a bargain.

But are they worth it/any good? I've seen them from many different manufacturers, but I can't believe there are that many pop up tent factories in the world? Has anyone found any differences between them?

Any thoughts/advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #1 on: 10 May, 2010, 07:34:17 pm »
They are useless for carrying other than in a car. I bought one from Decathlon which came with rucksack type straps on its bag. I put it on my back and cycled home. Passing a family I heard the father say to the little girl "You're right, he does look like a tortoise".
[Quote/]Adrian, you're living proof that bandwidth is far too cheap.[/Quote]

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #2 on: 10 May, 2010, 10:13:33 pm »
Don't bother.  You can get a decent enough lightweight tent for a handful of notes, which would be better in a zillion ways.  Not least condensation.
Getting there...

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #3 on: 11 May, 2010, 11:34:32 am »
They are useless for carrying other than in a car. I bought one from Decathlon which came with rucksack type straps on its bag. I put it on my back and cycled home. Passing a family I heard the father say to the little girl "You're right, he does look like a tortoise".

Are you sure it was the tent and not the speed?

 ;D
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #4 on: 11 May, 2010, 08:56:17 pm »
Both, thanks
[Quote/]Adrian, you're living proof that bandwidth is far too cheap.[/Quote]

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #5 on: 12 May, 2010, 06:05:56 pm »
Thanks for the thoughts.

What makes a lightweight better than a pop-up? I'm not intending to carry it on my back or bike as I'm driving to the races so portability isn't a consideration. I'm attracted by the ease of putting up and taking down, but if they're crap e.g. they leak, collapse or other similarly unwanted "feature" of a tent, then I'll avoid.

toekneep

  • Its got my name on it.
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Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #6 on: 12 May, 2010, 06:14:51 pm »
Just about every aspect of good tent design, i.e. shape, stability, wind resistance, breathability are sacrificed for the sake of the pop up feature. It's a gimmick. It take Gill and I about five minutes to pitch our tent and it will be standing long after the pop up jobs have blown away.

chris

  • (aka chris)
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #7 on: 12 May, 2010, 06:23:57 pm »
I'm a great fan of the pop-up. Our £30 Decathlon pop-up has survived full on Hebredian gales and the heaviest rain that the Highlands can throw at it.

Our kids sleep in it when we go away in the camper and we can arrive at a site late at night and they can pitch it themselves in the dark in about 90 seconds.

Taking it down requires a bit of practice, best done in the garden before you go so as not to make a fool of yourself in front of other campers (dont ask me how I know this).


toekneep

  • Its got my name on it.
    • Blog
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #8 on: 13 May, 2010, 08:06:48 am »
I'm a great fan of the pop-up. Our £30 Decathlon pop-up has survived full on Hebredian gales and the heaviest rain that the Highlands can throw at it.

Our kids sleep in it when we go away in the camper and we can arrive at a site late at night and they can pitch it themselves in the dark in about 90 seconds.

Taking it down requires a bit of practice, best done in the garden before you go so as not to make a fool of yourself in front of other campers (dont ask me how I know this).




So much for theory then. I bow to your real life experience Chris. I still wouldn't buy one though.  ;)

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #9 on: 13 May, 2010, 08:18:10 am »
I was on a trip with seven others, four tents, 11 o'clock at night, only one headtorch.   Only one other person had ever put up the tent they had with them, and most hadn't ever put up a tent.   It was raining.   I was 'designated' to put up the tents, three of which I'd never seen before.   

One of the tents was a Khyam.   I had seen these but never used one.   I held the 'rose' at the top of the dome and gave it a shake.  The whole thing just clicked into place.   All it needed was pegging.

Given expectation, I was pleasantly surprised with the overall quality.  It was a single skin but waterproof, reasonably heavy weight, pegged and guyed well, and had reasonable vent-a-bility.   

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #10 on: 13 May, 2010, 09:26:26 am »
We've got two of them. Our first was a two-man effort from Millets and it's been brilliant. As others have noted, if you arrive somewhere late they're so easy to pitch, it's brilliant. Once you've got the knack, they're a doddle to take down too.

We got an Outwell version recently which is much bigger and has a door at each side and porch space. We'll be taking that to France in July where we are following the Tour de France and will be in a different campsite every day for a week.

The Milletts popup is for sale, if anyone's interested.
a great mind thinks alike

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #11 on: 13 May, 2010, 11:24:23 am »
...

The Milletts popup is for sale, if anyone's interested.

What size is it?  And how much you looking for? 

I am quite interested in getting a pop up to go with the other tents...
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #12 on: 13 May, 2010, 11:39:29 am »
...

The Milletts popup is for sale, if anyone's interested.

What size is it?  And how much you looking for? 

I am quite interested in getting a pop up to go with the other tents...

Two man - perfect for you.   ;D

A tenner.
a great mind thinks alike

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #13 on: 13 May, 2010, 11:46:34 am »
...

The Milletts popup is for sale, if anyone's interested.

What size is it?  And how much you looking for?  

I am quite interested in getting a pop up to go with the other tents...

Two man - perfect for you.   ;D

A tenner.


Bargain!

Can I have first dibs please?

If you were able to bring it up to teh AGM this weekend, we could do the deed.
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #14 on: 13 May, 2010, 11:52:50 am »
We've got a small-ish one (Outwell two man?). My wife uses it on cub camps when the big tent is overkill. It's been used in snow, wind and rain. I've used it for camping at the start of the Irish Mail audax.

The only real problems are that you cannot sensibly carry it on a bike, and packing it up takes practice to do the fold-and-twist. I wouldn't take it if I knew that torrential rain and gale force winds are expected, but by nature of being bendy and foldable it bounces back from strong gusts rather than bending and snapping.

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #15 on: 13 May, 2010, 12:04:12 pm »
...

The Milletts popup is for sale, if anyone's interested.

What size is it?  And how much you looking for?  

I am quite interested in getting a pop up to go with the other tents...

Two man - perfect for you.   ;D

A tenner.


Bargain!

Can I have first dibs please?

If you were able to bring it up to teh AGM this weekend, we could do the deed.

Aye, no problem.
a great mind thinks alike

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #16 on: 13 May, 2010, 09:44:29 pm »
Thanks everyone. I think I'll be investing.  :thumbsup:

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #17 on: 13 May, 2010, 09:46:25 pm »
Make sure that it's long enough inside - if I remember, you're quite a tall Space Badger?
Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #18 on: 13 May, 2010, 10:02:11 pm »
Make sure that it's long enough inside - if I remember, you're quite a tall Space Badger?

I'm 6'2" and can manage a good night's sleep in the smaller of our tents - the one Regulator's buying. I just encroach on Mrs JT's space a bit as she's a foot shorter than me.
a great mind thinks alike

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #19 on: 13 May, 2010, 10:13:31 pm »
Make sure that it's long enough inside - if I remember, you're quite a tall Space Badger?

Well remembered, Butterfly! http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=17.msg371910#msg371910

I recall the two-man versions being around 205cm-210 cm long, so I reckon I'll just about be ok. I'm just under 6'5". I may have to lay corner to corner to be on the safe side  ;D

Unless it turns out to be a particularly eventful race, I'll be alone in there  ;)

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #20 on: 26 August, 2010, 05:48:39 pm »
We have two Decathlon pop-ups, a two and three man jobbie. They are excellent if you have a car. Ours are the versions with side ears that open up to give additional ventilation. We use them for overnighting in  order to avoid putting up our massive circus tent.

LEE

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #21 on: 27 August, 2010, 01:29:44 pm »
French Campsites are full of the Decathlon pop-up tents nowadays.

I think they crossed over the "just a gimmick" threshold a few years ago and seem perfectly suited for "Car-Camping".  I'd certainly get one.  Throw into the air, toss a self-inflating mattress in there and you're done.

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #22 on: 27 August, 2010, 07:19:15 pm »
French Campsites are full of the Decathlon pop-up tents nowadays.

I think they crossed over the "just a gimmick" threshold a few years ago and seem perfectly suited for "Car-Camping".  I'd certainly get one.  Throw into the air, toss a self-inflating mattress in there and you're done.

Mine worked just great for me. An amusing bit of tent wrestling was required before I realised my folding error, though (closely mirrored by many others also packing up in the same camping field  ;D).

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #23 on: 27 August, 2010, 07:23:06 pm »
I saw someone getting folding tuition for one of the bigger ones in Decathlon a couple of hours ago. I had visions of it pinging open and throwing him across the shop but alas not.
[Quote/]Adrian, you're living proof that bandwidth is far too cheap.[/Quote]

Re: Pop Up Tents
« Reply #24 on: 27 August, 2010, 08:15:47 pm »
Once I went (car) camping with an old work colleague of mine who used to be in the US military. His pop-up tent was really quite remarkable! Unfortunately I doubt very much they're available in the shops! It was way cool.....
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!