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RE: I am buying a tent !!!

Started by Jeffrey, Feb 25, 2003, 08:19 PM

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birol

Sep 28, 2003, 07:05 PM
 I can t help it anymore !!! I have the CAMPITIES ! and it is biting me real bad !.
 
 Some bad people living in this board gave me a very bad idea which might work ! TENT CAMPING !!!!! Since it is not PU camping I am not putting this post in the general forum.
 
 I ran it by the family and they all seem to be game !
 
 So, I chekced the prices of tents at Canadian tire and they run anywhere from 50 bucks to 300 bucks, averaging 150 - 715 bucks (all us bucks). Tomorrow I will also check Wall mart and see what they have. Are they cheaper In USA ? say in target and stuff ?? I don t mind a one day trip to NY or OH to get it reasonably cheaper, we will make it a two day trip.
 
 What brand to get, how many people should it be for, we are  a family of four, is bigger better for some privacy and space ?
 
 There are so many types, I don t know the first thing about tents.
 
 Also, Once we are done with the tent, what else will we need, grill, kettle, etc etc etc. All this stuff should fit to the back of the killer windstar, so weight and space wise we are sort of restricted.
 
 Let the fun begin !!!!!
 
 
 Our first trip will probably be mackinaw island ! We fell in love with it last time we stayed a night ! Beautiful place.
 
 P.S. The first person who tell me to check a tent camping board will have a visit from me [8D][8D][8D] I am not going anywhere [;)]

Jeffrey

#1
Feb 25, 2003, 08:19 PM
 birolBirol, Great!
 Then you can start planning your trips for the summer.
 Even when you get your camper later, you ll find a use for the tent, we still use ours. I know we have never let anything stop us from getting a few camping trips in each year. It s the one hobby we have still been able to do, even between jobs.
 And if you happen to hate it, you just made/saved thousands.
 
 Tents, Since you ll probably move on to something else quickly. I would go for a cheaper one, but big enough for the family. Just make sure it has a breathable top and a rain fly.
 
 Good Luck
 

ForestCreature

#3
Feb 25, 2003, 08:39 PM
 birolMaybe a tent like this would be good, it would give you plenty of space for 4 and not cost  to horribly much
 [link=http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_4/602-3080600-0129444?asin=B00006447L]see the tent here[/link]
 
 I think it s a great idea, it ll get you out where you long to be!

Gatsmommy

#4
Feb 25, 2003, 08:39 PM
 birolWe bought ours Fall of  00 for about $150 at Sam s. It s a 4" room"  cabin style. It s definatly big enough for 4 adults+  We used it for 2 adults and a playpen.  The room dividers we re kind of strange and the other " rooms"  pretty small, but you could stick a kid over there. I was in one once that was about the same size, but a 2 room that was nice. It split down the middle of the room.
 
 Walmart, Sams, Target type places are definatly cheaper then Cabela s and such. I d go with a cheaper one. Most of them are fairly easy to put up with 2 people now days. You ll want a GOOD air mattress for you and DW, Kids can sleep on the ground IMO LOL!.  A cook stove is really nice, and  any other camping stuff you normally need.
 
 HAVE FUN.

gr8grandpa

#5
Feb 25, 2003, 09:03 PM
 birolHi Birol,
 Go to a tent board. Am I the first? Did I win? When are you coming to visit me? I live in southern Indiana.  gr8grandpa

birol

#6
Feb 25, 2003, 09:04 PM
 gr8grandpaI am packing and getting into the minivan soon. I will bring a keg of beer and some ribs !!!![;)]

Jeffrey

#7
Feb 25, 2003, 09:08 PM
 birolThe kind I meant to stay away from is the all one piece tent. It doesn t have a rain fly. I had one of those it didn t breathe, we all felt sweaty all the time.
 
 I have a feeling they don t make them anymore, so don t worry about it.
 Just look for the rainfly, and you should be fine. But I m certainly no expert.[&:]
 
 The one you linked looked good. and everything I ve seen lately even the less expensive ones, look good.

wiininkwe

#8
Feb 25, 2003, 09:09 PM
 birolYou d be awfully surprised at how much of the tips we give for PopUp camping are actually very useful for tent camping as well.   Pay attention to those about saving space, using one item for more than one purpose, how to set up your kitchen, how to pack your clothing.  Go to Tim s web site, (or is it Natasha s?) for all kinds of useful lists, etc.
 T
 [;)]

NightOwl

#9
Feb 25, 2003, 09:15 PM
 birolBirol, all joking and teasing aside, this is a very sensible decision you have made.  Many of us have camped in tents for years past.  it was sometimes a challenge and sometimes we and our gear got wet, but you take pride in being able to do it and stick with it when you have one of those experiences.
 
 We still have our camping gear and use it even now once in awhile.  This is especially true of the Coleman stove if we have an electrical  outage from an ice storm.  (You just have to be careful to have lots of ventilation when you use a stove indoors--we put ours in the firplace-- and of course, I m sure you know NEVER use a charcoal grill indoors.)
 
 I hope you realize what a wonderful family you have to be willing to try this, and I am thinking particularly of Babette as a lot of this will have a direct impact upon her.  She is a one in a million treasure for sure!  (I m sure you ll always let her know you are grateful for her encouragement and co-operation)
 
 You will need a tent which will hold all of you comfortably and some gear and not weigh too much.  DO NOT BELIEVE what the manufacturers say about sleeping capacity.  Most of them exaggerate.  Yes, you can get 6 people into a certain size tent, but NOT with comfort and they will all need to sleep in Mummy Bags.
 
 I hope you will be able to see whatever tent you buy ALL SET UP before you purchase it.   Some larger WallyWorlds and  Sams actually have them on the floor all set up.  And if you cannot find one that you  plan to buy which is set up so you and Babette and the kids can go in and lie down in it, , go to a place that has a lot of camping equipment and take a look at what they have got on show.  Then, take what you see there into consideration when you decide on what size you are going to buy..  Also, try to get one that has shock=corded poles if possible.  They are generally  lighter weight and go up more easily and quickly.
 
 and like Jeffrey says, A GOOD RAINFLY IS CRUCIAL!  Like him, we have had both kinds and you dont EVER want a tent without a rainfly!!  (I am glad to hear he thinks  they have stopped making the other kind.)

DiW

#10
Feb 25, 2003, 09:15 PM
 birolBirol,
 My Dh & I used to travel with our motorcycle friends and all we could bring was a tiny tent, sleeping bags and minimal clothing. Luckily that was back in the early days when we were happy no matter what. Now we enjoy more comforts.
 
 A few years ago we took our kids camping in Maine. Hoping to help them enjoy the experience, I bought a fairly large tent, with its own screen room entrance. Our camping friends arrived in their brand new Coleman Cheyenne. I had never seen a popup and wasn t too interested. Truthfully, I never even went inside theirs that weekend. After a few camping trips (in the tent) we came upon the first of many torrential rainstorms. I jokingly said we would be better off in a popup. We had a few rental ones in the campsites next to us so we took a peek. My DH thought they would do fine but I knew better. Fitting 5 of us into a Taos sized popup wouldn t work. Our tent was bigger than that.
 
 Within a few days of that trip, I discovered EBAY and my popup shopping began. A whole new world opened up before me. I knew absolutely NOTHING about popups and wanted to kick myself for not checking out our friends  Cheyenne. Like OZ once stated, some people research things to death and we unfortunately fall into that category. Sure was fun checking out all the manufacturers. Found PopUpTimes (on coolboard) and learned SO much. Within 6 months we ordered our SunValley and have never regretted our decision. Nor do I regret our tent purchase. It got our family started and I imagine we may use it again. I can also see lending it to friends who may want to camp with us.
 
 Many of the items we bought for tent camping are still used, such as our sleeping bags, stove, dishes, utensils, lanterns, chairs, flashlights, etc. We still use the inflatable mattresses when our kid s friends stay over.
 
 I say go for it. What you invest now will cut down on purchases later. We did find having an EZUp canopy to put over the picnic table was a big help when it rained. It provided extra space so we weren t trapped inside a tent all day. Stringing a tarp over the table would work as well if you camp where trees are accessible.
 
 Have fun planning those trips.
 Di

topcat7736

#11
Feb 25, 2003, 09:27 PM
 birolGeez, I hope Y-Guy doesn t find out about what you re going to do. Last time he found out I went tenting, he punished me severely. My arm still hurts from raising & lowering the popup while saying all those " hail Coleman s" !
 
 If you re going to be getting a popup, don t buy all the stoves, etc. for tent camping as they become redundant. A cheap gas grill can be used to cook on either by itself or with a cheap griddle on top. It will also boil water (or at least heat it) and won t set you back a lot. A 7-1/2 quart black pot is always useable for heating water and it can hold a nested set of pots (like MSR makes sold at Campmor.com) and that red & white checked tablecloth.
 
 Coleman tents are always a good bet. But, if you look at others, make sure that the flooring extends up the wall before the seam appears. Seams next to the ground leak!
 
 You ll need one good lantern (dual fuel operates the cheapest & brightest), some flashlights and some bedding material. If your back isn t hurting yet, you can get by with some inexpensive foam as a mattress. Get a couple of large tarps to cover everything + give yourself a dry dining area and a bunch of cheap nylon ropes to anchor them.
 
 A hand axe,  knife and matches are always needed as is a couple of those collapsible 5 gallon water things. Bring along paper plates & cups & plastic knives, forks & spoons, a cooler full of food & drink, and someone to cook for US. Heck, I m ready to go now! Get that grill going! [:o][;)][&:]

NightOwl

#13
Feb 25, 2003, 09:48 PM
 topcat7736
 
QuoteORIGINAL:  topcat7736
 
 
 
 Coleman tents are always a good bet. But, if you look at others, make sure that the flooring extends up the wall before the seam appears. Seams next to the ground leak!
 
 
 

 Birol, the kind of tent floor Al is talking about here is often  referred to in  tent literature as a " bathtub"  floor meaning it somes up the wall  several inches in a seamless sort of  " bowl"     Our first REI tent was not  made like this and we sure did regret that during a 3 day rain near Ennis Montana.  The next tent had a bath tub bottom and it made a big difference when it rained!
 
 And he is also SO right about the " redundancy"  factor.  Be aware of getting too many gadgets.
 

Gone-Camping

#14
Feb 25, 2003, 09:59 PM
 birolBirol, I think you ll find most of us started out in a tent. BTW, have you given any thought to renting a PU for 1 or 2 trips?
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