Tents

Brian D J
Go to a camping store and have a look at the tents bundled up. The canvas ones are bulky and heavy - but look and make up your own mind.

The synthetics are easier to store through less risk of mould. Get one that is easy to erect. Usually the really cheap ones present difficulties and not the middle range or above. Look at Black Wolf, Coleman or similar.
EV700

G'day,

yep, "igloos" (domes) are lighter but "teepees" (centre pole) canvas tourers are much more durable and faster to set up. For two to six people and from around $350 to $1500 and beyond, depending on brand and size. Ducks' guts woud be Southern Cross (12oz?) canvas made in Aust while lower end of market would be something like Oztrail (10oz) (Australian owned, made in China) which are still very good tents and great value, although would probably not outlast an SC. Freedom, COI etc. are other reputable brands.
Centre pole tourers pack into a square if you leave the roof frame in. Very easy to set up. One person can do it in a few mins, just four pegs and the centre pole for friendly conditions or a few more minutes for extra pegs, guys and awning. I highly recommend them, just do your research on what is available and what use you think you will get out of it.
wot I reckon anyway.

I've just bought an Oztrail centre pole tent for the same reason. It looks well made and weighs about 19 - 20 Kg with the extra frame to allow removal of the centre pole.
That will go in the racksack on top together with other sleeping gear while we leave the van in Broome and do the GRR in May -June.
I wanted to get a Southern Cross because it's made in Australia but the cook reckons I won't get the use out of it to justify the cost!
Wonder if she's got something planned for my early demise?
Happy camping.

We bought the biggest dome tent available when we bought one 8 years ago.

It was a beauty.
We used it about 10 times
I thought they were the ducks guts. I mean ... "I knew".

It cost $700 ?? or something like that. We dont use it anymore, it's kinda on the market. BUT... I wont sell it to anyone here for 4 reasons.

1. Its just too damn hard to put up compared to a 'centre pole type tent'
2. They are not as durable. Strong etc.
3. It takes 2 people and 20 mins (time not including the tent fight) to put it up.
4. I like the people here and I wouldn't want to stich any-one up.

If you're in Melbourne come over and we can set it up from scratch. You'll see.

: )

iMusty

just had a look at a freedom tent yesterday ( in perth), very impressed with quality.
centre pole job $999 or with extension bit $1399. a bit pricey but will last forever.
main worry about cheap centre pole jobs ($400ish) is the floor, which will not last long in rough areas.
but you have to compare them and ask yourself how many times will i use it and storage space needed. i have not seen an igloo with a decent floor yet.

How many times are you likely to use it ?

For how Long ?

Canvas tents are big and Heavy. Where do you intend to store it ?

Dome tents are light and pack small . . . chuck it under a bed, or seat.

$$$$$ is another factor.

I'm a big fan of the Touring tents . . . Southern Cross, Freedom etc, but , in this instance , I think a decent Dome tent , would be a better option. Lighter, Cheaper , and easier to store. For a couple of nights they would be suitable. Easy to put up , and pack up, and hold up pretty well in most conditions.

I've owned an Oz trail tent for a year now, and probably spent about 40 nights in it. Here are my experiences:
1. First centre pole replaced (with no real problems) under warranty as it slipped about 5cm during the night - no matter how hard I tightened it
2. Second centre pole had the screw threaded - obviously a design problem - so I retapped it and replaced it with a 5mm (or 6??) bolt - now works a treat
3. One of the corner straps that holds the peg came out one night - I was able to do a bush repair, but the ultimate repair was taking it to a local canvas shop where they restictched the entire base, twice all round and four times on the corners - with a much better quality thread, and gave me a 5 year warranty on the job.

I'm now confident the tent won't let me down in a major way again - so in that regard its good. I also put shade cloth underneath it to protect the floor.

For the money spent, I still think its a good tent ... just beware of what probably will go wrong with ectended use. Having said that, my next one will be a SC.

Cheers
Andrew

Check out the Microfast range of spring up tents marketed by Oztent. They come in all sizes.

I don't own one but have been away with people who do, and I've been very impressed by their strength and how well they handle the wind and the weather.

And for a caravanner like yourself, they are lightweight and take up very little room, which I'd expect to be an issue for you with the heavier canvas tents.

Cheers
Phil

As an owner of a few tents, like perhaps most of the others here, here is my concerns..........

I have a Black Wolf Turbo 300.

Good if Tracy & I are going together, because you can stand upright in it. Erection & takedown is quite acceptable.

I also have a Microfast M I 4.

Now, whilst it says the number 4, don't be fooled.........
However, it IS a good, quick, & VERY waterproof tent. I have had mine erected up at the top of a mountain, during a storm, and the wind would sometimes blow the thing flat onto my face, only to have it pop up again.......... no dramas.

Black Wolf takes a lotta room though..........

Wolfie

Brian,

If you are looking for the best tent providing the most practical living arrangement, the OZTENT RV would have to be hard to beat.

How many people find themselves in a hopeless situation when the heavens open up and you are trying to cook.

IMHO any tent must have a sizable awning to provide under cover living space.

I like the idea of having the tent backing up to the vehicle. This allows practical access to the back of the vehicle, under cover living space and the tent area at the rear, for sleeping (etc) in.

OZTENT

Brian,

Plenty of comments made already re the pros and cons of both style of tents but I'll add my 2 cents worth anyway. Over the years we've owned two canvas pyramid style tents and a synthetic dome style tent. Having used the latter for about 5 years in many different conditions, climates and in every state of Aust. we would not go back to canvas tents. The obvious benefits of the synthetic dome tent are that they pack up much smaller and are significantly lighter than a comparable sized canvas tent (in your caravan you could tuck it away and never know it was there). When damp they dry out much more quickly than canvas and are less prone to mould. In hot humid weather you can leave the fly off and you'll find the tent itself breathes much better than canvas. Get one with plenty of windows you can sleep comfortably in even the most hot, humid conditions. Also, IMHO the dome tents can stand up to windy conditons better - remember that the tunnel/dome tents actually originated in mountaineering where they were specifically designed to stand up to the harshest of conditions. As for long term durability, you get what you pay for regardless of whether its canvas or synthetic. Buy a good tent, look after it and it should last you for many years. We bought a good dome tent and found that it was wearing on a comparable level to our previous canvas tents. Hope my comments are of some help.

:o) Melissa