All About Tents

Vango - 3 Pole Tunnel Tent

Jackie's tent is a 3 pole Vango tent - very similar in design to our Ferrino Thunder but with 1 less pole, and slightly higher - she's had it about 10 years and it's still going strong!

Like the Thunder the inner goes up after the outter and it has 2 side opening doors - technically it's down as a 4 man tent but it sleeps 3 comfortably.

Quechua Arpenaz T2x3 Air

Quechua are the make of tents supplied by Decathlon.

The Arpenaz is a 4 pole, 6 man extended dome tent with a central living area and 2 x 3 man sleeping areas - one on each side. It has one front opening and a built in awning.

The outer goes up first and the sleeping compartments are then attached. The outer is vented at each end and we have bought additional ground sheets for each sleeping area.

This tent cost £99 in the sale last year.

This tent was bought as a mess tent for the Dukinfield Cycling Team during their Mountain Meyhem 24 hour cycle races - the team members numbered 4 and they each have their own individual sleeping tents so the inner sleeping compartments are not used.

We have taken this tent to Skye to use if the weather was particularly bad with the idea of being able to pitch one tent for everyone to sleep in with a large dry area to cook and socialise in but luckily the weather never got that bad and the tent was not used.

Southern Cross Antartica

The Antartica is a 4 pole, 2 man dome tent, wieghing 4 kilos, with a small front porch and rear storage area reached from the inside. The poles are coloured co-ordinated with the tent loops and the inner goes up first.
The tent comes with additional fitted ground sheet and both rear and front doors have mesh doors fitted to the outside of the material doors. The doors are the only means of venting this tent. There are 2 inside mesh pockets for storage and we have added a 'dove's nest'.

The cost of this tent full price was approx £125 roughly 8 years ago.

Ian originally got this tent for just him, his kit, camping and the Tour de France but we now also use it for summer camping in situations when we know we are not going to have wet dogs or need to cook inside or when we have a friend camping with us and we can use the Ferrino Thunder to cook in if needed. (pic = Skye Walkers Camp Site, Portnalong, Skye)

The front porch can be used to cook in with a small single stove and to store kit bags in and the rear storage area can be used for boots and rucsacs. It is essentially a 2 man tent but there is space down the middle for dogs to sleep.

(pic = in the woods across the loch from Eileen Donnan Castle)

Quechua Bionnassay T2+

Quechua tents are the make of tent supplied by Decathlon.

The Bionnassay is a 3 pole tent weighing 3.6 kilos, sleeping 2 people, with a double opening porch on one side. It is essentially a snow tent having snow flaps on all sides but these can be rolled up and secured out of the way for 'summer' camping - the poles are colour co-ordinated with the tent loops and the inner goes up first.

There are pockets in the inner and a 'dove's nest' (mesh hammock for storage) on the ceiling as well as 2 internal hooks. The vents are at each end on the outer and the inner has zip mesh openings over the vents. There is an extra mesh vent down one side that can be opened or closed as required and a part mesh ceiling. The door to the inner is a single door with a mesh top.

We paid approx £70 for this tent in the sale.

This tent was chosen as we needed a tent that would be suitable for use not only in the Icelandic Interior but also in the Australian Outback - it had to be light enough to travel long haul in a normal holdall.

For our Icelandic trip this tent was taken as an emergency use only tent as we had (and luckily) did intend to sleep in huts each night but it is always best to go prepared!!!

In Australia we used this tent a lot in the outback and mountains where we slept with all vents and doors open and a mosquito net over and under the tent to keep out those pesky insects. (pic = Palm Valley, NWT)

We did not buy this tent with the aim to eat inside or have dogs with us but it can be easily split into 2 and used as a backpacking tent - there is room in the porch for a small stove to cook on and 2 rucsacs. At a push you can sleep 2 people and 2 dogs inside as long as you don't mind the dogs on your sleeping bags at your feet!

For added security in high winds there is a removable strap which goes between the porch and the tent inner - however be careful to remember to re-pack this when taking the tent down - our strap is still hovering about Halls Gap camp site, Grampian Mountains, Victoria, Australia!!! (pic = Halls Gap)

Decathlon very kindly provided us with a replacement! (which we have now permanently secured to the inner!!)

Ferrino Thunder

The Ferrino Thunder is a 4 pole, 3 man, tunnel tent with a large porch at one end, doors opening from each side and a small rear porch suitable for rucsacs, boots, etc.

It also has useful side pockets in the inner and ceiling hooks in both inner and porch. There is a vent at each end and the inner has a mesh door inside (and zipped separately) to the main door and a material only door giving access to the rear porch.

I picked this tent because of it's versatility in fitting in with whatever I wanted it to do!

I wanted a tent that was big enough to sleep 2 people and 2 (possibly wet) dogs separate from down sleeping bags, with room for extra people to sit in, the ability to cook and store our kit bags and equipment inside and most importantly for me was that the inner went up after the outer as we camp in all weathers in all seasons.

Also the price had a lot to do with it - it was an ex-demo model at £50 instead of £150!

The dog beds in the porch and 2 x sleeping bags with kit bags at the end.....