Easy Tent

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Easy Tent

tonyd · Guru

Good luck with your tent search, which will be an Elle of a job (sorry!).

The Black Wolf turbo tents are good and apparently easy to put up, but they are NOT cheap (over $1000, and more for a fly/awning). Quite heavy, too. The Lite version is cheaper, but I wonder about water proof-ness, although they look good.

Oz tents go up in 30 seconds, but are heavy and long and apparently have to be carried on a roofrack. Funny wedge shape, too. However, they have many admirers. Also not cheap. There's a new version out called the Jet Tent (?), with an external frame. Had a look at one, and it seemed a little bit flimsy and fiddly.

Coleman has recently released a quick set-up tent at a reasonable price. Have yet to see one, but they have had some lukewarm reviews with references to rain getting in easily. Must have a look at one, as Coleman stuff is usually good quality.

Southern Cross make good tents with a centre pole, but may be a bit heavy for you, both weight-wise and on the pocket.

Keep us updated. I'm also in the market for the same reasons (offroad, away from van, etc). Also keep an eye on your local free advertising paper. The Perth one often has tents at reasonable prices (they usually say"used once", which makes me grin at the domestic row that probably inspired the quick sale!)

Cheers, Tony

Vic · Guru

This is a link for the Oz Tent and Jet Tent mentioned by Tony Elle,

There is also a Perth store. Gumtree also sells used tents.

See this link for Oz Tents;

http://au.oztent.com/

antigoon · Veteran Member

Don't discount the oztent ... a guy in a wheelchair can put it up easily

Cruising Granny · Guru

I bought one from a camping store in Cairns. It's easy to erect (when you know how), and it's much larger than I first thought.
It was less than $200. It's called Outdoor Equipped Screen House, Ultra Den Plus, weighs 10kg and measures 305cm x 305cm.
It has a floor, the outside walls can be used as flys as it's insect screened.
Maybe check the internet. "Google it".

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Sounds perfect for me CG - couldn't find it by googling but will ask at the local camping shops. Thanks for your help everyone, I will look around. I just wanted to know if there were any glitches to look out for such as bulkiness, complexity etc. Insect screening is a must and some level of sturdiness I suppose. I could potentially sleep in the back of the ute but it would not be much fun I suspect - especially with drooling furry creatures sharing the space.

milo · Guru

ive looked at the oztent rv and it fits in my little car

http://au.oztent.com/products/viewProduct.asp?productid=3

also these guys have camper tents to go on the back of utes, dont know how much tho

http://www.freedomoffroad.com.au/product/19/quicksilver_6.0/photo_gallery

-- Edited by milo on Thursday 24th of November 2011 12:00:34 AM

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Thanks Milo - I was looking at around the $300 mark as you gotta draw the line somewhere. I was looking at something cheap, quick and easy to throw up in 10 minutes or so that would sleep me and the furry critters and perhaps have a little awning to sit under but really there is nothing wrong with a tree.

I actually spent years travelling with a little tent from a disposal store and an army sling bag for my clothes and travelled by train or hitch hiking and carried everything with no problem. I worked mainly on prawn trawlers during this period. I also carried a bazouki which is a Greek instrument, not a rocket launcher. In between jobs I would camp in CPs for $2 per night.

Gotta wonder at all the "essential" stuff I'm accumulating for my "clutter free" permanant life on the road.

milo · Guru

trouble im finding with reasearching all this stuff is it makes your head hurt.
good luck with what ever you choose..

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Hey Milo it's actually a lot of fun researching all this stuff and a good relief from the horrible stuff happening in my life. I am setting up a good exit strategy and that feels great. It's a bit (or a lot) sad all that is being left behind.
Like you say though there is so much info, it's important to have info specific to your needs. Otherwise your head does explode. It's great when you can have people give you concise information.

Thanks Milo for your info and I have actually taken up a couple of suggestions you made on another thread.

RALPHRALPH · Senior Member

hello i have a 30sec tent ,its long,20kg and needs to go on roof,but its been through al weather with flying colours.have had a dozen different shapes and sizes over my camping years cannot fine any thing that comes close but health is an issue .bad back etc ,all i can save if someone invents a good tent for us maturing people thy will sell.good luck smile biggrin confuse

ChiChi1 · Guru

Got sick of tenting always bending over etc. Got a two roomed domed tent (Easy as to put up by myself) I could stand up in it. Also an air mattress that is about normal bed height, Stove stand, comfy chair, couple of card tables to keep things off the ground. 5 star camping !!!!

johnq · Guru

An air mattress will constantly chill the bod from below in cold areas, not good. If you have the storage space a self-inflating mattress is warmer.

I have a folding bed (Coleman) for camping, with a space blanket between for cool nights.

wendyv · Guru

Look for a tent that does not have a complicated pole system. Years ago, when my kids were small, I was given a family sized tent to take them camping. It was all I could afford to use, for several years, but had its share of issues, like letting in rain. But the worst problem was that it had about 50 pieces of pole to assemble - and they were all different. Caused many headaches.
Since then have been able to afford to buy decent, heavy duty Australian made tents - have two, that pre-date the caravanning. Both are tropical rated canvas. They were made by a guy who was a canvas repairer. He designed his own, then, to eliminate the problems he had to keep fixing in other brands. They are great, but not cheap - it is certainly an area where you have to pay for quality.
Apart from looking for simple, interchangeable pole systems, try to avoid curved zips. Things like cotton tie tapes inside the tent - for windows etc - will wick rain inside.
When you get the tent, put it up and then get a piece of shadecloth big enough to fit under the tent, "verandah" area included, with about a metre spare all round. You will need to make holes for the tent pegs. This will protect the tent floor on rough ground and give you a "floor" in areas you use outside. Will not be too heavy or bulky - we carry ours in a draw string bag.
6 inch masonry nails are handy to carry for places that will bend normal tent (and annexe) pegs.

Vic · Guru

On the subject of tents, with my early campervans I carried a two man dome tent (I was solo, one side for me, one for my gear etc) which I had inside a blue tarp which was secured to the top front of my campervan.

I never ever used it for that, but the reason for having it was if I had vehicle problems and the van had to be worked on in a workshop etc, I could put my tent up in a caravan park or somewhere for cheap accomodation until my vehicle was ready. It gave me the peace of mind of having alternative accomodation I could afford while the campervan was out of action.

I also carried one which I did use regularly in my hatch back car I started camping with, not only for camping, but again also for alternative accomodation if the car was damaged or needed repair etc.

-- Edited by Vic on Thursday 24th of November 2011 06:02:22 PM

Cruising Granny · Guru

The tent I mentioned has 2 fibreglass rods which form the frame the tent hangs from. I used it in Dalby in the rain and I stayed dry inside. The surface gets wet but it doesn't drip inside.
I have a camp bed which is covered in and very roomy for me. It's like a swag on legs. It doesn't need a mattress but I use a back-packers camp mat, and depending on the weather, my sleeping bag and a blanket are warm enough in the cold times, and a sheet or just the doona cover are enough in the warmer weather.
It gets a bit damp inside with condensation, but under cover of the tent or the awning attached to my car, I can open more of the screened venting.

I worked on prawn trawlers in '76 in the Gulf and across to the Kimberley coast. Wild days and hard days. The prawns didn't keep clock time.

ChiChi1 · Guru

Have camped during Canberra winter in my setup. Put space blanket underneath and slept between two down doonas. Never cold in bed. Out a different matter.

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Wow, lots of good tips and ideas, will check out the camp bed option as my knees are not the best. Also will get the shadecloth. Does the shopping list ever end?

Rip and Rosie · Guru

lol @ Elle, while you can still carry it, keep shopping. If you drop off unused stuff in local charity shops, you can keep shopping lol.

If your dogs are like mine, that's one less doona you need.

rosie

milo · Guru

I like your little black dog there Elle,
my friend has one just like it, Ruby is her name and she's a bundle of fun and antics...

Elle on Wheels · Guru

milo wrote:
I like your little black dog there Elle,
my friend has one just like it, Ruby is her name and she's a bundle of fun and antics...

Hey Milo you've changed your avatar - who's the cheeky birdy? My "little" black dog is my big boofy boy Pedro. He is supposed to be a medium sized dog but I reckon his grandfather was a horse.

milo · Guru

Thats Buddy, after Buddy Holly...

I saw a dog that looked like Pedro, but whats white and as big as a labradore but had poodle type hair??

any ways hope your tent hunting is going ok , im stil saving up for mine.. if i dont get camper trailer first.. depends on
which way i end up..