Is it worth me buying this?

[BustyDeLaGhetto]

Hello! camp face

I'm looking to get a decent tent for DD and I to start taking our own little camping holidays. I am SUPER excited about this.

However, I recently became a single mum and money is very, very tight - hence the need for camping holidays. I've been doing my research on the tents and know that Outwell are known to be a really good make (I will literally lose my reason if I have a draughty, leaky tent.)

So there is an Outwell on Ebay at the moment for sale WITHOUT POLES. The price is very low, and my budget is teeny tiny. What are the chances of me getting replacement poles which aren't mad expensive or a nightmare to obtain? Is it pointless to buy a poleless tent in the hope of getting some to go with it?

[SparkyUK]

Replacement poles have always seemed very expensive to me, especially if you needed to get a whole set. I could be wrong though - can you do some googling a find a price for them?

[BustyDeLaGhetto]

Weirdly, I've just seen a question posted on a camping forum for someone asking about a replacement set of poles for this very model back in March - wonder if it is the same guy now selling the tent ? It could well be because he was quoted £140 - £165 for the set

:( x a thousand

[Stellarpunk]

Keep looking Busty, something will turn up... Try gumtree too!

Best of luck!

[BustyDeLaGhetto]

Thank you! I'll give Gumtree a go. a friend of mine found a Coleman in a car boot sale for £3 so I'm not giving up.

[Tommy]

I would keep looking. People often buy a tent and then don't like it so they come up quite often on ebay, gumtree etc.
A tent without poles sounds hard work - not least because to buy the right poles could end up being more expensive

[zumo]

Don't touch it, not worth the hassle.
Carboot sales are good but unless you see it up you are taking punt as it may be no good, check all the zips work etc.
I got a nice one for £3, one person we know paid £25 got it home and it was just a random set of poles and a ripped mouldy tent so take care.
As above try gumtree etc
Have you seen the Halfords deals?
Now its not the best but it would get you started.
www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_786705_langId_-1_categoryId_236908

I would also ask on Freecycle, place a wanted ad on Gumtree local shop etc, just google the tents you are offered and look for reviews.

[MrsPnut]

If I was looking for a cheap tent, then I'd see what deals I could get on a gelert.
We got our Cadiz 5 down out of the loft last month to use at a festival and it was still waterproof and intact. It hadn't been used for about 6 years be ause we have had bigger tents and it is 9 years old having cost us £89 from Halfords in the first place.

[MrsPnut]

What about this and if you have any clubcard points you can use them towards it.

[DumSpiroSpero]

Are there any camping shows near you?

We got our ex-display 8 man Gelert tunnel tent from one for £155 - retail price £350!

[YellowDinosaur]

Go outdoors have a big tent sale on at the mo so check that out if you have one near you....

[fossil971]

Used tents are a bit like used cars. Unless you know and trust the person passing it on, you are quite likely to find tears, missing bits, bent pegs, badly packed away. Obviously nobody on this forum but people who have not got on well with camping can be not very careful with their tents. I will buy almost anything secondhand but with a tent if you can possibly stretch to it try and get a new one that you can look after, or one you know the background of. If you do buy s/h ask to see it fully pitched, and the instructions, and count the poles and parts.

I would agree, Gelert or Go outdoors Hi-Gear brand are inexpensive brands but still proper tents. Or anything from Decathlon.

Having said all that, good luck and happy camping!

[fossil971]

Actually don't forget Millets/Eurohike either

this would do you nicely. (DH and I had a Eurohike tent for about 10 years)

How old is your DD and how big a tent are you looking for?

If you have a small tent, don't get airbeds, but have something like a SIM/rollmat/few layers of blankets - then you can use the "Bedroom" part as living space in the day without bouncing around on an airbed, and just roll your sleeping bags back out in the evening.

[BustyDeLaGhetto]

Blimey sorry all I've only just come back to this thread - Yup, YOU'RE ALL ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. Am leaving the poleless wonder. The price just isn't worth the hassle, you're right.

Many thanks for all your suggestions - will have a look to see what camping shops we have in the area and what kind of sales are on at the moment. I have bought myself a head torch in preparation pleased

Fossil971 DD is 3 and it is just the two of us so, according to these boards I will be looking for a 3/4 man ideally, just to get some space. Does that sound about right?

I hadn't really thought through the idea that someone would sell me a shit tent second hand. I must admit I am BAFFLED that so many brilliant tents are being advertised as only having being used once or never used...these are tents which cost a fortune new, BTW. Now I think the sellers might be telling MIGHTY GREAT FIBS.

[gerbilsarefun]

Have a look here. If you have a Go Outdoors near you, they have the tents displayed for you to walk round and get a feel for the size. Outwell are good, supposed to be one of the best brands, but expensive too. We have a Vango Icarus 600, and it's a great tent.

You can try ukcampsite.co.uk for tent reviews too.

Camping is great. We started 3 years ago, and after the initial outlay you can have cheap holidays. We paid £60 last year for 6 nights on a basic farm campsite which was lovely.