DUSTYSTAR and BIGLIPS - come and tell me about your tents!!

[Novicecamper]

Am looking at Vermont XL and apparently you have the L or XL - tell me, tell me all about them!!

[dustystar]

We have the Vermont L and love it. We had a couple of minor leaks when we first got it (outwell seemed to have some problems with this last year) but we used the sealant that came with the tent and after that it was fine. Perfect layout for us except we now wish we had bought the XL so that ds and dd could have a room each as he is such a pain.

They need 2 people to put up as they are heavy but once up they are really sturdy. I love the way that all the windows and doors have the option of just having a mesh covering so that you can have plenty of airflow when its warm.

Have you had a look around one?

[Novicecamper]

Hi dustystar. Oh I'm going slowly insane trying to find a blardy tent!!

No, have only seen round a Montana 6 which I loved but now not sure it's big enough (have 3 boys aged 7, 5 and 3).

So been surfing net all day and came up with Vermont XL but I've just seen photos on a camping forum and the side bedrooms look tiny so I don't know if it will suit us - I don't know how we'd split the sleeping arrangements in it.

The thing is - I like the layout of Montana/Vermont. HELP ME!!!!!

[Novicecamper]

Dustystar - the Vermont L has a 220 wide room and a 140 wide one. Who do you sleep in the 140 bit? How many can honestly sleep in that - it looks really small to me on pictures. The XL has a 180 wide and 2 140s - I cna't work out how we'd do the sleeping arrangements between dh, me and the boys.

[dustystar]

The small bedrooms are small but just big enough for a double mattress or 2 small singles. The large bedroom in the L is bigger than the xl and is huge. The first night we went away in it dh and I had the small room and the kids were in the large one but ds is a pain so after that he has slept in the wardrobe area DD has the little room and dh and I sleep in the big room with all the clothes. The living area in the L is really spacious and plenty big enough for a family of 4 or 5 on a rainy day. We tend to have the table and all cooking stuff and food in the front section of the tent leaving the middle living area really open.

[dustystar]

Ds has ADHD so wakes early and can't keep still or quiet when in with dd which is why he needs his own room. If your boys are happy to sleep together I think the L would suit you well and being that bit narrower it is less likely to be a problem for pitch sizes. We've not had a problem with ours so far.

Because the bedrooms are standing height you don't feel cramped like you might in a pod on a dome tent.

[Novicecamper]

Do you think my 3 could sleep in the small bedroom OR would dh and I be Ok in the small bedroom?

[Novicecamper]

They are happy to sleep together btw - they all share a room now just because they like it! They have all their beds in a line with no gap inbetween - bless!!

[dustystar]

The small room would be too small for all three of them. The large room would leave them space to have their toys in there which would make it easier ti keep the rest of the tent tidier. The small room will be big enough for you and dh. My dh is 6'4" and broad and we were fine. There's room for a double mattress and thats all you need really.

[Novicecamper]

I am a saddo and have just measured out the space of the 140cm wide pod and laid myself in it! Was laughing at myself in the mirror for being such a saddo!

Come on biglips - I know you are on here today - tell me about your tent!!

[Peachy]

Novice- I have similar aged boys- a 6 man tent is categorically NOT big enough! We have an eight man tent and we need it (though there'll be 4 boys soon- if I can successfully evict this LO anyway )

Web absed shops such as outdoor world tend to have 3d visuals of tents, so if youc an't see it in relaity you can still get a very good idea of how it looks / feels.

[biglips]

weve got vermont XL is worth all the "pennies!" and its huge. Your 7 yrs old can sleep in the single compartment, your 3 and 5 yrs old can sleep in the double compartment and you and your dh can sleep in the middle large compartment. You will all easily fit in. Also if you have extra guests, they can sleep in the living area as long there is a decent carpet (vermont make).

the wardrobe can be taken down if not needed.

Tunnel tents (which we have) have more INDOOR living area than sleeping area and also they are taller.

Dome tents have 3 doubles or more sleeping areas but less INDOOR living area but we noticed they are smaller. (im 5'8 and Dp is 6').

We chose the tunnet tent cos of the indoor living area as we live in a wet windy country - UK

Also you can lif the whole front of the tent up if weather is nice as a canopy.

the only prob i had was sleeping. The roof is very light and it was waking me up so this year i will be buy a sleeping mask! or you can but a dark sheet you can clip on over the compartments as there is an air gap between the compartments and the roof of the tent.

thats it....

[biglips]

also the poles are made out of steel and not aluminium {sp?} as the vermont tent are solid for very strong wind. When we were at the camp site warehouse, the assistant shows us how solid the tent was compared with the other tents by shaking and pushing the poles.

[Lucycat]

or you could just drink more red wine biglips

Peachy when are you due?

[Novicecamper]

Ooh, thanks!

Would dh and I be able to sleep comfortably in the double room bit (side one) and put all 3 boys in the middle one?

I also like the idea of large living area. Thinking about it, it would drive me nuts if were cramped for space indoors. At least you only lie down in teh bedrooms.

Was also looking for height as dh is 6'3 and when I looked at Montana 6 it was plenty tall enough adn Vermont is taller.

Excellent tip about sleeping mask - it drives me mad at home in teh summer as we have light bedroom curtains!!

[Peachy]

The 30th, Luce- but hoping any day now as am at that fed up stage now!

[Novicecamper]

PEachy - can you remind me again which 8 man tent you have? How do you arrange sleeping? Sorry if I've asked before - my head is spinning!

[Novicecamper]

(btw, I am gobbledigook/Elphaba in 'disguise'!!)

[Novicecamper]

Lucycat - have you been to Home Farm in Anglesey? I've seen some of your posts about liking clean toilets etc and this site has excellent, consistent reviews. It's where we are headed on our first camping trip.

[Peachy]

We have this one.

The Khyam Ontario 8.

Sleeping- you get 2 double bed pods which hang togethre one side, and a 4 man for the other side, which comes with a removable divider (a curtain, basically). The boys go in the 4 man pod, we go in a single pod, and baby will be in with us at first but then we'll have the divided pod and the boys will ahve the two double pods. up to now the second double pod hasn't been used, as in strad the area has been handy for a alrder / storage- not that there's any shortage in the main room mind! we also have a detachable porch which we place a table and grill under, and the carpet.

[Novicecamper]

It looks a really nice that one Peachy. The only thing is, on the Vermont I like the way you get a big porch/canopy at the front with detachable groundsheet, then big living area, then bedrooms all at one end. I just like the layout but have small reservation about room sizes which are 140, 160, 140

[Lucycat]

I didn't know you were gdg! i wouldn't have been so polite if I'd known

oooh yes Home Farm is lovely, very groomed, flowers in the toilet block and the pitches are a good size. It's also close enough to Benllech to go for chips but not noisy.

The Plassey near Wrexham is a good site too, but too big and commercialsed for us!

[Novicecamper]

Ha ha - thanks! (eek am trying to think if we have argued about something now - I don't think so!)

So you've been to Home Farm? I'm really looking forward to it - not camped for yeeeears!

[Peachy]

this is the tent with the porch

Not that there's anything wrong with the Outwells, btw!

[Peachy]

(scrolling up on pictures give you an idea of size compared to kids btw)

[biglips]

also what i love about tent is that you can "zip up a wall" inside the tent between the living area and the front section of the tent iykwim?. And also it got side doors on both side of the tent.

plus i wont be able to drink as im due in Sept