With our brands including the world's most renowned manufacturers like Terra Nova, The North Face, Vaude, Wild Country and Vango, we have an impressive range of 1 to 6 man tents ready for you.
We're proud to stock most of the classic models, such as the Terra Nova Quasar and Voyager, The North Face Tadpole 2 and Rock 2, and the Vaude Taurus II and Hogan, which have all been tried and tested the world over.
We also stock festival and camping packs for those just starting out in summer camping.
More about Tents
In Part 1 of this guide we'll explore arguably the two most important important things to consider when buying a tent; how many people you want to fit in it, and when/where you want to use it.
As with sleeping bags, or waterproofs, if you pick the product most suitable for the intended end use, the features will usually have scaled to make sure that they're suitable. Of course we'll cover the actual anatomy of a tent in Part 2.
Capacity
As a general rule of thumb each person is estimated to occupy the width of a standard roll-mat which is ~ 50cm.
Bear in mind that lightweight or more technical tents may expect you to 'top & tail', or get very cosy! If you want to store your gear inside, or you're trying to fit two 6'2" rugby props into your tent, you may need to allow for more space.
Always try and map out the sleeping area plan at home (dimensions are usually found online) and try it out, or even better, try the actual tent out first.
Seasons/Usage
Choose your tent for the the expected conditions you aim to use it in...generally the more expensive a tent, the stronger it is, so do not expect a £50 dome tent to survive the same conditions as a £500 winter tent.
Read more
In Part 1 of our guide we concentrated on the seasons and structures of tents. In Part 2 of our guide we'll talk about the components most tents share, and explain a little about each. Of course, there are a vast amount of tents on the market, so this is by no means and exhaustive list, but hopefully it'll provide some use for those new to the terms.
Most tents comprise three main structural features; the Inner, the Flysheet and the Poles. These all work together to give the tent its shape and strength, and generally speaking, each cost roughly a third the cost of the tent (in case you need your tent repaired!). How these components interact depends on the structure (see Part 1), and the pitching style (coming in Part 3), but that interaction is a large factor in overall strength, space and weight.
FLYSHEET
The Flysheet, or fly, is usually the outer most layer of a tent and is primarily designed to provide water- and wind-proofing, and give the tent strength via either tensioning the guy-lines, compressing the poles (on inner-first pitches) or both.
Read more
This object of desire is not just some shiny piece of kit, but actually had a place in a significant moment of my life; the start of my love of the outdoors...so allow me to take you back to the halcyon days of my early teens, around 1994.
I was just starting my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award with my local Air Cadet squadron and we'd reached the expedition practice, so I was packed with gear and sent on my way. Reaching our camp-site we pitched our borrowed tent (an old cotton Force Ten which weighed a tonne - if you've used one you'll know what I'm talking about) when I noticed the Silver DofE group with a compact yellow and green marvel which they seemed to pitch within minutes with no fuss. Best of all it looked sleek, aggressive and most of all, strong. Being a curious sort I wandered over to have a poke about and my love affair with the Terra Nova Quasar began.
Read more
For many, a tent may be the most expensive single piece of outdoor equipment they buy, and for those that use them regularly, a faithful companion on trips and treks that over time, becomes as familiar and loved as your best pair of walking boots. We all fear that horrific sound of groundsheet being punctured, or poles snapping, and not only because of the cost of repair, but often because it means we'll have to say goodbye to an old friend.
Here's my ten top tips for keeping your tent tickedy-boo, in no particular order!
1) Use a groundsheet protector (GSP/Footprint)
Most modern tents use lightweight fabrics for all components, and on the whole, these are tougher than they look, but they're still vulnerable to damage from stones, glass or sticks that you may end up pitching your tent on.
Read more