Campr – Everything Camping

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For new campers in 2010 we’ve taken a broad look at some of the new models making their way onto the market.

What type of camper are you?

As many individuals, couples and families consider another holiday at home this year, the popularity of tents is likely to soar. Outdoor adventure holidays throughout Britain have become increasingly attractive alternatives to more expensive foreign holidays. As such, caravans and tents have become staple items of equipment for those who enjoy roaming the English countryside, Scottish Highlands and Welsh mountains.

However, when it comes to choosing a tent, the wide range of products available on the market can confuse many first time travellers. Therefore, a handful of the most popular and best selling tents is included below, with details on the pros and cons of each.

Family Tents

The Coleman Modulus

Where family outdoor adventures are concerned, nature is best enjoyed with a sturdy and capacious tent nearby.

The Coleman Modulus X7 remains one of the best family tents available for sale in 2010 and boasts a wide range of features that will appeal to family members who want to experience the great outdoors in relative comfort and style.

The Coleman Modulus X7 weighs just over 30Kg, so it is not necessarily one that most would want to lug around over any great distance. Despite its relatively bloated weight, the Coleman Modulus X7 features top quality inner tent fabric, a 140 g/m fully integrated and welded living area groundsheet, 6,000mm PU coated flysheet with taped seams, wrapflex poles, cool air port, head room up to 240cm and packed dimensions of 75cm x 50cm x 39cm.

Outdoor Enthusiasts

Vango Alpha 300

Smaller groups of outdoor adventure enthusiasts will no doubt prefer the superb Vango Alpha 300, which offers room for up to 3 people.

The Vango Alpha 300 has a packed size of 60cm x 17cm x 17cm and weighs just 3.65Kg, so it can be easily carried around on any adventure, which is an important quality for campers who wish to explore deep into the countryside and may spend significant amounts of time traversing difficult landscapes. The Vango Alpha 300 is also notable for its easy pitch design. Where slightly more space is required, the Gelert Twist 4 man tent provides a similar level of comfort and high performance with just a little more leg room thrown in.

Fast pitch tents

Gelert Quick Pitch

It is often the case that an outdoor adventure enthusiast`s most pressing concern will not involve head height or leg room; indeed, one of the key features of any tent is how easily it can be pitched.

A tent that takes considerable time and effort to pitch will invariably prove exhausting and, in adverse weather conditions on difficult terrains, it can also prove extremely dangerous. Therefore, specialist mountain and cold weather tents tend to comprise easy pitch components that allow users to escape the elements without any unnecessary delay. In respect to the Gelert Quick Pitch which offers capacity for up to two people, the total time in which the tent can be pitched is around a minute or less, which is ideal for those who require instant protection from the elements.

In order to effectively compare tents, it is always necessary to consider what type is required for a particular adventure before assessing the options.

Main image courtesy Greything