Gonna start camping next year, would like to know what are good makes of tent to buy, what should l look out for, what to avoid etc.

Am looking at a 6 berth family size tent.

What are the good makes and which ones to avoid?

Thanks. xx

avoid the chepaest ones, pain to set up, dont keep out water too well.

go to you local outdoor shop and ask for advice,
make sure it has plenty of storage areas, if you want a 6 berth then l would buy an 8 berth for the extra storage, make sure the tent is tall enough for you to stand up in, would be helpful if you can cook in the tent and a good lounge area is helpful,

We r seasoned campers & would offer the following advice. Most 6 berth tents have very little living space outside of the bedrooms. Choose a much bigger tent than u require, preferably one with a big central living area. Do not forget u need an area to cook, eat etc if the rain is falling. We have a Khyam Wyoming 12 berth tent for four of us that is brilliant, easy to pitch & pack away, & nobody feels claustrophobic. The tent cost £325.00 & is worth it is weight in gold. Happy camping!!

You want pleanty of storage and it is probably best to be able to stand up

totaly agree dont buy cheap ones too much hassle setting up. Also when the time comes to buy one go to hotukdeals.com and u might spot one on sale or a vouvher to use against 1. happy tent shoppin!

Look at hiring a tent first time so u do not make an expensive mistake. Read camping magazines for lots of background info.
Think what sort of camping u want to do. When l was in ur position many years ago, among things l specified were: a porch, room enough to stand up straight, storage area. Remember when manufacturers say '4 person tent' what they really mean is 4 stick thin bodies lying extremely close to each other with no space to get out for a call of nature without treading on everyone.
Hope u have a great time.

we have some outdoor stores that rent tents & other stuff(sleeping bags, pads, camp kitchens & lighting). Also some of the state parks have what they call a rent-a-camp.Try some out. End of the season is a great time to pick up some bargains & display items. get a good tent,nothing like stuck zippers at 2:00 in the morning when u need to make that special run u know where or that drip that always hits at the most unlikely place.Go to a outdoor store & talk. l hate to down grade any brand they have different levels of quality in the same brand. The bigger like 8-10 & namebrand

hydrostatic head not less than 1,500 otherwise it will not stand up to a good down pour,
sometimes called water pressure or waterproof,
had loads of tents over the years go camping most weekends all year round the last weekend this year for me is the 8th of DEC then start again in Jan,
just because a tent has a big name does not meen its a good tent & good value, some of the best tents l have had have been little known, most tents r made in the same factorys in far east , l got a kyam copy(made in the same factory) that has lasted over 10 year my son uses it now, l have a great gelert tunnel tent
stood up to what scotland could throw at it,they do a good sleeping bag l have spent up to £150 on sleeping bags good names but they did not keep me warm the £17 gelert does,
so l would recomend gelert but still look for one u like rain wants to run off so u dont want a tent that is saggy or long sloping side is as these will sag when wet u want a large comunal area so u can sit in if it rains or just chill in,it will also be ur cooking & eating area,
just the other weekend saw a friend get soaked in the new tent they had bought good tent they told me big name was not that good next morning

l have just bought a 6 berth tent from rage. if you email me l will send all details. should have cost 174 pounds l bought it brand new for 56 pounds including posting and packing.

You need to look out for:
High Hydrostatic head (at least 1500, if not 2000 or above)
Taped seams
Ripstop fabric

Good tents will also have lightweight but very tough poles & a design which will withstand wind & grim weather -probably a dome or tunnel shape. l would say to avoid Sunncamp & Eurohike tents as they r cheap & I've seen them collapse or break in July weather in the UK! They're not really made for anything but good weather camping in the south of France or whatever. Gelert, Khyam & Vango (especially) make excellent tents which will withstand poor weather conditions & will last u for years. They will also maintain their resale value if u decide u want to get rid of it later on.

If u r concerned about the higher price for these brands then try getting one off Ebay - there is always loads on there because people buy tents & then decide they do not like camping! You're always far better off getting a good tent cheap than getting a cheap tent - having a tent u can not rely on can ruin a holiday.

As other people have said, what counts as a 6 berth tent can vary massively - this could be one compartment that sleeps exactly 6 people squished in head to toe or, say, 3 bedrooms that fit 2 people, with a large communal area etc. The best thing would be to visit a display or tent showroom nearby - check in ur yellow pages for one. Then u will be able to look around the tents, decide what kind of size or layout u want, maybe find a particular model u like that u can search for on ebay. However u do it, make sure to take note of the dimensions of any tent u like, so u can find comparable models quickly & easily if u buy online.

Get product reviews from:

http://outdoorsmagic.com/defaultProductReviews/mps

and more helpful advice from:

http://thehappycampers.co.uk

Good luck! Hx

Here ya go. You can not get much better than this in terms of tent quality, tent size or price:

http://outdoormegastore.co.uk/acatalog/Khyam_Michigan_Family_Tunnel_Tent.html

Be quick. That price wo not last. Kyham are one of the best makes of tent available.

Do not buy a 6 berth tent. If there are 6 of you, then it wo not be big enough. They never are.

ok let me give u some ideas l love coleman products
most of my camping gear is coleman. when picking a tent make sure u buy a tent that the floor comes up over the sides & u will want a tent that has 2-3 seams all the way around cheap tends to leak & not hold up. also acouple of days before ur trip set up yur tent in the backyard acouple times to get used to it. l would also buy a ground cloth to put under the tent u can use a tarp or plastic but make sure it stays under the tent keep it away for the edges about 3 inchs will do.also buy a good seam sealer l use seam sealer 2 u can get it walmart. l made a camping group its called w.v,oh,kycampingace in groups know one has joined of yet & l open the invite to every one but will give u & help u all l can if ur interested

Tthere is lots of good choices out there nowadays.

For us as a family it was weight & pitching time, we used to have a second-hand frame tent which was OK, but it nearly took all day to pitch, filled the car bootspace & weighed a ton. So after some non-happy trips in that bought a khyam. Its quick to pitch (1/2 hour in real time not that ''up 30 seconds'' in brochures!), not too heavy & its 100% waterproof, & despite warnings all over that u must not cook near the tent fabric we can cook quite happily inside it on wet days. l can also stand inside it so that really helps. Millets & blacks seem to do good value tents, khyams r bit expensive compared to some but seem to be worth it. happy camping!