Easy Setup Tents

[Kenjo]

I am presently researching suitable tents to accommodate just my wife and I for mainly one or two night stops when traveling longer distances. I’m doing this on the net but can’t physically view the products as I am presently in a remote area in South Sumatra.

Several years ago my wife and I gave up camping in a tent a small dome tent and purchased a used Cavalier Camper Trailer. The CT suits our needs most of the time for shorter excursions to scenic locations with more than an overnight stop planned. On longer trips to the remoter areas I long for the extra freedom that comes without having to tow a tonne behind the Disco 1 V8.

My dilemma is that we have been a little spoilt by the comfort of the CT so I’m looking at 4 to 6 person tents that are simple for 1 or 2 people to set up.

So far, the Black Wolf Turbo 240 or 300 seems to fit the bill and is first choice but there are a myriad of family dome tents on the market at a much more reasonable price. I would appreciate input from those with personal experience with the Black Wolf Turbo and/or family dome tents as to the pros and cons of each.
Are the family domes (approx size 4.5m x 2.4m) simple to set up?
Is the Black Wolf Turbo worth the money?
________________
Cheers,
Kenjo
Disco 1 3.9 V8, King Springs & Bilstien Shocks 50mm lift, TJM Bar w OX winch, Safari Snorkel, BFG A/T’s, Cavalier Offroad CT.

[seqfisho]

Originally posted by Kenjo



Are the family domes (approx size 4.5m x 2.4m) simple to set up?

That would depend if

a) you like fighting with your wife

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ its no blowing anything above 2knts

c) you dont mind the rest of the campground or group your with using you for entertainment.


I would go for a centerpole design, 4 pegs, pole in and shes just about done, I have a Freedom Camping Family Tourer, it can sleep 6 and you can stand up in it.

I ususally have it fully setup in 10mins tops and then sit down with a beer and watch everyone else struggle for the next 30mins https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Only prob is it aint cheap 8O but worth every dollar :wink:

[Kenjo]

Good points Glen. The better half would chuckle if she read point a).
I had previously checked the Freedom Camping Family Tourer on the net and agree it sounds good but is no lightweight. What lent me towards the Black Wolf Turbo is the lighter weight and ease of set up, but I am not familiar with the modern dome tents. The little one I had years ago was simple to erect and no problem in wind – but it was small! I gather from your comments that you don’t think a new model larger dome is much fun.

Cheers,

Kenjo

[Greylandy]

I agree with Glen. Any 6 person or bigger dome tent will take time and effort to put up and will not be suitable for one or two night stays, unless you don't mind being single again! :wink:

I'd suggest the Oztent RV if you have a roof rack. They are super easy and fast to put up and doesn't take up space inside the vehicle. They've got a new model called the RV-5 if you want a 6-person tent. You can also purchase other options like side and front panels which will make it a monster for extended stays. I've had mine for just over a year now and its basically the best tent I've ever owned.


www.oztent.com.au (http://www.oztent.com.au)

[seqfisho]

Nah dont like them dome tents one bit :evil:

Mine isnt that heavy, but then again aint all that light, prob about 15kgs with all the poles, prob less actually. Folds up to about a 1meter sq and about 200mm thick.

It remained standing in 110+ km/h winds in a mini cyclone at Elliot Heads, same storm had the entire campground 4-6" underwater, walking on the floor of the tent was like walking on a waterbed 8O my tables, chairs, eskies washed away, and not a drop of water inside the tent despite having a tidemark on the outside walls of the tent 6" up, I am still amazed at it 8O

The secret is in the spring loaded centre pole :wink:

No offense to Henry, I had a Oztent once and although quick to put up, I would never have another one, the scissor frame and size of the unit packed up turned me off them, oh and they are about the same price as the Freedoms I think.



BTW, I dont work for Freedom nor do I get any commision from them :evil: https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Greylandy]

Glen is correct .. the Oztent packs away in a 2m canvas bag hence the need for a roof rack. I suggested the Oztent because Kenjo has a Disco1 and as good a vehicle as they are ... they don't have a lot of room in the back so going up top will free up some space.

Not familiar with the Freedom tents but I'm a believer in any quick setup canvas tent ... just pick the one that works best for you.

Cheers,
Henry.

[barney]

i've been using dome tents for the last 23 yrs. i've had some great ones and some real duds.
before my wife and i bought the last one, we did loads of research on them and lots of shopping around looking for a sturdy one, which we eventually found and bought.
it turned out to be very sturdy, very good in high wind and rain also. but with every plus there's a minus. while the build quality was superb and the structural design was brilliant, it was a real bugger to put up. the problem lies in the pole system as they have to be threaded thru continuous socks on the outside of the tent and the inside of the fly.
we eventually worked out the secret but we've found that loading the ute with the tent, sleeping bags, some sort of mattress, pillows etc takes up a lot of room.
we've found it a lot easier to roll the whole lot up in a swag and sleep in that. 5 minute set up, warm, dry and too bloody easy. only down side for me is when it rains, because it's a top entry job. to get past this hurdle i just run a tarp off the ute to allow me to get in and out without the rain turning it in to a canvas bathtub.
we've looked at the serengetti tents as an alternative to the swag, and so that our dogs can come with us. these are very easy to set up, pin the floor to the ground, fit the poles to the 4 corners then hook the canvas over the spring steel poles, throw the fly over and pin that to the corners and your done. of course then you got to do the bedding etc.
the reason i go for the domes is that you never get the flat canvas syndrome of water collecting on the near horizontal panels. if you don't get it off, it starts seeping through. i hate wet bedding.
now i know there are gonna be people on here that say "mine doesn't do that" but every one that i've been camping with over the last 30 yrs has had that problem to some degree no matter how well they are designed.

[matbor]

Go and hire a freedom sytle tent, you'll love them.

Southern Cross Canvas is the other good brand.
http://www.southerncrosscanvas.com.au/

Matt.

[loanrangie]

We have a kookaburra 4+2 person dome tent, it has an entrance part and a seperate compartment in the front suitable for gear or a couple of kids. Only takes 15 mins to setup and once up you can stand in it ( got sick up pulling the pants up while lying down ). Cost us $200 on sale and suits our needs, is also compact and will fit behind the seats in the rangie if needed.

[one_iota]

I have some friends who bought a Serengeti bow tent: basically a canvas dome tent. Two required to setup in about 15 minutes.

And the gauze is lion proof 8O

I have a oztent (an earlier model than Henry's) 30 seconds to pitch plus five minutes to get out of the bag :roll: https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ .

But I can pitch it myself.

[LBudgie]

Kenjo
Had simular requirments wheni was looking for a tent.
i hav had a few dome tents, then i got an older but very simular to the new fredom centre pole tent. i can not recomend it highly enough.
i needed a tent when i go deer hunting in the high country.I did not want to waste time setting up a tent as we usually get to our hunting spot about 2am. i have a disco 1 and i slide it behind the drivers seat so i can get to it any time. i only cary one pole and 4 pegs with me now as i am trying to minimise the stuff i carry. a mate that i go with has a dome tent, and honestly i have mine setup and having a beer befor he has his poles together. yes they are a bit bulky and a bit heavier than a dome tent but conveniance and speed outweigh them. It has only leaked when i forgot to zip the window down and one of the window flaps blew up and over the top. It has no horizontal panels for water to sit.
some times when the misses has come camping with me i use the twin pole setup i bought for it, it take about 20 seconds extra to put the second pole in.
its your money and i can highly recomend them.
where are you going to be located when you get back?

Regards Lbudgie

[gruntfuttock]

Hello Kenjo,
About your tent choice. I have a dome tent that is about a 6 to 8 person tent and it is a pain in the arse to put up. If I could have a freedom tent then I would go and buy one but I do not have the money at the moment. I have seen freedom tents and Oztrail, both are good, but I would own a freedom if I could choose. It is only my opion, but you did ask :wink:


Cheers

[Kenjo]

Thanks to all for the informative comments. I’ll be back on the Gold Coast about mid February. I wanted some input from people who actually use tents because I’ve been known to be a tad gullible in the past especially when the salesperson is a good looking fit outdoorsy type (female) :twisted: :twisted: . That’s tongue in cheek but some salespeople can be pretty good job convincing the unwary and I don’t want to walk out with a purchase I’ll regret.

As good as the family domes look on the net – I’ve crossed them off my list. Ease of set up is a must. My wife does not really fall into the description of the aforementioned salesperson but wow she can cook! I don’t need a divorce after 32 years married and other campers can entertain themselves 8O , so simplicity is a must.

With all your advice it looks like I’ve narrowed it down to the Black Wolf Turbo (3m x 3m), or Freedom Family Tourer (4m x 3m). Both are not as heavy as I thought they’d be and both come with good awning options for extended stays. I’ve already got Rhino racks so I’ll plan on a top box (maybe Thule) to carry camp equipment. The Black Wolf’s RRP is $999. I couldn’t find a price on the Freedom so I’ll send an email.

I’ll get time to check them all. Thanks again for the advice.

Cheers,

Kenjo

[seqfisho]

Kenjo,

Go the Freedom or Southern Cross, good Aussie manufacturers with great product and 5 year warranty with the Freedom, although I've had mine 7 years now I've never needed it :wink:

Who makes the Black Wolf?

[matbor]

http://www.blackwolf.com.au/engine/SID/1000074.htm

[Kenjo]

Hi Glen,
As far as I know, the Black Wolf is made in Australia from Aussie poly/cotton canvas similar to the Freedom products, but I think it may be a New Zealand company. I have heard nothing but excellent reports from owners in the past but have only seen pictures on the net. They set up time is not as quick as the Oxtent but I think it is a better looking design. To have a look go to http://www.blackwolf.com.au/engine/SID/1000074.htm.

There are outlets for both Black Wolf and Freedom products within an hour of my home so I will physically check both products.

Cheers,
Kenjo

[Captain_Rightfoot]

We bought a COI primus touring tent. It's the same dimensions and layout as this tent.

http://www.freedomcamping.com.au/ft.html

It fits in the back of our defender between the wheel wells perfectly. It sets up very quickly, and is a good size. I think it was $350. We also got the sidepole kit which makes the space in the tent more usable, but takes up more space and is a little bit more work to assemble. Well worth it if you are staying in one place for a couple of days and have the room.

However, the quality of the canvas and zipps is probably about what you'd expect... pretty cheap. It will probably last us a long time. When we were in the desert we had a lot of condensation problems, and didn't get the chance to let the tent dry before packing it away. So, we've got a little bit of mould on it which dissapointed me a bit.

Also, the pitch of the roof of the extension meant that drops of water would condense and then fall on us overnight. This was really annoying as our sleeping bags got progressively wetter. There were a number of others with this stlye of tent and they didn't have the problem. I'm not sure if it was the higher quality canvas, or their operation. Maybe they slept with all the windows open. It was pretty cold!

However, if it does die, then we will probably buy a high-quality version of the tent from sothern cross or Freedom, or use the poles and tent as a template and get a canvas maker to make one up. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Kenjo]

Condensation is another reason I’m looking at the Black Wolf Turbo (rapid-pitch) as it is a lighter weight double skin tent which, in theory, should not have a condensation problem. I was hoping to hear from someone with first hand experience with the Black Wolf. The Freedom company claim the perfect canvas weight. Just porous enough to breathe which should reduce condensation yet dense enough to be fully waterproof. Neither of these products are cheap so I plan to physically check them both before making the decision.

Cheers,
Kenjo

[DiscoDan]

I have a Southern cross extended tourer. At 4m x 3m it is large enough for my family, (cosy, wife and 3 kids). I bought this several years ago second hand and the tent is now by the tag 13 yers old.

The reason for the Southeern Cross was the height at the back of the tent. High enough for the bunks and room for quenn materess on one side of the centre pole and other bunk on the other.

6 pegs (unless storm coming) and three poles ment we could be set up all beds made beer in hand and food on stove in under 30 mins (sounds like a long time but don't forget thats 5 beds made) The wife and I have been known to set up quicker than some people with camper trailers. (yes I do want a camper trailer)

We use this for tourering hoildays as well as plonking down on the beach for two weeks. The lowest temp was -4c in Vic high country, (no probs and warm as when closed up) and over 35c this christmas (all windows open).

Our freinds have a dome tent and with 4 adults helping after 30 mins we had the tent up but still had to set up the camp site.

I hope this helps as I to had to go through this and the choice was and still is go for a touring tent. Southern Cross, Freedom and COI are all good (COI is the cheapest and lightest) Yes they are heavy but that is why we are on a Land Rover site. I would not be able to walk to a camp ground with the stuff we take camping (yes I tow a trailer and live in a tent)

I hope this helps one last peice of advice with tents it really seems that you get what you pay for. The person who sold mine recouped 75% of his out lay 9 years later and the tent still has no faults (now 13yrs) and is water proof, all the zips work, flyscreens are not rotten, valcro still works, etc etc.

Good luck

Danny

[Steinzy]

I've got an oz tent and its been everywhere with me for the last 4 years and it's still as good as the day that I bought it. It has never given me any grief even in the worst of weather. I have the side kit so with the sides it takes about 5 mins to fully set up. I back the car under the awning for easy access to all my gear so I don't have to unpack the car.

Yes as mentioned it is 2m long but that's a small price to pay for all the benifits IMHO.

[seqfisho]

Hi Kenjo,

I actually had a look at a BlackWolf yesterday at BCF and they are made from the same style material as the OZ Tents as they had them setup side by side. Now I dont know if that is good or bad but it is much thinner and lighter than the canvas in my Freedom.

I've never had and internal condensation issues nor any shadowing at night (silloettes from inside the tent, women get a little funny about it when changing etc .......lol) something that might occue with the thinner material :?:

With changes in technology the material that BW and OZ Tent use may as good or better than my 7yo Freedom but as I said before its not as thick or heavy gauge, but it should make the tent lighter to carry at least.

I may be old fashioned to a certain extent with some things but would rather a couple of extra kilos weight because og thicker canvas than have a thinner material let go on a seam or stress point.