Centre pole tent-Dome tent

Over the years we've pretty much done the rounds of tents from heavy canvas

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n...9/52a4cbb1.jpg

(Freedom tent - mines attached to the Rangie ~1989 but exactly the same as Numptys)

Then to lightweight dome tents, which are probably the most waterproof of the lot, synthetic material, but in reality they are fairly fragile especially in the zipper department.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...007/04/468.jpg

We even tried the ezi-up style which work on a similar principle to the toilet/shower tents with a figure 8 of spring steel as the frame, absolutely hopeless though in any sort of wind.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...007/04/469.jpg

Finally we've gone back to the canvas with a SouthernCross Ultimate trekker, not cheap but I don't expect to be buying another tent.


Martyn

I had a look at the oztents on the weekend. Even the RV-5 which is their biggest is only 2.6x2.6. What they don't say is the frame doesn't go out to the edges of the tent, so you have to peg the tent out to get the full size, and then you have a aluminium beam lying on the floor about 50cm in from the edge of the tent?? WTF??

It looks like the Freedom Northern Tourer (2.6x3.2) for us.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

I had a look at the oztents on the weekend. Even the RV-5 which is their biggest is only 2.6x2.6. What they don't say is the frame doesn't go out to the edges of the tent, so you have to peg the tent out to get the full size, and then you have a aluminium beam lying on the floor about 50cm in from the edge of the tent?? WTF??

It looks like the Freedom Northern Tourer (2.6x3.2) for us.

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This is one reason we went the way we did.

Best dome around if you can still get one, made in South Africa by Serengetti Tents.

Bows are spring steel & rip stop canvas tentage, they are almost bullet proof. I have two a large 2.5x2.5x2.06h mtre & a smaller 1.8x1.8x1.5 mtre. Smaller dome easy one man erect, larger better with two. They are expensive, but you'll be able to get buried in them when the time comes.

Centre pole 9'x9' Southern Cross another great tent, tough & well made, the other centre poles are just play tents.

Cols

I bought an outrigger tent made by diamantina ( , full canvas with no centre poles , just 2 Poles Down sides , has lots of pockets for storage inside.

my mate and I haggled Kangaroo tent city and we bought 2 of them for $340 each 9 x 9 .

3 times less than the Price of Southern Cross

Excellent touring tent.

http://www.diamantina.net.au/welcome/page15.php

Size approx 2.75m X2.75m with large awning
•Sleeps up to 4 adults
•100% treated Poly/cotton canvas material for total weather protection and UV resistance
•14X14 PE heavy duty floor
•Quick set up frame with no need for a centre pole, providing more usable space
•Reinforced steel D ring peg points
•Extra 20cm increased roof height for greater internal space
•Extra wide front door with insect screen
•Extra large windows for added cross flow ventilation
•New internal storage pockets
•Power cord inlet with clips
•Comes complete with pegs, ropes and carry bag


there are 2 outriggers , 9 ' x 9 '
and 12 ' x 9 '

Just bought a Wild Country Tanami centre pole canvas tent. You can also use it with two side poles if you don't want the centre pole interfereing with after hours activities.

Got sick and tired of the dome tent blowing in when there is a storm and strong winds.

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/3...tentqj8.th.jpg

We've got a Freedom brand Tourer tent, square with the center pole. Had it for over 10 years, done lots of camping - never once let us down. I'd recommend them to anyone without hesitation.

Nathan

The only issue we found with our centre pole tent was that if you don't have the right peg and can't securely anchor them into the ground you don't have a tent! Even with sand pegs in very soft river sand we had some issues :o

I borrowed an el cheapo Kmart 2.7m square centrepole tent for 2 week trip with wife and 2 kids and was so impressed I bought a better quality version from Great Outdoors.
That was in 1983 and it is still going strong. I had to have the vertical zip on the door replaced last year because the slide had worn out.
Our longest trip with the kids was about 40 nights.
We had almost 100 consecutive nights without the kids in 1999.
One thing I liked was how quick and easy it was to erect; a fairly important consideration when you have to put it up and pull it down almost every day for 3 months.
When my son was only about 8 or 10, he could erect the tent by himself in the time it took me to unpack the table and chairs and the sleeping gear and set up the gas stove.
Only problem was as he lifted the centrepole, the weight of the walls became too much for him to lift and I had to raise it the last 200mm or so.
We have almost always stayed just one night in each spot and for that situation, I can't imagine a better arrangement than one of the many similar tents available

One thing I have noticed about the centrepole tents I have seen is that the really heavy quality ones like those used by tour groups seem to have small a roof area and sloping sides. Mine and quite a few of the slightly lighter ones have a larger roof and more vertical sides, which gives you a greater area inside where it is possible to stand up straight.
The ones with the fixed in frame around the roof are so quick to erect, especially when tour groups put them in a row. After the first tent, each additional one needs to just put in two more pegs and lift the centrepole.
I suppose having a fixed frame around the roof limits the roof area. Otherwise it would be too big when folded up.
Fitting the roof frame takes a little longer but makes for more standing room inside.