Thread: Centre pole tent-Dome tent

i have a qz touring tent centre pole i think it is great it has a pole around the back out side for a part of the tent that sticks out im very happy with it and easy and quick to put up from memory the cost is only $279.00 dollars
yes they are baulky but if your going away in a defender and there is ony two or three people you should have plenty of room in the car as well as the tent

Thanks mate, very interesting.

In my 110 the size wont be a problem, but we are planning a week trip to Oman in our Disco with the inlaws next Jan, so 4 adults with all our gear camping for a week in the Disco might be a problem, but I hope not. I can always chuck it on the roof rack with our roof tent if need be.

Next project will have to be some polyairs to keep the Discos @rse off the ground.

For mine you can't beat a dome tent with clips on the inner tent. I don't mind the geodesic designs (double the number of poles) after being in a standard dome during a big storm and having the tent almost invert itself with wind pressure - has to be seen to be believed.

Haven't used a centre pole tent since I was a kid but prefer the increased area of central height in a dome and that you don't have a fixed object interfering with where you want to walk.

My pet hate is the little sleeves for the poles on some dome tents. Cheaper, and probably less wear on the fly, but fiddly as all get out. I have DMH that I can single-handedly assemble in about 20 minutes and it's got 6 poles, 3m x 3m plus extended entry that seats 4 around a table quite easily. Needless to say it has clips.

My recommendation? Have a look at the usable space. If you're not going to be in the tent that much (just sleeping) then a pole won't make much difference. Look at the angle of the side walls and how they are kept out - if you're using a camp bed or similar you can lose a lot of floor space from the roof hanging on your bed. Another thing I like about a well-designed dome is that it's self-supporting - you peg it to hold it down but it doesn't collapse if there's no pegs. Means you can use it immediately in rain and don't have the worry of pegs coming loose and allowing the roof to fall on you once the canvas gets wet.

Steve

I've used both.

I much prefer the single pole tent. I haven't tried the one that has the extra u-shape pole to extend the back, but I think it would be good for extra people. They are quick and easy to set up. If no wind about you only need four pegs. No weather cover required. you can stand up in them.

Originally Posted by rar110

I've used both.

I much prefer the single pole tent. I haven't tried the one that has the extra u-shape pole to extend the back, but I think it would be good for extra people. They are quick and easy to set up. If no wind about you only need four pegs. No weather cover required. you can stand up in them.

i cant help but agree i only use 4 pegs in mine and i like the fact i can stand up to get dressed and other things

Friends of ours have a centre pole tent. You can get an adaptor thingey so that you can do away with the centre pole and have 2 poles on the sides...that way you don't have to sleep one either side of the pole. One thing they have found is that in really soft ground you need really long pegs otherwise the upward force of the pole pulls all the pegs out of the ground.

Numpty's Missus

Thanks all, keep it coming.

There are certainly pro`s and cons of both.

Numpty, I had`nt thought about the pegs pulling out in soft ground due to the centre pole, as we camp in sand most of the time this might be an issue, but I`ve gone away from normal pegs and have 4 pegs of approx 3/8 rod a foot long to keep the sucker down.

Cols, I guess there are many personal choices and testimonials that each one of us can present to you drawn from personal experiences....
Here is mine, or I should say Ours.

We purchased The Family Tourer from Freedom Camping in Melbourne.

The tent is a spring loaded, Centre Pole Tent, with a "U" shape pole set up at the rear, that provides the tension for the structure.....And about 8 pegs do the base...

Very, Very quick set up, as a matter of fact we are usually set up before the others sort out their Fibreglass poles..........

We have now been using this tent for about 14 Years, and apart from some various Stains on the Canvas, NOTHING has gone wrong with it.....

It's been Rained on(no leaks), snowed on and hailed on. The spring loaded centre will take huge gusts of wind, lean with it, and then self centre....

It's bulky, it's heavy, you would struggle to pack it in anything but a 4wd, and most would have to agree that it's quite price heavy, but it will pay for itself over time.........

Take a look here........
http://www.freedomcamping.com.au/ft.html

Good luck......