Berghaus Grampian 3 Tent for All Year Round Use, Lightweight and Compact 3 Man Tent, Ideal for Backpacking, Festivals and Weekend Camping Trips, Camping Equipment, Red, One Size

Product Information

The main difference between the 6L and 6XL is the dimensions. The 6L measures 820cm (L) x 300cm (W) x 200cm (H). The 6XL switches this around a bit by being 740cm (L) x 440cm (W) x 215cm (H). As a family, we found the 6XL to be the better layout for the way we like to live in a tent. In Use The Vango comes with a decent pump as standard and there are four airbeams to pump up in total, taking around 15 minutes for full inflation if you’re being relaxed about it. The front of the Sierra Ridge is interesting. It consists of a large windowed section which provides great views of the outside world. The window can be handily covered up with an in-built blind to stop light shining in (or to stop people ogling!). On nice days, the whole of the front can be rolled up, providing great views and airflow. One thing to note is that the front section is not fully zipped (it uses velcro at the bottom) and so you have to be careful how you peg it out to avoid rain water seeping in.

Decathlon make a great marketing pitch about the resilience of the Air Seconds tent against rain and wind. They quote 4 hours of hammering with water at 200 litres per hour per square metre with no leakage. Similarly, they test each design in a wind tunnel on a turntable to ensure that the tent can survive wind battering from any direction, even at 60km/h. Sadly we did not have the opportunity to confirm these numbers.If you’re looking to go on a family camping adventure, you’ll first need the right tent. We’ve put together 15 family tents that our camping experts recommend for 2024. We’ve also included everything you should look for in a family tent before purchasing one. What to look for when buying a new family tent Specifically designed with family camping in mind, the Dometic Ascension FTX is equipped with spacious bedrooms and innovative features. The polyester construction guarantees a comfortable night’s sleep and protection from all types of weather. This model features mesh panels on three sides and a large porch door which can be opened on a particularly sunny day. The Vango comes with a decent pump as standard and there are five airbeams to pump up in total, taking around 15 minutes for full inflation if you’re being relaxed about it.

Four seems to be the theme of this inflatable tent – there are four airbeams in total which take a fair bit of pumping because of the height of the overall structure. There’s a lot of air in them there beams! Look at it as a bit of holiday exercise – you can always treat yourself to a glass of wine afterwards! The outer covering has a 6000mm hydrostatic head which means it’s extremely waterproof and will survive a biblical deluge. The quality of the fabric and the size of the tent means that it’s a hefty weight though – 28.3kg. Could be a two-person effort to shift it if you’re not built like Sylvester Stallone. Manageable weight – some of the larger >6 person tents can get seriously heavy at >50kg – the canvas/polycotten inflatable tents are typically heavier than polyester. It’s an expensive tent in all guises, but if you think about it for a minute this is not an unreasonable amount of money to spend on what is effectively your home away from home. The Ascension uses very quality materials and has an attention to detail in terms of features which is just not present on the cheaper choices we’ve looked at.

Preview

The Ascension 601 TC is a proper 6-person tent with a 4.4m bedroom width split between the six people. This is a significant space of 73cm average width per person – much higher than the typical 60cm given to each person in cheaper tents. The 401 also has similar space per person. To make the decision a little easier, here are our top 3 tips on purchasing your perfect family tent. It's very common for manufacturers to be generous about the number of people they say can fit inside their tents. The number they give will be technically true, but it probably won't account for the space needed for campers' belongings, or the space people need for a comfortable night's sleep. Main lounge area (320cm x 190cm) having large side and front doors, each with windows offering great visibility – Kampa use their ‘crystal clear’ tech for this and it works well. Actually we should give a shoutout to the windows on the Joro – they are excellent. The plastic ‘glass’ needs to be seen to be believed and the Diamond Clear name they have chosen is very apt. These are up there with the best windows on the tent scene at the moment. Lounge and Sleeping Area

You'll want to ensure your tent footprint is the same size as the tent you're pitching – several manufacturers sell footprints specifically to fit certain tent models. Clear windows which you can actually see a nice view through – it’s unbelievable that some tent manufacturers scrimp on the windows. Surely it’s one of the main enjoyments of camping! Front porch area (380cm x 100cm) with decent ground sheet. Perfect for sitting on to remove muddy boots. Setup took us around 20 minutes in total, but that was at a fairly leisurely pace. Look at it as a bit of holiday exercise – you can always treat yourself to a glass of wine afterwards! The lounge living space is a decent 275x 380cm (10.45 square metres) in area and is a lovely space for chilling out and relaxing.

More holiday inspiration

There are also tents with inflatable poles. You'll need to pump up each pole individually, so it can take a bit of effort, but you can avoid trying to feed the poles through the tent canvas. The Dometic Ascension in use with the optional side annexe attached. In Use – our thoughts on the Dometic Ascension FTX 601 TC We highly recommend spending a little extra and also buying the carpet for the 6XL for a bit of added luxury underfoot.