Morning campers!
Although our natural habitat is hunched over a computer keyboard late at night, this month we decided to make the most of the (very short) British summer, by getting out into nature and roughing it... in the most civilised way possible. Yes, we've been camping, and a damn good time we've had of it too. Read on, and get our impressions of all the awesome kit we took with us.
Shelter
Coleman Cortes Octagon 8
Although we took a couple of tents for us to test, this effort from Coleman was the one we were most interested in. The Cortes Octagon 8 was recently voted Camping Magazine's Tent of the Year 2015, so we were keen to see why. Undoubtedly this is a unique creation, and Coleman are marketing it as a 'glamping' tent through-and-through. Despite the fancy looks and interesting construction, the Cortes Octagon 8 will sleep eight people... at a push.
Unlike most modern dome or tunnel tents, which utilise flexible poles threaded through the outer layers of fabric, the Cortes Octagon 8 features a more traditional construction of rigid poles that create a octagonal shape. The poles themselves are still collapsible, and thanks to the plastic junction ports being pre-attached to the inner layer (and all colour-coded), erecting this thing was remarkably easy. There is no awkward threading of bendy poles, nor any stretching of fabric. The poles go up and pull the inner layer of material up with them. It is as simple as that.
What makes this a great glamping tent is that six of the eight sides open up completely, allowing lots of air and light into the tent (as well as the view). The two remaining sides both feature a doorway, with one of those utilising a flexible pole to create a rigid opening/closing door. Like, an actual door that swings open. Brilliant.
However, despite it being fantastic for couples enjoying a romantic weekend at a festival or event (with their huge king-size inflatable mattress dominating the interior) with a family in tow in found it quite limiting. As there is just the one internal space we found it was difficult to organise things and keep everything clean. Most other tents of this size and price will boast separate sleeping and living areas, but the Cortes Octagon 8 is all bedroom. Yes, it does include an optional dividing partition, but we found that to reduce the space a bit too much.
However, thanks to the mostly mesh construction we found that (unlike the following tent) each night we slept in it was completely condensation free. No wet walls to drip down and soak your sleeping bag in the morning – a big bonus when camping with the family.
£249.99
Visit www.coleman.eu
Gelert Atlantis 5 Tent
The other tent we took with us was the more modern looking Atlantis 5 from Gelert. An extremely simple design, the Atlantis 5 utilises just three long collapsible poles which thread through the all-in-one fabric body in the same direction, making it an even quicker erection (tee hee) than the Coleman.
As the name suggests, this tent can comfortably accommodate five people and features a separate sleeping area (which itself can be subdivided once more). The other half of the tent is given over to a spacious living area which boasts two doors and one transparent window-like panel. Also, both doors feature a zippable mosquito net, and the sleeping area has a mesh air vent.
Next to the Coleman the Gelert couldn't look more different. It might not appear as fancy, and certainly didn't get as many impressed looks from passing campers (which is something you might want, if you're camping in a very... 'open minded' camp site) but it did the job with aplomb. Compared to the Coleman, the Gelert provided a slightly warmer night, due no doubt to the smaller sleeping compartment. It was also easier to manage and to arrange all our camping essentials, as well as providing night time shelter to things like the gas grill (reviewed later) in the living area. We didn't feel as if we could move items like that into the Cortes Octagon, as then we'd be sleeping right next to them.
One slight downside to the Gelert Atlantis 5 was the exact opposite issue than with the Coleman: condensation. Every morning we awoke with a heavy collection of dew drops above our heads, and as the sides of the Atlantis 5 slope downwards, the water had nowhere to go but onto us. We couldn't say we were drenched, but the occasional light sprinkling was enough to cause serious annoyance. Also, the Atlantis 5 only comes in one colour, a very dark shade of blue. This made it quite gloomy on the inside, even during bright sunshine – a time when the Coleman, with its light orange and grey, really came into its own.
So although a couple of negative points at the end, it was still the warmer of the two, and the quickest to erect (tee hee – sorry), making it a far better choice for camping in the cooler months.
£149.99
Visit www.gelert.com
Sleeping
Karrimor Superlight 3 Sleeping Bag
A decent sleeping bag can make all the difference when out camping, especially when temperatures start to plummet. Fortunately for us we were sent this excellent offering from Karrimor, which both kept us toasty, and took up only a tiny bit of space in the boot of the car. The Superlight 3 is a mummy-style sleeping bag that will see you safe and snug all the way down to -4 degrees Celsius.
The bag features a half zip, a hood with tightening pull-cord, and a very handy compression stuff sack to pack it up nice and tight. We can't tell you how handy the hood on this thing is, as on the first night of camping, when temperatures were at their lowest, wrapping it around our heads was akin to suddenly switching on the heating back at home. The outer nylon layer is also rip-proof, while the inner lining is a very soft and cosy polyester. A snugly night was had by all who tried it.
£34.99
Visit www.karrimor.com
Coleman Glow-in-the-Dark Sleeping Bag
As the Karrimor sleeping bag was a tad too big for the wee ones in the camping party, we gave this fun effort from Coleman a whirl. The Glow-in-the-Dark Sleeping Bag does exactly what it says on the tin, by being decorated with gently glowing images of fireflies.
Although a perfect size for a child (ours was tested by a very enthusiastic two year old) the bag has nowhere near the insulating properties of the Karrimor Suplerlight 3. There is no hood and the lower limit tolerance isn't as good. Because of that we used an additional fleece liner to make the sleeping bag a bit better on the coldest of nights, which wasn't much of a bother at all. On the plus side it features a zip plough to reduce material snag (brilliant for little fingers), and a stuff sack with a shoulder strap to let the pint-sized person lug it about and get a real sense of ownership. In future this will serve as a great sleepover sleeping bag and for when we're back out camping during the hottest of months.
£29.99
Visit www.coleman.eu
Jack Wolfskin Wolfmat Camp Mattress
Sleeping on the cold ground is no fun at all, no matter how thick your sleeping bag is. Fortunately the guys at Jack Wolkskin suggested we tried one of their luxury self-inflating sleeping mats, and hot-damn did it do the trick. This single-sleeper mat features two twist valves which, once opened, allow air to slowly creep into the inside, steadily inflating the foam interior. After just a few minutes you twist the valves once more to lock in the air, and you have a seeping mat that is up to seven centimetres thick.
Compared to the relatively cheap air beds we also took, the Wolfmat was incredible. It does not require a pump (so storage saved there), and with the air fully squeezed from it, it rolls up tight into its own sack. In terms of comfort, it was thick, firm (unlike an air bed), and didn't take up masses of unnecessary space in the tent. Yes, this thing is a hell of a lot more expensive than a regular air bed, but the quality of build, combined with the lack of air pressure, means it will last you for many years of camping to come.
£100
Visit www.jack-wolfskin.co.uk