pop-up/quick pitch tents

[felixthecat]

Well, I thought as it was just me going to festies I'd buy a light, easy to pitch pop-up tent. Well, it arrived today and true to form it just pops up like a good 'un, clobbering anyone who is careless enough to walk within its popping-up range. Light, easy - excellent buy I thought!!

However.......


Taking it down is another matter. Its taken the combined wit of me and 2 teenagers 45 minutes to manhandle the bloody thing back into its bag. There was one great comedy moment where my son let go of a bit and it sprung out and pinged him right under the nose. Its remarkably like what I would imagine wrestling a giant squid to be like (but less slimy)- as soon as you've got hold of one bit then there's another bit just out of reach and you can't let go of the first bit or it'll get you.

And the instructions. Well, they bear no resemblance to anything related to the tent, up, down or at any stage inbetween. I think they were written/drawn by someone who had never seen one of these contraptions Thank god for youtube and its instructional video is all I can say.

God help me and all around me at Endorse-it

 

[spanglechick]

felix! for some reason i had you filed away under "can't make endorse it any more" - and i was all sad. but now i'm happy. yay!



as you were...

 

[Dovydaitis]

which one did you go for in the end?

 

[moomoo]

I'm tempted to come now just to watch you put your tent down!

 

[felixthecat]

felix! for some reason i had you filed away under "can't make endorse it any more" - and i was all sad. but now i'm happy. yay!



as you were...

I had a wedding crisis - but now thats been confirmed as the week after. I'm a wee bit nervous about meeting so many new urbanites all at once

which one did you go for in the end?

I bought one from the same site you gave me the link to, but decided a pop-up tent would be sooooo much easier than the one you bought.

I was wrong.

 

[felixthecat]

I'm tempted to come now just to watch you put your tent down!

I'm assured its highly amusing to all onlookers.

I'm gonna need some more practise

 

[aqua]

ask bees to help

 

[wiskey]

i have watched people reduced to tears by being defeated trying to put their pop up tent back in its bag, it has caused domestics and i've even seen people just go home without them.

added to which they are a bloody stupid shape even when flat.

It takes 15mins to out up a proper tent, and I'd rather do that any day.

 

[Strumpet]

Shit I'm glad I didnt get one then! Nearrllllyy did....

(((felix)))

 

[Oswaldtwistle]

Thanks for the warning- I was just eying one of these up in the Argos catalogue...

 

[wiskey]

Some of them appear to be single skin too which I dont understand

 

[Crispy]

Taking it down is another matter. Its taken the combined wit of me and 2 teenagers 45 minutes to manhandle the bloody thing back into its bag

Yeah, and now you try and do it after 3 nights of caning it at a music festival watching broken people strike camp is often amusing

 

[felixthecat]

Yeah, and now you try and do it after 3 nights of caning it at a music festival watching broken people strike camp is often amusing

The thought had crossed my mind.

The bloody thing is going to be up and down like a yoyo in the back garden until I get the hang of it.

I will NOT be defeated by some poxy tent.

 

[Bakunin]

It takes 15mins to out up a proper tent, and I'd rather do that any day.

^^^^^^

This.

Pop-up tents are the invention of Satan.

 

[felixthecat]

ask bees to help

Bees will just look on disapprovingly cos its not a 'real' tent with poles and stuff.

On the bright side however, it only weighs 2.4kg (which was my main consideration)

 

[Bob_the_lost]

2.4kG!?! That's almost twice what my 2 men tents weigh in at!

(with poles )

 

[felixthecat]

2.4kG!?! That's almost twice what my 2 men tents weigh in at!

(with poles )

I hunted for ones that were light but the only ones I could find that were lighter than the damn pop-up thing looked remarkably like eco-coffins

 

[wiskey]

Bees will just look on disapprovingly cos its not a 'real' tent with poles and stuff.

On the bright side however, it only weighs 2.4kg (which was my main consideration)

thats actually quite a lot

just hope you dont get caught by a gust of wind cos it will pull you straight over whilst you are doing your turtle impression with it on your back.

 

[aqua]

turtle impression with it on your back.

 

[felixthecat]

thats actually quite a lot

just hope you dont get caught by a gust of wind cos it will pull you straight over whilst you are doing your turtle impression with it on your back.

Yep, if that happens to anyone, it'll be me.

It does have lots of pegs and guy ropes tho.........

 

[aqua]

It does have lots of pegs and guy ropes tho.........

not when your walking it doesn't

 

[wiskey]

Pop-up tents are the invention of Satan.

this isnt a reflection on felix (and i do look forward to the entertainment of your tent at endorse it ) but I do think that its a bit sad that camping has to be such a rushed affair that spending time putting up a tent properly is somehow wasted and it should be an instant thing. Very little about camping has ever been instant ime.

eta: thats not to say I'm desperate to go back to heavy soggy canvas that takes ages to put up.

 

[wiskey]

Yep, if that happens to anyone, it'll be me.

It does have lots of pegs and guy ropes tho.........

please dont put them out at a festival

 

[felixthecat]

not when your walking it doesn't

well, I suppose it'll take the place of a raincoat.

Not that its going to rain of course.........

 

[felixthecat]

this isnt a reflection on felix (and i do look forward to the entertainment of your tent at endorse it ) but I do think that its a bit sad that camping has to be such a rushed affair that spending time putting up a tent properly is somehow wasted and it should be an instant thing. Very little about camping has ever been instant ime.

eta: thats not to say I'm desperate to go back to heavy soggy canvas that takes ages to put up.

Before I've always had ordinary tents, but my last one came out of glastonbury last year a little the worse for wear (like me actually) - it had given a good few years of service so I can't complain.

As I'm getting old and usually go it alone I thought I'd try one of these light and easy things - which I think will be consigned to the boys fishing trips after endorse-it.

 

[Firky]

I bought one and gave up putting it away so I give it to some kid down the road. I last saw it in a tree.

Should have given him the pegs too.

 

[Hi-ASL]

I've got a pop-up/quick pitch tent in my pants. That one's a bugger to get down too. It is the nature of these things.

 

[felixthecat]

please dont put them out at a festival

I've always used my guy ropes at festivals, and I've been going to them since I was 17

 

[pogofish]

Some of them appear to be single skin too which I dont understand

Made for milder/drier climes.

 

[pogofish]

I'm assured its highly amusing to all onlookers.

That is the sole purpose of pop-ups IMO.

Don't worry about it being difficult to take down. You can be assured that the moment you try to actually sleep in the thing, it will pop-down with great & unexpected ease - Thus ensuring even more good mirth for the onlookers!