Hi all,
I need a new family tent and I am
Looking at the Coleman pinto mountain 5 plus or the Vango icarus 500
Does anyone have any experience of these or recommend anything better for about the same price??
Do bashas not suffice?
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Ok for me…. I will send you the wife’s number and you can discuss that one 
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They already have…
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If you’re looking at week long family holidays, get something bigger than the Icarus 500. The sides do slope in quite a lot and make it feel quite cramped once you’ve got kit moved in with you. We certainly couldn’t get everybody sat around on camping chairs in there without moving the kitchen into somebody’s bedroom! They aren’t that spacious inside for extended periods of time - especially if it’s lashing it down outside!!!
If you DID get a Icarus, then I’d either get the porch extension AND the side door Porch, OR, get a big Coleman Event Shelter or similar to sling on the front end and extend your living space. They are well worth it. We used extensions as a place to get changed without bring wet/ mucky/ sandy/ whatever kit AND boots into your living space.
I haven’t used the Coleman - although the one thing I love about it is the blackout system Coleman and Outwell both have! I used to dread camping with younger children as they woke up when the sun came up - and it just made the day soooooooo much longer!
We’re currently rocking a 10 year old Outwell Bear Lake XL. It’s not the heavy polycotton version, but the lightweight version. It was an amazing investment. We got a GoOutdoors special on it - came with carpet and groundsheet and is doing brilliantly. The extra porch space has been outstanding. And having the extra person bed space for the kids has also been really good (we’ve built them blackout pods out of old Army issue Mossie nets and blackout fabric.
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Thanks a lot of good info theređź‘Ť
I have the Hi Gear Zenobia 6 - two sleeping compartments one at either end, means if you want lots of indoor space in the day can fold one away. I personally prefere the side opening, that way you can have doors open, but still lounge around in bed during the day without everyone seeing in. I also have the porch for it. At a push you could get two double air beds in each end and sleep 8, but its comfortable with 6 and luxury with 4 or 2
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I bought an Icarus 500 on sale in Go Outdoors. As said above it is not very big. Great for 2 but getting 4 in it with chairs is cosy to say the least. It is a good shape and stood up to some bad weather but as with all tunnel tents it does need to be put up properly with the guy lines pegged down and checked every day.
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Thanks for everyone’s input. Decided to go for the Coleman I managed to get a fantastic price on it too. Hopefully it will be the one that keeps the boss happy.
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Any feedback on the Coleman?
Been recommended the Coleman Cortes 8man octagon and can get it at go outdoors down from. 300 to just over 200
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I was away last week, again… hence my late reply there was no signal
Eventually went with this…
https://www.outdoorworlddirect.co.uk/coleman-pinto-mountain-plus-5.html
we had 40mph winds no problem
The blackout rooms are fantastic, seriously a must for any tent.
Yes I would recommend it to anyone looking for a tent
Not found anything I’m unhappy about yet
Other than the pegs, I prefer my guy ropes with decent chunky pegs not the basic metal pegs they all come with
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Cheers… Now to talk her into this camping malarkey
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We’ve just customised our Outwell tent with blackout pods. Well. Not actually proper pods.
We’ve just laid a black popup shower tent on its side and we shut the kids in them!
Allegedly, this means we don’t need a new tent. Gutted.
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Tent purchased! £299 down to £208… Now apparently she’s decided she needs to turn it into glamping so is buying pink and fluffy stuff 
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My Mrs ended up buying a kitchen unit thing from decathlon to keep her happy… she wanted her “own space” for her cooking stuff 
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I’ll plant that seed! Apparently a tent carpet is a must buy priority purchase?!
Because camping in the UK just simply isn’t damp enough already…
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Hmm…. I don’t know,
I have 1 it’s good to sit on the floor adds a bit of insulation to the tent BUT it at times slides about the tent. When we were away a few weeks ago we were in a hull step out the bedroom onto the carpet and you then feel it sliding away in fact the Mrs nearly went on her backside.
The jury is still out for me
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If you’re car camping anyway, a couple of mediocre blankets work well on the floors for lounging about and not getting the damp feel!
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