The Tent Factory Blog

Hi all

Well ive started to visit my suppliers to view the 2009 ranges of tents etc. I was shocked how much everything is going up by. I new the prices would rise but 25% - 30% was hard to take. This is not just one supplier but across the board. When you look at the fabrics that the tents are made from its understandable, oil based polyester and plastic windows. Anything to do with metal has increased by the same amount also. Just getting the goods to the UK from China is costing more and more. So get ready for some higher prices.

Outwell have the most amazing Tipi / Bell tent with a porch, I think we have sold the first one in the UK from the pre season work book. £700.00 ish but looks great and in the polycotton fabric.

Gary

The peridot inflatable tent has proved to be the best selling 3 man dome tent we have had this season. Its just so simple to pitch, 2-3 mins and its up. Its has been great in the bad weather we have had this season. I did see the tent buck in on itself once but it was great, it just popped back up. So if you looking for a tent for 2-3 people and need something that pitches quickly then the Peridot Air tent is for you.

Gary

So how will the credit crunch affect peoples choice of holiday. Will the price of fuel and the increased prices to fly put people of going abroad. I for one am feeling the increase in fuel prices as my shop is 60 miles from home. We are also feeling the pinch with increased prices to do with our home. So for us the winter hols this year are out of the question but we still need a break with the kids. Camping weekends are still happening for my family, infact we think we will have more than we normally do as this may well be the only holidays we have this year.

I still think a basic holiday for a family during the school holidays to say Spain will set you back £2000.00. Now for a £1000 you can get a lot of camping kit and a couple of weeks camping. To me its a no brainer but maybe even a camping holiday is to much for some this year and I can totally understand if thats the case.

What do you lot think.

Gary

Ive just pitched the Sunncamp Evolution 600 dl tent. Wow, what a bit of kit. The Evolution 600 dl is new for this year although the Evolution range has been around now for a few years. If your looking for a good long weekender tent for 4-5 people then look no further. Possible the funkiest looking tent around. We pitched the Evo 600 dl in 20 mins on Sunday morning and by the end of trade at 4pm we had sold out. The next batch will go well im sure. This link will take you to the Evolution 600 DL. http://www.thetentfactory.co.uk/index.php?c=58&p=251

I love may, two bank holidays and normally some nice weather. Lets hope the rain stops soon. I will be camping at the campsite at the back of the shop over the second May bank holiday. I know that sounds crazy but the wife and friends will have a great time with the kids and the site is perfect for trips to Cambridge etc. I can nip to work and back and when the days work is over im sure a nice cold one and the bbq will be ready for me. Now which tent to use, I like the idea of the Outwell Wolf Lake 7 or the Outwell Bear Lake 6.

Gary 

The weather is a turning, for the better. I think the early season offers that have been around for the last month or two will be stopping. Most retailers take these offers off when the customers start flooding through the doors so if a bargain is what your after now is the time to get one.

Gary

Hi

I have just pitched the Vango Amazon 600 tent http://www.thetentfactory.co.uk/index.php?c=58&p=208 on my own in 1/2 hr. Thats pitching it between two other tents with about 12″ to spare either side. That was with every peg and curtain sorted. What a tent, i feel a couple who practise could get it up in 45 mins no problem, did i just say that, oh well. If i was to say anything bad it would be that the inners are made up of 3 x two berths. It may of been better to have 1 x two berth and 1 x four berth that could be made into 2 two berths with a zipped curtain but im just being picky. If your after a good quality family tent with 3 bedroom pods you could do a lot worse than the Vango Amazon 600.

Gary

Well thats my tent for the season.  After pitching the Utah 6 i think its great, some might say “its not got a sewn in ground sheet” well it has a riser groundsheet that goes under the the inners and the living area. This is great as you get the benifits of a sewn in with the benifits of a removable ground sheet. You can even leave the groundsheet and inners fitted when you take the tent down which is what we all like. Take a look at the tent here. http://www.thetentfactory.co.uk/index.php?c=58&p=65 What do you think? I reckon i can plead this tents case against any reason for not having it apart from you just dont like it or its to big/small.

Gary

Well as some of you know im new to this blogging stuff and as such i have deleted as spam a number of your replies. Your comments etc have been great and when i finally understand how to use this system im sure they will be of interest to others. Sorry for that, your comments were far from spam like.

Anyway we have pitched a number of large family tents now. The Vango Killington 600 was a dream to pitch and has more pegging/fixing points etc than most tents of this style. The Vango Diablo 600 xp as per the norm is as solid as a rock, a little more effort is required to pitch this inner first tent but the result is one of the most stable family tents around.

F.a.o. Mully, thanks for your comments and we have the Vango Orchy in stock now so if you want to you can come and pitch it at the weekend, LOL.

Regards

Gary

Regards

Gary

Well we have half the tent display up now and the snow is coming. The smaller Yeomans camping store just up the road lost most of its tent display this morning, the police were out sorting the flying tents out, well if you pitch your tents on chipboard thats what you get. I feel for the staff up there, ive just pitched two big family tents on my own this morning in all this wind and it was not easy. The Outwell Hartford xl looks great and is standing so rock solid, i think its going to be a real winner this year.

Well ill report back after the easter weekend to let you know how we got on, oh by the way we have some great Easter special offers on the Outwell montana 6, Vango Diablo 600 xp, Diablo 900 xp, Vango Killington 600, Killington 900, Vango Amazon 600 and Amazon 800.

Gary