Tent Suggestions?

[Hexa-dB]

I'm getting a bit stressed about our tent situation this week (our tickets arrived yesterday which is one less thing to worry about though!).

Last year we bought a big tunnel tent ("Gelert Stratus 3") which was great for space but suffered water pooling on the roof of the front section. It didn't leak but I didn't feel comfortable with a big puddle over us. None of the other tunnel tents we saw seemed to have the problem but it's put me off that design.

I'm now on the lookout for a tent that's big enough for 2 adults and a 2 year old with enough room sit around in if there's a heavy shower and room to store a buggy and stuff. And ideally not a tunnel design. Anyone have any ideas? Or maybe we should just keep the same tent as it didn't actually leak, and apart from the pooling it was great.

This is the one we took last year:

[Mart44]

Was the pooling on the flat bit to the right ? If so try havin the poles at a slight angle creating a gentle slope for the rain to run off the front. ie the bottom of the 2 poles will be nearer the tent. You would need to have extra guy ropes from the top of the poles to hold this section in place.
Or if it was on top of the curved bit you the only thing you can check is that it is fully stretched when you put it up. As the tent is new and it didn't leak, the water shouldn't come through, unless anything is touching the underside. Try a plastic jug to scoop the water off maybe. Seems a shame to change the tent if you liked it otherwise. What about putting it up again at home and trying to recreate the problem. Good luck

[Hexa-dB]

It was on the curved section (I think we left the poles for the flat porch/raised door bit at home to save weight).
The problem we had was that the front guylines come from where the small grey triangle is on the front - about level with where the top of the door/flat porch bit extends from. When pulled tight there's nothing to pull the "apex" of the curve taut - it's hard to explain but imagine the guy ropes pulling from 10 & 2 o'clock and forming a flattened bit on the top of the curve (the area above the side door) because there's no way to pull the poles at the 12 o'clock position. Does that make any sense?

We have tried it twice in the garden - the first time was to re-create the problem (which we did) and no amount of fiddling could fix it. The second time was after speaking to the tent-shop people who suggested that we needed to make sure everything was lined up properly with guys at 90 degrees to the tent etc (which made no difference)

I'm starting to wonder if we're just being far too paranoid/neurotic about it! Or maybe gone completely mad.

[Mart44]

I know what you mean. I've seen it before. It could either be the design of this model, or just a slight defect with that section of your tent which means it will never form a tight enough curve to eliminate this problem. The design of the front part looks the same shape as the bedroom section so I dont think you've gone mad !

Solutions :

1. Live with it - if it did start to leak it's not that the whole lot will come down on your head at once, it would start as a drip. Then you could empty it from the top at intervals.
2. Some sort of homemade A shaped plastic sheet contraption to go over the top of this section which you could use for emergencies.
3. Give up and get a different tent

[stinkywitch]

dont worry about it, its not going to rain.

[akicif]

Yeah. I get the same with my old Eurohike (pity they don't make them anymore: the flysheet's beginning to go and the bag's held together with tape).

Basically, if the humidity has changed at all since when the tent was pitched, the roof of the "porch" goes ever so slightly saddle-shaped and water collects in the saddle, ready to pounce as soon as you open the zip to the outside world.

The fix is to gently lift the base of the wet bit from underneath and send the water scurrying to the sides....

Of course, if the weather's like Knock was the other week, the water freezes!

[SAS]

A mate of mine had the same problems, different make but same design with the flappy door on the end.
Solved the problem nicely by using a couple og these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shock-Cord-End...item33584de0de
hooked to the top of the arch, attach guy lines to pull the 'roof' taut.

Hope this helps.

[Hexa-dB]

A mate of mine had the same problems, different make but same design with the flappy door on the end.
Solved the problem nicely by using a couple og these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shock-Cord-End...item33584de0de
hooked to the top of the arch, attach guy lines to pull the 'roof' taut.

Hope this helps.

That looks like a pretty good idea - Cheers
It's back at the tent shop now (they said to take it back if we still had problms) so I'll see what they say.