Scotty wrote: I've always found geodesics to be a bit shaky in the wind.
But yes, much easier to wrangle.

good geodesics are better in high winds, but I am talking about this type of thing. but once you get to the size of standing room they would become a bit shaky

most tents are a compromise between packed size (not to big a concern with a hilux) and weight (can you get 56Kg (plus water if it is wet) in the back of the hilux easily, even with 2 people that is above airline luggage standards) sturdyness and volume erected (oh er).

zip quality is important for longevity.

also depends on how remote camping you are talking about. and at how busy times (if you are thinking about packing up and getting a hotel room so is everyone else)?

thorg wrote:

Scotty wrote:Part of the plan is to convert the surf into a big powerplant. Dual battery kit with inverters. Dedicated sockets and lights in the tailgate.

Don't know about a sleeper platform on the roof though.

think fold out (removable) kitchen from the tailgate, and a cover that extends from that. Enough for you (and c) for a simple get away a bit remote. Then a side extension for a kids room. Could do soooooo much. . .

Oh yes, I have plans to show you.

We've just retired our nylon tent after 12 years use. During that time it withstood storms that took out multiple canvas tents (rips, leaks, flattenings etc) and didn't even leak.

We are now going to use two alpine tents (Macpac Olympus circa 1988 and a new BlackDiamond Stormtrack) and a fairly large event shelter (Coleman Event 14). Will be interesting to see how it goes.

Scotty wrote:I just like canvas jobbies and metal poles for the better headroom and usable space. I've always found geodesics to be a bit shaky in the wind.

But yes, much easier to wrangle.

Big sale here. http://www.equipoutdoors.co.nz/ - great people to deal with. We got a nylon with a central 'living' area and bedroom at each end. Man is 6ft 2 and has no issue with it. Fits inside a large suitcase type case. I can lift it easy.

Edit: similar to this: http://www.equipoutdoors.co.nz/contents ... _9_CV.html

Doesnt matter what you buy, it will piss it down when you go, you will sit miserably in the tent whilst the ground water rises till it floods

What you need sir, is a good caravan, then you can sit warm and cosy whilst watching the poor tent people getting wetter and wetter...

Scotty wrote:

thorg wrote:

Scotty wrote:Part of the plan is to convert the surf into a big powerplant. Dual battery kit with inverters. Dedicated sockets and lights in the tailgate.

Don't know about a sleeper platform on the roof though.

think fold out (removable) kitchen from the tailgate, and a cover that extends from that. Enough for you (and c) for a simple get away a bit remote. Then a side extension for a kids room. Could do soooooo much. . .

Oh yes, I have plans to show you.

I'm sorry but any camping setup that requires power is officially "glamping"

Rik wrote:

Scotty wrote:

thorg wrote:

Scotty wrote:Part of the plan is to convert the surf into a big powerplant. Dual battery kit with inverters. Dedicated sockets and lights in the tailgate.

Don't know about a sleeper platform on the roof though.

think fold out (removable) kitchen from the tailgate, and a cover that extends from that. Enough for you (and c) for a simple get away a bit remote. Then a side extension for a kids room. Could do soooooo much. . .

Oh yes, I have plans to show you.

I'm sorry but any camping setup that requires power is officially "glamping"

I see no issue with glamping!!

We have a Freedom Hyatt, and its huge, and heavy (80kg) and awesomesauce if you are going somewhere for a week.
However, it needs 2 people at least to put up, and takes about an hour.
Which is fine if you have beverages and an amusing audience giving helpful advice!

We have just got a bigger dome tent than the wee tramping one, its a Freedom Hubble, which should be good for shorter stas as it only takes 15m to erect and could possibly be done by one person with practice.
R&Torpedo have them on sale right now too which is a bonus.

I brought one of these off trade me a few years ago for $1100, has been fantastic. Has withstood flooding in Golden Bay while we were evatuated out of the camp, inside tent stayed dry.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/camping ... 733253.htm
has two large bedrooms, a central room and a sunroom.
I can erect on my own if needs be, I have devised a system to prop the side rails using the extendable posts that go to the sunroom later. I colour keyed all the poles and can erect on my own in 45 minutes from pull up at site to beers out.
Takes a few more hours for beds etc.
We also got one of these for the kids at $99 from t7, far exceeds expectations at that price.
http://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/BYRT ... ender-tent
We also have a T7 pop up gazebo, these are a bit lower quality...maybe this year we will upgrade to a Coleman outdoor cover.

Have considered grabbing another T7 one so the family can do pop up camping over night if required

We started out with a Hubble and did two years worth of camping in that. We found it cramped, with not a lot of usable space and didn't like having to walk stooped over to move around the tent (only full height in the middle). Our second year with it, it rained for about 4 of our 6 days we'd booked on the site. We found that everything was wet and we had nowhere to hang things to dry - getting in and out of the tent in the rain was difficult as there was no awning to dump jackets and shoes in. We went home a day early, avoiding the storm and flooding.

That was the catalyst to invest in an upgrade to a Millbrook. We have not been disappointed at all. We got ours second hand through Trademe. It came with the extra walls for the front awning to turn it into a sunroom/living space. The curtain divider in the rear was awesome for trying to get the kids off to sleep - being able to separate them helped them to settle. (Now we just let them stay up 'til 8:30 or 9 by which time we're all knackered and head to bed anyway!)

Now we have a rear bedroom area which we stack the beds up in during the day so there's a bit of room for the kids to spread out. Then the central internal living space which has our bags/equipment and kitchen storage (we use the camp fridges and a chilly bin). And out front we put up one side wall to create a sheltered kitchen/cooking/dining area.

Last year we were in Coromandel when the storm hit. We hunkered down for a day with all the walls on the sunroom area. While we were out at a cafe for dinner, assessing our options in the relative calm, the winds blew our windows open (the flapping worked the zips open once the velcro had lost it's grip) and our beds got wet. So we packed up in the howling wind and rain, helped by a couple of good sorts from Cambridge who were in the adjacent cabin. We suffered a bent pole, one torn tab on a sunroom wall, and the tent bag blew away in the wind (later recovered by the campground owners).

Camping is fun!

We pack all our camping equipment onto our trailer and put bags and bedding in the boot of the car. We are glampers, with power for the toaster, phones, and a hairdryer. Every year I challenge myself to ensure we pack less stuff. As the kids get older, this is getting easier. We managed the kids by putting them in the car with books and toys and giving them food to eat. Now they are older we let them play in the playground while we set up/pack down, or give them jobs to help out.

So in short, yes the Millbrook is a good choice.

Rik wrote:

Scotty wrote:

thorg wrote:

Scotty wrote:Part of the plan is to convert the surf into a big powerplant. Dual battery kit with inverters. Dedicated sockets and lights in the tailgate.

Don't know about a sleeper platform on the roof though.

think fold out (removable) kitchen from the tailgate, and a cover that extends from that. Enough for you (and c) for a simple get away a bit remote. Then a side extension for a kids room. Could do soooooo much. . .

Oh yes, I have plans to show you.

I'm sorry but any camping setup that requires power is officially "glamping"

I have no problem with this.

If it was just me and maybe everyone was a bit older I'd do what I used to do and just bivvy under a tarp!

We got an Invert8 from R&R last year (for more than they are now) and it's awesome. Plenty of room for me to stand, and kids get their own room as do we. they were like $500 on Torp7 last week, maybe still. Way easier and lighter and easier to schlep about than those big canvas ones.

swtchbckr wrote:We got an Invert8 from R&R last year (for more than they are now) and it's awesome. Plenty of room for me to stand, and kids get their own room as do we. they were like $500 on Torp7 last week, maybe still. Way easier and lighter and easier to schlep about than those big canvas ones.

This


I got an invert 6 from R&R about five years ago, plenty of room for my crew (me, wife and two kids plus a bearded collie) I juust have to crane my neck to stand up inside (but im 6'7" so that's to be expected)

I can put it up solo in about 20 mins, and it packs into a bag about the size of a 40l bag of potting mix from the garden center

If I had the luxury of a trailer to take camping, I'd have one of my uncles native American tipi's
http://www.tasmancanvas.co.nz/tent-makers.php?pid=77

el_booto wrote:If I had the luxury of a trailer to take camping, I'd have one of my uncles native American tipi's
http://www.tasmancanvas.co.nz/tent-makers.php?pid=77

I like those, do camping grounds have a height restriction though??

Years ago friends of my parents had bunk bed stretchers for the kids, I'd love to locate some nowadays would save a lot of space eliminating even one bed.

Maybe in Auckland....

I've never heard of such a thing this far south, don't think he's ever had an issue with the height of them, and when he did his prototypes he took them on a mega round-the-country road trip with his kids, you could always email him and ask

YOU NEED RESOURCE CONSENT OF COURSE.