We're planning our first family camping trip in April and I came across this tent in the anaconda catalog.
Seems well priced.
Requires club membership which is free.
Oztrail 10 Person Fast Frame Blockout Tent $449 (Club Price) C&C/ in-Store Only @ Anaconda
480
TheMidnightChef on 16/03/2024 - 19:55 anacondastores.com (3611 clicks)
Last edited 18/03/2024 - 10:59 by 1 other user
Last edited 18/03/2024 - 10:59 by 1 other user
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Yep +1 good description, we have the non blockout version. It's a sizeable beast for transport and has a bit of heft but the internal volume is huge.
So easy to erect and dismantle.
The poles feel a bit on the flimsy side to me, but only really a concern if you treat it like shit.
There's a joke in here somewhere about your name and pitching a tent…
You don't run in a camp ground, you ran.
Because it's past tents
Woah. Quality review. 🍾🥂
I like the idea of the 3 rooms in the oztrail/Coleman Northstar 10p.
Parents at one end, kids at the other end, space for crap in the middle roomThe rooms sound good on paper, but in reality (at least with the Oztrail) it's a privacy screen and nothing more.
There is no actual separation between rooms to prevent dirt being carried into the floor of the tentI have 2 different 3 room tents, the floor is sectioned off
@WT: Although the description sounds the same/similar, ours is different. So yeah, my comment is invalid.
this or 10p coleman dark which comes about $500 couple times a year?
This looks bigger and heavier than the coleman
Haven't tested either myself but both are solid camping brands
this one is 33kg vs 30kg for coleman so not that much of difference
Are you talking about the Northstar?
Seem pretty comparable though the Coleman has inbuilt lighting which I don't see mentioned for the Oztrail but nice to have.
Snowys useful dimension diagrams show that while they are similar size overall the dividers are different with the Coleman having slightly larger side rooms and a smaller central one. Could make a difference to some I guess.
yup, oztrail seems to have other products which have pretty good looking on videos, inbuild lighting. Bummer this particular one doesn't have it
Ah I was wondering because thought when I was comparing the two last year they both had lighting. Now realise it's this model that I saw before.
They are both great but have differences which may sway one way or the other. The oztrail has a different roof structure - there are points at the centre of each room's ceiling to hang things off - such as lights and fans. The coleman doesn't have centred points to hang anything other than in the middle room. This was important for my use. The coleman appears to have a better or thicker floor with a specified denier - the side in contact with the ground appears to be a thicker canvas - but they have a similar soft feel under foot. The oztrail has a more versatile awning system - you can open the awning right around the entire tent and has more awning poles included (hence the weight). The coleman has a thicker canvas bag (similar to the tent floor/underside) - the oztrail has a thinner feeling polyester bag but it's easier to pack as it has an expansion gusset.
Have this and have used it on one trip, overall I am happy with it.
I have a 4p one. Quality is OK for the price. NB blockout will block out light, but does sfa for heat. The little ground-level vents are good though.
We put a gazebo over our tent to prevent it from turning into an inferno
Great idea…
Can this be my house
Enjoy while ya can - educate the kids .Those days are now well past for me . Loved it.
Part of the Spotlight Foundation
Just curious, do most folks stay at camping grounds, with toilets and water etc, or is there a good portion that like to go further into nature?
I haven't been camping since I was a kid, but fond memories for the most part.
This is a 30kg tent.
Nobody is caryring it more than 50m from their vehicle.
If you want to hike into a more remote campsite, living all your food, water and clothing, lightweight Hiking tents are only a couple of kg each.You can drive to a camp site you know? There are plenty that have no facilities, usually require a 4wd to get there though.
Lots of equipment to make camping pretty comfortable even away from sites with facilities.
You talk as if I'm stupid yet then finish up at the same point as me….
There's 2 types of camping.
Drive to and hike to.With a vehicle you can pack any number of home comforts.
Including a portaloo, a shower and hundreds of litres of water if you so desire.
If you choose not to, fair enough, but it IS an option.Such options are not even a remote consideration if you have to carry everything yourself.
@ESEMCE I was just asking out of curiosity (as a general question) about what most camping people opt for their trips to be like (either facilities or not), I wasn't referring specifically to the tent. But thanks anyway
Yeah, I answered that in a roundabout way.
More people obviously prefer home comforts, like a toilet and easy access to water (whether that be fully kitted out campgrounds, or camping next to a vehicle.)
There are still plenty who prefer to truly get away, but that's a different category, especially in most parts of Australia as you need to carry all your water (which is heavy!).
I'm in WA and we gave up on the DPAW managed campsites, mainly all booked sites and they charge per person per night plus vehicle fee which isn't my OzBargain idea of camping :D. Most don't offer more than drop toilets and maybe some non-potable water. Booked out well in advance still (just checked it out now and got a virtual queue too
Where we go now is similar distance from home but unmanaged "sites" (as in find a clearing) on a reservoir, which is great as can take out the SUPs. Plenty of space and no fees (not packed in with other campers either) Only gone 3 or 4 days so easy to bring enough water and the wife and kids aren't bothered with having to grab a shovel when they need the toilet 😄
@bamzero Thankyou for this ! This was what I was curious about and I appreciate all the info and details you provided 👍
I totally get your point of view towards the managed camping sites you described, does not sound like a fair deal (charging per person!) let alone an Ozbargain deal 😅 Not even flushable toilets or even showers, but they want to charge folks like that, just seems harsh to me. Wondering what DPAW and SUP stands for?
Plus the stress of booked out/ques nonsense, sounds prety awful to deal with, not to mention a crowded camping site, that last one in particular sounds like a nightmare and sorta defeats the idea of getting away from city imo.
Your other option sounds like pretty much the same thing except, no unwanted crowds and stupid fees. Only other thing they seem to offer is a toilet seat for your bum and (as you said) some water you can easily bring. And aren't portable camping toilets a viable thing these days anyway? I even saw a portable shower somewhere once!
I think I remember some much better ''managed sites'' here in NSW many years ago, they had toilets and showers and bbqs etc, but probably charge a lot for that nowadays.
Needless to say, I thoroughly endorse and support your sensible Ozbargain approach 👍🏆
SUP - Stand Up Paddleboard, DPAW Department of Parks and Wildllife though since found out they are now called the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions after merging with some other departments.
I mean, the fees are supposed to support the national parks where the campsites are located but thats on top of the millions our state goverment provides also. Not opposed to them totally just don't see why it's not a small fee per campsite. Go with a bunch of people and cheap camping not so cheap anymore. Guess people are paying it though, apparently they pulled in $7.85 million in campsite fees alone last financial year.
@bamzero: Thankyou for explaining the acronyms. Yes I agree, fees are okay but not over charging, when they obviously don't need to. Things like that should be very accessible to the general public, including financially.
camping at a camp ground isnt my idea of camping, ill do it in a pinch but not particularly fond of the high density camping at sites
@WT Yeah I agree, does not sound like a lot of fun. I guess it's bearable if the people are well behaved/respectful of others, but that's probably not going to be every time.
How easy is to find replacement parts like poles for this tent or the coleman northstar? I'd rather get one I know I can find some spare parts
I've had the older 10 man darkroom version - broke the poles a few times and got replacements easily enough. It's a bit tricky putting the tent away if you don't get the poles aligned the right way to get folded and I reckon I've twisted them too many times.
Was a good family tent - three rooms is great, easy to put up (could do it on my own). Awning wasn't much use though, didn't cope well with wind or rain.
Looking to upgrade to an inflatable tent next.
I have a young family of 4, want to do yearly camping trips. Is a tent this big necessary? Most of the time I've been camping we're rarely inside the tent except to sleep and get changed.
Will always have the car nearby so extra storage of things isn't really required since it can just stay in the car.
Borrowed a Coleman instant up 6P dark room tent which was fine but could be bit bigger.
Depends on your needs really. If the 6p can be bigger you have the 8p option, but it's not that much bigger (look at the foot print on snows). A 10p allows you to do significantly more during poor weather days or have more privacy when you need it. But everyone's requirements are different. There is no law governing how you should enjoy camping with your family.
Yep it's enough if the kids are fine to sleep together in 1 room and parents share the other room and the middle area is kept as a common area
you kinda answered your own question, 6p could be bigger for you
Other thing to consider, are you taking too much crap?
was sleeping room fine?
What if it rains and youre stuck inside/around the tent?
What happens if youre kids grow up? Do you want them in your tent or just buy another
This is great if your rent is too expensive.
Ahh Camping - The art of getting away from home whilst incrementally spending more money on making the camping experience more like home.
This Macpac is more of a traditional tent frame.
The main benefit of the OzTrail is the Easy Up frame. The tent and frame are a single piece. Even on the first assembly, it's less than a 5 minute process to erect or dismantle the entire tent. Wheras a traditional tent is more time consuming and fiddly.The thing I don't like about the instant up ones is how large they pack down. Takes up so much room on my roof racks, tents with foldable poles are a bit easier to transport.
Had the 12p Manor Tent (https://www.bcf.com.au/p/wanderer-manor-dome-tent-12-person/…) from BCF and it was fine in good weather, collapsed several times in decent wind and the walls encroached a good 60cm when in gentle wind. Overall a decent tent but returned it for a refund and bought this one instead.
It was effortless to put up after watching this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeYYnlkVOzA&ab_channel=Snowy… and learning the trick to "twist" the joint/knuckle section. I could have done it alone, but had wifey to assist and it took no time at all. It comes with the fly, and you'll definitely need to use it as the top of the tent is mostly open mesh. Watch the video and you'll see how best to attach it with the velcro tabs.
It's dark, and keeps out a lot of heat. The multiple combinations of awning at the front and back make for great flexibility depending where the sun is and where the breeze is coming from. The zip vents along the floor make for excellent air flow and keeping down the condensation.
We didn't get the lumos (built in lights) as it was too expensive at the time, and we just use Christmas fairy lights from one side to the other (hooks in the ceiling, cable hole at the top of each partition). The partitions are truly separate, not the "sheet" that can be tied across, these are floor to ceiling and part of the tent frame. There are a few power cord entry points too.
Easy to put up, really easy to get down too. Of all the things I could complain about, it's the pegs - they're thin and pull out easily from lawn/grass once wind gets under the awning, so you'll want to replace those.
Also on sale at Tentworld $450 shipped
https://www.tentworld.com.au/buy-sale/oztrail-10-person-fast…Non Blackout version is also on clearance at Tentworld, $275
https://www.tentworld.com.au/buy-sale/oztrail-10-person-fast…The non blackout model you've linked is a smaller tent and only 1 room. Not the same model.
Ah it is indeed smaller…
It does have a room divider included though, it's the model I own.
this is fantastic, its huge but easy to put up. its all one piece. kinda like those pop up canopy/shades. absolutely the best test i have ever seen and used.
it isn't light, so weaker people might need 2 people to carry and load and unload from roof or boot. i can do it by myself and i haven't been to the gym in a few years.
has a high roof, no need to hunch over walking around, because of this shorter people might struggle putting it up or reaching things up top because of the high ceiling.
probably best to upgrade your stakes. the stakes that come with it is the normal cheapo ones that you have to hammer in and usually bends easily. i prefer the drill in stakes, so much easier.