Outwell Phoenix
Price £89
Inside floor space 180cm x 215cm
Weight 6.2kg
Hydrostatic head 3000mm
Tel 01937 591101
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When packed this was the biggest tent on test, but then it is for three people where the others are for two. It’s a classic dome tent with two diagonal poles and one shorter pole that goes across the top. Although it was fairly straightforward to put up, it required brute strength to attach the poles at the corners and took around 25 minutes to erect. The best feature is the side porch, which can be accessed from inside or outside the tent, separately from the entrance, and means you can leave your gear stacked up without having to scramble over it every time you go in or out. The fluorescent guy ropes will cut down on tripping-up accidents, and the plastic window in the top of the tent allows in daylight, or at night a view of the stars. It took a good 10 minutes to take down and proved a struggle to get back in the bag.
Verdict Some nice features – once it’s erected.

Vango Delta 200
Price £50
Inside floor space 220cm x 120cm
Weight 4.3kg
Hydrostatic head 2000mm
Tel 01475 746000
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This tent comes supplied with its own repair kit – a thoughtful extra from the makers. The flat-headed tent pegs supplied for around the porch area, to avoid nasty bruises on the soles of feet, are another nice touch. It’s a classic dome tent, with pre-shaped poles that create extra space in the living area. It can be erected either by putting up the inner part of the tent first and adding the fly-sheet after, or with the two elements attached and put up as one. Campers sleep broadwise to the door, which could cause friction if someone is up a lot in the night. With its red-ended tent poles and silver and black flysheet it is a good-looking tent, but at 15 minutes it is a little slow to put up and at ten minutes, slow to take down.
Verdict Spacious and stylish

Coleman Spirit 2
Price £79.99 Inside floor space 210cm x 120cm
Weight 4.3kg
Hydrostatic head 3000mm
Tel 01257 845024
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This tent proved a bit of a challenge to put up, despite its colour-coded poles – there are three of them and it was a battle trying to get them all into the right places. It took a good half hour and needed two pairs of hands to get it right. Having said that, it had adequate ventilation, with a flyscreen door and a good-sized porch area – but, unlike the other pup tents on test, it lacked a porch mat. The tent was simple to take down, however, and was back in its bag in under ten minutes.

Campus Ottawa 2
Price £39.99
Inside floor space 155cm x 205cm
Weight 2.9kg
Hydrostatic head 2000mm
Tel 01257 793008
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The inside of the Ottawa goes up first and then an outer sheet is put over the top. It was straightforward but, at 20 minutes, time consuming to erect. Once up, though, it is a spacious tent – over one metre high in the middle – with a good porch area at the front. The instructions were written out, as opposed to using diagrams, like most other manufacturers, which are much easier to follow. The ventilation was good, with windows at the top that could be opened and a flyscreen door for a through draft. It was down in under ten minutes and easily fitted back into its compact carrying bag.
Verdict Straightforward but slow to erect

Easycamp Torino 2
Price £39
Inside floor space 210cm x 160cm
Weight 4.3kg
Hydrostatic head 1500mm
Tel 01937 591101
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Despite being a simple dome tent, this Torina does benefit from an extra pair of hands to steady the poles as you attach alternate corners. The inner tent goes up first with a flysheet on top. The generous porch area has its own mat, and the flyscreen door zipping onto the main door is a welcome feature that is not always standard with tents in this price range. It has good ventilation options inside the tent, and a chimney in the porch so you can cook inside it. It was quick to put up and took just seven minutes to take down.
Verdict Good range of features for a reasonable price.

Coleman Nevada
Price £54.99
Inside floor space 205cm x 150cm
Weight 3.3kg
Hydrostatic head 3000mm
Tel 01275 845024
Website Click Here
This was the only pup tent in the test where the canvas clipped onto the poles, rather than having to slip the poles through sheaths. The system works well and the tent went up in just ten minutes. A flysheet goes over the top of the tent, clipping on at the corners. Inside there was a gear loft – like a shelf in the top of the tent – and good pocket space, both of which would be useful for storage as the porch area disappears when the tent is opened. The tent’s entrance is on its broadest side, making it very easy to get in and out of. Verdict A different approach that works well Rating HHHHI

Vaude Taurus 1
Price £120
Inside floor space 164cm (tapering) x 243cm
Weight 2.5kg
Hydrostatic head 3000mm
Tel 01665 510660
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This tent was easy to assemble and take apart – just 15 minutes up and six down. It has only two poles, one of which is pre-bent to give a better shape, and although it looks small from the outside, it is surprisingly roomy, with a rope down the middle to hang gear from and a very spacious entrance. However, the only ventilation option is at the top of the door, which means it would be cosy on colder nights but might restrict lie-in options in the height of summer. Shaped tent pegs are a nice touch, so there is no annoying swiveling as you tighten up the guy ropes.
Verdict Buyers pay dear for these clever touches

Argos Pro-Action
Price £24.99
Inside floor space 150cm x 220cm
Weight 3.6kg
Hydrostatic head 200mm
Tel 0870 600 3030
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This good-sized dome tent has three poles, as many do; two for the main tent and one to shape the porch area. The poles fit into cups, which felt more user-friendly than the pin-system that others use but could be vulnerable to rips where pins aren’t. It was quick to put up and down, having no inner tent, just a small hat to go over the ventilation screens on the outside. It was down and back into its bag in just five minutes. As with more expensive tents, the seams are taped, but this one’s hydrostatic head is low, so not ideal for wet camping.
Verdict You get what you pay for with this budget tent.

Khyam Eiger
Price £84.99
Inside floor space 210cm x 150cm
Weight 4.1kg
Hydrostatic head 2500mm
Tel 01257 793377
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People might joke that tents practically put themselves up these days, but this one really does. It took four minutes from being packed away in a bag to being fully erected. The poles are already attached to the tent and just need to be clicked into position, then there’s a little cap to put over the ventilation screens at the top, a few tent pegs to put in and it’s up. There weren’t many places to peg out the groundsheet of the tent, which cut down the space inside, but it has a porch area and was back down and in its bag in two minutes. Altogether a fine and fun tent.
Verdict Fast, fun and friendly.

Littlewoods Festival camping set
Price £44.99 (includes two sleeping mats and sleeping bags)
Inside floor space 150cm x 220cm
Weight 3.6kg
Hydrostatic head Not available
Tel 0870 1662212
Website Click Here
Sold as a kit rather than a tent, this might be more than you were after; on the other hand it might be a handy way of getting all you need in one stop. No waterproofing figure was given, so we can only guess that it’s on the low side. It was easy to put up, though – in just ten minutes – and was back down and in its bag in under six minutes. It has a flyscreen door – but it’s not attached to the other door, so if you wanted it only partly ventilated, it means undoing two zips to get in and out each time.
Verdict Well-priced package for first-timers.