Manageable weight – some of the larger >6 person tents can get seriously heavy at >50kg – the canvas/polycotten inflatable tents are typically heavier than polyester. Actually we should give a shoutout to the windows on the Antrim – they are excellent. The ‘glass’ needs to be seen to be believed and the Diamond Clear name they have chosen is very apt. These are up there with the best windows on the tent scene at the moment. Lounge and Sleeping Area A good rule of thumb is to go for a tent that's claimed to sleep one more person than you need. If you're a family of four, for example, we'd recommend going for a five-person tent. The lounge living space is a decent 275x 380cm (10.45 square metres) in area and is a lovely space for chilling out and relaxing.

There is an access hatch for the electric hookup cable to be passed through, which seems like an easy feature to include, but is missed by many manufacturers – we need our mod cons! Maybe not for the tallest campers An unbeatable camping trip starts with an unbeatable tent. Here at GO Outdoors we provide explorers of young and old with the greatest equipment for their adventure, and tents are no exception! We are committed to offering our customers with the best range of tents for sale and swiftly deliver them directly to your door. Once the tents are up, we closely inspect the interior of each one and rate them on how likely campers are to have a comfortable and enjoyable experience that meets their needs. When this is not being used, the whole front of the tent can be opened up to create a fantastic air flow and viewing perch. The downside of having to clip in that sleeping pod when required is that you have to make sure there is room for it at the end of each day – forward planning is necessary by keeping furniture out of the way. The lounge area is expansive – this is your main living space, with a head height of over 2.15m – perfect for taller folk. The lounge measure 270 x 450cm and has two side doors to the outside, one with a neat little shelter (or ‘brow’) above it to get your shoes on without getting soaked. This also stops water dripping in when the door is open – nice!

Shopping

The Vango Antrim 600XL Air Tent is a new 2021 addition to Vango’s superb Earth Collection. This range of tents uses recycled single-use plastics which have been transformed into rugged 70 denier material for use in tent manufacture. The new fabric is called Sentinel Eco Fabric and it could really transform tent making. The front of the Sierra Ridge is interesting. It consists of a large windowed section which provides great views of the outside world. The window can be handily covered up with an in-built blind to stop light shining in (or to stop people ogling!). On nice days, the whole of the front can be rolled up, providing great views and airflow. One thing to note is that the front section is not fully zipped (it uses velcro at the bottom) and so you have to be careful how you peg it out to avoid rain water seeping in. The main difference between the 6L and 6XL is the dimensions. The 6L measures 820cm (L) x 300cm (W) x 200cm (H). The 6XL switches this around a bit by being 740cm (L) x 440cm (W) x 215cm (H). As a family, we found the 6XL to be the better layout for the way we like to live in a tent. In Use

It’s probably better to think of the Antrim as more of a 4 person tent with oodles of space, rather than a 6 person tent with cramped quarters. Two or more bedroom compartments – it’s our opinion that it’s both warmer and more private to have multiple sleeping quarters within a family tent than all sleeping in the same area. The Antrim is slightly shorter than the Coleman however (600cm vs 665cm) and less wide (380cm vs 450cm) which needs to be borne in mind – do you need the extra real estate? Height is ample at 210cm in both. We inspect the interiors of the tents during and after testing to see how each fares against the elements. Some tents manage to stay firm, but others blow over and even have puddles in the sleeping compartments. Weighing in at a fairly hefty 33.4kg (50kg for the polycotton version!) makes it almost certainly a two person job to carry any great distance. If you’re just transferring from a car boot to the ground then you can probably manage it on your own.Assembly is a breeze as you would expect using the supplied manual pump. Weight of the 6L is 29kG which is actually pretty good for a 6-person tent. The XL increases this slightly to 30.5kg. We were unfortunately not given the Hydrostatic Head information for the 6XL, but can report that our test model was definitely waterproof and will survive a biblical deluge. It's very common for manufacturers to be generous about the number of people they say can fit inside their tents. The number they give will be technically true, but it probably won't account for the space needed for campers' belongings, or the space people need for a comfortable night's sleep. The sleeping area is well-ventilated and has darkened fabric in this section to reduce incoming light. It can split into one, two or three separate bedrooms and is comfortably-sized for a family of six. Five Airbeams