BEST END-OF-SEASON TENT DEALS

We may be near the end of summer, but now is a great time to pick up an end-of-season deal on a good quality tent for next year. Whether you're in search of the perfect festival tent, something lightweight, or a big old beast of a tent for family holidays, here is our pick of the current best tents for your buck*.

BEST TENT FOR FAMILIES

Review: Outwell Explorer Family Tent

£299.99 / save £100 (from Blacks)
sleeps 4; weighs 18.3kg

A good, fun and reasonably compact choice for families of four, the Explorer has decent standing space in the front section, and two compartments at the back for comfortable sleeping.

The kids get their own room which includes a kids-only entrance, a special low ceiling, and various integrated games, including an overhead net for on-ur-back basketball (there's even a starry scene when it gets dark).

This tent has a great spec too. The impressive 4000mm hydrostatic head will ensure it can withstand a big old downpour, and Outwell’s Wind Stabiliser System will shield the tent against wind speeds of up to 54mph. Let's hope we never get winds of 55mph!

BEST TENT FOR LARGE FAMILIES

Review: Gelert Nemesis 8 Tent 8 Person

£168.00 / save £162 (from OutdoorGear UK)
sleeps 8; weighs 23.1kg

The Nemesis 8, from Gelert, is a spacious 8 person tent that provides a large living space and generous bedrooms, so perfect for larger families. The pre-attached guylines and a fully sewn in ground sheet make for speedy pitching, but it's definitely quicker and easier to pitch with 2 people. It's also a good tent for hot weather as you can open up both doors and let the breeze through. Exceptional value from a trusted tent brand.

BEST TENT FOR GROUPS

Review: Venus 4 Man Tent

£99.99 / save £50 (from Mountain Warehouse)
sleeps 4; weighs 10.4kg

A good, basic tent from the Mountainlife range, the Venus 4-man offering is easy to put together,  lightweight to transport, fire retardant and showerproof. The cylindrical style offers a large central area, making it the perfect social space for families and small groups. The mesh netting inside makes for an insect-free night's sleep too. One word of warning, although this is strictly speaking classed as 'waterproof', we would call it 'showerproof', but should be fine for all but that torrential downpour. Perhaps not as long-lasting as similar-sized tents from the next price band up, this is still a good basic tent for the price.

BEST 2-MAN TENT

Berghaus Peak 2 Man Tent

£83.99 / save £36 (from Millets)
sleeps 2; weighs 3.2kg

We’re big fans of Berghaus at Tent HQ, due to their superior build quality and durability. For a reasonably lightweight, 2-man tent that you can take anywhere and will last ages, this is hard to beat. It’s easy to put up (even for 1 person), extremely waterproof, and has a handy porch for stashing wet walking boots or doing a spot of cooking in the rain. Currently on an end-of-season discount at Millets, it would be hard to find a better quality tent for this price.

BEST UNUSUAL TENT

Review: Vango Juno Tepee 500 Tent 5 Person

£39.99 / save £40 (from OutdoorGear UK)
sleeps 5; weighs 4.5kg

The Juno Tepee 500, from Vango, is a traditionally shaped five person tent with a fire retardant and waterproof flysheet. Ideal for UK festivals and weekend camping, this tent is simple and quick to pitch with pre-attached guylines and reinforced points for additional strength in tension areas. Very good value for a 5-person tent - and looks cool too!

BEST TENT FOR EASY PITCHING

Review: Quick Pitch Pop Up 2 Man Plain Tent

£19.99 / save £30 (from Mountain Warehouse)
sleeps 2; weighs 1.84kg

Love them or loathe them, there's no denying that these quick pitch pop up tents take the hassle out of pitching up. Easy to transport, lightweight, and pitches in seconds, this tent is a breeze to use. It comes fully waterproof, fire retardant, comes with a lovely matching bag and is extremely blue. All in all, a very practical tent for festivals - and at less than £20, is a total bargain.

BEST TENT FOR WET WEATHER!

Review: Eurohike Cairngorm 4 Person Tent

£77.99 / save £22 (from Millets)
sleeps 4; weighs 13.64kg

Bring on the rain! With a Eurohike Cairngorm, it's like water off a ducks back. The outer goes up first, giving you a nice dry space to huddle together and put the inner tent up in your own time. And the colour-coded tent poles make it a quick pitch anyway, so less time standing around in the rain getting wet. The waterproof rating on this tent (hydrostatic head: 2000) means it will withstand most heavy downpours, making it ideal for camping trips across the UK and Europe in all seasons.

BEST TENT FOR BACKPACKERS, CYCLISTS, AND SOLO CAMPERS

Review: Jack Wolfskin Gossamer Tent 1 Person

£74.00 / save £16 (from OutdoorGear UK)
sleeps 1; weighs 1.55kg

The Jack Wolfskin Gossamer is an ultra light bivvi tent weighing just 1.55kg and ideal for the solo backpacker, cyclist or motorcyclist. The Gossamer has a comfortable sleeping length with room for storage at your feet or head. The flysheet has a 4000mm hydrostatic head and is made from 100% ripstop polyester, making it extremely robust for use in all seasons and up all sorts of mountains. The inner tent is made entirely of mosquito mesh for lightness and superb ventilation. The flysheet can be rolled up for a view of the stars on clear nights. Solo camping perfection.

BEST TENT FOR FESTIVALS

Review: Eurohike Tay 2 Person Tunnel Tent

£34.99 / save £5 (from Millets)
sleeps 2; weighs 4.3kg

Are you looking for a cheap tent for festivals? Then look no further. If you're happy to snuggle up next to your roomie, then this is a great starter tent for a superb price. It's lightweight, portable, and offers plenty of room for storing your muddy wellies and scrumpy cider.

BEST LIGHTWEIGHT TENT

Review: Karrimor Ultralite 2 Man Tent

£57.99 / save £8 (from Blacks)
sleeps 2; weighs 2.3kg

This tent is ridiculously light. It weighs slightly less than three copies of the ‘Cool Camping England’ guidebook  (although why you would ever need three copies of one book is a very good question). If you’re climbing big hills or going on a long cycle-ride, then this is a very good option for a lightweight, end-of-the-day crash pad, but bear in mind it’s one of the smallest 2-man tents around, so might not be so good if you have a lot of other stuff to stash in there with you. Great if you’re travelling light though, and good value too.

BEST TENT FOR FIRST-TIME CAMPERS

Review: Vango Milano 250 Tent

£49.99 / save £5 (from Millets)
sleeps: 2; weighs 4.5kg

This two-man tent is a really good choice for first time campers and also makes a good festival tent. It's lightweight, easy to carry and can be put up with minimal effort - the instructions are completely foolproof, so you can banish those first-night fears of sleeping in a half-erected tent. The tunnel tent design also helps make it fast and easy to erect, as well as being protective against strong winds. Sleeps 2, with enough space for all your camping gear. A very good tent for fifty quid!

* Please note, prices quoted were correct as of 25th August 2011. These are third party offers and whilst we will endeavour to keep this page up-to-date, we cannot be held responsible for any subsequent price fluctuations, or for offers and products that have been discontinued. If you would like to notify us of any changes, please get in touch.