Fun under the Sun[ncamp] (Sunncamp Stratus 8 Tent)

Member Name: dee778

Product:	Sunncamp Stratus 8 Tent
Date:	09/08/09 (117 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very roomy, but light and small to transport

Disadvantages: Slow to erect

A camping holiday can give you a holiday that you will never forget. Fresh air, endless fun, total freedom for the kids - all for less than the price of a cd ! Going to sleep under canvas with the whole family gathered around the camping lantern is both cosy and a way to find true family unity.

I have owned several tents over the past couple of decades, the most recent being the largest: my family sized Sunncamp Stratus 8. I have owned my Stratus 8 tent for 4 years. I bought it as an upgrade to my existing tent, which was getting too small to accommodate growing boys and I paid around £230 from my local camping shop.

I searched the internet and visited many camping shops to compare the prices for family tents. I wanted a tent that would comfortably sleep 4 adults, that had enough headroom inside to accommodate a 6 foot person to standing up, and that had both a front and rear door for ventilation..

Recommendations all pointed to the Khyam range of 'quick erect' tents. Looking at this range, I was very tempted to pay the extra money (around £100 more) - the quality was exceptional and I had seen at first hand that they erected in half the time of average tents. The Sunncamp range also came recommended - their tents provided roomy accommodation and were considerably cheaper. I had heard that they were reliable. In the end the deciding factor was the weight of the tent. The Sunncamp Stratus 8 weighs only 23kg, while the Khyam weighs over 30kg. In addition, the size of the tent bag on the Stratus is74 x 31 cm, compared to the Kyam's 102 x 35 cm. Space in the boot of the car was an important consideration for me, so I decided to go for the cheaper tent that was smaller to pack and easier to lift.

~~Size and Features~~

The Stratus 8 sleeps 8 people. There is one sleeping compartment on each side of the tent, with a central curtain that can be tied into place to separate the section into two, or which can be tied up to make one large section. The one big section can easily accommodate two mattresses and several bags, as well as leaving floor space so that you can stand up to get dressed. Each side section has two doors, which each have a mesh door as well as a polyester door. This gives privacy when needed, and ventilation during the night.

The centre of the tent has a separate groundsheet that is pegged, and it is exceptionally roomy. We can put a table and 4 chairs in the central area if it is raining, and have a very comfortable evening inside. The height of the centre of the tent is 2.4 metres and gives very good headroom. The front door of the tent has a large plastic window so that you can still see out if you have to sit inside in the rain. The back door has a large mesh window for ventilation. The major advantage of having both a front and back door is that you can open both sides in hot weather - to air the tent and get rid of the condensation that has built up overnight.

Above the living area are two roof lights made out of plastic. This allows natural light to flood into the tent. The front door can be raised up onto two poles to form an awning. This awning has proved to be both stable and big enough to cook underneath in the rain.

The tent is made of PU coated polyester with taped seams. This is fully breathable and makes night-time more comfortable that other tents that I have experienced. The tent has seen a fair amount of rain over the years, but has never leaked at all. The seam tapes have stayed fully glued down.

Every tent comes with a repair kit, but I have not had any need to use this so far.

~~Erection of the tent~~

The tent does take a fairly long time to erect. There are 6 poles with ferrule joints which need straightened before you start. These poles are lightweight and colour coded: the two long red-striped poles need to be threaded in a cross through the red holders that traverse the centre of the tent; the two shorter orange poles must be threaded at either side of the cross though the orange holders.

Metal keys at six points around the tent then need to be forced into the ends of the poles, therefore forcing the tent upwards into a dome shape. I have found that the easiest way to do this is for one person to get underneath the tent and push the centre of the cross shaped poles upwards, while other people force the keys into place. Once this is done, the tent can be pegged.

As you can see, the erection of the tent is NOT a one person task, and can take some time to complete. Although I know that a Khyam can be erected by one person in half the time, I have not regretted my decision to purchase the Stratus 8 - the cheaper price and smaller size make the extra effort worthwhile.

~~Opinion~~

I have been very happy with the quality of the tent. Reviews mention that Sunncamp poles have a tendency to break and I have been careful with them for this reason. To date they have remained very strong.

The outer material of the tent has faded a little over the years, but still looks smart despite this.

I would recommend the Stratus 8 to any family looking for a lightweight budget tent.

Summary: A good budget family tent