www.nwcampers.co.uk

The “Minny”, on the face of it, is a simple but effective design. It is a tunnel tent with a generous head-height that is pretty-much uniform throughout the length of the tent. The poles are steel which lends the tent great strength and stability in the wind – ours experienced some very strong gusts and it stood tall and straight throughout. It is simple to pitch, though some strength is required to get the pins into the bottom of the steel uprights. The bedroom pods are genuinely 2x2 with sufficient room for a double inflatable mattress in each. Also, the fact that the tent is SIG throughout means that it is warmer in the cold (no drafts) and bug-free.

The Minnesota is the poor-man’s Montana: lower hydrostatic head material, shorter living-area and simplified side door porch; and these compromises are reflected in the lower price. In truth, only one of these compromises creates any real inconvenience: we endured constant, heavy rain and suffered no water ingress and the living area was quite adequate for four. But I do have concerns about the side door.

The first problem with the side door is that the fibreglass pole that is bent to form the canopy puts a lot of stress on the zip and material of and around the door. On my tent this stress even caused damaged to the material where it was stitched to the zip. It should be noted that not everyone has experienced this problem which suggests that this is a quality-control problem rather than a fundamental design flaw - it seems to me that the problem is that the webbed tape that holds the black plastic bracket that holds the end of the fibreglass poles should be shorter; that way the tension from the bent pole is handled by the steel poles and not the fabric and/or the zip. There is, however, a simple, retro solution: use plastic cable ties to more closely align the plastic brackets to the upright steel poles.

The second problem is less easily or cheaply resolved. A major inconvenience of camping in this green and pleasant land of ours is the very stuff that makes it green: rain. Getting in and out of a tent when it is raining can be a comical affair as you try to un-zip the door, get out and re-zip the door quickly so that water does not get into the tent. Do not be fooled into thinking that the canopy over the side door gives any serious protection from the rain; and you certainly can’t leave the side door open while it’s raining unless the door is in the lee of the wind. The front door, because of its slope, is certainly not an alternative. As a result I would seriously consider budgeting for the extension or, at least, Outwell’s canopy or a cheaper, generic alternative (e.g. the Coleman awning). The extension is of much more use than the canopy. It also provides a sheltered cooking area or simply somewhere to sit under sheltered from the sun of the rain. (More on this in another review.) However, assuming that you also purchase the footprint groundsheet and living area carpet you will end up paying a lot more money than you may have first bargained for.

However, I still believe that this is one of the best tents available in its class and price range. Why? Well, the first problem with the side canopy, should you have it, is easily fixed and the second problem is certainly not peculiar to this tent. So what you are left with is a very good, sturdy, spacious tent that four can live in and two or three very comfortably so.

I am very glad this tent gets great reviews all round, cos I have just purchased one second hand for under £100 I am well pleased just got to see the tent now and put it up in Devon in Aug.

DAISYBEV wrote:I am very glad this tent gets great reviews all round, cos I have just purchased one second hand for under £100 I am well pleased just got to see the tent now and put it up in Devon in Aug.

Great minds, and all that!!

Do take a supply of cable ties with you for the porch ferules and seriously consider at least the canopy if not the extension.

I would be cooking in my utility tent (argos one) so I only need the tent for Me plus one hubby if he comes along too?

I am wondering if my vango one will fit its black but im not THAT fussy the guy lines are the same colour...lol

It's not just the cooking (I have a dayroom for that). It's more for getting in and out of the tent in rain. That side porch offers little protection and so the doors have to be kept closed in the rain. With the extension we can leave it open and walk in and out without gettin the living area wet.

could you not use a tarp as extra cover?

It's certainly possible. But the extension just makes so much difference it was like having a new tent.

I have seen the extension on dave and Angelas tent it looks good.
I thought the side door with the small porch would offer some shelter before stepping into the tent?

I will either use a tarp OR my vango extension and mis match the colours it will look like a gypsy camp .. lol

I would have joined you at Edale had I had the tent by then but i cant see it happening, maybe I will bob up with my little quechua

Have you been before? It's our first time there. We're taking some friends who don't camp much (just once before with us two years ago near Bala) and who like their comforts more. After my usual research I offered them this site or Mandale, somewhat more remote and spartan from what I can tell. They chose Edale.

For such a short camp I won't bother with the dayroom and will be cooking under the Minny's extension.

I have been there once, its a nice site, hell of a drive over the sunshine mountain to it, but once in Edale its beautiful.

Take midge lotion !!! you cannot drive onto the field even to take tent ect so many hands needed.

They are very strict on the no noise after 10:30 but beware if your near the road as you get all the back packers coming in after dark pitching.

Its lovely though a nice site, great little stream for the kids to play in.
do you mind me dropping in for a night with you (not in your tent obviously) as long as Im able to book on?

DAISYBEV wrote:I have been there once, its a nice site, hell of a drive over the sunshine mountain to it, but once in Edale its beautiful.

Take midge lotion !!! you cannot drive onto the field even to take tent ect so many hands needed.

They are very strict on the no noise after 10:30 but beware if your near the road as you get all the back packers coming in after dark pitching.

Its lovely though a nice site, great little stream for the kids to play in.
do you mind me dropping in for a night with you (not in your tent obviously) as long as Im able to book on?

Of course I wouldn't mind ; it would be lovely seeing you again.

I had feared the midges! They are ferocious enough here at the edge of Glossop so I suspected that, in a relatively remote village like that and near a stream, they would be bad. The last time we camped with these friends I used the Lakeside 4, which has no SIG in the living area; we were at Tyn Cornel outside of Bala (a lovely campsite) and we were bitten to death. That was the reason I upgraded to the Minnesota so that we could hide behind the mesh and SIG once dusk approached.

I was aware from reviews "in another place" about the car rule and, to be honest, I prefer it that way. Though another reason not to take the Royal Dayroom for kitchen duties.

I'd also picked up on the strict no noise rule. With five boys that will be fun. However, the threat that we could be turfed off and ordered to strike camp in the middle of the night will provide useful leverage.

We took friends there who had never been on holiday before let alone camped! (ages 4 and 8) they were noisy, but their mother was worse she thought it was funny to eat jaffa cakes with the full moon half moon sound effects at full throttle !!!

did I look impressed lol NO!

I would rather go alone next time well with family and friends who understood the unspoken rules.
That was a lesson I learned fast. lol

Former Scout wrote: But the extension just makes so much difference it was like having a new tent.

Gives the tent a whole different feel , definately worth it , same with the montana too .

Do you think the Vango extention will fit the minny 4 Dave?

DAISYBEV wrote:Do you think the Vango extention will fit the minny 4 Dave?

Which Vango extension do you have ? there looks to be a few .

Here's the dimensions of the Minnesota front extension to give you a comparison ...




I think the vango ones would look a little odd on it tbh , the outwell one just goes with the flow of the tent and looks right ...






But then I am a bit of an Outwell guy , I suppose , lol