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Outwell Montana
12 Review
(Sleeping Capacity
12 persons)
The Tent
The Montana range is one of
Outwells best selling tents.
The Montana 12 gives more than
28 m2 of internal space as well as a fully enclosed rain porch
and the universal 4 + 2 bedrooms. The unique combination of the
Outwell Sealed Ground System (OSG System) with the Outwell Power
Stability System (OPS System) pole structure creates a great
tent that is completely sealed against dust, dirt, water and
insects. Pitched all in one go this version is great for
families desiring that home from home feeling. With the large
vent-view windows, spacious living and flexible sleeping areas
for up to 12 people, 2 doors and other key features such as…..
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Pitching: Flysheet first
or as one
Flysheet: Outtex 5000
Hydrostatic head: 5000
mm
Colour: Green
Inner tent: Universal
inner tents
Groundsheet: Sealed
Ground System (Sewn-in)
Floor: Double-coated
polyethylene
Poles: Steel poles 19/22
mm, 2 upright steel poles
Detachable “bathtub”
groundsheet for entrance
Pre-attached inner tents
Adjustable inner tents
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Organiser pockets
Mesh pockets in the
inner tents
Fully seam-sealed
flysheet for maximum protection
Reinforcement patch on
all stress points
Adjustable pegging
points
Pre-attached guy ropes
Luminous guy ropes
Heavy duty Outwell zips
Outwell doormat included
Repair kit included |
Pitch Footprint, Size and Weight
Width: 405 cm, Length: 700 cm,
Height: 215 cm
Pack size: Tent: 78 x 40 x 42 cm
/ Poles: 22 x 75 cm
Weight: Tent: 27.3 kg / Poles
20.8 kg
Erection and Pitching
The thing I liked most about
this tent is the fact that its a tunnel design and thus fairly
simple to pitch for a large tent. It pitches all in one so no
messing about fixing inners in and it keeps the inners nice and
dry if its raining (which has to be a big plus if you camp in
the UK). The poles are all the same size and fittings so it
doesn't matter about matching them up correctly either.
We pegged out the Footprint Groundsheet first (optional extra)
to see exactly where we would be pitching the tent and we then
rolled out the tent over it and pegged down the four corners as
it was incredibly windy!. We then unzipped all the zips we could
find to get as much air into the tent as possible and my husband
laid the poles beside where they were going to be inserted into
the sleeves. We then started to thread all the roof poles
through and starting from the front of the tent we lifted and
attached the side poles and fixed the ring and pins. This was
actually quite hard and I'm not that little but we managed with
just the two of us. The wind probably made it harder than it
would have been otherwise.
After the front side poles were in we pegged the guys out at the
front and then made our way backwards attaching each pole to
it’s respective ring and pins, then made our way back along the
tent pegging out the other guy ropes. We then attached the pole
for the side porch and pegged this out. It was a fairly
standard tunnel tent and easy enough to put up with 2 people
though obviously would have been easier and quicker with an
extra pair of hands.
| Pros and Cons |
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Pros: |
Cons: |
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Very spacious
Loved the four large pods
Light and airy inside
Felt very stable in atrocious weather
All in one pitching
Well ventilated
Pods not all next to each other - great for ensuring
adult space! |
Pitching time - its a
huge, heavy tent
Packing away, tent bag maybe big but getting it back in
was a nightmare
No porch for cooking etc.
Nothing else I can think of - I love it too much!!
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The Cost
Around the £400 - £450 for the
2008 version.
Verdict
I love this tent! Its spacious,
the interior has enough windows (including low level) to let
light in and it doesn't feel at all gloomy, it also has plenty
of ventilation options to prevent condensation. I like the SIG
and the cable entry system. We used the porch door to store the
Porta Loo in and the other door as our entry in and out with the
universal side canopy attached. To be honest I didn't feel the
side canopy was much use, way too small to be used to cook under
and quite flimsy. We will be getting a Vermont canopy this year
to put on the Montana to utilise as a cooking area.
The bedrooms had plenty of space to sleep 3 each and I liked the
versatility of them. We slept at one side with the divider
curtain raised and used the other side of the curtain for the
dressing room and the girls slept at the other side with the
extra sleeping pod used for storing bags and the dogs crate.
Its not very quick to erect - it took us an hour and we are
pretty practiced at erecting tents but it is very simple. Its a
sturdy tent that feels very safe and the carpet was a great buy.
Nice to wake in the morning and stand on warm soft carpet!
I will be using my tent for many many more camping trips!!
Information and Links
For further information on Outwell and their products visit
Outwell
Reviewed by Kjord79
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