There are, at a rough guess over 500 different styles and sizes of tents available in the UK. Each offer various different features, benefits, layouts and brands that determine which is the right tent for you to choose.

Size Does Matter…
It’s obviously no good choosing a tent that only sleeps 2 people when there are 6 of you, but there are other aspects that you should consider when determining what berth tent to choose.

Generally speaking the number of people a tent can sleep also determines the size of the living and lounging area/s. A good rule of thumb particularly for family camping is to go two up from the number you actually require. This in lamens terms would simply mean looking for two more heads in the kindly provided line drawing that you should always be presented with if you’re buying a tent from a reputable brand. The line drawings tell you the dimensions of the tent and also indicate how many people the tent can sleep. Bear in mind though that the actual physical space manufacturers often allow each of the occupants of the bedroom is quite on the stingy side so make sure you measure up any accessories like camp beds or airbeds you might want to stuff in there before you make your purchase.

Choosing the right berth will also generally give more living space for things like food preparation, letting the kids play on the floor or an evening meal.

Add-on Accessories…
The more experienced brands on the market realise that a quality tent should have add-on accessories that provide their customers with the choice to further enhance their tent if desired.
A quality family tent brand will at a minimum permit you to buy three additional add-on accessories
1. A front or side canopy/extension or awning
2. A footprint groundsheet to further protect the base of your tent from damage and dirt.
3. A living area carpet (precisioned rug) to add a little insulation and comfort.

Materials…

Flysheet

Mainstream family tent flysheets come in two variants – polyester and polycotton. Polyester is more popular due to its lesser weight and price when compared with Polycotton. Polycotton however whilst being heavier than Polyester does bring benefits to the consumer that you just don’t get with Polyester, namely better breathability and insulation. Polyester tents can become quite hot inside when exposed to warm sunny days and so many more experienced campers are now turning to polycotton to reap the comfort benefits this material has to offer.

Polycotton is however generally a lot more expansive than polyester – often double the price of a similarly sized polyester tent. Good advice would be to start with a polyester tent if you are new to camping, test the water and work your way up.

Poles or Air
When browsing the latest tent catalogue, you should also pay attention to the type of poles the tent has. The majority of tents in the UK have fibreglass poles that are more affordable than their higher end counterparts such as steel poles, alloy poles, or air chambers.

If you only plan to camp for long weekends then going to the trouble of carting heavy steel or alloy poles to and from the campsite may not be necessary but if you are planning a week or two further from home then you want to be sure that you have the best and strongest poles to ensure you’re holiday isn’t cut short by the pesky winds of mother nature.

If steel or alloy is out of your price range then be sure to check that the fibreglass poles have a sheath wrapping, sometimes referred to as durawrap or proshield. This sheath is an extra coating around the fibreglass that gives it added strength. Again though this can often come at a slight price increase over standard fibreglass so it’s a case of working within your budget and getting the best you can.

Hydrostatic Head
If you are looking to purchase a polyester tent then you should be informed of the hydrostatic head rating of the material which tells you how permeable the material is, or how much water the flysheet can withstand. Hydrostatic head is measured in millimeters. The best way to imagine this is if you were to place a cylindrical tube full of water 1cm² on top of the material so that the depth was let’s say 2000mm then the flysheet has been tested to withstand this amount of water.

The British standard for a flysheet to be classed as ‘waterproof’ is 1500mm so be sure your new tent meets at a minimum this rating.
Most quality family tents on the market will be anything from 2000mm up to 6000mm.

Features

Be sure to check for things like air vents to keep condensation to a minimum, no-see-um-mesh to keep the pesky mosquitoes out of your tent in the evenings. No-see-um mesh on tents at the lower price bracket of the market will normally only be present on the doors to the bedroom but conversely at the higher end you should see this on the outer tent doors as well.
Do you need a cable entry point (small zipper) to get power into your tent for all your home from home electricals? If so then many family tents now provide this around the main door entry.
Groundsheets

Most family tents come with either a totally flat detachable groundsheet that you simply peg down in the corners, a “bath-tub” style groundsheet that raises up at the edges and clips onto the sides of the inside of the flysheet (handy for keeping out the evening breeze) or a fully sewn-in groundsheet – handy to also keep out any insects. This will be a major factor in the price of the tent due to the increased manufacturing costs of providing it.
Want ultimate luxury? Then look out for a zip-in(or out)-groundsheets that are generally made from a heavier duty material and provide the added benefit of being easily detachable from the tent and thus more easily cleanable whilst still providing all the benefits of a fully sewn-in.

Packsize / Weight
Last but not least make sure the tent you are buying will fit in whatever car/van/trailer you will be using to get to and from the campsite. Also be sure to check the weight so that whoever will be pitching the tent can first remove it from the car.

For more quality advice on tents visit Yeomans Outdoor Leisure.

There are two things people may mean when they refer to UK caravan insurance:

� caravan insurance that is purchasable in the UK (and which is, therefore, governed by UK law);

� caravan insurance that is only applicable in the UK.

Caravan insurance applicable in the UK

If you have an insurance policy that provides only UK caravan insurance, then that may mean that if you have a mobile caravan (typically a touring caravan or motorhome), you will be unable to take it outside of UK national borders.

In such a situation, you may be able to purchase additional insurance that will allow you to use your caravan outside of the UK for a specified period and possibly only in specified countries.

Alternatively, some caravan insurance policies automatically provide continental cover – though the nature of that cover may vary from one policy to another and it may be advisable to carefully check the detail.

Note that sometimes, some policies may specify “UK mainland” meaning that UK offshore islands and Northern Ireland may be excluded. This might even be an issue in theory with Anglesey which is bridge connected but geographically an offshore island.

Such nuances may be unusual but they are well worth looking at in advance with any policy that is restricted to “UK only”.

General UK caravan insurance

General caravan insurance cover sold in the UK, is typically aimed at specific types of caravan.

The classic categories typically used by insurance providers are:

� touring caravans;
� static caravans;
� motorhomes;
� trailer tents;
� park homes.

At times, some caravans may be ‘hybrids’ that are not easily categorised as per the above (e.g. a small motorhome that has a separately-attached articulated and towed accommodation module) – in such cases you may need the advice of an insurance provider to understand what category it comes into.

Cover is typically available for the caravan/vehicle, its contents and possibly third-party liability.

Some policies may offer cover for external fitments such as awnings.

All insurance typically carries terms and conditions and that will also apply to caravan insurance.

For example, you may find that some policies may not cover the fridge contents of touring caravans and policies providing motorhome insurance may explicitly exclude using the vehicle for commuting.

These terms and conditions form the basis of the contract (i.e. the policy) between you and the insurance provider. They may have a significant effect on your ability to make a claim and as a result, it makes sense to make sure that you have read them carefully before you decide to purchase a policy.

UK caravan insurance is something that can provide you with the confidence to really enjoy your caravan, safe in the knowledge that your investment is protected.

Roger is the Editor of the UK’s first Caravan insurance comparison website, http://www.caravanquoter.co.uk. Our easy to use site allows you to get multiple quotes from specialist brokers for static caravan insurance