Me And My Tent: Vango Anantara TC 600XL

WHO ARE YOU?
Anna Mabin, my husband Russell, sons Ethan and Riley and daughter Phoebe. We live in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

WHAT’S YOUR TENT?
Vango Anantara TC 600XL with additional front awning. We pre-ordered the tent in January 2019 and received it in March 2019. We have been camping since 2013 as a family. This tent is our third family tent. The previous tents were a Hi Gear Zenobia 6 with porch, then an Outwell Vermont 7SA where we also used an Outwell Day Shelter. 

WHERE WERE YOU STAYING?
At Haldon Forest Holiday Park near Exeter, Devon, during a 15-day camping trip.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR SET-UP?
Our favourite thing about our set-up is the front awning as it provides a lovely large space to have a kitchen/diner. With our old set-up we had a separate day shelter to dine under, which we no longer have to use. Also we have found the new tent being made of polycotton instead of polyester helps it stay cool in the summer and warmer in the chillier months. The villa construction also increases the usable footprint. Even though the last tent we owned was a similar footprint, the upright walls on this one means most of the furniture can go closer to the edge, giving more floor space.

The well-appointed kitchen

The kitchen/diner – is that a beer dispenser we can spot?

YOUR FAVOURITE ACCESSORIES?

• The Dometic fridge. Upgrading from a regular coolbox allowed for a larger, silent, colder fridge. For a long camp this is very handy for safely storing meat and other perishables for longer.
• The Outwell Dreamboat mattress. It’s like having a proper bed while camping.
• The Vango Sentinel windbreaks. Very strong which means you don’t have to take them down for majority of winds.

HOW MUCH DID IT ALL COST?
Hmmm, too much most probably!

HOW LONG TO PITCH?
We can pitch the tent in about 30 minutes including the awning. It does take about a further three hours to lay groundsheets/carpets, set up the furniture and beds and unpack everything.

From the living room through to the dining area

Outwell chairs in the living room

HOW DO YOU GET IT TO THE SITE?
We transport everything in our estate car plus a large trailer and roof box.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU CAMP?
We only camp twice a year on average due to work commitments. Our first camp is usually in the spring for a week and then two weeks in the summer holidays. In the future we would love to have a smaller set-up to do shorter weekend breaks. This year we have booked to go to France for 15 nights. As we do longer holidays, we always do the full set-up but if we ever did a shorter camp then we wouldn’t.

Bunks and a single bed in the sleeping area

The Anantara's living area

SHARE YOUR TENT SET-UP!

Everyone has their own way of setting up their tent – and we’d love to see yours! We’re looking for inspiration – show us your camping set-up, inside and outside.

Kitchens, bedrooms, dining rooms... the more imaginative the better! Do you mix and match or always stick to the same brand? Do you try to colour coordinate everything or is it a case of anything goes? And what about using “non-camping” gear in your tent? We want to see how you go camping – and let you show off to our readers.

Send us pictures or even a video of your tent and the best set-ups will feature in the magazine. We’ll also share them on social media and on our website outandaboutlive.co.uk.

Send your pics to [email protected]