UNDER CANVAS - LICHFIELD FINDHORN 4 Retail price £220

SPECIFICATION

Retail price £220 (The cheapest price we found advertised was £159)

Colour  Patriot Blue/Olympian Blue
Berths  4
Length  410cm
Height  190cm
Width  260cm
Inner tent  240 x 210cm
Poles  Steel & fibreglass
Pitching time  5 mins
Pack size  74 x 28cm
Total weight  11.25 kg
Groundsheet  Polyethylene 10,000
Flysheet  Protex® 5000hh polyester
Inner  Breathable polyester
Pitching style  As one

Manufacturer's description
Lichfield's unique patent pending design utilising TAS (tied arch system). The Findhorn uses an ingenious pole configuration to give the maximum possible headroom in relation to the footprint. This pole system allows a fast pitch and gives ample head height in the living areas. The Findhorn models are designed for weekend campers looking for regular breaks away from the 9 to 5. Featuring the full range of Lichfield's design technology, the Exceed range also includes innovative storage solutions, added height for greater ease of use, and increased waterproofing.

 Features
Zippered front access with full mesh door
Side and rear mesh vents with covers
2 front windows with internal covers
'Full-floor'™, sewn-in groundsheet
Zippered inner door with upper mesh panel
'Sleep-Easy'™ darker inner tent for improved sleep
Pelmet concealing inner attachment points
Sewn-in inner groundsheet
Inner storage pockets and hanging loop
Supplied in handled carry bag

PLUS
Easy to erect
Standing room throughout
Bedroom can be left attached
Very waterproof

MINUS
Tension strap adjustment
No cooking area
A tight squeeze for four

I had a few days' holiday approaching and needed a tent at short notice. Camping magazine still had the Findhorn and althoughI wasn't really looking for a four-berth, it seemed to be a manageable size and its configuration seemed pretty much what I was after. Camping magazine just happened to have a review sample available, so I decided to put it through its paces.

Although officially a four-berth, to achieve this requires all four occupants to sleep side-by-side in a single bedroom - not an ideal arrangement under most circumstances. That didn't concern me, as I was heading off alone and as long as I could pitch it unaided, it seemed pretty much ideal.

As all sensible people should do, I had a trial run on the lawn before setting off. It wasn't totally straightforward, as the pitching instructions seemed a little ambiguous and there wasn't the usual video to refer to. For instance, you are supposed to construct the central arch when the tent is still lying  flat and before pegging down the corners, but I found that when working alone, there wasn't enough tension to prevent the poles from coming apart before each base could be mounted in the pins. I tried pegging the corners down first to provide that tension, but then I couldn't get the pole bases within reach of their pins.

I eventually found a compromise: I pegged one of the end guy ropes roughly into place, then pulled the arch up, pram hood style, then loosely secured the opposite guy rope. I then pegged down the ground sheet, located the arch into its pins, then inserted the fibreglass poles afterwards. Physically, this worked, but I came to the conclusion that two people are really needed to put this tent up correctly - especially in any kind of a wind. With practise though, it wouldn't surprise me if it was possible to beat Lichfield's estimated time of five minutes. The previous reviewer had packed the tent away with the inner tent still attached, so I left it there as a permanent fixture – it even fitted easily back into the valise.

Much later, at the Stoneleigh Tent Show, I took the Findhorn to Lichfield's Product Manager, Kenny McKinnon, for appraisal. When I returned to their display area later in the day, there was the Findhorn pitched perfectly, although I didn't see how many of them it took to do it.

So ideally then, you need two people to make a really good job of it, but this would nearly always be the case anyway. Once erected it is all good news. The British weather performed its usual tricks and on the first evening at West Runton, that impressive 5000hh flysheet withstood a torrential downpour. I watched fascinated as animated rivulets of rain puddled on the roof, before disassembling, then slithering down the sides in a cartoon-like manner. I'm easily amused.

Then the wind started to get up - in a big way. Being the first night out, I was slightly worried about the ability of this rather high-profile tent to withstand such a battering. Come sunrise though, both myself and the tent were completely intact and not a single droplet of water had entered.

The “Sleep Easy” bedroom didn't seem noticeably darker to me, but I certainly slept well. I slept across the tent and with just a single air bed I had room to spare and plenty of headroom. A double air bed or two singles would fit in comfortably, but I felt that to sleep lengthways along the tent would be less satisfactory and a bit of a squeeze. 
With standing headroom extending throughout, the main body of the tent would easily accommodate a table and chairs for two, still leaving ample storage space, including handy little pockets at convenient points. Two big, triangular, polythene windows are provided with roll-up privacy curtains. A tailor made carpet is also available.

Getting in and out of the door was a bit awkward at times, as was closing it off for the night, with the door and mosquito mesh screen having to be zipped up separately. There is also no porch under which to cook, although you can at least use the door to create a sun shade - the door has eyelets to take porch poles, but none are supplied.

The second outing was to Anchor Meadow near Evesham, where I opted to use my carp angler's bedchair in preference to the cheap air bed that I had bought at the last minute. This was far more comfortable and made me determined to test a few of the available options for a future issue. 

Verdict

Lichfield do themselves a disservice when describing this as a weekend tent, as most lone campers or couples would be quite happy to use it for camping trips or a week or more. Once you have worked out how to do it, you can have it upright and assembled in five minutes. It is certainly possible for this tent to be pitched by one person alone, but two people working together will find it incredibly quick and easy.
The Findhorn is already spacious, but if you require even more room, Lichfield is bringing out an XL version for 2012. 

 

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Find a full list of Lichfield stockists at www.lichfield-outdoor.co.uk

 
Thanks to The Camping & Caravanning Club for the use of their site at:
Holgate Lane,
West Runton,
Cromer
Norfolk  NR27 9NW
Tel: 01263 837544

I also stayed at:
Anchor Meadow,
Anchor Lane,
Harvington,
Worcs  WR11 8PA
Tel: 01386 48065