AUSSIE FAMILY TENTS
Let Outdoor Connection guide you to the tent with the best features, benefits and value for your next family camping trip.
Outdoor Connection is an Aussie Owned Family Company of Campers! Yes, we go Camping!! Our tents are designed by Aussies for Australian conditions, which are very different to other countries. Our attention to detail and consideration of practical features and benefits are to ensure you have the best family camping holiday possible.
Hopefully, this list of family tents has helped you decide on the perfect tent for your family. It is essential to consider the quality of the tent you purchase, it is after all an investment for you and your family. We want to make sure you have the best camping trip first time, so you don’t have to bribe the family to go again!
Selecting the best tent for your family can be a difficult task. There are so many varieties, styles, brands, price ranges, features and benefits available, so where do you start?
Plan before you buy. Before you pop into your local camping store or visit an on-line store, plan your needs and wants on the following tent features to help narrow down your choices. When you find what tent meets your “must have” needs, you may find your selection process has been narrowed down significantly. So what should you consider? These simple questions will help:
How long will you be camping for each time?
For overnight camps, check out our Breakaway 3V or 4V tents or our Escape Plus Range, Weekender 1R or Tanbar Air tents. For longer camps, you can’t go past the Resort Range or Aria Elite Air Pole tent range.
What is the set up and pack down time? Bear in mind, all tents need to be pegged out properly, including guy ropes. Some brands only quote the “pitching” time and don’t include peg out time.
Most of the Outdoor Connection tents will be pitched in between 10 -20 minutes. Admittedly, it may take a bit longer the first few times you do it, but that time will reduce after some practice. We have ‘how to’ videos for most of our tents on our website to help you become a pro at the campsite.
Will it accommodate the whole family comfortably including bedding (stretcher/camp mat) and have room for gear?
Brands that have very sloping walls have a lot less room for stretchers. We describe the dimensions of our tents internally – this ensures you have the actual measurement inside the tent to determine if there is enough room for your gear. Be careful about the quoted tent size.
Do you need to separate the sleeping areas for adults and children?
Outdoor Connection offers a great range of single-room and multi-room tents.
Do you need a room divider to create 2 smaller rooms from 1 larger room? Perfect for the children?
If the answer is yes, you will find this feature in our Brampton 3R, Aria Elite 3, Tanbar Air XL.
Do you need an additional room for a sitting room or dining room?
Our Galaxy Plus tent has an attached screen room which is perfect for a sitting room or will one of our gazebos satisfy this need?
Is the internal height sufficient, does it extend out to the side walls so you can stand up fully when inside the tent?
Outdoor Connection Resort Range, Aria Elite, Tanbar Air and Galaxy Range of tents all have near vertical sidewalls. This means you can stand beside your bed to get changed without having to cramp over.
What is the waterhead rating. Be sure to check this is an actual rating, not just a fancy name given by the manufacturer.
A waterhead rating is calculated in mm. It is where water is attempted to be forced from a column through the fabric. Once water droplets begin to form, whatever the mm shown when this occurs is the minimum waterhead rating. Outdoor Connection Breakaway tents have a 2000mm minimum waterhead and the Resort Range, Aria Elite Range & Galaxy Range all have an excellent waterhead rating of 3000mm minimum!
Do you want a polyester or canvas tent?
Good question. Polyester tents are generally much lighter and much more compact to store and transport. You will generally need to put the fly on each time (unless you have one of our Aria Elite Air Pole tents). Canvas tents can be more expensive than a similar Polyester tent, but they are durable and strong and the canvas is breathable. Canvas tents are single skin and do require seasoning.
What is the packed size and weight? Will it fit in the car easily, is it easy enough to be carried by one or two people.
Outdoor Connection stipulates the weight for each of our tents on our website. In some cases, there are 2 bags for the tent and we provide the information for both bags where applicable. The tent carry bags for our Resort, Aria Elite, Tanbar Air and Galaxy ranges are an “Ezi-Pak” bag with 2 shoulder carry straps and carry straps on either end of the bag making it easy for 2 people to carry between them or just easier to lift into the boot of the car. No more negotiating with zippers, our oversized bags will make packing the tent away a cinch!
Is there sufficient ventilation? Are there ventilation panels below the windows? Large windows and doors provide plenty of ventilation
Outdoor Connection tents have great ventilation. They have been designed for the Australian climate with large windows and doors. Ventraflow panels on the Weekender 1R, Bedarra 2R, Aria Elite 1, Aria Alite 2 and Tanbar Air models ensure you have cool air down low where you sleep. This not only makes the tent cooler, it reduces the chances of condensation build up in your tent.
Are there privacy screens on the internal windows and doors?
Our Escape Plus 4E, Resort Range, Aria Elite Air Pole, Tanbar Air & Galaxy range of tents all have internal privacy screens on all windows and doors. Not only does this protect your privacy, but gives you a way of adjusting the airflow in your tent all from inside, no need to run outside to zip up the windows!
Is the mesh bug proof ie: no-see-um mesh?
No one likes bugs buzzing around inside the tent! Outdoor Connection tents use a quality ultra fine no-see-um mesh on all windows and doors to make sure you don’t have to share the tent with the mozzies and sandflies!
Does the tent have an awning? Will the awning pool water if left up?
An awning is a key feature of your tent. Being able to leave the awning up with confidence is important. The tents in our Resort Range, Aria Elite Air Pole and Tanbar Air all have a 3 pole awning. By setting the awning up with the middle pole higher and tensioning strap done, you can ensure the water will run off while your awning is left up in the rain. No more having to drop the awning or risk water pooling and damaging the tent.
What is the manufacturer's warranty on the tent?
We are so confident in the quality of our tents that we offer a 5 year manufacturers warranty on all the tents in our Escape Plus, Resort, Aria Elite Air Pole, Tanbar Air and Galaxy Ranges of tents.
Is the company local? Are they easy to deal with?
We have a reputation - a great reputation for being helpful and easy to deal with. We know your tent is an investment and we want to see you get as many years as possible from it. We are located in Brisbane, Australia. We’re here for product advice and assistance. We’re campers and we care.
THE HISTORY OF OUTDOOR CONNECTION
We sat down with Bill, the founder of Outdoor Connection, to find out how it kicked off.
Learn more about how the business started back in 1984.