Tent Review: Outwell Montana 6AC

Tent Review: Outwell Montana 6AC

So we finally decided on a tent. I think it’s been the most difficult decision of our lives! We narrowed it down to a Montana 6 from Outwell, but then had to choose between the inflatable or poled version.

We opted for the Montana 6AC inflatable tent, mainly because of how easy it is to pitch and take down single handedly. If you are camping with a toddler, it essentially means that one of you will be putting up the tent and the other will be running around like a loon looking after your child(ren). This is what really swung it for us. This video illustrates how quickly you can get the tent up and secure. In real time this took about 15 minutes.


Of course there was still all the guylines to peg in, but Luke did this while I moved our stuff in and chased after Finn. Luckily we had good weather on our camping trip, but this speedy pitching and setting up will be invaluable when it’s raining.

The other reason we loved this design was the amount of living space. The porch on the side also makes a great place to store boots and coats etc. Again, this will be so useful when the weather is less than ideal. There is also plenty of head height, this is important to us as Luke is 6’3.

The 2 bedroom compartments of an Outwell Montana 6AC tent

The tent has two bedrooms, one for us (which was plenty big enough for our new camp bed) and one for Finn.

The inside of an Outwell Montana 6AC tent.

The Montana 6AC has so much living space, ideal for a family. I also love the storage pockets and lantern hanging point.

We love the great design and all the little touches that you get with an Outwell tent. The ventilation points, storage pockets, two side doors and curtains make life so much easier and more comfortable.

I was a little dubious about inflatable tents. I was worried about punctures and leaks and wondered if they have the same longevity as poled tents. After a lot of research, we were reassured about the quality, and also the fact that you can replace the inner tubes if necessary was a great relief.

So far my only niggles are relatively minor. The pole for the porch was a bit tricky to get up, but we managed eventually and I’m sure it’ll get easier with practice. Also, I’m not a massive fan of the ‘D door’ at the front. While it is a nice big opening and is easy to fold back, I would prefer a roll-up door that we could use as a canopy with a couple of poles. This would be especially useful as we have decided, for the time being, not to get an extension for this tent. We are struggling for space in the car, and it is already quite large and  heavy when packed up. For those that are interested, the pack size is 45 x 90cm and 30kg. (For context, compared to the Montana 6 which is 39 x 80cm and 20kg for the flysheet and 18 x 69cm and 11kg for the poles) Going forward, we are planning on getting a small camping shelter for cooking under when it rains.

All in all we were so impressed. While not the cheapest tent (RRP £1099.99, I got ours for £878) we are hoping that our investment will pay off and this will last us for many years of family camping trips.

What do you think of inflatable tents? Worth the money, or are good old fashioned poles the best?

Shop Outwell tents here (affiliate link)

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Comments

  • Tryphena Bolton Tryphena Bolton September 28, at 18:12

    We went for a steel pole tent from outwell tent and we were very impressed when it with stood 80mph winds!

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 29, at 09:09

      Wow that is impressive! We very nearly went for the steel pole version, they do look so sturdy! Hope ours is just as good 🙂

      Reply
  • daisythebus daisythebus October 02, at 12:13

    Very useful! Some of our best friends – a family with three young kids – also have this tent and they love it. About a month ago we went camping together, and the difference in quality between this tent and ours (Skandika Montana 8) was very apparent. We were extremely jealous!!!!

    Reply
  • Bloomers Bloomers April 30, at 06:27

    I bought this tent last year as a pack and with the extension and carpet for £1088, a big investment. Our first outing is in a couple of weeks so. I am extremely grateful for this review and can’t wait to put it up.

    Reply
  • Mike Mike July 03, at 06:42

    Hey, great review. It was fun to watch Finn run around.

    Reply

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