I'm all tented out.

Went looking at tents today. My they have changed, both in structure and materials. The happy smiling Tent Rep's opening gambit was " Now Sir, you look like a Geodesic man to me? Am I right? I was tempted to slap him across the face and say "How very dare you!" I opted for a short knowing smirk instead. You live and learn. To tent or not to tent, that is the question?

After 2 hrs of crawling inside Vango', collmans and ME's I'm still none the wiser

Not sure whether to get a slightly larger tent to use at a proper campsite or go all "Bear Grylls" and buy a superlight go-anywhere number that'll resist hurricane's and flash floods?

The jury's still out.

To wild camp or not to wild camp, isn't that the question? More specifically, to what extent does weight and volume matter for what you're intending to do? 

Read reviews on here, simultaneously browsing the classifieds. Buy one. Unsuitable - stick it back in classifieds

Or just pick up a tarp for £30 and get out there while you mull it,over. Who knows you might decide not to get a tent!!!!

I think you'll need to get a better handle on what you plan to do.  Because tent designs are compromises between contradictory needs (you want them to be big, strong and light) it's hard to get the right thing without considering the uses it'll be put to and tuning the decision accordingly.

Pete.

I may start with a slightly roomier tent to pitch at a campsite to gauge whether I want to downsize and go native.

After all, a F1 car's great on the track but pants at toting the weekly shop.

I do like my space

Si

Simon Daniels wrote (see)

 The jury's still out.

I spent a year? looking for a 2 man tent and couldn't ever quite decide what to get.... ended up with my father sicking 2 under the christmas tree. Ended up keeping an Alpkit Kangri which so far I've been pretty happy with although some have suggested its too heavy.

Simon Daniels wrote (see)

"Now Sir, you look like a Geodesic man to me? Am I right?" I was tempted to slap him across the face and say "How very dare you!"

Quite right too... "Geodesic Man" is just the posh term for those New Age Travellers who erect "benders" by the roadside!