This year's Glastonbury festival is just two weeks away, and the event organizers are asking campers to bring good quality gear and take it back with them to use again, rather than picking up the cheapest tent they can find and leaving it behind at Worthy Farm for someone else to deal with.
In an Instagram post, the organizers asked attendees to love the farm and leave no trace when the event is done.
Thankfully, a sturdy tent doesn't have to be expensive. The Quechua MH100 from Decathlon costs £30 and is a favorite with festival campers for its simple pole setup and waterproof fabric. It's a budget-friendly option you can use time and time again.
To help prevent camping gear being left behind in fields, Decathlon is also offering refunds on 10 of its tents, even after they've been used at a festival. Just bring your tent back to the store, and you'll get a full refund in the form of a gift card to spend in store. Returned tents will be refurbished, cleaned and resold through Decathlon's Second Life programme.
The EuroHike Pop 400 DS is another great budget-friendly tent that will serve you well at Glasto and beyond, and it's currently on sale for £65 at Blacks. It's essentially a pop-up tent with an extra waterproof flysheet, which makes it extra versatile.
"For a few minutes of extra pitching, you essentially get a weatherproof twin-skin tent, making this a versatile choice if you camp in varying locations and conditions over the year," said our reviewer. "Inside, we found that there was loads of room for two or three plus our gear (but four people would find it too snug), and two doors make it even easier to share with others."
Tents you can trust
But can you really trust a budget tent outside the safety of a festival campsite? If you choose the right one, yes. In September 2022, we sent writer and tent expert Alex Foxfield to spend a wet and chilly night at the top of Pen Y Fan with a £30 tent from Aldi, and he descended the following morning hugely impressed after his budget shelter (the Adventuridge 2-Man Tent) punched well above its weight.
"It’s durable, lightweight, easy to pack and simple to pitch," Alex concluded. "It’s also large enough for an average-sized person (including gear) and comes with a vestibule that’s suitable for some simple cooking/storage."
It's worth testing your tent before heading out to make sure you're confident pitching it and to identify any potential issues (the Adventuridge benefits from better tent pegs than those supplied, for example).
Sadly the Adventuridge is no longer available, but it's proof that 'cheap' doesn't have to mean 'disposable'.
"In 2023, 98% of all tents were taken home," said the festival organizers. "Let’s see if we can beat that this year!"
