Decathlon Quechua Easy Popup Camping Tent Review
I am a huge fan of popup tents. I find it highly amusing to watch people’s reactions when I say that, because many of my serious backpacking and camping friends look at me as if I have multiple heads growing out of a single neck. Whether they choose to laugh at me or not, I will always maintain my love affair with this type of tent.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand that certain situations call for a very different type of a tent. Of course a popup tent would not be the ideal choice for a backpacking trip in the backcountry of a notoriously windy or rainy area.
It is, however, perfect for weekend hiking trips when you’ve already checked the weather forecast. Why waste an hour or two setting up a complicated tent when your popup tent can be ready to use in less than one minute? Think of all the time you could have spent enjoying the outdoors instead of fumbling with fiberglass poles.
Popup tents are also great for backyard campouts. I cannot tell you how nice it is to have all hoopla in the backyard instead of my living room when the kids want to have a sleepover party. In all honesty, my popup has even seen a few living room campouts on those rainy days when there’s nothing better to do then set up a tent and watch a movie with some popcorn.
If you like the idea of a popup tent as much I do you will be very pleased with this high-quality Quechua tent. Not only will it be perfect for all those family needs you may have, it will also be a great help on your short-term camping and backpacking adventures.
Quick Assembly
Well, actually, there is no assembly required. How fast is that? Simply remove the Easy-2 from its carrying bag, pop it open, place it on the ground and peg it in to hold it down. The entire process can be completed in less than two minutes.
Just think of how much time you will have to participate in camping activities. If you are backpacking, you can extend your hike later into the day or enjoy more relaxation time at the end of your hike.
If you are setting up this tent in the backyard for your children, think of how much more time you will have to spend in the peaceful solitude of your home once they are settled into their backyard campout.
Relatively Lightweight
Generally speaking, I believe that a tent should be extremely lightweight for a backpacking trip. That being said, due to its inability to handle torrential downpours, I recommend this tent for relatively short-lived backpacking trips, anyway.
Whenever you are working with a tent that isn’t optimal for rainy conditions, you will want to limit your camping experience to no more than three days. Anything after the three day mark is unknown territory as far as weather forecasts are concerned.
Weighing in at about 5 pounds, this tent is a little heavier than I would suggest for a long backpacking trip, but shouldn’t cause any problems on a short two to three day journey. Though this tent packs a couple more pounds than the typical backpacking tent, that weight should be offset by the fact that a short trip will not require you to bring many other things in your backpack.
Room For Two Kids
I realize that I have included this tent in the “one person tents” category. That was for good reason – it is a one person tent. I would like to point out, however, that measurements of how many people fit in a tent are based on the size of an average adult. Also important to note is that these one person tents are usually made with a little extra space for your belongings.
This particular tent measures seven and a half feet in length and two and a half feet in width. Therefore, two small children, each less than four feet in height, could fit nicely side by side in this tent and still have a little extra room to spare.
Adding to their enjoyment of their backyard or campsite experience, the three foot height of this tent will allow them the space to play games, read books, and tell scary ghost stories.
No Fly, No Problem
Although I am a fan of rainflies, I like that this particular tent does not come with one. Instead, it is fully waterproof and features a large mesh door for airflow. The waterproofing on this particular tent can handle a light rain shower without any issues.
The lack of a fly also means that there will be no guy ropes to trip over in the night, making it perfect for little ones without the awareness to look before they run around the outside of their tent.
Built-In Vestibule
Those intending to use this tent for backpacking and actual camping will be happy to know that there is a small built-in vestibule just outside the main tent entrance with a separate entrance door of its own. This will be a great place to store muddy shoes and boots after a long day outdoors.
Those who plan to use this for children’s backyard and living room campouts can use the extra space as a catch-all for food parcels. Placing your popcorn bowls in the vestibule and laying down on your stomach to watch a movie or tell stories keeps all the kernels in the vestibule and out of your sleeping area.