Robens Chinook Ursa tent review

As a large family-sized tent – the Ursa comfortably sleeps eight and is made using a high-quality polycotton canvas which gave the tent a cosy feel at night – and was very effective in windy and wet conditions. It isn’t a light-weight tent at 21.7kg and is quite bulky to store – you’ll need a decent sized garage or shed to store the tent at home, although it does pack down easily. It is a two-person job to carry and assemble the tent, and we were grateful that our campsite provided easy access to the pitch – along with a wheelbarrow to transport the tent and other supplies.

Having never erected a tipi or bell tent before it was surprisingly easy to put up once we’d digested the basic instructions and unpacked the tent. To erect the tent, simply lay out the canvas and peg it flat.

As with tipi and bell tents, the structure is held up by one central pole. The aluminium pole easily slots together and fits into the cap of the tent to give the tent its impressive height – even a tall adult can stand upright inside the tent. Once the pole is in place, simply peg out the guyropes and the job is nearly done. The guylines are reflective, which is a nice touch. There’s space to fit a stove in the centre of the tent with vents at the top for the flue pipe. We didn’t test the tent with a stove, but it could be a nice idea to use one and sit around the campfire in the cooler camping months.

The remaining poles slot together to make the A-frame front of the tent. We struggled a bit with the A-frame as it didn’t fit together as neatly as we expected (possibly due to user-error) so it was hard to get the canvas as tight as we wanted at the front. Overall, it took us around 35-40 minutes to put the tent up, but we’ve since done it much quicker. According to the manufacturer it should take a mere 13 minutes to assemble. Disclaimer: we had our 10-month-old in tow so it took us slightly longer to put up than it would have done without the extra pair of helping hands!

The front of the tent can be converted into a porch, offering a nice openness to the tent on sunny days. We liked this feature as it meant we could all sit outside while still enjoying a bit of shade. Having the tent porch open also gives the tent a lovely sociable feel – perfect if you plan on camping with other families.

During one wet and windy night, we were pleased to find the tent held up well and the inside stayed dry. Pleasingly, the canvas seemed to dry out quite quickly, although we made sure we hung the tent out to dry fully when we were back home.

As a family tent the Robens Chinook Ursa is hard to beat. It isn't cheap but feels a good investment as it is well-made, high-quality, attractive and durable, so it should last for years of adventures. As children get older, the lack of sleeping compartments might be off-putting to some families, but we liked the open space – and our son loved exploring inside the tent. There is an option to buy an inner tent separately which can be hung inside the main tent should you need it.

Embarking on our first family camping experience felt a little daunting, but the Ursa was thankfully easy to assemble and fun to use. However, due to the size of the tent it felt more suited to longer camping trips when you need a comfortable base to return to – for a weekend camp I'd prefer to use a smaller, lighter tent.

Also consider...

Vango Aether Air 600XL tent

For a more conventional and highly practical family tent, check out the Vango Aether Air 600XL. This blow-up tent is extremely easy to pitch, and the tunnel design is spacious, with a generous porch in which to cook or shelter from rain or sun. The sleeping compartments feature blackout material so the sun won't wake you at the crack of dawn. The flysheet is made from recycled materials, too. If that sounds like your thing, read more in our detailed review.

Looking for other camping ideas? See our round-up of family tents for inspiration. We've also gathered our favourite camping lanterns, chairs and glamping accessories.