CAMPING | Hewolf Automatic Hexagonal Tent In Camel Brown – Review
What is it?
Hewolf Automatic Hexagonal Tent RRP: £80.11
Stockists
Tent features
● Large hexagonal design for 5 – 8 people
● Thick silver coated design, rainproof and sunscreen
● Polyester and oxford material, waterproof and breathable
● Fully automatic bracket for easy installation
● 6 mesh yarn, ventilation and mosquito repellent
● Outer size: 140cm on one side, 283cm on the opposite side, 168cm in height
● Internal account size: 129cm on one side, 247cm on the opposite side, 138cm in height
Putting up the tent
I’ve seen similar tents like this from Coleman in the past, but this was my first time pitching a tent where all the poles are already attached and simply need folding out and pegging down. There were no instructions included with the tent, but luckily it was easy and intuitive to put up.
Because this is an ‘automatic’ tent, there’s no need to slot poles together as they are all pre-attached and jointed, so it’s just a matter of folding them all out, then slotting the bottom of the poles into the plastic clips around the base of the tent which hold them in place and can also be pegged down.
The very top point of the fly sheet has to be tied onto the centre pole (as shown above) and although this is easy to do, the short length of silver fabric that you need to tie onto the plastic frame attachment point felt flimsy, and with continued use, could prove to be a weak point for this tent.
Next I attached the guy ropes and was a little flummoxed at first trying to work out where to attach them. There are essentially loops on the outside of each pole which you just tie the guy ropes to before pegging down. Finally I put the top rain cover on which clips easily to the frame and makes the tent waterproof.
The Verdict
The tent says it sleeps 5-8 people, but there is absolutely no way you could sleep 8 people inside this tent. The photos show my single Vango Comfort SIM and the tent would be big enough for a second SIM of the same size pressed up right against it, so in my opinion, this is a 2 person tent or 3 at push if you are just using very small, narrow sleeping mats. I’m honestly baffled as to how it can claim to sleep 8 people though.
I really liked that the tent includes a central lantern hanging point and whilst there was an internal storage pocket, it’s essentially so low down that it hangs on the floor, so if you use it, you’ll need to be careful you don’t stand on anything you put inside.
There are 2 doors either side of the tent, and both include zipped fly mesh to help keep the bugs out. Unusually the mesh screens both roll downwards and essentially form the entrance way to the tent, whilst the outer fly sheets when opened are rolled upwards, both are held in place with standard loop fasteners.
The best points of this tent include how easy it is for 1 person to put up alone and the fact that at just 5.8kg it’s nice and light so easy to transport, though the pack size would mean it’s not suitable for backpacking, it could be good for festivals and wild camping trips.
Putting the tent down again is just as quick and easy, and it all fitted back inside the bag with ease. It’s worth noting that it also comes with seperate steel poles that can be used on one of the doors to create a canopy; ideal for wet weather or as shade from the sun.
This tent isn’t as sturdy as the Coleman 4-man Instant Tourer, but it does come in cheaper, even after you factor in UK shipping which costs £17.49 at Gearbest. For those looking for something bigger than a standard pop-up tent that’s still quick and easy to put up, and for those who need a fairly light tent, then this could make a good choice, particularly for festivals and wild camping.
Pros
- The tent is easy and quite fast to pitch
- Can easily be put up by 1 person alone
- Although this tent is not standing height, there is plenty of head space so it feels airy
- There are 2 entrances and both have fully zipped fly mesh screens
- The tent is quite small and light, so would be ideal for occasional festival and wild camping use
- Reflective silver coating on the inside of the flysheet, which I expect will help regulate temperature
Cons
- The tent is far too small for 5 adults, I would suggest this would sleep 3 at a push, but ideally no more than 2 adults
- The quality of the tent seems OK for occasional camping, but I’m not sure how well the thin fabric and standard zips will stand up to continued use
- I’m also not convinced this tent design would be stable in high winds due to the thin poles and the guy rope attachment points
- The website gives no information on the HH of the tent, it just says ‘waterproof’ and I didn’t test the tent in rain, so I can’t comment on how waterproof this tent is
DISCLOSURE | Thank you to Gearbest who sent the featured product to us. We were not paid to write this review.
Where to next?
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