The Ideal Festival Camping Tent – Regatta Malawi 2 Pop Up Tent Review
When you want something that’s fast to put up, you can’t go wrong with a pop up and the Malawi 2 from Regatta is great quality and offers some cool features, making this the ideal choice for festivals and solo camping trips. Read on for our full review.
What is it?
Regatta Malawi 2 Pop Up Print Festival Tent
Expect to pay around: RRP: £71.95
Overall Rating: 
(4.5 / 5)
Stockists
Technical Features
- Pop up technology allows quick and easy pitching
- Waterproof Hydrofort 70D flysheet with 3000mm hydrostatic head
- Hardwearing, waterproof Polyester groundsheet
- Fully fire retardant fabrics
- Strong and flexible fibreglass poles
- Practically positioned internal pockets and lantern hanging points
- Multiple vents and mesh door allow airflow throughout whilst keeping out insects
- Bright guy lines for extra visibility
What we thought
I’m going to be honest. My perception of pop up tents wasn’t great, I regarded them as the cheap and cheerful domain of teenagers attending their first music festival and not something a ‘serious’ camper would ever use. Well, turns out, I now feel like quite the idiot for having that attitude for so long, which turns out, was completely wrong.
As a dedicated maximalist camper who tends to take everything including the kitchen sink – or at least a popup washing up bowl that functions as a sink – last year in between lockdowns, I discovered the joy of taking off on short, solo camping trips and found that it was indeed possible to go camping without the car (and roof box) being full to bursting.
I have since learned to love camping in quick to set up tents, because it makes camping so much easier. Don’t get me wrong, for a family camping trip, a bell tent or AirBeam remains necessary for space and are pretty quick to put up, but when it comes to speed, nothing can match the humble pop-up.
Pitching the tent
Take the tent out of the bag and er, well, it instantly pops up! It then requires perhaps 2 minutes at most to securely peg it down. It really couldn’t be quicker or easier.
Practicality & Features
Despite discovering a fondness for smaller tents, one thing I’m not fond of is the berth rating on tents which relies on people lying together like sardines, assumes that no one uses SIMs or air beds, and that no one takes luggage camping, which is of course ridiculous.
Yes, you could fit two people inside the Malawi 2 tent, would you want to, is another question entirely. If you’ve got bags and even the most basic camping gear, you stand no chance, so as far as I’m concerned this is the ideal size for one person to use in comfort.
That said, it will of course physically fit in two adult bodies and perhaps one small backpack, but for multiple occpancy, it’s a tent that is better suited to tiny humans, that is to say, the tent is perfect for two young friends or siblings to share.
One of the things that set this tent apart from other similar, perhaps cheaper popups, is that it has more premium features including a secondary mesh zip door to keep bugs out, good ventilation and a 3000mm hydrostatic head which means it will stand up to a decent downpour, unlike a cheap single skin pop-up from the middle aisle at Aldi.
Looks & Styling
Bright colours and funky patterns always divide opinion but I wasn’t put on this earth to blend in. Beige and blandness is something that other peopole are welcome to have if they wish, but I’m a colour and pattern lover. If this pattern/colour isn’t quite for you, there are a several others to choose from.
The verdict
Quality 4/5
Practicality 4/5
Features 4/5
Value 4.5/5
Overall Rating 
(4 / 5)
This is definitely better quality and a more capable tent than most similar pop ups, and get this, I actually managed to fold it down without having to call on my pop-up tent pro daughter – a first for me – as folding down pop up tents has always defeated me, but this one is idiot proof, so even I managed to put it away in a couple of minutes.
This is a fabulous little tent and makes an impromptu camping trip an absolute doddle.
The funky colour and pattern of the Regatta Malawai 2 tent make it eye catching and attractive and it has features that mean it really does hold its own, whether it’s a solo night away camping or a festival.
For those with older children who want a bit of privacy and independence, it’s great for pitching alongside the family tent at the campsite, and it would also be great for back garden camping and sleepovers too. This is a fabulous little tent and makes an impromptu camping trip an absolute doddle.
DISCLOSURE | Thank you to Regatta who supplied the featured product for us to test. We were not paid to write this review.
