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Pop-up beach tents

(27 Posts)
Nanaeloc Thu 06-Aug-26 16:41:55

We are collecting three grandchildren from ā€œup countryā€ on Sunday to come and stay for a couple of weeks. We live in Cornwall, so beach trips are a favourite thing to do together. We ALWAYS have trouble packing away the bl**dy pop-up tent!! It goes up with no problem! So we are currently in the back garden practicing (as we haven’t used it since last August - and we’ve both had birthdays since then 😬) I have left DH to it as he doesn’t like it when I laugh at our efforts 🤣 Anyone else know our pain?

Astitchintime Thu 06-Aug-26 16:45:45

Leave it to the kids……..they’ll crack it in no time šŸ‘

NoodleNut Thu 06-Aug-26 16:50:39

Don't even mention that someone (usually me) has to lay in to stop it blowing way until you've collected enough rocks!1 LOL

tanith Thu 06-Aug-26 17:35:28

My daughter has a pop up tent for camping and its very good viewing sat with a bag of popcorn while she struggles to get it back in the bag from whence it came. Its quite large.

midgey Thu 06-Aug-26 17:53:20

Those tents are made in hell! Have struggled in the past with one at school…..only for someone else to sail in and just do it in a second. So annoying!

madeleine45 Thu 06-Aug-26 18:05:44

I think the master designer of those tents is the same one who designs those shopping trolleys with wonkey wheels that wont go straight !

Jbp1 Thu 06-Aug-26 18:26:04

Sat above a beach the other day cuppa in hand ,very entertained at pack up the tents time . Most just give up and shove them under an arm ready to fill up the car boot šŸ˜‚

Jbp1 Thu 06-Aug-26 18:27:23

PS. I’ve been the entertainment many a time 😊

GrannyGravy13 Thu 06-Aug-26 18:29:46

You have my upmost sympathy.

We had over bed pop up tents in the GC bedroom, they either cooperated and folded first time or if they didn’t I admit to using words my Grandparents would not have believed I knew…

Farmor15 Thu 06-Aug-26 20:28:04

Yes, I sympathise! I was with daughter, toddler and 6 month old at beach a few years ago, with pop-up tent for baby to nap. Daughter went off to get ice cream while I packed up. Of course couldn't get tent folded, so walked up beach with baby under one arm and tent in other. Saw a couple of women and asked one to hold baby while I struggled with tent. By the time daughter and toddler came back, everything (including tent) was under control !

Flippinheck Thu 06-Aug-26 20:49:57

I have a pop up laundry basket and I can’t even get that to fold down. Good luck.

V3ra Thu 06-Aug-26 21:22:09

Not a pop-up, but I have two of the sort of beach tents that have three elasticated collapsible poles to thread through the channels and form the half-circle shape.
One side-to-side and two front-to-back.
I was putting them up last week and mis-threaded the longest, side-to-side pole so it ended up cock-eyed. Unthreaded it and corrected it.
Then proceeded to do exactly the same thing wrong with the second one šŸ™„
There is no easy solution šŸ˜‚

LOUISA1523 Fri 07-Aug-26 00:08:26

We have a 3 man decathlon quecha pop up...we use it for short 1 or 2 night trips or festivals....its very easy to put down with 2 ...not quite so eady with 1

nanna8 Fri 07-Aug-26 00:11:31

Agree - to the extent we leave it in the garage and take a cheap but easy one with us down to the beach in hot weather. Not nearly as good but a lot simpler.

Wendyg Fri 07-Aug-26 14:14:01

I had this very issue last week. There is a Youtube video online which explains it clearly. I was folding it over just a bit too far. I can do it now.

QualityShoe Fri 07-Aug-26 14:44:17

My DH refused to take the tent to the beach until he’d mastered it, with the help of You Tube!

win Fri 07-Aug-26 16:17:57

I have a small fold up mat to do a puzzle on, and even that one is impossible to fold and get back in the bag. I remember my granddaughter's tent only too well, they undo in your face more often than not.

Beeb Fri 07-Aug-26 17:35:35

Hope this YouTube video opens. I have managed to get my pop up tent to fold down that way, but not after a fight and a lot of muttering!
youtu.be/aevzDEXtym4

Mojack26 Fri 07-Aug-26 17:36:20

Yes...they are a nightmare! Young kids cannot do it either!

Annewilko Fri 07-Aug-26 18:54:08

Hold and twist into a figure 8.

win Fri 07-Aug-26 19:05:04

Annewilko

Hold and twist into a figure 8.

yes and it pops open again before you have it in the bag. LOL

Rosie51 Fri 07-Aug-26 19:08:38

GrannyGravy13

You have my upmost sympathy.

We had over bed pop up tents in the GC bedroom, they either cooperated and folded first time or if they didn’t I admit to using words my Grandparents would not have believed I knew…

When we were finally allowed to meet up in gardens during Covid we got a pop up tent for the GC to sit or play in. Used it week after week and had the same problem, either it folded first time or it took a dozen goes. Thank goodness I packed it up when they'd gone home or their vocabulary would have certainly increased!
That video would really have helped Beeb. It's long gone now.
Nanaeloc many of us share your pain, I used to wonder if any neighbours were enjoying the entertainment šŸ™‚

Greyduster Fri 07-Aug-26 19:51:28

win

Annewilko

Hold and twist into a figure 8.

yes and it pops open again before you have it in the bag. LOL

Exactly. It’s the most fun other people can have at your expensešŸ˜‚!

JPB123 Fri 07-Aug-26 21:41:57

It’s hilarious to watch,as is watching a new by on a wind surfer..I was crying with laughing!

justwokeup Sat 08-Aug-26 02:02:45

I bought a cheap one for a holiday with dgc. We tried it out in the garden and folded it with a bit of effort and YouTube. However at the holiday accommodation we’d completely forgotten how to fold it. After 40 mins I’m ashamed to say it ended up in the bin. But dgc had played with it all week.