Wednesday, December 4, 2013

any cheap but decent Carribean vacation packages for under $2000 for a family of five?

3 season family camping tents
 on ... The Coleman WeatherMaster 3 Room Tent | Always OutdoorsAlways Outdoors
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gemz4lyfe


We are looking to book a carribean vacation but are having trouble booking it online since the max usually you can book is about 3-4 people per room We are looking to go anytime between August 6-18 for about 7 days and are departing from Toronto.


Answer
You're going to have a difficult time finding anything in that price range, even though it's the low, hurricane season in the Caribbean. The airfare alone would probably be more than that. Don't think you could even do the platform tent camping at Maho Bay or Cinnamon Bay in St. John USVI for that.

Best bet would probably be a travel agent who has package tours. CheapCaribbean.com sometimes has good deals - don't know how reliable they are. Also could check TravelZoo.com or VacationsToGo.com.

Perhaps Caye Caulker [Belize], Roatan [Honduras], Cozumel [Mexico] or Riviera Maya [Mexico] would have something more-affordable.

What kind of tent should I buy?




Jade Orchi


We bought a pretty expensive tent at Walmart last year and it leaked when it rained (horribly), was hotter than all get out, and blew flat to the ground in a stiff wind. We are going to buy a new one this year and trash the other. Which tent should I buy or what features should I look for to combat rain, heat, and wind.

Thanks.



Answer
No, you did not buy an "expensive" tent at Walmart. Walmart does not sell any expensive, high-quality, lightweight tents. Walmart does sell cheap tents that can be effective for casual use IF you buy a strong seam sealer, like a silicone rubbery adhesive, and spread it across every seam and joint between different fabrics. Furthermore, the reason that your tent "blew flat" or contortioned is because you purchased a tent with cheap fiberglass poles that flex in the wind rather than break. Your existing tent is fine for car-camping in fairly pleasant weather. I even use one for certain car-camping outings when I want a little higher ceiling and am not concerned about weight. For backpacking, I have two $300 tents, a one-person and a two-person backpacking tent, weight respectively two pounds and four pounds, hub-design, low-profile, aluminum poles.

If you want a higher performance tent, then you will need to spend, depending on capacity and style, $300 to $1,000. Do not go cheap on a tent, since failure will end your vacation or force you to spend a lot more money on motels. Features that you need to consider ~ Rain protection: full-rain fly. Heat: adequate ventilation design. Wind: high-grade aluminum poles and a low-profile dome rather than a high-ceiling cabin tent or a very expensive four-season tent. You did not specify sleeping capacity. However, "we" implies a family, so I will offer links to several tents that may meet your criteria. Purchase a tent at least one-person larger than the specifications imply, unless you want a very tight fit. If heat and bugs are a significant problem, then consider also purchasing a screen room.

As best as I can figure from your description of necessary criteria, look at the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6 Tent, $540, 19 pounds, 5' 6" ceiling height or Big Agnes King Creek 6 Tent, $470, 16.5 pounds, 6' ceiling height. If you want smaller and cheaper, Big Agnes Coulton Creek 4 Tent, $300, 9 pounds, 5' ceiling height. I own a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL-1 that holds up well in high-altitude tundra backpacking, $300, 2 pounds, 3' 2" ceiling height.




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