We were gifted with a Skandika Drammen 5 Tent
Recently I wrote a post explaining why Mark and I were thinking of getting a smaller tent. We wanted to be able to just pack the basics and use our tent for sleeping rather than as a home from home. So Skandika sent us the Drammen 5 for review and we were excited to be able to go camping more often and take less gear too.
Skandika Drammen 5 Tent
The Skandika Drammen 5 tent is a 5 berth tent which compared to our larger Skandika Gotland 6 it is so much smaller and compact but that was perfect for what we wanted it for. When we were originally looking at downgrading our tent our requirements were a decent bedroom pod as it needed to fit all 5 of us. So that would be either 5 individual sim mats or space for our Kid O Bunkbeds and 3 mats. When it came to living space we wanted to be able to comfortably sit inside with 2 chairs. We didn’t necessarily need too much space for the boys as the idea was literally to use this as a base tent.
For us, the skandika Drammen 5 did all that although we haven’t tested the Kid O Bunkbeds, 5 self-inflating single mats do fit alongside each other. We are also able to fit 2 camping chairs, and a low table and a couple of plastic storage boxes.
Pitching the Skandika Drammen 5
Pitching the Drammen 5 is really quick and easy. The whole tent uses 3 poles; 2 for the main part and one for the porch/entrance. The tent has a sewn in groundsheet for the bedroom pod however the living area isn’t. The bedroom pod needs pitching first and then you place the outer cover over the top. It did take a little playing about the first time we pitched it, however every trip since means we have been getting better at it.
As the tent is so much more compact, it doesn’t take up as much storage when transporting. It is also really rather light compared to other tents we have owned too.
Using the Drammen 5 on camping trips
We have taken the tent on a couple of camping trips now and we are so glad we had chosen this one. There isn’t much space for storing clothes so we left those in the car and just grabbed what we needed. The porch door doesn’t open up in the most ideal way either if it rains your getting wet. The Hydrostatic head on this is 3000 which is the minimum a tent needs for British weather. We took it camping to Sandringham where it rained pretty much the entire time and we didn’t have any leaks.
The Drammen 5 has plenty of storage pockets, in fact, 7 in total! 5 on the outside of the bedroom pod and 2 inside. They are big enough to fit in most items and they are also a handy depth too so nothing will fall out. There is also a hanging loop in the bedroom for a lantern or light to be hung.
Our thoughts
The Skandika Drammen 5 is absolutely perfect for small one or two night getaways. Even though there are 5 of us in total (3 children) and space is limited, we were not always on top of each other and the boys had plenty of space playing in the bedroom. The Mesh on the door meant they could happily sit in there if they wanted too and prevented flies/insects from getting in. We have used the tent on several trips although unfortunately, it didn’t survive our latest trip to Wales. The tent is great in most weathers however it doesn’t hold up well to 45mph winds and being rather open to the elements. It hasn’t put us off getting another one though!
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