Let's set the scene... me and the missus like going away during the summer. Long weekends camping are a favourite especially with an over energetic little lad and a slightly tapped in the head greyhound... which is easier to control is the subjected of an ever ongoing debate!! However, the tents we'd had were not really big enough, especially when we got the dog as well. A little 3 man dome with tunnel and a 5 man dome were just too small.
And as for the thought of buying a caravan... let's just say Jeremy Clarkson is someone I agree with!!!
So, off to the local camping shop for a look round. Actually, we often found ourselves in there just to pass a bit of time. With a gardening centre in the same place, plus the obligatory coffee shop, it was a nice little diversion. But I digress...
They had a huge display of tents from most names you'd know... Vango, Outwell, Khymer, Coleman, and of course, Wynnster. During our previous visits we'd always seem to spend more time in the Mercury 9 than any other. We never understood why, but there you go. There were bigger and flasher tents around, but it just caught our eye. Maybe it was the shape. Or the layout inside, or the little touches that impressed us.
Obviously, we bought one, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this!! LOL!!
Just a note: We bought our's in 2003 for £300. They have updated the tent a bit since then, including a different colour scheme. However, looking around the later versions, there seem to be only minor differences between them other than colour.
What you get: Actually, quite a lot. As well as the outer and inner tents, obviously, you also get a repair kit, all the guy ropes, a full kit of tent pegs, all stored in what looks like a large sports holdall. Now since this weighs up to 30kg (not a tent for hikers!?) they've also put wheels on the bag so it's easier to move around.
The tent itself is 8m wide, 5m deep, and 2m high. It sleeps 9 people, so it is a lot of tent!
Construction The tent is a large dome tent with two tunnels on either side for the bedrooms. There's also a third smaller tunnel coming off the front as a porch. All this is held up by flexi poles to give a light but sturdy tent. There are eyelets all around the bottom of the tent and guy ropes in strategic places. Each corner of the tent has a fabric tab for another peg. Basically, when fully up, this tent isn't going anywhere.
Internally, there are three bedrooms - 1x5 man and 2x2 man. Usually, we leave the 2x2 man in the bag to give us more space, but even with them up, it's not like it's cramped inside!
Putting the thing up! With a bit of practice, this tent will go up and pegged down in under 30 mins. Given the size of it, that's pretty good. Like most dome tents, it's a case of plugging the poles together and sliding them into the sleeves on the tent. Bend the poles and put the ends into the anchor tabs in the corners. Simple, right? Well, a tent this size adds complications. The two poles for the main dome are thicker and longer than the rest of the poles. The other poles are different lengths, too, so confusion can reign if you're not careful!
But Wynnster have thought of this and provided a simple solution... the ends of the poles are coloured and each sleeve on the tent has a coloured tab. Simply put the same coloured pole with the same coloured tab and you'll get it right first time. Even the anchor tabs where in some cases two or three pole ends can come together, there are coloured tabs on the eyelets to tell you which pole goes where.
Another aid to putting the tent up is the internal floor straps. Going between the corners of the main dome and the ends of each tunnel, it helps you get the tent square and taught all the way round. It reduces that horrible sight of a tent billowing in the breeze and threatening to fly off! Once the poles are in, the tent will stretch itself, with a little help from you, getting itself just right before you peg it down.
Inside, there are groundsheets to cover any area not covered by the inner bedrooms. The bedrooms themselves fit to eyelets on the inside of the outer tent and again make use of coloured tabs to help get it right. The main groundsheet also has reinforced holes in it to allow you to peg the inner tents down.
The main door to the tent has a zip on either side. With a purchase of two extra poles and guy ropes (not necessarily Wynnster), you can peg this out to form an extra long porch with a roof. The porch also has clear plastic as windows that can be covered inside and ventilation holes that can also be covered up.
At the rear of the tent is a large netted and covered window, ideal for use as the kitchen area. This can be uncovered by unzipping the cover and rolling it up. The plastic window can also be rolled up to expose the netting. Added to that, the whole panel can be unzipped and used just like the main front panel, ie, rolled up or pegged up and out like another roofed porch. This is great for getting a breeze right through the tent.
The doors on the inner tent are double zipped and have a net door and a covered door, both can be tied back individually. The 5 man inner also has ties for a seperator sheet to turn it into a 2 man and 3 man space, though not fully enclosed.
Living in it As you can imagine, a tent this size is pretty comfortable for a normal size family. With table and chairs, everyone can sit down in comfort and still leave a kitchen area. If you had the number of people in it Wynnster says it can hold, then it would get a little cramped around a table. Most tent manufacturers are a little optimistic about the number of people a tent can accomodate and this is no different. However, 6 or 7 people should be OK. The three of us and a dog can spread out in glorious comfort, though.
Like any other tent, it can get cold at night and pretty warm in direct sunlight. The ventilation the tent has works well, but it does need to be fully open to ensure it doesn't get stuffy. Unfortunately, if you expect rain, most of the ventilation needs to be covered up, leaving only the ventilation holes that can be left open in the rain. That isn't really enough on a large tent like this. First thing I do in the morning is to open the main front flap and peg it out into the roofed porch to get the air in.
Packing it away Simply the reverse of putting it up. Get the innards out first and then worry about the outer tent. Most tents misbehave a little during take down if there's even a slight wind. A tent this size can be a nightmare!! You'll need at least two of you to keep the outer under control as you unpeg it and fold it away. But, if there is two or more of you, take down can take as little as 45 mins with practice.
Overall, this is a superb tent for a family that is pretty compact. As I mentioned, it's the size of a large holdall, so when it's in a car, think of it as an extra suitcase. With plenty of space and easy to put up, it's ideal for family holidays, or groups of friends.
Now I've finished this, I'm off to pack the car for another trip away. Well, the weather's pretty good as I write this, so why not??
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
