Camping: Tent Review: Quechua Base Seconds Full

The Quechua Base Seconds Full is a square pop-up tent with a domical roof, tall enough for an adult to stand upright inside, with 4 doors. It can be used alone, with other Base Seconds tents, or with one or two Quechua 2 Seconds tents.

“A living area with direct access to your 2 seconds.”

There are two doorways plus two entrances designed to allow access to up to two 2 Seconds tents.

The tent comes with an optional groundsheet. A tent inner can be purchased separately which converts the Base Seconds into a bedroom.

Height 190cm x 225cm wide x 225cm long

Quechua claim 4/6 people can sit comfortably round a table inside. Pitching time is quoted as 5 mins and packing away time 2 mins.

 

We have a Quechua 2 Seconds III that we use for short getaways. We also have a large Vango Orchy 500 for longer trips which has a bedroom and a porch. We decided to get a Base Seconds Full to…

1. Add an optional porch to our 2 seconds III.
2. Give us access to a bigger tent that I can use on my own (the Vango requires 2 people to pitch).
3. Provide a gazebo for use at home in the garden.
4. Add a separate kitchen/storage room to the Vango for longer glamping trips.

I tested the Base Seconds Full over a 2 night solo camp with our 2 Seconds III.

Pros

Quick and easy to pitch even for a solo camper. Once you know the technique and have had a little practice I agree it takes 5 minutes to pitch and 2 to fold away. In my experience that isn’t including guy ropes and tent pegs though. An added bonus is that it’s easy to pop open to dry when you get home.

Great ventilation and shade from the 4 entrances and overhanging roof. If the sun’s on one side of the tent you can close that side up and open the other doors. Each door also has a small netted window that can be used for ventilation without letting in bugs. I had no concerns about using my small stove inside with the doors open due to the tent height and airflow. Excellent flexibility as a sun and light rain shelter.

Practical interior space for living in. I had a camping chair, small table, two dog beds, two dogs, and a bunch of gear in there and used it quite happily as a living room for two days. Being able to stand upright is something I always appreciate. There are a couple of hooks in the ceiling for lanterns etc. I am however dubious about their claim that 4/6 people can eat comfortably around a table inside!

Cons

Very heavy to carry at 9.4kg. The tent in its bag is an awkward shape, big and round. There are straps which help but I wouldn’t want to carry it any distance.

This tent doesn’t do well in high gusting winds. I camped in (at a guess) 25mph winds and hence used all the tent pegs and guy ropes, afraid the tent would be pulled off the ground. However the opposite happened. The high design with overhanging doorways caught the wind and the poles bent so the roof pushed inwards. I sat inside and pushed back each time it happened but I was concerned that in stronger winds something may have torn.

The doorways open almost all the way round with zips. Unless you pitch the tent with even tension in all directions they’re fiddly to open and close.

The 2 Seconds tent doesn’t attach directly to the Base Seconds Full. There’s just an overhang that protects you from the rain going from one to the other. (Hard to describe but shown in the video.) So four doorway zips need to be undone to get out of the tent at night which, as above, can be extremely fiddly in the dark, when you need a wee, and you’ve forgotten to put on your glasses!

There aren’t any storage pockets inside. I think these would be a really good addition.

(Unable to test the waterproofness as we didn’t have any heavy rain, just a couple of very light showers.)

In summary, the Base Seconds Full is a useful addition to your 2 Seconds for Summer camping. As with all Quechua tents I think they’re a bit optimistic with the dimensions. It’s super easy to pitch and pack and the ventilation’s terrific. I can’t wait for an excuse to use it again!