Beginners Camping with Decathalon Quechua – Tent, Table With Four Stools, Stainless-Steel Cook Set, And Airtight Food Box – Article

Reviewed by Alexander Wilde

The Great British Staycation is well under way and, from talking to family, friends and colleagues, UK camping is more popular than ever. This article reviews camping essentials available in-store and online from Decathalon. Very much written from the perspective of a camping novice!  

I last went camping fifteen years ago, well before family life, but this Summer I was drawn back to this healthy and cost-effective way to holiday. Like many others, the disruption to international travel led me to re-discovering the sights and scenery of the UK and what better way to explore and connect with the environment than camping. Therefore, I was absolutely delighted when I was offered the opportunity to test a range of high-quality items from Decathalon’s in house-brand Quechua.

Camping Tent with Poles – Arpenaz 4.2 – 4 People 2 Bedrooms

This mid-range tent arrived in an unfathomably small hold-all; how could this package measuring only 60 x 26 x 26 cm, and weighing a lightweight 11.7 kg, possibly contain a tent large enough to sleep four adults? Answer: through clever design with only four adjoining pieces and four telescopic fibreglass piles.
The bag also contained steel tent pegs and replacement parts for the poles. The instructions for pitching and dismantling are sewn to the bag, so there’s no way these will be lost.

For our first pitch, I opted for the back garden and I am glad we did. Erecting the tent is definitely a two-man job and in all honesty we struggled with the first set-up. I put this down to inexperience, not the quality of the diagrammatic instructions. After the event, I found a helpful YouTube video on the official Quechua channel: I wish this had been advertised – it may have shaved some time from the hour-and-a-quarter it took us. A similar video is available for disassembly.

As previously stated, the tent has four main pieces: the tropical rain and UPF 30 proof outer body; two spacious sleeping quarters; and a handy basin groundsheet forming the floor of the living space. The shell is formed once the four colour-coded poles are fed through the outer body, that is pulled taut and secured by multiple tent pegs and guide ropes. The accommodation pods are hung in place from hooks and the central groundsheet is positioned with Velcro and toggles. Writing this, I realise how much easier I should have found pitching it!

Fully assembled, this tent is superb! The zip and roll-up front entrance opens into a roomy, stand-up height living space; it is the perfect size for storing your camping ware, as well as dining if you so choose. There is a rear window with an adjustable flap to accompany the top ventilation and light hatches, all of which are covered with mosquito netting. Throughout, you will find handy storage pockets and hanging hooks. The hooks were perfect for hanging solar lights. Each wing of the tent contains bedrooms of equal size, each fits two singles or a double airbed, and the length is a generous  210cm. Entering through circular-ish zipable, tieback doors, with netted privacy screens, these compartments have well-sealed and durable integrated ground sheets. I found the space to be well-ventilated and extremely relaxing. During the day, they let in enough light from the sitting area and hooded-side vents; providing a cool and sun protected space. Having two bedrooms is ideal for families with children, as well as couples and friends camping together.

My wife and I were relegated from the first night’s testing, the tent was commandeered by our daughter and her friends from XXXX (editor’s note = word/s removed). Duvets, blankets and pillows were strewn across the bedroom and the only supplies they were concerned with were those for a midnight feast. Evening weather conditions were favourable – barely a breeze and 10˚c – so sleeping was very comfortable. They had a great-time and we can’t wait to road test this tent. I recognise that Spring and Summer weather is far more interchangeable, yet after reading the technical specifications and lab/field test data, I am assured this tent can cope with everything blighty can throw at it.  

Folding Camping Table with Four Stools – Seats 4 to 6

Sometimes when camping, particularly for longer of periods of time, you need some home comforts and accessories which will make life a little easier and relaxing. The Quechua Folding Camping Table with Four Stools is one such item. Along with the aluminium and attractive design, the most appealing feature of this item is that it is ‘ready to use straight out of the box’.

When folded, the teal and grey patterned camping table measures a car boot, or backseat foot well, convenient 10.5cm x 60cm x 60cm, with a total volume of 38l. Weighing a comfortable 8.7kg, this table has two firmly fixed fabric handles and is locked in the folded position with two hooks. I found it easy to lift in and out of the car.

Open up the table and inside you will find the extendable steel legs and four stools. Two stools are nestled in each half, secured by large Velcro straps. There’s no chance of these moving during travelling, eliminating any rattling or risk of damage.

After removing the chairs, erecting the table is simple: you lift-up the hinged legs, push the corner braces into place, then you can extend the legs or flip the table over as is and secure at the centre with two hooks. Start to finish in less than 30 seconds – that’s convenience in my book!

Not extended the table is 54cm tall, this is a nice height for young children, but is not comfortable for adults for long periods. The maximum height is 70cm, this is at the bottom end of the standard range of dining tables, and perfectly suited to the height of the stools. 

The laminated table-top is reinforced by metal cross bars on the underside creating a sturdy surface suitable for a variety of purposes.

Large enough to seat six, the camping table comes with four stools. The steel legs, with scissor mechanism, open to create a taut fabric seat. The complimentary dark teal polyester has a maximum load of 110kg,  however with quite a small surface area to sit on they may not be appropriate for all body shapes. I found them comfortable to sit on, more so for activities that required you to lean over the table such as eating or playing games. For lounging around the table, I believe most people would be more relaxed sat on a camping chair with a back.

I have used the table for dining – the smooth surface was easy to dust and wipe clean, with no annoying nooks or crevices for food items to get stuck – as well as playing cards and board games. It was the perfect size for Monopoly, plus drinks, snacks and an outdoor lantern. Packing away at the end of the night was just as quick and simple.

Quechua Hiker’s Camper Stainless-Steel Cook Set for Four People and Airtight Food Box, Review

Campers know that packing light and space saving is paramount, whether that be when travelling in a car to your favourite spot, hiking or setting up the site. Thus, the first standout feature of the Quechua Cook Set is its compact size and portability. Stored within the stainless-steel saucepan, under the lid come food strainer, are four plates and sets of three piece cutlery (fork, knife and spoon).

To prepare for cooking, you simply unclip and fold back the handles which interlock to form the main pan handle. It’s worth noting that there is a small second folding handle for two-handed carrying – this is particularly useful to avoid spillages when the pan is full. The robust plastic lid/food strainer can now be lifted off to reveal the four plates and clip-together cutlery sets. The tasteful blue and green matching items are solid, durable and high-quality.

I tested the pan on a small gas camping stove to cook a simple vegetable stew, the stainless steel pan has an aluminium double bottom which improved heat diffusion – my stock boiled quickly. I always cook with wooden utensils to avoid abrasions, however wood is not always practical for cleaning when camping so it is good to know that this pan is suitable for all types of utensils, including metal. It should remain scratch free for a long time. I added a variety of root vegetables to the pan and left the pan simmering and covered for forty-five minutes. The strainer lid allowed steam to escape and I stirred the stew intermittently. I am pleased to say there was no sticking or burning. Due to durability of stainless steel, this pan is also suitable for cooking on induction and wood burners. It has a capacity of 2.6l, more than enough to cook a hearty meal for a family of four.  

The stew was served on the accompanying plates, which are approximately 20cm, in diameter. The base is thick enough to slow heat transfer if eating a hot meal on your lap and the patterned ridges on the underside provide a slight non-slip quality. What I like most is the curved rim on the plates – this definitely reduced spillages and make them highly suitable for stews and soup. I am not entirely sure of the design purpose, but the plates have a finger size hole – I used it to hang them on s-hooks to air dry.

We ate with the included cutlery: each piece is strong; the fork suitably pointy, and the knife has a slightly serrated edge. They should be able to cope with most food-types. Also, quite nifty is the way they clip together in a bundle, this stops them rattling around when transporting and avoids losing one of them.

Alongside this product I used the Quechua Airtight Food Box with a grey lid and capacity of 0.65l to transport some frozen peas to use in the stew. The screw top lid, inner rim and top seal ensured that, as the peas defrosted, there was no escape of liquid or odour during transport. This item did topple over and I was grateful that it met its advertised standards – our bag remained dry. I believe this item is suitable for solids food and liquids.  
This item is BPA free, dishwasher and microwave (lid- off) safe to use at home.

After dinner, all items were easy to wipe down, wash and dry. Not that there was much stew left after the obligatory mopping up with some bread crusts!   

Conclusion

I am highly satisfied with the Quechua range of products tested, they are high-quality, durable, easy to use and transport, coupled with great design and innovative properties!

I recommend the amazing tent, for families and friends, either as your first or replacement, especially with its three year warranty. The table comes with a two-year guarantee and adds  home-comfort for longer excursions. The cook set and airtight food box are robust camping stables at a competitive price.

Rating: Five Stars all round!

RRP and buy links:
Arpenaz 4.2 Camping Tent costs £149.99.
Camping Table with Four Stools costs £39.99.
Cook Set costs £24.99 and the Food Box £2.99.
Items available online at https://www.decathlon.co.uk/ Check the website for store location and availability.