The ultimate tent-buying guide is here!
Have you got a tent rusting in the attic, awaiting the next spot of British sunshine to be used? Maybe you plan on borrowing one from your friends? Before you make a panic buy this season, why not read our handy guide and get ahead on one of the festival essentials this year.
Whether you are attending as part of a family, a group, or even as a singular punter, we are all responsible for our belongings. Think about it like dirty laundry on the floor. If everyone picked up after themselves, the job would be accomplished a lot quicker.
Please remember after the festival to take your tent home with you!
Why buy when you can borrow?
Why not save yourself money and first see if you can rent or borrow a tent, instead of buying one.
There are lots of great organisations where you can rent a tent including Decathlon who as part of their No Tent Left Behind initiative, are offering a gift card to all those that return their tent after festival season is over.
Check out other great rental options include:
- National IBEX Camping
- Camping Gear Hire
- Contented Camping
- Camping World
- Tentshare|Camping Tent Hire
- FatLlama
- Rent My
You can also borrow from your local community! Check out where to find your closest Library of Things
Invest in a tent which is worth your time and money/You are in charge of your experience!
You wouldn’t buy wellies that get your feet damp, so why spend your hard-earned coins on a tent that gets your stuff damp.
By buying a double-lined tent, you are investing in a product which will not only last, but prevent you from waking up wet from your own breath.
Always look out for the HH rating. This tells you how much water the tent can handle before it starts to leak and you wake up soggy. You generally want to get one with a higher rating than HH1500, we’d recommend a HH3000 one to stay warm and dry.
Do some digging
Don’t buy a pop-up tent unless you can confidently put it away, even when you’re feeling rough!
Have a look at this handy guide to setting up and putting away a pop-up tent – don’t worry, if you’re struggling, you can ask a member of our campsite team for help!
Take it home!
A typical tent contains the equivalent of around 8,750 plastic straws or 250 plastic pint cups. A tent left for general waste emits the same amount of CO2 as driving a petrol car for over 100miles.
For Reading 2026, our aim for is for no single tent to be behind after the end of the festival. Let’s Do it. No Tent Left Behind.
Take It Home Rewards
Working with our partners Co-op, the Take It Home Rewards means you can pick up a voucher for Co-op when you show your packed up tent to the campsite team, ready to be taken home.