Then folding the tent in half vertically, and then again horizontally to leave you with the tent folded into a circle We pitch and peg out each tent following the instructions, taking into account how long it takes us, how straightforward the process is, and any struggles we have along the way. Small or poor-quality air vents will lead to a hot, stuffy tent and lots of condensation build-up on the ceiling.

Recasting depends on the venue. If I’m on a venue like Orchid where you’re only really fishing for one or two carp in 24 hours then I would happily give it up to 10 hours, maybe 12 hours overnight, but ideally six hours really. If I was fishing a runs water and I’m on fish it could be every two hours. I always, always use the mini PVA bags. When the big PVA bags break down it’s going to be more than a mouthful, which defeats the object of everything I’m trying to achieve. To give it a bit of a boost I give it a few squirts of the CC Moore Pacific Tuna Booster Spray, which is really fishy and works really well with pellets.

We select the bestselling pop up tents, buy every pop up tent we test and take them to a field to peg them up and record how they stand up to the wind and rain during a blustery week. Pitching and collapsing A handy rule of thumb is to subtract one person (or two people if you have a lot of stuff) from the number listed. This means if there are two of you (for example) you'd probably be best suited to a three-person tent. 2) Look for air vents and consider their size and quality

The lead is 3.5oz or 4oz. The latter is for long-range fishing or if it’s really windy. I know that sounds quite heavy but because I use the really small ESP bags you’re not actually putting loads of weight of bait in there. The heavier lead helps set the hook better. We also take note of tents that struggle against the wind and need frequent re-pegging. Some tents actually blow over entirely. Manufacturers don't appear to take storing kit into account when labelling tents, so you might find yourself short on space. Pop up tents are all about convenience, so getting them up and down in good time and without frustration is a key part of what makes them good or bad.

Testimonials

During the course of our testing, all the tents experience heavy downpours, wind and muddy conditions. A lot of people make the mistake of using too many powdered ingredients, and if you test a PVA bag when it breaks down the powdered ingredients just float up. Salmon Fry Crumb sinks and all my pellets sink. I like the pile to stay nice and compact on the bottom. Air circulation might not be your first concern when tent shopping, but it can have a major impact on your comfort.