With so much of Australia to see, don’t waste time setting up and packing up camp – make it easy with a reliable and easy-pitch Safari 260 Tent from Darche.
The Safari 260 has just one internal alloy trigger lock pole for simplicity, and the compact design makes it easy to transport. This tent is made from Darche’s high quality, proofed, 260gsm polycotton ripstop canvas which will shelter you from the harsh Australian landscape.
It also has a 2000mm waterhead rating and sealed seams to provide protection against rainy weather, and a heavy duty 320gsm PVC bucket floor to guard against the ground up. When the weather is warm, you can just open up one of the three water shedding zip up gusset windows. Or if you’re dealing with drizzly conditions, the three gusset vents allow you to still ventilate.
If you’d like some extra shade and wind protection, you can purchase zip on awnings walls separately. Or if you prefer a little more room inside the tent, you can get an optional alternative internal trigger lock A-frame. A great size for the travelling couple, or small group – the Safari 260 Tent from Darche is a fast and easy pitch tent for all your touring adventures.
Hi there, would two Darche XL 100 Stretchers fit inside the tent? According to specs on both tent/stretcher it does seem like they would with roughly 60cm spare (and avoiding the centre pole). Your thoughts? Thanks!
G'day Jake,
The floor area of the safari is taken at floor level, so by the time you go up to around the 50cm high mark where a stretcher would sit, the taper of the walls has cut down the space significantly.
You'll loose around 45cm of space each side at that height, which gives your useable space 160 x 160 cm.
Whilst we haven't tried the combo out in real life, based on that info you won't be able to fit two XL 100 stretchers into the safari.
Would this be suitable for snow use? Doesn't seem like it'll retain snow in the rear section like thr 350. If not, what other tent would you recommend?
G'day Tom,
I reckon this would be a great choice - snow load is generally the main concern and you would have too many issue with the safari 260 at all.
The main considerations would be making sure the snow isnt too deep so that you have access to the ground to get your pegs it, and make sure all the guy ropes are out so the tent is tensioned well which will shed the snow fall easily.
If you get a fair bit of snow, you'd probably just want to check the levels arent high enough to have snow sitting against the canvas full time.
Other than that I think it's one of the best, most underated choices for a tent that gives you decent room and head height, but sets up quick, and packs away nice and flat.
Hi, was just wondering how far out does the awning extend and what width it covers with the walls, cheers.
G'day Cameron,
Thanks for your patience whilst we tracked this info down!
The awning attachment that comes with the Darche Safari 260 is 2.5m wide at the front of the awning, and is 2.8m long.
Hello does this item come in a waterproof carry bag? Wanting to transport it on the roof racks but don't want a drenched tent to set up. Thank you
G'day Gerald,
The bag is made from material that has a waterproof coating, but it hasn't been tested or claims to be fully waterproof. I'd say to be on the safe side I'd wrap it up with a tarp just incase. I think you'd be ok if the rain is light, but anything else I'd go for the tarp.
Just recently our tent has started leaking from around roof frame how can we stop this ? Do we need to treat the seams around the roof ? If so what should we use ? We have been camping in FNQ and there have been some heavy showers but nothing extreme
G'day Russell,
Theres a few things that immediately come to mind - canvas tents/swags do need to be seasoned well before camping in rainy weather, even if seam sealed. If your tent wasnt able to be seasoned, it may be that any leaks will sort themselves out now the tent has been properly wet.
Secondly, is there any possibility it could be condensation? Generally the roof is the first area to get covered in water if condensation is the issue, and with any tent leaking issues, its generally the first thing that needs to be eliminated.
If neither of the above are applicable, and your tent is still within its warranty period, jump onto our Warranty Page and fill out a claim for the team to look at.
If its out of warranty, & just need a revamp, check out Gear Aid's Seam Sealer
Is it recommended to get a ground sheet underneath this, what size would be needed to cover up until the ned of the awning and do you stock one with the right dimensions? Also, any any chance of a video showing set up, pack down and a features by Snowy's? Thanks
G'day Jess,
Groundsheets seem to be a personal preference type thing. I've never personally used one with standard camping tents, as I've not seen the need, but other people swear by them. They can help to protect your tent floor if camping on rough ground with lots of rocks, and low level debris, and make it easier to clean the bottom of your tent floor for pack up.
If you wanted a ground sheet, the tent itself is 2.6m square, with the awning adding around and extra 2-2.5m of length.
A groundsheet close to the 2.6m x 4.5-5m mark would be a good size. There isn't a specific one made, however, you can look at the Ultramesh Tarps, or the C-Gear Mats.
If you can't find one with those dimensions, you could consider getting 2 - one to go under the tent, and one for the awning space. This may be worth considering if you plan to get the awning walls, as the undercover area would be much wider than the tent itself.
How can the awning be configured (with the supplied poles etc) to effectively drain rain water?
G'day Greg,
Water pooling on awnings is just part and parcel of tent camping, regardless of the model, unless your awning is specifically designed with a peak.
The only way to really prevent this from happening on the Safari tent is to either have the front edge of the awning lowered below the height of the awning/tent connection, or to pick up a third pole and utilise the extra central eyelet to try and create a peak.
Hope that gives you some ideas!
How long does this tent take to set up? Does it take any longer with the A frame?
G'day Greg,
Couldnt tell you the exact time, as I havent done it myself for a fair while, but not long.
You just have to peg out to 4 corners, stick the pole in the middle and peg out all the guy ropes.
I'm thinking 5-10 minutes, and with the a-frame it's probably an extra 5 mins cause it can be abit fiddly to get that up.
Can this connect to a 180 or 270 awning? If not can you advise a tent set up that will fit on the outer or back wall rather than the middle which you have an option for?
G'day Tracey,
No the Safari tent range isn't compatible to be connected to the Eclipse awning.
Unfortunately, Darche do not have any compatible tent / awning crossovers like Oztent have with their Foxwing and RV series.
The only option is the tents you mentioned, that connect in the centre.
Can I fit 2 stretcher beds I oztrail easy fold Thank you
G'day Greg,
Are they the standard Single Easy Fold stretchers that you have?
If so you'll have plenty of room width-wise, but it'll be a close fit length-wise.
The Single Jumbo stretchers are too big, unfortunately!
Hi would a Double Self-Inflating Mattress fit or would I need to purchase a A frame kit ?
G'day Claudio,
The max space you'll have for a mattress is 125 x 250 cm, so if you're mattress is going to be larger than this we recommend the A-Frame.
Hope that helps!
Can the window cover be used as an awning with poles or pegged out? Thanks
G'day Judith,
There are eyelets on each of the window flaps, so in theory, they can be pegged out like an awning. Something to consider though, is due to the taper of the walls and the size of the flaps themselves, you'll probably only get them to extend a foot out from the base of the tent.
Hope that makes sense.
Are these trully Aussie made or made in China with Aussi materials?
G'day Vince,
Darche are an Australian-owned and operated business but manufacture overseas.
Would two stretchers fit with the A-Frame set up or would the tapered side cause issues. If so is there a two person canvas tent you can recommend for a two stretcher set up?
G'day Ken,
Yes, you can fit two single stretchers in the Safari 260 when using the A-frame Kit.
Regarding floor is it removable. thanks Ken
G'day Ken,
The floor of the Safari is sewn to the main body of the tent, therefore is not removable.
Should it be put up and wet down before use?
G'day Russell,
The Safari 260 is fully seam-sealed, so you shouldn't need to weather/season it before use.
Are the insect screens midgee proof?
G'day Russell,
Darche doesn't specify whether or not their mesh insect screens are midge proof, however, it does feel/look fairly fine to me.
Are the packed dimensions generous? ie if packed away tightly could the dimensions be less than 90x90x15?
G'day Damian,
The 90 x 90cm is pretty accurate due to the internal frame at the top, so while you might be able to shave a cm or two off in the height direction, we'd say you'll need to account for 90cm in the width and length directions.
Can the square frame in the roof be removed and disassembled to allow for a smaller packed dimension?
G'day Andrew,
Thanks for your enquiry. The square frame in the roof cannot be removed from within the tent, I'm sorry to say. The poles are sewn into the canvas and are integral to hold up the structure.
Hi, are the front awning poles height adjustable?
G'day Connor,
I've just given Darche a buzz to double check this one for you and they were able to confirm for me that the awning poles on the Safari 260 Touring Tent are adjustable.
What size stretcher would fit once up? Are they designed for only sleeping bags? Would say a stretcher of length 200cm and say width 90 fit? I would purchase the A frame to eliminate the centre pole.
G'day Tony,
It's a little hard to say really. It would depend a bit on the height of your stretcher as the tent tapers in the higher it goes. To be safe a mattress on the ground would work fine but a stretcher might be a little touch and go.
I’m seeking a easy tent that can withstand rain for say a week outdoors. Will this eventually saturate and let water in?
G'day Phil,
The Safari 260 tent from Darche a durable 3 season tent that is as waterproof as it gets, but everything has its limitations. If you use any tent for a week in continuous rain, then there is a small chance you might have a leak - but it is unlikely.
If you need some tips for setting up your tent when you get caught out in unideal conditions, then check out our blog on the topic here.
Hi guys could you please confirm the sleeping area Size as it differs from the darche website. Thanks
G'day Tony,
We've just looked into this, and it looks like we got it wrong. Apologies for the confusion, the sleeping area should be 260 x 260cm. I'll make sure that gets fixed right away.
Is the front awning with two poles (as shown in photo) included in the price and weight?
G'day Trent,
The removable awning and awning poles are included with the Darche Safari 260 Touring Tent and are part of the total weight.