Tents!^

[MikeB]

Having managed to tear the fly on my much loved Vaude Mk II, I'm researching all the options including replacing the tent.

Thoughts on what to look for?

I like my comfiorts and space so 2/3 person room, ideally with a decent porch or vestibule; quick to pitch; capable of withstanding big winds and ideally with a decent back-up for spares, poles etc.

I'd also welcome thoughts on the cheapest places to buy from - not worried about getting the latest model so "last years" stock is fine.

Price is a factor, and less that £300 would be nice.

Mike

[ga2.s]

http://www.fieldandtrek.com/cat_id/EQUI ... 783040.htm
A super strong tent that spares are easy to come by, you can unzip the top of thr door making indoor cooking easy (only if it is a must).

[Helen M]

Back safely Mike. Ta for hospitality.

Found this:

http://sporting-goods.pricegrabber.co.u ... /66989770/

Although I don't know if you are a cross-sleeper!

H - x

[Jonathan.]

I bought one of Terra Nova's Quasars partly because my Vaude was getting old and tired, and partly because I was seduced by TN's trade-in offer: 30% off, if I remember right, in return for any tent in any condition (which is pretty much what they got).

The Quasar is a fine bit of kit but it does have one drawback - if it is to stay up it needs thorough pegging. Which is a definite drawback if you're camping on sand, frozen ground, or rock.

That was the great thing about my Vaude - it only needed pegging to stop it blowing away, not to keep it up. When pegs wouldn't work I could always find rocks to anchor it.

Having said that, I've found TN customer service absolutely first rate. After discovering their website I'vebought various goodies - most recently a tent light - and TN phone advice, quality, and delivery times have been excellent.

[Helen M]

Bl**dy H**l Mike - Just realised what an impossible task you've set!

http://www.cheaptents.com/acatalog/Prod ... tterranova

There are thousands on the market! Recommendation is certainly the way to go. Think we need loads of photos of tents dying a slow death in wind! Have to say yours lastest a well good time! 10 years?

Ours is good - but is well over the price you have in mind. My lovely work friend was apaulled when I told her how much ours cost and told me we could get 600 tents in tesco for that price (bless her!)

Looking forward to testing new tent in very adverse conditions! lol

See you soon

H - x

[waltfos]

Hi Mike

Shop on line or call at Coatbridge near Glasgow, Try other vendors too just got flyer through today

Vaude MARK iii £149
Vaude Hogan ii £130
Vaude Hogan XT ii £249
Vaude Bivie £107

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/product-lis ... acturer=56

Sale is on too

Walt

[Mark Gawler]

Our Jack Wolfskin is still going strog
http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/foru ... hp?t=18063

It's not let us down, but it still doesn't fill me with confidence in a really strong wind. Its off to Shetland with us in a couple of weeks, but I'm taking a snug two man Vango Sirit 200 with us as a backup.

[Bob Hamilton]

I like my Terra Nova Quasar and find it lot more stable in wind than the Trisar I also have. The Quasar is also bigger and has the advantage of two porches, so you can use one for wet gear the other for getting in and out. They also do a Super Quasar which is meant for 3 people.

If you are after a slightly bigger tent (4 person) I am selling a Wild Country Monsoon, it is a good tent I just want a tent I can stand up in >

http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/foru ... hp?t=39367


Bob

[tenboats1]

IMO Must pitch fly sheet first, not inner first.

Wild County La Vache?? BIG on storage and comfort, might be too bulky for sea kayaking.

[MikeB]

All usefull - keep'em coming.

I do like tents which pitch "all in one" - that is to say I thread / attach poles and the inner is already attached to the fly and goes up as one.

Also have a passionate hatred of flys which have to be drapped over the poles when the inner has been pitched first - so much extra hassle when it's windy.

Mike

[rija]

All usefull - keep'em coming.

I do like tents which pitch "all in one" - that is to say I thread / attach poles and the inner is already attached to the fly and goes up as one.

Also have a passionate hatred of flys which have to be drapped over the poles when the inner has been pitched first - so much extra hassle when it's windy.

Mike

And I have the exact same preference/hatred...

Take a look at http://www.hilleberg.se/ and find the "Staika" tent, just perfect for the demanding paddler...

Hilleberg tents are the choice of several Special Forces units around the world for obvious reasons, they are simply bombproof. Pricy but you won't regret buying one. Pitches "all in one" and with superb quality in every detail. I have had mine for 6 years now, spent more than 20 nights/year in it, mostly paddling related and have not yet seen any other tent even coming close to the quality and clever solutions of the Staika.

Check it out. It's worth the money and, I am not sponsored...

[Helen M]

Mike - Tony has the "Staika" - It's the one he pitched in the black house.

It's a pity you haven't got room for the "Atlas" in your boat - cause I think it would be perfect! lol

http://www.hilleberg.se/default-e.HTM

H - x

[Bod]

Quasar. Job Done.

[tommfuller]

Hilleberg are the Jedi of tents.



Cheers,

Tom.

[tizereyes]

After being hugely disappointed with the ground sheet waterproofness of my Vaude Mark II, I went for a Vango Spirit 200+

- Huge porch with plenty of room at end for wet gear
- Light weight
- Inner and outer goes up together
- 2 entrances in porch

Not tried it in high winds yet, but it's got tensioning straps inside that are really good for making the material taught.

The downside of a huge porch is that you need the space to pitch it!

[Jim]

I do like tents which pitch "all in one" - that is to say I thread / attach poles and the inner is already attached to the fly and goes up as one.

I would have recommended Vango Tempest, Spirit, or Force 10 Serac ranges as pitch "all in one" designs, but AMG spares service has gone right downhill of late. I got directed to a third party website that seems to be part time project for someone who takes ages to respond to emails and never bothers to answer the actual questions asked. My brother took on the task of trying to get the spares because I was too busy, he eventually managed to order them and after loads of chasing nothing had arrived when he went on holiday so we are still waiting to see if they have turned up. I find this a real shame because Vango (which is now an AMG brand along with F10) used to be very good for spares.

[Carbon]

Hilleberg are the Jedi of tents.

Agree completly, had ours since 2002, and no problems at all.

Steve

[bjoern_m]

We just went through a tent purchase ourselves and while we ended up with another tent, we loved the Exped tents (it looks I have not earned the right to post URLs so go to www period exped dot com). They also pitch "all in one" and the quality of workmanship is fantastic. We would have bought the Venus III if had been bigger a tad bigger (inner tent is 1.6 x 2.20m, which for my personal taste iw tight for 3 people, but it provides good space for 2).

The other feature we were looking for which I did not see mentioned before was good venting - defined as vents that are near the tent's "roof top" to allow warm air to escape effectively, but close tightly in case of rain (another point where the Venus III was great).

A couple of other points we took into consideration were:
- The way the floor was manufactured (we would have liked the floor to be made from a single piece - I believe it's referred to as "bathtub floor")
- Fully tapes seams (it appears many manufacturers believe that the zipper seams do not need to be factory sealed...

Best, Björn

[steve-m]

My 3 criteria for a tent are;

1. Waterproof (once went round Mull in a leaky tent and heavy downpours! - bad news)

2. A full midge screen, so you can sit safely in your tent and watch the little horrors beat their brains out but fail to get to you, whilst still enjoying the view.

3. Enough head room so that whilst sceened from the midges you can sit up enough to have a drink and to clean yourself down.

I met these criteria with a Terra Nova Voyager, but doubtless many others would do as well.

[rija]

.....

A couple of other points we took into consideration were:
- The way the floor was manufactured (we would have liked the floor to be made from a single piece - I believe it's referred to as "bathtub floor")
- Fully tapes seams (it appears many manufacturers believe that the zipper seams do not need to be factory sealed...

Best, Björn

High end fabrics used by some manufacturers are coated with silicone on both sides. This makes it impossible to tape the seams. That's why you can find fully taped seams even on quite cheap tents while expensive, high end tents from Hilleberg, North Face etc. have no taped seams at all.

This does not make the outer tent leak but from my experience the seam will become wet and stay damp for longer than the fabric itself. I have solved this by sealing of all seams in the outer tent with seam sealer.

/Rickard

[Owen]

Take a look at http://www.hilleberg.se/ and find the "Staika" tent, just perfect for the demanding paddler...

Way back in the seventies I had an Ultimate Phree-dome tent, it was great sew me through several alpine summers and a three month trip to Peru. I always thought it would have been a brilliant paddling tent but Ultimate are sadly no more. It was very similar to the Staika tent only Ultimate were aimed very much at the budget end of the market whereas hilleberg are after the pop star millionaire market. Anyone seen one for sale for less that £520?

[MikeB]

I'ved been looking at the Saivo - I'm sure it's lovely, but frankly at the price I don't expect to be having to seal the seams!

I now know my poor old Vaude is past repairing as the nice folk at Scottish Mountain Gear.com told me to try the "bunch and twist" method and as the material parted way too easily, it's clearly a UV victim. RIP Vaude.

So - either I sell my body and soul and buy a Hilleberg (£700!!)- or stick with what I know and get another Vaude (£200 ish). It seems as though the Quasar is out though as it's an "erect the inner and drap the fly" jobbie. I used to admire Vango, but if Jim's experience is anything to go by, one to stay away from perhaps.

The Vaude is just so easy to pitch, stable, quiet and if I get another 10 years of camping from a new one then I'll be a happy camper. I think. The "Long" version also offers 230 cms of internal length - another factor as everything else seems shorter and I like the space.

Any more thoughts???

Cheers - Mike.

[OGB]

Having used a number of cheap tents for weekend expeds for the past 3 years, finally decided that it was time to get more serious. Bought a Vango Spirit 200+ and have recently returned from using it in a very wet week in the Scillies...
The verdict - light, easy to pitch (one person, under 5 minutes), very roomy and with plenty of space to dry kit. Big porch that will store all the wearable gear and still leave room for cooking, and the 2-way zip on the door allows the steam to escape while keeping the wind out. Didn't have any big blows, so can't comment on the resistance to a gale. Supplied pegs are light but too short for a really secure anchor, so I've replaced the 6 essential ones with beefier ones. Loads of interior pockets for all those bits that seem to get lost in the dark.
No real gripes to speak of.

[rija]

....

Any more thoughts???

Cheers - Mike.

Well think someone here mentioned Exped. Have seen a couple of Exped tents, never slept in one though. Seems to be well thought out and the other Exped products I have used are all top quality. However, if you choose the high end tents from Exped you will, just as with Hilleberg, not find taped seams as the fabric is silicone coated...

A more budget oriented tent I have actually slept in is the Robens Fortress, www.robens.de

To me it seemed to be good value for the money (approx £ 220) even if it's not playing in the same league as the Staika, North Face VE25 etc. In the end it boils down to how you will use it. Winter camping, pitching on rock out at sea with little or no shelter from the wind (as you often have to do here in Sweden) will make you turn to the more high end tents.

/Rickard

[Mikebelluk]

Have you considered a Macpac Minaret?

£230 from The Outdoor Shop at the moment.
If its built like my Microlight it will be well 'ard.

I too have heard that Vango after sales service is poor, and if you get a bust pole you will have to pay for a new one as they arent covered under their 'lifetime guarantee'

[Lots of tent reviews by people who really use them at Outdoorsmagic.com]

[Jim]

Having used a number of cheap tents for weekend expeds for the past 3 years, finally decided that it was time to get more serious. Bought a Vango Spirit 200+ and have recently returned from using it in a very wet week in the Scillies...
The verdict - light, easy to pitch (one person, under 5 minutes), very roomy and with plenty of space to dry kit. Big porch that will store all the wearable gear and still leave room for cooking, and the 2-way zip on the door allows the steam to escape while keeping the wind out. Didn't have any big blows, so can't comment on the resistance to a gale. Supplied pegs are light but too short for a really secure anchor, so I've replaced the 6 essential ones with beefier ones. Loads of interior pockets for all those bits that seem to get lost in the dark.
No real gripes to speak of.

My spirit 200+ is a demo (from the factory sale) and I loved it for all the reasons highlighted, until I snapped the rear pole on Skye back at Easter. I accept that it is my fault for not paying more attention as it dried out in reasonably stiff wind, it had been my intention to slacken off the pole straps (not the TBS) as it dried (wet previous night) but I took my eye off it to do something else and I'm not really sure if it was due to the fly shrinking as it dried, or just a random gust of wind but it went with an almighty crack. Fortunately I had a sleeve.

A week later my brother dried out my Tempest 150 in his flat while he was at work and returned home to find one pole broken and another pinged as soon as he touched the tent. Both tents had been subjected to 2 weeks of mixed and sometimes extreme weather leading up to the breakages (the spirit spent several days above the snowline on a canoe trip the week before the sea trip), but the breakages themselves don't concern me as much as the change in Vango's customer support. :-(

The tents are based on the original hurricane design, which I used to borrow from a friend to use in pretty extreme conditions, I seem to recall he broke a pole once and had it replaced within a week or less.

[Kazama]

We use the Saivo with a vestibule on either end. A truly remarkable tent with plenty of room for two and gear. These tents are so thoroughly engineered and thought through. If you really want to go light you can remove the fly from the tent beneath and still use the poles to create a great, quick shelter.

Its a little spendy but you're unlikely to buy another for a very long time.

Jon

[MikeB]

Notwithstanding comments about service, any views on the Vango Hurricane??

Mike

[Helen M]

Notwithstanding comments about service, any views on the Vango Hurricane??

Mike

Is 15 minutes not an excessive pitching time? We'll be on our first wine/whisky by then. You'll be missing out!

H - x

[Jim]

Notwithstanding comments about service, any views on the Vango Hurricane??

Mike

Well obviously it's geodesic unlike the original, I think Neil Farmer has one, I don't know how much he uses it but probably mainly car camping on summer trips to Norway and the Alps (possibly India and Canada too), rather than stormbound on scottish islands...