 Hi, I've just bought a tent on eBay which was advertised as a Terra Nova Laser Competition. It arrived, it's crispy new. All good so far. - Using digital bathroom scales (+/- 0.01kg, weighing it as "me with" and "me without" it, 'it' being fly, inner, pegs and poles inside a tesco carrier bag) weighs 1.4 kg. - It came with these titanium pegs. Most online reviews complain about carbon pegs BUT the TN website says the LaserComp comes with titanium pegs... - It had this label stitched to the fly... What is it? The vendor an i have a difference of opinion. Input much appreciated. Mike
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 its a laser
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weights check out the weights on the website as well
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of course you could always pitch it and measure the dimensions.........
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I suspected that was the case, but am relucatant to pitch it as it was recieved brand spanking new and that's how it should be returned if all is not as it should be... Cheers, Mike
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 The end poles on a Laser Comp are 45cm. Those on the Laser are significantly longer.
(going by groping a packed Laser at the time I bought my Laser Comp.)
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| Edited: 09/08/10 00:27 |
 The simpler tell is that it says "Laser" where a comp has "Laser Competition". So unless it was sold as some sort of second you don't need to measure stuff.
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Thanks guys. TN Customer Service agree with the obvious too (and provide the exact length of the Laser's poles): "If the label sewn into the inside of the flysheet and inner say Laser then it will be a Laser, another way to check is to measure 1 of the carbon rods if it is a Laser Competition it will be 44cm long and if it is a Laser it will be 56cm long."
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 Thats not the pegs that came with my Laser, mine had the really small thin 2g pegs. If it's a current Laser (since 2009) it'll have a zipped door on both sides of the flysheet. If it doesn't have 2 doors on the fly it's pre 2009, not sure when they came with the pegs shown which look like the 5g skewers.
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 The label on my laser comp says Laser Competition and the pegs that come with it are laughable, they are much more like hairpins, really. They are nowhere near as robust as those shown in your picture which look far more like those supplied with my Voyager Superlite. If your tent weighs over 1 Kg, it's definitely not a comp.
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Bugger. Time to wrap it up and send it back 
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 Keep it. The Laser's a way better tent than the Comp 
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At the risk of opening a can of worms, why? Is it not just a bigger heavier copy?
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No, the Comp's just a smaller flappier copy I'm being somewhat tongue in cheek, but unless the absolute minimum weight is the only thing that matters and assuming you got it at a good price, I'd consider pitching it and having a look before you return it.
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| Edited: 10/08/10 11:34 |
I'd keep it. It is far more robust than the comp which is OK but doesn't cope with wind so well. I much prefer my voyager superlite. I only got the comp to cut down on weight as part of a general effort to lighten my load as I get ever closer to my dotage. Carrying the weights I used to over long distances has become much more difficult. If your laser was a good price, go with it unless the weight difference is really important to you.
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Lol, wish i'd kept the f***king thing - after owning a Laser Comp, Akto and Nallo 2, i think it would have been the perfect compromise Still looking for the perfect tent - a 2 man, 4 season under 1 kg 
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The latest version of the Laser series (all similar dimensions even though they've been through design changes as well as name changes) - the Laser Photon 2 is advertised at 0.935kg total weight. I see its back to a single door tent, the Laser having been 2 door in its latter years, brfore being renamed to the Laser Competition/Photon 2. The Solar Photon 2 is more of a real 2 person tent, although less of a 4 season tent and is also sub 1kg, the trouble is last year it sold out in days, but there may be more available next year. And if your budget is unlimited, there's supposed to be a sub kg Cuben version of the Voyager in 2012.
No doubt someone can point you in the direction of some fancy American imports too.
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I'm intrigued now. I've got a laser (I think@) but it doesn't have two doors at the front it has one. It also has a door at the rear of the tent, so you can cook, get in/out but I suppose that door is there to state that it's a two person tent.# Whatever it is, I think it's a good tent but theb two longer poles (56cm) are a pain, when trying to pack the tent in my rucksack. Any ideas? It weighs 1.4kg, by the way.
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Yep that sounds like the later version of the Laser, I meant a door either side like this photo. When I had one I just packed the poles separate from the tent, but I agree its a bit of a faff. I think some people cut them in half and join them together (maybe its in the Zephyros thread) but I never went that far. The longer poles are one of the reasons I preferred the Laser over the Competition, I'm not sure the tent was less flappy but the extra height meant it was far less in your face.
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| Edited: 16/12/11 12:54 |
Thanks very much W&T, that's my tent alright. I'm thinking about how to replace the poles and might well have a look on the Zephyros site. I've checked with Terra Nova and they say they should have jointed poles, which they will be selling as spares, in the Spring. They have them now but are using them for the brand new model. Vaude also have jointed poles, so I'll see if they sell spares. I like your idea of separating the poles but was put off doing so by the rather unique arrangemenr for increasing/decreasing, air flow. Thanks again for sending in the pic.
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