Gear

No posts for 5 years?

I bought a VauDe Mark II last summer, haven't used it and have actually been thinking about ebaying it - I got it very cheap so shouldn't lose anything.Why? I've had a Hogan for 10 years and always hankered after the bigger, two door Mark version. Now I have it - the new updated, vent-netted, vent-windowed version with funky orangey cords and yellowey poles and..... I'm quite disappointed.

- The groundsheet appears very thin; are they strong, because I for one wouldn't feel confident about putting it on anything more than soft lush, freshly vacuumed grass;

-the seamless guy-rope anchor point in the middle of the fly seems like a hugely vulnerable and weak point in the normally great design;

- the poles are much slighter and seem far weaker than my old Hogan versions.

Oddly enough, having now looked into this, I've discovered a few tales of breaking poles, torn flys at the guying points and leaks. Has there been a recall that my tent missed or is this just the newer, lighter but flimsier version of a once great, nay, superb, line of tents?

Coincidentally, I emailed VauDe customer service about how to reproof my Hogan and they've not even bothered to reply. Perhaps VauDe has been bought out by General Motors or Ratners and I just missed it?