Gear

GOF wrote (see)

What would be fantastic would be if the trangia gas converter came down in price or if a clone came on the market at a sensible price- I just cant afford the £45 per converter at present. 

surprised you hadn't spotted that the  Go-Systems Adapt has been around for a few years?

£25- £30

I had this exact same dilemma this time last year and settled upon the vango Banshee 200 - sub £80 with scouters discount, I bought 6.

The past year has seen them on countless challenge hikes, a weekend camp and two of my explorers used them as their base for two weeks in Switzerland rather than share the 'Explorers' tent - rather them than me - I find they are a bit on the small size for any long period of time, that said, I spent the summers I was at uni living out of a similar sized tent on Langdale campsite.

Durabilty - holding up well - I've had to have the zip reattached to the inner of one (20 minutes on my sewing machine - caused by the scouts in question not openning the zip completely and leaping through the zip...

Weight - 1 kg per person

The best bits - Alloy poles, no fibreglass crap, very quick drying, easy to put up

The worst bits - small porch, can't cook in it. Though I see this as a good thing and the trangias aren't going to suffer in the rain! Rucksacs can be, we've discovered, stashed in the porch when stood upright - well done scouts!

Thanks Mole...no I hadnt come across those at all.  Wonder what discount I can get for 10?

the Markhill appears (based on reports here on OM) to have been discontinued/not sold in the UK about 2008....

I have seen (but stupidly didnt mark the page) a chinese clone once - and have never relocated it.

will just have to look at budget I guess...little by little we will get there