 Mike fae Dundee, the spec is really for a tent for extreme conditions. We tend to do most of our hill walking in the winter as we sail in the summer. We seem to do everything with our tent though, from wild camping to camp sites and high winter stuff to using it as accommodation when staying in a friends garden. We also use it for kayak and cycling trips. We have got a TNF Mountain 25 as well but tend to use the 3 person tent for comfort and space.
I'd rather pay the extra and get a great tent that suits our needs, I've spent too many nights up high in the wind and wondering if the tent will survive. I think we got our moneys worth out of the original tent.
We've never really been bothered by pitching the inner first as we've got it down to a fine art between my husband and I. Saying that when I did a OM meet in the Brecons a few years ago I had a few drinks before pitching the tent and ended up breaking two tent poles just tying to get the thing up!
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 No problem Marns. Everyone needs a good nights sleep. If carrying a heavier tent is the only way you can get peace of mind to sleep, then it's worth it to you. The cost doesn't seem to be a factor in your choice, so why not get 2 tents? Something light for most of the time, and a heavy tent for winter summit pitches?
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If the old tent worked for you and the newer version of it has not changed that much then why change a winning formula? You know your old tent's characteristics inside out, just transfer that knowledge to a newer version of it. I found a good fellshoe that fitted like a glove but upon time for replacement I spent ages looking for something else. Ended up getting the same shoe another 2 times. It works for me the same tent will work for you I'm sure. Do you need anything better anyway? Even if better for you existed that is.
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I think you're right TP, this forum has been great in helping me to choose the right tent and the right one is the same one I had all along. I'm sure the new model will have a few newer touches to keep me happy too.
I'm the same with Solomon shoes, I got my first pair 12 years ago and have worn them ever since. Now both my sons, their girlfriends and my husband wear them too. I've even got a pair for work.
Mike, we really need a full spec Mountain tent for those wild and windy nights when we get the hills to ourselves. We've already got the 2 man TNF Mountain tent and TBH we hardly ever use it. If we got a cheaper 3 man tent the weight would be compromised anyway. I think we just need to teach the dog to carry some of the kit too, he's got panniers but we usually just put poo bags in it, this year he's gonna have to carry more of his own kit!
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Nice! the animal with the keenest sense of smell carries the worst source of smell!! Isn't there a weight limit for dog panniers? Something to do with a certain percentage of the dog's weight. Oh, and don't load up a young dog so much neither, but I guess you know all that better than I do.
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I've never owned a 'full spec Mountain tent', yet i've spent many years happily camping in the Scottish mountains. Summer and winter. I don't understand what you mean about the weight being compromised with a cheaper tent? The TNF and Hillie tents being mentioned are very heavy.
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 For years my mountain tent (and everything else tent, for that matter) was a Spacepacker. It's never let me down, though a few nights in it have been less than optimally comfortable... I got the Tarra for sea kayaking, where the weight and bulk are non-issues and I may have a gale to contend with that's forced me to land where there's a very limited choice of where to park. I've used the Spacepacker as a paddling tent too, but for paddling the insurance premium in the form of more weight and bulk is really a non-issue: as long as I can squeeze it through the hatch it's not a problem. I have never carried the Tarra any sort of distance on foot, and never particularly intend to. The Kaitum 3 we use as one of our walking options has far more space at three quarters of the weight, and that's still heavier than we need to be reasonably secure. Year round Scottish recreational camping isn't, as Mike suggests, particularly extreme. "Extreme" is somthing like a week-long storm at 6000m, or an unsupported ski tour across the Arctic or a sandstorm in the middle of the Sahara where tent failure is simply not an option. Of course if you want to go out of your way to catch the worst possible weather you can put any tent to a serious test in Scotland, but are you really going to park on the top of the 'Gorms with a severe weather warning just posted? I'm not! Pete.
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'I've never owned a 'full spec Mountain tent', yet i've spent many years happily camping in the Scottish mountains. Summer and winter. I don't understand what you mean about the weight being compromised with a cheaper tent? The TNF and Hillie tents being mentioned are very heavy.'
'Year round Scottish recreational camping isn't, as Mike suggests, particularly extreme. "Extreme" is somthing like a week-long storm at 6000m, or an unsupported ski tour across the Arctic or a sandstorm in the middle of the Sahara where tent failure is simply not an option. Of course if you want to go out of your way to catch the worst possible weather you can put any tent to a serious test in Scotland, but are you really going to park on the top of the 'Gorms with a severe weather warning just posted? I'm not!'
Ah, no guys, don't make me go and do more research for a cheaper tent. And don't for goodness sake let my hubby know that we can have a cheaper option! You are quite right though but I really know the VE 25 and know that it stands up to what we want to do. Unfortunately due to where we live we can't pick and choose which weekend we go away with the weather and often end up going away for the weekend even when it's awful. We aren't too stupid though and will stick to lower level sites when it's really silly. Mind you we've been in some lower level camp sites and suffered some pretty 'extreme' stuff.
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One lower level site in the Lakes when I was last camping there had suffered a mini-tornado throught the site and out towards Crummockwater. This was a few years ago now and we came in for the night afterwards. We did wonder why there were so many broken tents in the bin until someone told us about it. You can get pretty stern conditions at any level in the UK. Not the only tornado someone I know or met has experienced. My family saw one whip past their front door and off down the road leaving large branches from trees behind. That was when spouts where photographed on Morecambe Bay. This was Arnside where the land tornado touched down. I doubt any tent could survive that even the ones called hurricane or vortex!! Personally if you are happy with the price and weight then there is no harm getting a more "extreme" tent than you need. It only gives you extra confidence due to the tent's reputation and where it is really designed for. Even if you are only car camping in a quiet valley it is still no harm with the overkill. It is what you want that security right?
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Ah, no guys, don't make me go and do more research for a cheaper tent. And don't for goodness sake let my hubby know that we can have a cheaper option! A Kaitum is more expensive, so no worries there  There's also a much better space/weight ratio. It's not as tough, but it is really, really likely to be tough enough. But there are plenty of lighter and cheaper options that should be adequate. TP is right about no problem with more than you need if you're happy with the weight... but it's also the case that give someone something lighter and they very quickly get to liking not carrying the extra! Pete.
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There is another site I lurk on and you'd think everyone would get to liking lighter weights. However there are some on that site who have tried lighter weights but gone back to old favourites and the extra weight penalty involved. Some even go back to inferior products as it makes them happy with old favourites. You'd be surprised at what some people think about weight and comfort. Guess for some there is comfort in kit with memories I suppose.
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There's a compromise point for most, I think. We most typically carry a 3 Kg tent with us backpacking 2 up. We could take the heavier, tougher Tarra, or the lighter Spacepacker. But we tke the tent in the middle. Lighter is good but you typically lose something. If it's mainly extra strngth you won't actually need, that's good. If it's space not so good, if it's strength you do need then very very bad! Pete.
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