Gear

I am looking to buy a 2 man tent which weighs in at around the 2kg mark.

I'm considering the Terra Nova Laserlarge 1, Mountain Hardwear PCT2, Mountain Equipment AR Ultralite 2 and the Vaude Taurus Ultralite.

They all seem to be in the same price bracket (some are on sale) and have similar floorspace.

Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with any of the above which I may want to know about before I part with my hard earned cash.

Its not the first time Ive said this this on the forum but take a look at the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 that I use.
In my opinion its a better bet than the ones you list because:
-The usable internal area and headroom is much better than those you list
-It only weighs 1.5KG despite being the largest
The only peole who seem to sell the Big Agnes are Hike-Lite. This is where you can see the details:

http://www.hike-lite.co.uk/acatalog/Big-Agnes-Seedhouse-SL.html

What is the main enviroment that you expect that you will be pitching the tent in?

Lowland and Valleys.
Highland and exposed areas.
campsites.
lake side and woodland.

Take a look at

www.marmot.com
www.lightwave.uk.com
www.hillberg.com

then seek out the biggest discount on the web.

if you see the Discount codes post that may get you an extra %'age off your desired purchase.

Drew

I've seen one of the Vaude's destroyed by wind in Snowdonia! These are all 3 season tents. The ME AR would seem to be a pretty good buy because you can use it with trekking poles.

But have a look at the Big Agnes tent at www.hike-lite.co.uk - about the right price and only 1.5 k for a two person tent.Lots of reasonable reviews on the net.

Only issue I would have with looking at the Big Agnes tents is that some of them are as low as 1200mm HH on the flysheet which isn't in this country even classed as waterproof! Okay if your in the states in dry season, but who is really?

The ME AR Ultralight isn't really 2 man and the long sloping design isn't the best.

Interesting what Andy says bout the Vaude's not seen one tested properly so thats good to know.

Also did you know the Laser Large 1 is currently on sale at £169.99 at The Otudoor Shop! Bargain!

Jamie,

The ME AR Ultralight - for two people (there are two models) has the same sized inner tent as the Hilleberg Nallo! Should be enough space there!

Don't know how much price is a factor, but you may want to try and seek out tents from Helsport. COmparable to Hilleberg.

I've just bought the Ringstind2 model - think Hilleberg Atko in shape, but for two people. And max 1.6kg in weight (inc fairly substantial repair kit). And it packs down very small.

Problem is - prices are comparable to Hilleberg as well. Just a touch cheaper.

Andy, the problem with the AR Ultralight for two is the long sloping roof, as Jamie says. There is nothing like as much usable space as in the Nallo 2. The Nallo 2 would be my first choice for a 2 person tent.

Chris, sorry to change the subject slightly but would you make the same recommendion for a mountain marathon tent? I've got to source something I don't mind trotting around with for 2 days...

Clive, I'd probably go for something smaller for a mountain marathon with just one nights camping. I would use the AR Ultralight with two on a marathon, if I was taking trekking poles. As long as two people can squeeze in it'll do. The Nallo 2 is about as light as you'll get and still have plenty of room though.

Thanks Chris, we won't have trekking poles so a bit of research on size/weight is probably necessary. You're right, the smaller the better really.

I use a TN Laser for MMs. Light (just over 1kg), easy to pitch and plenty porch space for damp stuff. Laserlite is even lighter (just under 1kg?) and not that much smaller.

Have you seen the Kimmlite tent? Just 970 grams.

http://www.kimmlite.com/tents.html

Hi,

At that weight, consider also the ME Dragonfly, which is 2.1kg.

I have the standard version. I've been using it for about a year and I like it very much. It's stable, easy to erect and take down, it doesn't have a condensation problem and it's easy to pack (no integral poles).

If you plan to use it with someone else then you'd probably be better off with the extended porch version, though, which will be heavier. For one, the standard version is luxury (and I love it).

p.s. do you have a view on the Kimmlite tent, Chris? I'd like a sub 1kg tent, but I've not seen one yet that seems to be stable enough (just based on the impressions I've formed from reading around). How about the Laser Competition?

I've only seen the Kimmlite tent and haven't used it. For the weight it looks okay. The Laser Competition looks good too. I tested the previous version. I like the low weight but I prefer the extra space, larger porch and greater stability of the Akto, which is still my favourite solo tent.

Thanks, Chris. Did you get the impression that the Laser Competition (or Laserlite) was likely to be sturdy enough for high winds? I'm thinking TGO Challenge sort of weather, really.

I think the Laser Competition should be okay for the Challenge. I had it up in some very strong winds and it didn't blow down. It moved a fair bit more than the Akto does though and I had more difficulty keeping my sleeping bag away from the walls and condensation.

I had the Laserlite on test before the Challenge two years ago and considered taking it. I decided I'd rather have the extra space and stability of the Akto though despite the extra weight.

Many thanks, Chris :)

Hilleberg Nallo 2 - I have used one for 2 summers in Alaska. It is the most well made tent I have seen. There is a great amount of space for two people including 6 footers like me and the vestibule will easily accomodate 2 full sized packs. It is not only incredbily light - 1.9kg without pegs but its flysheet is 6 times stronger than ordinary tent material!!.

It only requires 4 pegs to pitch and is very fast to setup as the inner is atttached to the fly.

I spent four months researching a tent that was light enough and durable enough for my trip and without doubt the Nallo 2 was right on the money.

If you want a tent that will cover all seasons and can spend the money this IMHO is the one to buy.

ATB

Jason