 I'm on the hunt for a new tent to replace my present Vaude spider 1 , which I think is too heavy for single use (3.1 kg) .
Having checked our gear lists and forum comments about tents,it's obvious that there is a lot of good advice available, but perhaps the only way to be sure of buying what is an expensive and very important bit of kit is to look and test for yourself .
Does anybody know of anywhere,ideally in the North West,I live in Bolton,that tents can be viewed erected?
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 Cheaptents.com at The Adventure Centre at Warrington...all erected on the top floor. There may be a nearer one but Lancastrian geography isn't my strongest point...
Address: Adventure Centre, 240 Manchester Road, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 3BE
Tel: 01925 411385
FAX +44 161 927 7718
e-mail: tents@cheaptents.com
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Kentdale outdoor shop in the square, Kendal. Nice selection of lightweight helliberg tents on show and the owner (guy with the beard) really knows what he's talking about & not pushy either. Definatley worth a day trip.
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 Hi, try 4 seasons leasure in Ormskirk give e'm a call on 01695574050 stating your requirements, ask for Andy.
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Oh, nearly forgot, there's the outdoor action shop in King street, Blackburn
Tel;01254 671945.
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yeah they're not bad.
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Thanks for all the info folks , just wondered what you think is the 'norm' weight , if there is such a thing , for a 1 person backpacking tent , 2.5 kg max ???
I have been recommended the MSR Microzoid reviewed in August's trail , but I like a bit of room to store gear etc . If you've seen this review it does beg the question ...where does the rucsac etc go and how do you cook in this tent ? It does'nt seem to be much bigger than a bivvy at 1.4 kg .
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 2.5kg for a 1 person backpaking tent does seem a little excessive.
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Sorry I pressed Submit before I had finished...
But then, much less (I mean about a Kilo) and you are in the Bivi-tent area. Mine, like most others, weighs in at about 2kg.
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 That's not excessive, it's obscene!!
Why the big thing for storage anyway? I usually put my rucksack in an orange survival bag and leave it outside when I wild camp.
In organised campsites I keep most of my stuff in the car.
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I posted this in the Richard Gear thread:
I'm 6' and fit inside with room to spare at my head end, the MH tent spec says it's 92" so it should be long enough for you but your face will end up being quite close to the inner fabric as it tapers from the middle (widest) to the ends (Narrowest and lowest). The vestible as they call it is the length of the tent, this allows you to put your rucksack at the feet end giving you room to cook at the head end. I only cook with the vestibule door wide open because it is quite low at the ends and I don't fancy being roasted in my own sleeping bag.
It's effectively a 3 pole tunnel tent with one large hoop and two smaller ones at each end so it's not self supporting and needs to be put up fairly carefully so it stays up all night. It weighs 1.8kg according to the blurb and I'm happy with it.
£130 at Cotswolds.
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Good idea re the rucsac packed inside a survival bag outside the tent , my 3.1 kg tent was my first backpacking tent bought 4 years ago when I was'nt as weight conscious as I am now .
I'm going to Outdoor Action this week to see what they've got on dispay .
I'll see what I get for my money at 2 kg .
Yours etc etc A comfort loving backpacker
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3.1kg!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bonkers!
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 it comes with it's own wheelbarrow!!!!
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You think that my tent's too heavy then !!!
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I have been paranoid about my rucsac weight , clipping off the kilos here and there , finally realizing that the vast majority of my gear is fine.....But that tent.......Ok I admit it's a monster , but it's mega comfortable and the size is great and I can sit up in it and I can cook in the vestibule and yehhh it's too ****** heavy.......and it looks great too .
I'll get a new one soon , but which one ???
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Ours is 2.6 between two of us...for a one manner I'd go no heavier than 1.8 but then I'm not a six foot hulking man with broad shoulders....
As for leaving the rucky outside the tent....the sort of places we camp it would be shredded by sheep by morning...they get their snouts under the fly at the best of times...we shove Bob's sac in porch one and mine goes in the tent and I use it as a footrest / ground insulator cos my Thermarest is only 3/4 length.
Porch two contains the booties, hardware and stove etc - with the tea bags, sugar, milk and porridge in the inner near my snout so the devious little ovines don't ferret it out...
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I can't believe that people still carry that much weight. I currently use a genuine four season tent that I can almost stand up in (I'm 6') and will sleep 3 with gear or 4 team mates; and guess what, it only weighs 1.8 kg or 2.1 kg if I want to use a mesh inner. This weight of 1.8 kg can be reduced even further if I don't want a floor, and if there is a tree in sight or I use a paddle I get a four person, four season tent for 800 grams!
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What tent is that and how much did it cost?
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I thought that might put the cat amongst the proverbial pigeons. I use the Golite (www.golite.co.uk) HEX 2 system. The flysheet, pole, pegs etc cost £190, the floor cost £50 and the 'traditional' inner was £70; although most users would choose between single or double skin and therefore, only buy the flysheet and either the floor or the inner. The 'silnet' fabric is half the weight of traditional pu nylons yet twice as strong. They do a fabulous range of clothing as well.
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