Any opinions on the Tera Nova Quasar?

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David Holmes 1
24/08/2001 at 13:47
I am looking into good 4 season tents at the moment. The Tera Nova Quasar keeps popping up with various retailers I have been talking to. Has anyone got one or used one before? Are they as good as I am getting told?

Here is what I am going to do with it. I am planning a trip to Greenland in July/August next year. Mosty in the relitivley warm south with at lest a couple of nights more norherly.

Is this tent up to it?
Jon Doran
24/08/2001 at 14:46
I've used Quasars a few times - other people's tents - and had no problems bar the fact that I didn't think the groundsheet was as robust as a MacPac one. Can't tell you much more however, the weather never got bad enough, but they have a good reputation. Sorry, not much help I know. The only thing that puts me off geodesics generally is the relative hassle of pitching them, with poles going everywhere.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

David Holmes 1
24/08/2001 at 15:03
I've used Geodesic tents in the past and I have also found them troublesome at best to put up any other options I can look into?
The Wrong Trousers
24/08/2001 at 15:38
Try the North Face Westwind. It's the lightest 4-season tent you'll find with high mountain ability. It's fab !
Jon Doran
24/08/2001 at 16:01
Macpac are worth a look. The inner and outer are connected so they pitch very quickly, are stable as long as they're properly guyed out - tunnel tents - and build quality is excellent in my experience. Ultimately not as structurally strong as a geodesic because the guying is a key factor, but still very tough.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

David Holmes 1
24/08/2001 at 16:06
Thanks for this guys. I am going to look at some tomorrow. The Guy I have been talking to in Tradewinds Wellingborugh has helped alot. What sort of price can I expect to pay for Macpac Jon?
Carolyn Otley
24/08/2001 at 16:24
The Quasars are great tents. I've used an ultra for the last 5 years or so, with no complaints. The poles have split occassionally, but Terra Nova have always repaired them for free.... never had a problem with the groundsheet, but I've always stuck and old survival bag, cut to shape, under it.
Probably depends if you need the stability without relying on the guy lines. I use it loads of places where it's very hard to get pegs in, and it't fantastic for that. But if you only want to use it on nice grassy bits, then a tunnel design works fine.
Hope that's some help!
Jon Doran
24/08/2001 at 16:24
Depends on the model - the Minaret, which is a two-man tent costs around £300 - Cotswold sell them - also Macpac has a site at www.macpac.co.nz.

The Olympus is their slightly bigger 2/3 man tent and they also do something called the Hemisphere, which is a dome - £429 at Cotswold but significantly heavier, also 2/3 person.

I've had two Minarets. They're snug, but not tiny, only pay off is that things get crowded with two people and big packs so you have to manage your kit more carefully than with a bigger tent, but then it packs smaller and weighs less.

The Olympus doesn't seem to be very popular in the UK, essentially it's a bigger Minaret, but I've never seen one... Macpac deal direct with retailers in the UK and there's a list on their site.

Good luck whatever you go for and there are a lot of good tents around now.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Jon Doran
24/08/2001 at 16:29
Sorry, I'd have made those links clickable, but it's Friday afternoon and if I wasn't already at home, I would have gone home, if you see what I mean...

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

David Holmes 1
24/08/2001 at 16:39
Sure do, 25 more minutes an I'm out of here til Tuesday :-)

Have a Great weekend everyone.
joan collins
29/08/2001 at 11:50
I have a Quasar. It stands up well to wind and weather, and pitches relatively easily on ice, so I'm sure it would be more than adequate for what you want. However, when I replace it, I'll certainly look round at other brands, too. At that price, there is plenty of choice with a similar functional spec.
David Holmes 1
29/08/2001 at 11:54
Field and Trek are selling Quasars for £349.99 at the moment a saving of about 70 quid if anyone is interested.
Carolyn Otley
29/08/2001 at 14:38
Outside also have them in for a similar price. Although, personally, I'd try and get hold of an Ultra Quasar - supposedly stronger as well as lighter....
Andy Ashton
02/09/2001 at 21:55
I have an Ultra Quasar and I love it.Spent 10 days in it in the Rockies this summer. Some people say the poles are weak but I've never had a problem and it's seen a few storms.I have two guy lines on each of the six guying point which reduces flapping and gives extra guying points if peg placements are poor.

It's big enough you won't go stir crazy if you're storm bound for a day and the twin bell ends are very handy ( also useful. I'm told, if you have a dog.) It's small enough to fit in all sorts of idgy little spots.

They are simple to put up, much easier than non geodesic tents. You can also erect the main and then pick it up and put it exactly where you want it. In the morning you can pick it up and tip it vertically over someone while they sweep all the grot out. Very useful on prolonged expediditions.
Mark Phillips
15/11/2001 at 13:51
As far as I'm concerned, the Quasar is the "Mutts Nuts"!

I've had one for a number of years, used it in some obscure locations, very poor weather, high winds, etc... and it has been fine.... It's even just the right size to use it on the roof of my LandRover :)

Agreed, the ground sheet could easily be damaged so I just put my Karrimats under the sheet instead. I believe you can get a ground sheet protector as an option but cutting a tarp/survival bag down to size will work just as well.

My only gripe is that there is a small patch on the inner that comes very close to the outer such that if you're on uneven ground the two touch.

The other really nice thing is that the bag it comes in is big enough to just stuff the tent in wet should the weather be crappy... Where the last thing you want to be doing is folding & rolling the tent to squeeze it into a bag only just big enough.

Mark.
Dan G
16/11/2001 at 14:34
Go and have a look at my old thread 'What's the best mountain tent?' somewhere in the gear section.

The conclusion _I_ came to was that Mountain Hardwear's tents, particulary the Trango Assault, are the best, despite me severely pissing off the Man from Mountain Hardwear.

But really the differences between any of the top tents are vanishingly small. Most British people say Quasar because it's British. I say MHW because I put one up in the shop and the clip system is so easy and fast it's almost stupid. And a cooler colour.
Jon Doran
16/11/2001 at 15:04
Tuesday... Oops, sorry. What I meant to say was that most specialised mountain tents are pretty damn good these days, so I'd agree with you there. I've become a hopeless Macpac addict purely because they are so easy to put up - inner and outer linked - have never let me down in any situation including high mountain camps and, erm, I like the colour and the groundsheeets are brilliant. But mainly because it goes up in minutes.

Having said that, I'd happily use MHW, TNF, Terra Nova, Wild Country, Antarctica, Vango etc. All proven designs, all decently put together. Isn't it about time someone put all the top tents in a windtunnel and had a look at what happens? I wish we could, but sadly we don't have the resources. I suspect though that the differences might not be that great. But who knows?

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Drew
16/11/2001 at 22:57
About the colour. If you get a green TN, and leave it in the sun for a while, then it turns silver! Amaaaaaazing! I saw one when in Snodonia recently, and I was like "How come you got it silver?" And he said "Look under that flap there", and I saw that where the sun don't shine, it is green. Hmmm... double entendre me thinks
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