Which tent?

Help me choose please

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Harry McMahon
08/06/2002 at 19:43
I hope to buy my first tent this week end(probably mail order). Which one to buy? I've come to trust the forums opinion so please, some suggestions.
I need a two man as my wife occassionaly joins me. It will mostly be for solo use though on wild camps so weight is probably most important factor. So far I have shortlisted......
Vango TBS Micro 250,Vaude Hogan,and am looking at Hilleberg and Saunders.
Any advice anyone?
tony mcgarley
08/06/2002 at 20:00
Macpac Microlight.
Orange Alex Ford
08/06/2002 at 21:01
I have a VauDe Mark II. Lots of space for two, good cooking area in the porch, plenty of space for storage and not toooo heavy.
Lloyd Bower
08/06/2002 at 22:35
Depends how much you want to spend, I'd recommend the Terra-Nova Solar I, weighs about 1.9kg loads of room for one, and just enough for two. Think the Solar II weighs in 2.5kg and would also be worth considering
Harry McMahon
08/06/2002 at 22:51
Lloyd looks a bit pricey but good. Is it suitable for winter use?
Harry McMahon
08/06/2002 at 23:19
Alex, Is yours a Hogan and if so, what is total weight?
Harry
ben brockway
09/06/2002 at 09:40
It depends on your definition of winter really - strong winds and rain are not a problem with the solar2 in my experience as long as the bell is pegged down properly; but heavy snow wouldn't be good. A Macpac minaret would be another good alternative.
philip newing
09/06/2002 at 15:43
I have a Vango Tbs Micro and have used it with me and a mate and on my own in all seasons. Very good value for money. Dead easy to pitch. Stands up to high winds very well but try to get it at right angles.
On the down side the lack of sitting up room gets a bit annoying with 2 and getting in and out in the middle of the night is awkward if you are on the inside if you know what I mean.
Honestly, I am looking at a lightweight geodesic for my next purchase but mine has served me very well and totally reliably through wind, snow and rain. Its major plus point is the weight when wild camping, I wouldn't recommend it as a valley tent for 2 when weight is less of an issue and space is. Vango quality and value 1st class.
Dave O aka Jungle Dave ;)
09/06/2002 at 16:54
I have a saunders fell trek tent I love it it a bit cosy but does have 2 porches!! only draw back is it isn't truely geodesic as you have to peg out the porches but have a look at some of the other saunders trek tents as they are geodesic.
Saunders website can be found Here.
Dave Moseley
09/06/2002 at 17:26
I've got a rather old Vango Beta Hurricane, about 2.5kg, the modern equivelant seems to be the Macpac Minaret or the Hilleberg Nalo, fairly solid in high winds, plenty of internal space which is handy if the weather's shite cos of keeping you AND your gear dry, it depends on what type of abuse it's likeley to get, I think that the geodesic designs are a bit ott for the uk unless you deliberately look for very windy places to camp in winter like the top of Cairn Gorm
Dave Moseley
09/06/2002 at 17:32
BTW, I would avoid buying your first tent mail order if poss, it's difficault to visualise how big they are, what they're like to put up and how well protected you'll be sitting out a downpour, get to a tent show if possible.
Harry McMahon
09/06/2002 at 17:40
David
I had a look at the Saunders website. I rather fancy the Jetpacker.whadya think?
Is pegging out the porch of the fell trek a big drawback? If you were buying a new Saunders which would you choose
Harry
Ninja Marmot
09/06/2002 at 17:49
Harry I would agree with Dave M re seeing the tent 'live'. Plus if the guy in the shop won't erect it for you, go elsewhere. What if you're on your way to a camping trip and when you get to the site it's peeing down and blowing a gale and it's your first real pitch?

We recently got a Salewa Storm 2, an earlier (i.e. heavily discounted) version of the Bergen. 2 porches, self-supporting dome, pitches very quickly. Porches not huge but you get 2 and certainly big enough to cook in (brewed up breakfast in a dreadful rainstorm on the flanks of Great End this morning in it.) 2.6Kg.
Harry McMahon
09/06/2002 at 18:05
Jeannie
I had considered the BergenII but in a review read that it weighed in at 3.5kg which put me right off. Is this not an accurate weight?
Dave Moseley
09/06/2002 at 18:42
also, some tents are much easier to pitch than others, all manufacturers will claim that "theirs is easy to put up", but often the only way to find out is to see it for yourself, then imagine what it'd be like in the dark, raining and blowing a gale, then taking it down again in similar conditions but by this time the tent is wet too, I'd go for something which pitches either "outer first" or "inner & outer together", quickest way to get a dry shelter
Ninja Marmot
09/06/2002 at 19:23
Ahah, Harry, you have met the first law of tent selling. The only accurate way to compare weights is like with like.
i.e. minimum versus minimum and maximum versus maximum. The problem is that some shops / sites quote one and some use the other system...confused? You will be.

min weight - the one some people quote: tent, poles, nowt else. Not a sausage.

max weight: tent, poles, guys, pegs, stuffsac, pole repair rods, patch repair kit, spare guys, bottle of wine.

In between is a more sensible 'everything you need but no frills weight' quoted by some. Now the Salewa site quotes the Bergen as 2.6K I think, but the all-inclusive package may well be over 3k. But Bob weighed ours some time back when we were sharing the load for a backpack and it was 2.7K including tent, pegs, guys, stuffsac, poles. It's not exactly the same as the Bergen, the zips on the Bergen are better than ours, more curvy, but it's the same size and updated same model-ish and same make.
Ninja Marmot
09/06/2002 at 19:25
Oh, and in the tent peg bag were the repair sleeves etc so that's probably where the extra 0.1K came from.....
joan collins
09/06/2002 at 21:11
Harry, if you're planning on wild camping in winter(where?) then light weight shouldn't really be your first priority. More important factors have already been mentioned - weather resistance, ease/speed of pitching, footprint, space for gear and porch suitable for cooking in foul weather. Cutting weight significantly results in reduced space and stability. Most tents at the end of the market you're looking at are not excessively heavy in any case.

There's no one ideal tent design, and people tend to choose based on personal needs and preferences. I notice for example Dave likes an outer-first or simultaneous pitch, whereas I tend to go for inner-first. This is simply a matter of priorities, as there are advantages and disadvantages to both types.

When I was looking for a new small tent recently, the ones which particularly struck me were the Macpac Minaret, Hilleberg Nallo 2, Saunders Spacepacker Plus and Terra Nova Solar. None of them are tough enough for winter mountain use, but should cope with most British weather. I ended up with a much cheaper American tent, but if you don't have my budgetary constraints then all of these are worth looking at.
Ben Hedley
09/06/2002 at 21:51
if your after a 1man tent on a budget then look at the Mckinley range...seem to remember that they do a 1man for £99 weighing in at 1.1kg... lighter and roomyer than some bivis at half the price..

never used one tho i am tempted for solo/odd number backpacking
Harry McMahon
09/06/2002 at 22:14
Thanks folks. Looks like the Salewa Bergen II gets my vote. I think I'll sleep on it though as I'm still tempted by Saunders....but not sure which model.Then probably try to find a stockist over here in N Ireland rather than go mail order
Thanks to everyone for the input.
Expect to see me back next week trying to choose between Trangia 27k, Whisperlite 600
Go-gas Summit and a Coleman Alpine ;->
Harry.
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