Terra Nova's spring 2011 collection includes a 500-gramme single-person double-skin tent and an 800-gramme two-person version.
Posted:
7 July 2010
by
Jon
We've just downloaded lightweight tentage gurus, Terra Nova's spring 2011 work book and it looks like they've stolen another march on the opposition with a pair of ultra-lightweight new tents in the pipeline - the single-person Laser Ultra 1 with a claimed weight of a bonkers light 495 grammes and 'the world's first sub-900g, double-wall shelter', the Laser Photon 2 which has a minimum weight of 880g.
The new Laser Ultra 1 is designed specificially for lightweight adventure racing and, in a race - ie: abnormally friendly scenario - can actually sleep two says the maker. It's described as the 'lightest double-wall shelter in the world' and uses a new Terra Nova fabric called ULTRA for both inner and fly, which has a hydrostatic head of 3000mm.
Twelve, 1g titanium pegs come as standard with the tent and the poles are made from Scandium, a lightweight alloy best known for use in ultra-lightweight mountain bike frames. The tent is also compatible with Terra Nova's 'Fastpack' system, an optional groundsheet arrangement which, in good conditions, replaces the inner tent completely and slashes weight even further to a mind-boggling 385 grammes.
The two-person Laser Photon 2 uses a siliconised nylon fabric for both inner and outer tent and again, a 7.5mm Scandium alloy pole and titanium pegs again, this time though, they're twice as heavy at a massive 2g each...
Terra Nova says the pack size has been kept short to make it compatible with short packs and the fly has been designed so it can be raised at either end for increased ventilation. Finally, as with the Ultra 1, it's compatible with the Fastpack gubbins, so you can convert it into a single-skin tent with a pack weight of just 630 grammes if 880g just seems too much to carry...
Seriously light stuff and apparently a refinement of the existing single-pole Laser range including the award-winning Laser Space 2 which features a porch large enough to accommodate two bikes and panniers.
No photos yet, but we're at the OutDoor trade show in Germany next week and should get to see the tents in the flesh, so watch this space. That's a Laser Comp in the thumbnail by the way, courtesy of Ray on the OM gallery.
All things Terra Nova at www.terra-nova.co.uk.
