What's It For?
An entry level three-season tent for backpacking in the UK. Designed to be quick and easy to erect and capable of handling average 3 season weather in the UK.
The Techy Bits
Coleman use their WeatherTec System - essentially a water repellent PU coated polyester fabric. Seams are taped with the corners and groundsheet welded. The mesh inner and slightly short flysheet allows a reasonable airflow to reduce condensation, though at he expense of warmth.
Size: 236 x 100 x 100cm
Packed size: 44 x 15 cm.
Headroom 95 cm.
Flysheet fabric: 210T Polyester ripstop, PU coated, 4000mm, taped seams, UV Pro
Groundsheet: Nylon 190 T, 5000 mm
Pithches: Inner first
Poles: Aluminium 7001-T6 pre-bent front pole, external mesh sleeves
Reflective guyropes
How It Performed
The Kraz X1 is a budget, 3 season, tent and you have to bear that in mind when setting your expectations. Having said that, it's actually a surprisingly good starter tent for taking your first steps. It's a bit of an odd tent to look at initially, especially if you're used to tunnels and geodesics. First impressions of the wedge shape, and the general feel of the tent, are of a "playtent" and not something you'd want to risk in a serious downpour. Once you put it to the test, the X1 goes up very quickly although inner first. The inner is basically a slightly oversized, hooped, bivi, with a small foot end hoop and a larger hoop at the head end.
Once erected you get about a metre of headroom a the head end, making it just enough for most people to sit up in. The inner hangs from the poles, attached by loops, with the poles sitting in ferruled tapes on the ground. The flysheet, which attaches by adjustable tensioning loops, sits about an inch off the ground, which helps with ventilation - but the inner is still protected by the bathtub groundsheet.
At 1.65kg the X1's in the same weight range of many more illustrious tents, but at a price point that's a fraction of the more expensive competition. Of course you're not going to get a lightweight, bomb proof, tent for the Cairgorms in winter for under £60, but for spring to autumn it's more than capable of withstanding a bit of wind and rain - and the mesh protects from midges. T
he porch only adds an extra 50cm, just about adequate for storage but a bit restrictive if you need to cook under canvas. When subjected to a typical late summer downpour in Arran the X1 handled the wind and rain without problem, with the steep angled sides shedding water quickly and the whole tent drying in no time for repacking. All in all a surprisingly good starter tent from a reliable company.
Verdict
A surprisingly good, entry level, solo tent at a reasonable weight for backpacking and 3 season wild camping. Lacking a porch big enough to cook in but the mesh inner gives good ventilation. Buy if you want a an affordable starter tent suitable for 3 season use
