R. Saunders Spacepacker Plus Mk1

I have owned a Spacepacker Plus since the eighties, I bought it from Spa Cycles at Harrogate. Easy to erect, plenty of porch space and with it having two porches you can cook breakfast facing sunrise and prepare your supper facing the sunset. Some of the tape sealing on the base has come away and it is looking a bit tired now. I can't gripe as I have camped safely in thunderstorms and in terrible weather and the tent has never let me down. 

Posted: 19/09/2012 at 17:51

Maybe you can advise. I bought a Spacepacker Plus lately via ebay and after several attempts, I still can't seem to erect it properly. the fixing points on the inner tent don't match up to the fixing points on the outer, nor do they even reach to the edges of the 'specially made' footprint groundsheet with which the tent came. It's always a bodge to peg the tent out, and the whole set up comes out mis shapen. In addition, the inner pulls the outer and its single pole out of shape when I suspend it from the two hooks on the outer. It's almost as if I have been sent the inner of a different - smaller - tent. I'm under five foot and yet I can't sit up in this tent... Am I missing something obvious, or have a been sold a dud? Your experienced perspectve would be much appreciated... Thanks.

Posted: 01/10/2012 at 13:14

Would possibly depend on whether you have a Mk1 or Mk2.  The obvious difference is that the mk2 has a polyester fly with taped seams while the Mk1 has an untaped silicone coated nylon fly.

If it's a Mk1...

Pole through the sleeve, peg out the sides (start with the points furthest from the pole and work in towards the doors).  Once all the fly pegs are in pull out and peg the guys.

Next, in you go with the inner, and hang it from the hooks along the pole seam.  Then peg out the inner's corners.  For the inner tensioners you can either peg them separately or you can hook then on to the fly pegs that go half way between the door pegs and the mid-point.

And that's about it.  With the Mk1 there is no connection between inner and outer.  never seen a Mk2 in the flesh so can't help there.

Pete.

Posted: 01/10/2012 at 13:39

On my spacepacker the only fixing points between the inner and outer are the two point at the top of the outer that you hang the inner from.  Is it possible that you have not orientated the inner correctly - I know i did the first time I tried to pitch mine.

The orientation should look like this with the pole disecting the inner widthways:

 This is how I pich mine:

1) Pitch and peg out the outer (this is very straight forward)

2) Open and tie back both doors on one side of the tent (makes it easier to work)

3) lay out the inner tent and try to get it nice an symetrical before pegging out the four corners

4) Hang the inner tent from the two hoop points at the apex of the outer tent

5) tension the bathtub floor by pegging out the little guy lines using the nearest outer tent pegging point and tighening the guys.

Posted: 01/10/2012 at 14:25

Just bought one of these today.  Labelled as a Plus - no Mk1 or 2, and no seam tape so Mk 1?  Unfortunately, before I can try to pitch it I need to acquire a pole as my tent's one is missing.  I have researched that it is aluminium and presume it to be a narrow gauge tube, like on my Vaude Taurus.  Question 1 is: how many pole sections and how long is each piece?  Question 2: Overall pole length and how are the ends finished?Any help, information or offers of a replacement pole will be gratefully received.  Thanks  Dean

Posted: 05/12/2012 at 19:35

 Hampton Works might be able to help - I can remember thaey made the original poles for my Phoenix.  

Posted: 05/12/2012 at 20:27

Spacepacker Plus poles

9 X 420 mm

2 X 385 mm end poles plus black plastic insert protruding 23 mm out of each end

I would say the pole is approx 11 mm outside diameter.

The pole is a Bulldog same make as used on the Phoenix tents and do occassionally come up on Ebay but hamptons is your best bet.

Posted: 06/12/2012 at 00:31

Forgot to add the pole is approx 4390mm ( 4.39 Meters ) long black tip to black tip.

Posted: 06/12/2012 at 00:35

SORRY scrap above total length  it is 4290 mm long was using a pretty rough tape measure and need eyes testing lol.

The black gromets tie one end to shock cord other end goes into the washer in the black webbing strap.

Posted: 06/12/2012 at 00:43

Well, I have made up a pole in 8.5mm T9 from a Terra Nova, to the sizes given by Speed.

Tent took about 5 minutes to pitch in the garden in half light.

I hung the inner from the loops and then set the inner vertical zip above the tension tape to centralise it.  Easy!

Thanks to everyone for their help - I am very grateful.

Dean

Posted: 16/12/2012 at 18:29