Author Topic: Tent  (Read 5810 times)

richardh1905

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Re: Tent
« Reply #30 on: 22:17:26, 10/05/19 »
..and as for threading fibreglass poles on a 5 man family tent!  :tickedoff:
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Pitboot

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Re: Tent
« Reply #31 on: 21:31:11, 16/05/19 »
AF1QipNS7VSFG5uIGZ2OwWoU5lfcQHnybR8WM91uKA4E
AF1QipNJArXbcraVtO8F9Edz2OLHFPUyeXc62KxlZObw  
AF1QipNPKba4ts8PEfEK_JRUlfFNYT6MXjdZs-oS6suH


A few thoughts on the Helm 2 tent. Not an in depth review, just thoughts after one night out.
The liveable space is not good, a plan view shows enough room for two sleepers, however once inside the tent walls sloping towards the roof make the thing feel a lot smaller.
General construction was ok, it's a cheap tent after all. I would have liked an extra toggle to hold back the flysheet door but it's not that important to me, I can improvise and fit one myself.
The poles fit well and putting the tent up is easy. The supplied red coloured aluminium pegs were very good, plenty of grip and easy on the hands.
The footprint was not that well made, aligning the inner , outer , and the footprint was not easy, in the end I pegged the footprint separately.
The tent was stable and felt secure but it is not free standing as advertised, you definitely have to use all of the guys.
Mrs P thinks this tent was made for midgets,( I don't think I sold camping to her very well.) I have shown her an advert for an MSR Hubba Hubba, maybe I'll get the green light!


Would I recommend the Helm 2?
Overall, no, there are better and lighter tents out there, but at greater cost.

taxino8

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Re: Tent
« Reply #32 on: 21:38:29, 16/05/19 »
AF1QipNS7VSFG5uIGZ2OwWoU5lfcQHnybR8WM91uKA4E
AF1QipNJArXbcraVtO8F9Edz2OLHFPUyeXc62KxlZObw
AF1QipNPKba4ts8PEfEK_JRUlfFNYT6MXjdZs-oS6suH


A few thoughts on the Helm 2 tent. Not an in depth review, just thoughts after one night out.
The liveable space is not good, a plan view shows enough room for two sleepers, however once inside the tent walls sloping towards the roof make the thing feel a lot smaller.
General construction was ok, it's a cheap tent after all. I would have liked an extra toggle to hold back the flysheet door but it's not that important to me, I can improvise and fit one myself.
The poles fit well and putting the tent up is easy. The supplied red coloured aluminium pegs were very good, plenty of grip and easy on the hands.
The footprint was not that well made, aligning the inner , outer , and the footprint was not easy, in the end I pegged the footprint separately.
The tent was stable and felt secure but it is not free standing as advertised, you definitely have to use all of the guys.
Mrs P thinks this tent was made for midgets,( I don't think I sold camping to her very well.) I have shown her an advert for an MSR Hubba Hubba, maybe I'll get the green light!


Would I recommend the Helm 2?
Overall, no, there are better and lighter tents out there, but at greater cost.
Thanks for that, I’ve been looking at these myself and any feedback on them is very helpful.

richardh1905

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Re: Tent
« Reply #33 on: 22:31:09, 16/05/19 »
Thanks for the review, Pitboot.

Yes a bit naughty of them to claim it is free standing, when the poles don't go down to the corners. I suppose technically it would stand without pegs, but I cannot imagine that it would be useable!

The same will apply to the Hubba Hubba, of course - the porches will need pegging out.
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Pitboot

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Re: Tent
« Reply #34 on: 22:47:15, 16/05/19 »
Hmm, yes, good point about the Hubba Hubba, thanks. So still looking then! No rush, something will turn up.

richardh1905

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Re: Tent
« Reply #35 on: 22:55:58, 16/05/19 »

Is free standing important to you?


I wild camp with a small tunnel tent, which is most definitely NOT free standing! But it is tough, easy to pitch, and does the job just fine.
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richardh1905

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Re: Tent
« Reply #36 on: 08:04:15, 17/05/19 »
Another point - if Mrs P finds the Helm 2 small, maybe you should consider getting a 3 person tent - they often do not weigh much more than the 2 man equivalent.

One thing that I note with the Helm 1, 2 and 3 is that the 8.5mm pole diameter stays the same throughout the range. The engineer in me would expect it to increase with increasing pole length.




PS - your links do not work for me, all I get is this:

"404. That’s an error.
The requested URL was not found on this server. That’s all we know."
« Last Edit: 08:07:37, 17/05/19 by richardh1905 »
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gunwharfman

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Re: Tent
« Reply #37 on: 09:45:45, 17/05/19 »
Thanks for the review, it looks like I'll take the Helm 1 off my list. From your experience, it looks like I'll stick with my Marmot for a while longer.

Pitboot

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Re: Tent
« Reply #38 on: 11:20:28, 17/05/19 »
Glad to be of help!


Tried various ways to put up pics, I used google photos but I guess it's not correct.
My old photobucket account keeps asking me to confirm my email address, and when I do I get the same message again!!


Wonder why I can't just drag a photo onto here from my desk top, is it a band width thing?

kinkyboots

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Re: Tent
« Reply #39 on: 11:31:30, 17/05/19 »
Tried various ways to put up pics, I used google photos but I guess it's not correct.
My old photobucket account keeps asking me to confirm my email address, and when I do I get the same message again!!


Wonder why I can't just drag a photo onto here from my desk top, is it a band width thing?

This might be worth a read http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=38109

Pitboot

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Re: Tent
« Reply #40 on: 11:43:15, 17/05/19 »
Many thanks, I'll try ImgBB.

Pitboot

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Re: Tent
« Reply #41 on: 11:58:58, 17/05/19 »

richardh1905

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Re: Tent
« Reply #42 on: 13:27:17, 17/05/19 »

That works, pitboot - I use imgbb.


I'm still interested in the Helm 1 myself, but I'm going to hold off a while as the tunnel tent that I have does the job for 3 season wild camping, even if it is a little heavy. I suspect that the Helm 1 is a tough little tent that would stretch to 4 season use, judging by this video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6H-vLPvidk
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gunwharfman

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Re: Tent
« Reply #43 on: 19:31:08, 20/05/19 »
I'm cold just looking at it!

gunwharfman

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Re: Tent
« Reply #44 on: 19:43:11, 20/05/19 »
Tents are odd things that I like for a while and then go off them as I find fault with this and that. I haven't used my Marmot Pulsar 1P tent for a while, one of my poles broke and I only repaired it recently. After using it from Keswick to Edinburgh recently and from Bodiam to Crowbridge at the weekend I am now back to having a love affair with it. I just can't find anything that matches its headroom, internal space and ease of erection. Marmot doesn't make it now so I'm now glad I bought it when I did.

I discovered a new way of using it on Sunday. It was pouring with rain and the campsite had a 'lounge,' a shed with two easy chairs and a sofa in it about 25 yards away. To keep myself and the contents dry (clothing, sleeping quilt) I zipped it all up, took out all of the tent pegs, lifted up one end and pulled the whole tent and all its contents to the door of the 'lounge.' Worked really well.

 

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