Author Topic: Light weight tents  (Read 6083 times)

zuludog

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #15 on: 22:24:24, 24/02/19 »
I've just remembered.......

Have a look at the Hex Peak V4a. This is, if you like, halfway between an orthodox tent and a tarp. You buy the outer, and use it single skin with just a groundsheet, or an inner as you wish, usually in cooler weather
To get the maximum weight saving it uses your trekking poles

I know a couple of people who use this, and they're happy enough with it

Find it at www.backpackinglight.co.uk  and videos on YouTube
Backpacking Light have other similar shelters, just Search their website

Litehiker

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #16 on: 02:28:22, 25/02/19 »
(My 1st post)
Well, I'm an American geezer ('70s) who needs to count every ounce and I've really liked my Tarptent Moment DW. I have modded it for winter by running the optional crossing pole under the fly instead of over it, as originally designed by Henry Shires. This gives the Moment DW much better snow load and wind resistance. But ya still need to stake down the fly hem stake loops to prevent the flapping from driving you nuts all night.

I'll take the design of the Moment DW over any similar Atko or other design for several reasons, CF struts at each end, two doors and two vestibules, 4 season usability, great ventilation and price, esp. compared to Hilleberg.

Eric B.



« Last Edit: 03:00:12, 25/02/19 by Litehiker »

beefy

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #17 on: 08:42:41, 25/02/19 »

I'll take the design of the Moment DW over any similar Atko or other design for several reasons, CF struts at each end, two doors and two vestibules, 4 season usability, great ventilation and price, esp. compared to Hilleberg.

Eric B.
Here in the UK we have to pay the penalty of excessive import tax duties which totally puts me off ordering anything from the United States
When you add import tax, handling fees etc. To the price it becomes expensive  :(
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

richardh1905

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #18 on: 09:21:40, 25/02/19 »
I'm also interested in the Wild Country Helm 1, I like the colour for a start, my Marmot is bright orange, for me its greatest failing! As always, I just can't decide!



The Helm 1 is on my radar too - looks like a good tough all rounder.
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Sonatine

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #19 on: 12:53:00, 25/02/19 »
I had a one person vango helium, which I managed to snag for a good price at £140 from the US including delivery and import fees. However, issues... Firstly, I could not get this tent taut, it would become very flappy very quickly, so I was starting to have concerns about how well it would hold up in any kind of wind. Then, I noticed I could see daylight through the fly, there were several perfect semicircle punctures in it. Fortunately the trip I was on saw no wind, not even a breeze, and not a drop of rain either. So I sent the tent back (to the US...) to get a refund, and because of my concern of wind-worthiness, I didn't get another one. Perhaps I had a duff one, but I have been put off this model because of this experience, which is a shame because it was a good price for a compact and light tent!

alan de enfield

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #20 on: 17:58:06, 25/02/19 »
I have been put off this model because of this experience, which is a shame because it was a good price for a compact and light tent!



Was it a 'good price' because no one would buy them ?
Was it 'light' because it had chunks missing (holes) ?


gunwharfman

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #21 on: 19:36:56, 25/02/19 »
I had a really good look on line last night under the heading of 'one man backpacking tents' and some variations on that theme to guide me to a definitive decsion about which tent I might buy. I read and read but I could not find one that really stood out as 'the best' for a reasonable price, up to £250. The reviewers mostly seem to concentate on what appears to be, either the biggest manufacturers, or the most popular, or big names that are not particulary good anyway, that is,being too heavy for rucksac comfort.

I'm still looking, Naturehike is still top of my list, with the Helm 1 being second, Big Ages seems to be a serious contender as does REI. I'm sure I'm expecting too much of a tent but I still feel the urge to look.

My criteria is, a 3 season tent with a side opening, mesh inside yes, but preferably not all of it and I want a small zip exit to store small things outside but under the tent on the opposite side to my exit 'door!' I want to be able to sit upright, want to be able to slide back and forth for about 12 inches as well. As you may recognise this is the MSR Hubba Hubba type concept which is what I know I like, which is also why the Naturehike tent is still top of my list. I also want the tent to be 'light in weight' but have never really decided what is a 'light' tent and which isn't a 'light' tent? The floor plan also needs to be wide enough to store my clothing and so on both sides of my sleeping matress. I'm happy to have a tent which is inner first, outer second and equally happy to have a tent where inner and outer are combined. This time though I want to avoid garish colours which sets me against the Naturehike tent, basic green would suit me fine so this is where I start favouring the Helm 1. I will make a decision sooner or later!

fernman

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #22 on: 19:46:51, 25/02/19 »
The reviewers mostly seem to concentate on what appears to be, either the biggest manufacturers, or the most popular, or big names that are not particulary good anyway, that is,being too heavy for rucksac comfort.

Far be it for me to suggest the big names offer financial inducements, but I'm sure that people get taken for nice lunches and dinners, and given free tickets for trade shows, etc., not to mention free products being handed out for testing, in which case they must feel obliged to write nice things about them rather than saying theey're a heap of ****.

Litehiker

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #23 on: 23:27:22, 25/02/19 »
beefy,
I have heard of the UK's Draconian import duties. D@mn shame B/C Tarptent is a family owned business (Henry Shires, owner and designer) AND they are all made in the USA, The People's Republic of California to be precise. I know that some Brits are partial the the SCARP 1 and SCARP 2 Tarptents. I have a SCARP 2 as well as the Moment DW, both with the ripstop inner tent. Our fine desert dust blows right through the full mesh inner tents.


Yeah, Hilleberg tents have bombproof material and construction and Tarptents merely use good grade silnylon and nicely durable construction but at more affordable prices for we Colonists. My Moment DW solo tent has been used year around for the past 5 years and shows virtually no signs of wear. But I treat it nicely it and wash it in the bath tub after each summer trip to get the "desert dust" off of it.


Eric B.

beefy

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #24 on: 09:16:53, 26/02/19 »
beefy,
I have heard of the UK's Draconian import duties. D@mn shame B/C Tarptent is a family owned business (Henry Shires, owner and designer) AND they are all made in the USA, The People's Republic of California to be precise. I know that some Brits are partial the the SCARP 1 and SCARP 2 Tarptents. I have a SCARP 2 as well as the Moment DW, both with the ripstop inner tent. Our fine desert dust blows right through the full mesh inner tents.


Yeah, Hilleberg tents have bombproof material and construction and Tarptents merely use good grade silnylon and nicely durable construction but at more affordable prices for we Colonists. My Moment DW solo tent has been used year around for the past 5 years and shows virtually no signs of wear. But I treat it nicely it and wash it in the bath tub after each summer trip to get the "desert dust" off of it.


Eric B.
I’ll stick with the msr tent at £200 it’s a steal, we do around 50 wild camps each year and it’s stood the test of time admirably  O0
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

zuludog

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #25 on: 10:03:57, 26/02/19 »
GUNWHARFMAN

Naturehike tents are available in different colours - grey, orange, & green, though the green appears a bit bright from the pictures on t'Net.
These colours are used to identify different weights, & quality of materials - look through their website for details

I have an Akto, which is obviously a very good tent. It set the standard when it was new, but times move on, and I wondered if I could find something that had a bit more room, and was a bit lighter than 1,7kg without necessarily going really ultralight
After a great deal of Searching & Surfing I bought an MSR Hubba NX Solo. It has a dark green flysheet and I'm quite happy with it. Like any tent, it gets easier & faster to pitch when you've got the hang of it after a few times

I don't use the rather fancy case or valise that came with the tent
I made a simple stuff sac, 38cm long X 15cm dia, and all the fabric fits easily into that, including the footprint. I don't roll anything up, I just stuff it in. This is small enough to carry inside a rucsac or carry on the outside without catching on fences or stiles
the poles & pegs fit vertically down the side of my rucsac
It weighs 1,394kg on my kitchen scales

There are two things that are outside your requirements stated in your post -

There is only the main door; no small rear zip. but it does have tabs in the ceiling for a gear loft, or you could rig up a couple of lines I am 5' 11"/178cm tall, and there is room at my head & feet to store gear & clothing. the porch is easily big enough for my 50l rucsac, boots, stove, pans, & water bags, with space & flysheet clearance for cooking

I got mine from www.elitemountainsupplies.co.uk. Currently they are selling the tent & footprint for £327-25, which admittedly is above your price range; on the other hand, the sewing & general construction is just about the best I've ever seen, including my Akto
i'm sure that if you could see one of these pitched in the flesh as it were, you'd be impressed

But you could buy 3 or 4 Naturehike tents for that - around and around we go!

I've just noticed there is the MSR Elixir 1 which is cheaper but heavier
« Last Edit: 10:18:10, 26/02/19 by zuludog »

gunwharfman

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #26 on: 15:48:08, 26/02/19 »
Thanks Zuludog. When I bought my present Marmot Pulsar 1P it was because it seemed to be a direct competitor to the MSR at the time. In the end it was the zipped strip on the non-door side (I can keep my Uriwell and other 'bits' outside until needed) and the bigger internal space of the Marmot that won me over and the lower price that won me over. Other than that they seemed to be very alike. Marmot no longer make a one man tent, all they sell now is for 2 people or more. I personally wouldn't go back to buying a Marmot tent because when three of my tent poles broke, the company staff were incredibly unhelpful. No spares were in stock in the UK and the USA site person was downright rude, he couldn't tell me anything about the tent poles that my tent used (or couldn't be bothered?) and he just dismissed me out of hand! All he wanted was for me to buy a new tent.

Jim Parkin

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #27 on: 16:52:35, 26/02/19 »
I've just remembered.......

Have a look at the Hex Peak V4a. This is, if you like, halfway between an orthodox tent and a tarp. You buy the outer, and use it single skin with just a groundsheet, or an inner as you wish, usually in cooler weather
To get the maximum weight saving it uses your trekking poles

I know a couple of people who use this, and they're happy enough with it

Find it at www.backpackinglight.co.uk  and videos on YouTube
Backpacking Light have other similar shelters, just Search their website
  Yup I like it.  Backpackinglight are good on customer service too. 

Bob was careful to ask my height before I bought it - I'm 5'10" as it's a bit small for someone 6' but fine for me. 

The inner is mostly mesh - but with enough to stop daughts (maybe the bottm foot is fabric).
For me the advantages of such a 1-person tent are:
1) It is high enough in the middle to sit up comfortably - about 140cm (unlike my previous Vango Tempest)2) It's easy to manage the ventilation - just raise the central pole if you want more.  When drying the tent in the sun, I've had it so that the bottom of the flysheet is high enough to crawl under.
3) It has an inner tent that should be bug proof4) It seems to shed the wind and indeed light snow pretty well (although you do need to re-tighten the guys in the snow). 
5) The price and weight were reasonable6) You pitch it fly first

Without the inner tent, it feels very large inside - I've not slept with that, but have used it to dump stuff when I'm setting uo. 

You can peg it out just with the 6 pegs it comes with, but I struggled to get the inner arranged properly with that, so have another five for that, and have put some 3mm shockcord on a running loop on each of the inner tent guys. 

richardh1905

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #28 on: 17:29:30, 26/02/19 »
I’ll stick with the msr tent at £200 it’s a steal, we do around 50 wild camps each year and it’s stood the test of time admirably  O0



Does your MSR pitch fly or inner first, beefy?
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

April

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Re: Light weight tents
« Reply #29 on: 18:33:50, 26/02/19 »
Does your MSR pitch fly or inner first, beefy?

It is inner first but it can be pitched outer first if you are using the footprint. We have pitched it outer first when it was raining  :)
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