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Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: tenmilesplus on 01:11:36, 20/11/17

Title: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: tenmilesplus on 01:11:36, 20/11/17
Hiya folks...

  I'm looking at walking a short 'long distance' next year, The Test way, which is 45miles, and was hoping to do it over a weekend..

  So here's my question; as you might have guessed, this would be my first long walk that deserves an overnight stay, which means I am looking to replace my festival pop up tent with something equally as cheap but more practical for my needs, two man, light, easy to erect and most importantly to take down and stow away..

 Any ideas ? I have seen a cheap one in Go Outdoors and yes it was festival tent money at around £25 but no liner or anything, I'm sure there must be some better value purchases out there, not cheaper than £25  but a light tent with a liner for around the £50 mark ?
 Used ones perhaps ?
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: NeilC on 09:48:50, 20/11/17
Depends on how heavy you want it and the quality.


Half decent, light, (under 2KG) tents from known outdoor brands tend to start at the £100 mark (Terra Nova/Wild Country etc) but if you're OK with heavier than that then there are cheaper ones.


However there are the Chinese options from brands like Nature Hike, and Geertop on Amazon which are breaking these limits and apparently aren't terrible. E.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/GEERTOP-Ultralight-Backpacking-Lightweight-Climbing/dp/B01J9XWK5G/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_200_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=KZAA60T7A7G7E00WD8QE (https://www.amazon.co.uk/GEERTOP-Ultralight-Backpacking-Lightweight-Climbing/dp/B01J9XWK5G/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_200_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=KZAA60T7A7G7E00WD8QE) - 1.2KG is very light. Still £80 mind.


There are even cheaper options if you don't mind a cheapo options for very occassional use
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: tenmilesplus on 21:10:25, 22/11/17
 Hiya, cheers for the reply, I am looking around for a light tent, the more I look into it the more info I find, 190t / 2000 seems to be good value and as I'm going to be using it for Summer only I don't see any point of getting anything more expensive..
 Is there a better brand and brands to avoid ? I see Vano, HI gear, ?? Quechua Forclaz ?? and many more, what should I be looking for other than weight / head / thread per inch etc..

What about a ground sheet ? I see there are foam ones, inflatable ones, self inflatable ones.. Or is it worth not taking one ? I see they are only 750g so it seems worth carrying one for the comfort / weight ratio.

  To save a bit of weight and for ease of packing I'm just going to take a fleece / Pongee as I don't like being too warm at night..
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: jimbob on 23:51:31, 22/11/17
I bought a real cheapie, BUT was prepared to put a lot of time into it.  All seams were restitched and taped, extra peg points added. Tension points were reinforced and the whole tent sprayed with Fabsil Gold, twice. It has served OK, my problem wasn't the coffin tent but the shoddy sleeping bag that I eventually got rid of in Spain when walking the Camino. I bought a cheap quilt that did a better job but is still too heavy for me really. saving up for a down bag.

There is a series of Youtube videos showing what to do with cheap tents (apart from binning them, that is. :) )
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: NeilC on 18:09:44, 23/11/17
What is your top limit money wise?
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: Stube on 19:25:11, 23/11/17
When I first got back into backpacking (after a 40 year layoff!) I used a single skin dome tent £10 from Wilko. The only mod I did was to spray waterproofing on it. It worked fine with only slight misting under severe driving rain - condensation was less than any of the expensive silnylon tents I've has since. I used it for some 300 miles until I decided I liked backpacking. TIP: I used a brolly as a cooking shelter/windbreak - it fits the curve of the tent.

Take a mat - any mat - to insulate yourself from the ground, and for the comfort. Foam ones are very cheap, and weight little, but do take up space!



Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: tenmilesplus on 00:19:46, 24/11/17

  I am looking for a tent to carry on a trail walk, I am going to star with the Test way down here in flat Hampshire, there are few places to over night so I want to take the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and complete my first trail ( LDW ) and wild / bandit camp for 1 / 2 nights.. If I enjoy it I might just go on longer trails ( proper LDW ) for 3 / 4 nights..

  There are cheap tents;   Yellowstone 2 Man. Geer top 2 ( ebay spesh ) £25ish 2000 Hydro head.

  There are discounted tents; Vango banshee 200 £100ish. Coleman cobra 2 £60ish. 2000 / 4000 hydro head

 There are small tents; OEX PHOXX 1 £60ish

  All these tents are sort of thing I'm looking for, easy, cheap and light.. All these tents are £25 - £100ish and weigh 2kgish or less.. I have come across some that claim 4000 hydrostatic head and taped seems for this money but there must be something more to it ? How about a tent that is designed to be easy to dismantle and erect as the You tube vids show erection not take down, or how about thought put into the design, I see some tents have pockets internally and I have seen a video that had a moan that there was no hook to hang a torch ( aarrh didums.. ) but another video that showed a tent with handy clips and straps to allow the tent to be erected during high winds but I have seen only one video of a different tent that can be erected in the rain without getting the internals wet.. There seems to be a lot to think about and I am getting mental fogging with all the differences..

 So my question is; A tent that is light, easy to erect and take down, good design features and most of all reliably waterproof.. I have read how a tent has been designed to have good moisture control but reviews say it hasn't, but on the other hand the tent is very light, so good points and bad points to be had.. What is a 'must have' design feature and what could be considered a luxury ? ( such as a hook to hang a torch ).. Also the Elephant in the room as far as erection is concerned is guy ropes... How sturdy do they make a small one / two man tent, am I better off paying extra for a tent with ropes or not worry too much and add my own ?

 What is your design preference for a 1 / 2 man tent ? Coffin ? Tunnel ? dome ? How practical are they ? I would like to keep my kit nearby and waterproof and would also like a porch or similar to cook under if it's raining.. but because I will be sneaking a tent into a corner of a field or small patch of woods I want to keep a low profile and attract as little attention as possible..

  Few, I know I have a lot of questions, treat me gentle, I am a Virgin..   ::)
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: tenmilesplus on 00:26:17, 24/11/17


Take a mat - any mat - to insulate yourself from the ground, and for the comfort. Foam ones are very cheap, and weight little, but do take up space!
[/quote]

 Good advice, I was given a cheap dome tent because it had 'Bar b q burn holes' in it and went for a trip out on my motorbike down to Durdle door and I didn't even consider taking a mat, consequently I got no sleep but I was intimate with every bump and dip in the ground I had the tent pitched on..

 I can't decide on a cheap self inflatable or put up with carrying a foam one attached to the outside of the rucksack..
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: fernman on 14:01:04, 24/11/17
What is your design preference for a 1 / 2 man tent ? Coffin ? Tunnel ? dome ? How practical are they ? I would like to keep my kit nearby and waterproof and would also like a porch or similar to cook under if it's raining.. but because I will be sneaking a tent into a corner of a field or small patch of woods I want to keep a low profile and attract as little attention as possible.

After years of use of a tunnel-type tent (Ultimate Tramp 1 with 'A' poles at the entrance) I switched to a side-entry hooped one (Zephyros 1) and I much prefer the latter.

You had to practically slide yourself into the tunnel one, and even though it had a large porch you had to get past all your gear to enter or exit. Retrieving anything from the middle or end of the inner meant diving in headfirst, while getting undressed/dressed was a challenge because the highest point was at the very end, so you had to sit up with your bum positioned right by the entrance and it still wasn't enough room. Putting trousers or longjohns on means laying down and putting your knees up; again there was insufficient room (I'm 5ft11 BTW).

With the side-entrance one everything is easily accessible at either end of the porch and the inner. Getting undressed/dressed is much easier because with the hoop across the middle it's just right for sitting up, stretching arms, bending knees. A really big advantage I find is that you can sleep with your head at either end, depending on any tiny slope of the ground; this makes it more versatile when it comes to finding a pitch.

Unlike a tunnel tent that you pitch tail end into the wind, the Zephyros is meant to have its back to the wind. I have made a modification so that I can hold the opening in the flysheet open over a walking pole, using a length of guy and a peg. With the wind (or rain) coming from behind this gives just a little bit of extra shelter.

The only other comparison I'll make between the two designs is that there was lots of room around your head in the tunnel one, and a psychological feeling of withdrawing from the elements into its cocoon-like unterior, whereas the side-entrance one could be considered a tad claustrophobic with the low end of the inner close to your head.

Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: NeilC on 14:04:38, 24/11/17
Don't worry about hydrostatic head. If the tent is made by a reasonable manufacturer, it'll be waterproof for UK conditions. It's not like jackets where you need it to be high to be sure of staying dry. Generally tents leak at the seams if they're going to leak and you can get a tube of seam sealer for that, not that I've needed it so far.


I'd recommend this: https://www.winfieldsoutdoors.co.uk/wild-country-coshee-2-tent/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-fSoq3X1wIVBGYbCh3vJwUvEAQYASABEgJIDfD_BwE#fo_c=2257&fo_k=f6bb759f2df3071f166d6cec38fcc242&fo_s=gplauk (https://www.winfieldsoutdoors.co.uk/wild-country-coshee-2-tent/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-fSoq3X1wIVBGYbCh3vJwUvEAQYASABEgJIDfD_BwE#fo_c=2257&fo_k=f6bb759f2df3071f166d6cec38fcc242&fo_s=gplauk) - £90


I've got one. Plenty of room for 1 and doable to two (very close) friends at a push (2man tents are rarely really comfy for 2 adult men). Room enough to get your mat down and your rucksack inside with you with room to spare. Porches on both sides for wet boots etc and cooking in the rain.


Very easy  and quick to erect. Has stood up to varying amounts of wind and rain and has been bone dry throughout. I'd change a few things on it namely how the inner zips run but really I'm perfectly happy with it.


if you don't mind spending a bit more, the Zephyros 2 is highly rated by many https://www.tauntonleisure.com/wild-country-zephyros-2-tent-2017.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Adwords&utm_content=Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8Z7_mq7X1wIVdhbTCh2PSwJgEAQYAiABEgLE-fD_BwE (https://www.tauntonleisure.com/wild-country-zephyros-2-tent-2017.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Adwords&utm_content=Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8Z7_mq7X1wIVdhbTCh2PSwJgEAQYAiABEgLE-fD_BwE) £104  My mate has one, not as quick to put up but is lighter than the Coshee.

I've got one of those £20 coffin jobs too. I never use it.

Personally I cannot be done with 1 man tents. I want the room and if I were to upgrade my current tent, it would be to get a 3 man one of the same weight. A few hundred grams < comfort to me. A 1 man isn't so much smaller than a 2 man that it will make the difference between getting noticed or not.

As for mats, I'm in my late 40s with joint problems and no way could I sleep a wink on a CCF foam mat. I did when I was a youngster but I could sleep anywhere back then. So I recommend either an inflatable or a self-inflating one. You can get cheapish ones from Alpkit, Decathlon and of course Chinese jobs. If you're going in colder conditions then you can add a £5 foam mat for added insulation if required.
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: Jac on 14:49:33, 24/11/17

I'd recommend this: https://www.winfieldsoutdoors.co.uk/wild-country-coshee-2-tent/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-fSoq3X1wIVBGYbCh3vJwUvEAQYASABEgJIDfD_BwE#fo_c=2257&fo_k=f6bb759f2df3071f166d6cec38fcc242&fo_s=gplauk (https://www.winfieldsoutdoors.co.uk/wild-country-coshee-2-tent/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-fSoq3X1wIVBGYbCh3vJwUvEAQYASABEgJIDfD_BwE#fo_c=2257&fo_k=f6bb759f2df3071f166d6cec38fcc242&fo_s=gplauk) - £90

I've got one. Plenty of room for 1 and doable to two (very close) friends at a push (2man tents are rarely really comfy for 2 adult men). Room enough to get your mat down and your rucksack inside with you with room to spare. Porches on both sides for wet boots etc and cooking in the rain.

Very easy  and quick to erect. Has stood up to varying amounts of wind and rain and has been bone dry throughout. I'd change a few things on it namely how the inner zips run but really I'm perfectly happy with it.

Black Friday offer £89.90 9 (from £140)
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: gunwharfman on 20:25:49, 24/11/17
I have a Zephyros One, yes a good tent, I tend to use it in the colder months. I have only experienced one problem, I snapped a pole in two. I intially put it down to bad manufacture but it wasn't. My problem was caused by sliding the pole through the tunnel in wet weather. I completly forgot to remember that if the 'tunnel' and/or the poles are wet, insteading of sliding smoothly to their correct position the two types of material just stuck together like glue. As I bent the last pole to fit into its socket, it just snapped!
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: gunwharfman on 09:55:49, 25/11/17
I had hoped that with this Black Friday thing the tents that I'm thinking about might be price lowered. Not seen any at the moment. I always assume that prices tend to rise on tents (and other stuff) after December 1st or after December 26th? I've no idea really but do people start to plan what they will do next year around the New Year, I know I start to firm up my plans around this time of the year.
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: tenmilesplus on 19:02:49, 27/11/17
  I little disappointed with the price of tents not going down be it Black Friday, Cyber Monday or time of year but I have gone and done it, I have bought a Jack Wolfskin Gossamer 100.. Does anyone have one or has used one ? Dis you get on with it ? I did have my heart set on a funky looking tent but when I went to Go Outdoors I found I didn't fit in the OEX Foxx, neither length or width.. I started looking at 2 man lightweight tents reading reviews and especially watching real reviews on You tube.. The JW,G100 has a thick base sheet and is only a few mm smaller than a two man tent.. Alloy pole, few pegs, good internal flysheet and a small pack but most important lightweight at around 1.7kg.

  I got baffled by the sheer amount of choice and different styles so I decided to write down as much information as I could so I could do a direct comparison... I found plenty of cheapo Chinese sub £50 efforts which I don't have a problem with but if I get on with this camping lark I would be wanting a decent tent so I thought I would spend just a few pounds more and get something that is likely to last or be worth selling on if I don't get on with camping..

  I was very tempted by the Vango Blade for the extra space compared to similar tents, Vango seem to have designed a very useful bit of kit there but as I am likely to be Wild camping a tall tent might be a bit noticeable. The Zephyros 1 is also a fine tent with a great spec but I couldn't find one below £100..

 When the new tent arrives should I wet it and seal the seems ? How do you seal the seems ? I have plenty of Tent proofer that I bought to treat the soft top on my MGF..

   
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: gunwharfman on 19:08:23, 27/11/17
I want to buy a Snugpak Stratoshere bivi, anyone want to sell theirs to me? I'm happy about buying used stuff.
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: fernman on 19:46:32, 27/11/17
When the new tent arrives should I wet it and seal the seems ? How do you seal the seems ? I have plenty of Tent proofer that I bought to treat the soft top on my MGF..

You use a purpose-made seam sealer, not tent proofer, which you apply to the insides of the seams, it's like a sort of clear glue. Don't wet the tent, you apply it with the tent dry. Take a look on Amazon for a selection of brands and user reviews.

I used McNett Seamgrip on my old tent 4 years ago, this is the review I left on Amazon at the time:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R2QQATBET9MZV7/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B009VXVBMI (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R2QQATBET9MZV7/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B009VXVBMI)

Having said the above, I would suggest that you shouldn't need to do it on a brand new tent, unless it specifically instructs you to seal the seams before use. If it doesn't, then don't worry about it. Do you have a garden you can pitch it in before rain? Any wet spots on the groundsheet would be plain to see.
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: tenmilesplus on 02:20:33, 30/11/17
 :D
  I'm still waiting for my new tent to arrive... I can't wait !!
 I have also ordered a fleece tent liner to use on it's own when camping during the Summer and a 50mm self inflating sleeping mat.. I'm wondering if I should also get some decent pegs ? Are lighter pegs worth getting ? Just to save a few ounces ?

  Do you think it's a good idea to start a general camping thread somewhere ?
Title: Re: when to buy a tent ?
Post by: fernman on 16:39:09, 30/11/17
Presume you meant a fleece sleeping bag liner? You've got tents on the brain  :D .
Unless you're a hot sleeper I rather think you wouldn't find that warm enough in place of a sleeping bag, except in a heatwave, and we don't get many of them. It can get quite chilly in the small hours out in the countryside, even in summer!

Are lighter pegs worth getting to save ounces? I'm biased, I'll do anything to save ounces! But unless your new tent comes with particularly heavy pegs you probably won't find much difference. I replaced the alluminium ones with my Zephyros because they were nasty cheap, sharp things, but I was surprised to find they were lighter than  titanium ones.

I'm happy to leave camping mixed in with General and Gear boards as it is now. This is a walking forum and we are walkers who camp, carrying it with us. A general camping thread could pull things too far away from walking and towards static camping (is that the right word?) and 'family camping' for which I expect there are already specialised forums. Just my opinion.