Author Topic: Tent Choice  (Read 3848 times)

Bhod

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #30 on: 13:42:21, 01/02/20 »
The Vango looks a good tent but I don't think a tent made in China can just be dismissed as a 'shabby Chinese knockoff.' Lots of people have bought them and I even know of two people personally that have them. I haven't heard any more complaints from these owners than I've heard from any other owners who have bought other makes of tents. I'd buy a tent made in China if it was right for me, but for me, its the colour (white) that's the drawback.

Forgive me if I've got the wrong end of the stick, GWM, but i fail to see how

 "Just throwing this in the mix -  I looked at the Zephyros Compact as well as several similar Chinese lightweight tents before deciding on purchasing the Vango Cairngorm 200 (for slightly less than £110) ,a slight increase in weight and packsize than the Z2 compact but still within the acceptable parameters I'd set for myself.  I know past performance is no indication of present or future performance but I've had Vango tents throughout my life and have never found a reason to distrust them, something that had a major bearing on my decision to purchase."

 translates into "shabby Chinese knockoff" or anything disparaging against any other make of tent for that matter??
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alan de enfield

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #31 on: 13:48:48, 01/02/20 »
Another benefit of these tents is the accessories you can get to improve the tent.

The Tents (as supplied) is actually better than the MSR Hubba Hubba in that whilst the MSR inner tent is almost 75% mesh (and cold and draughty in the UK weather) the Chinese copy is actually something over 50% 'solid' with only the top 45% (?) being mesh.







You can also order it with a 'solid' inner (a few £s more) or you can buy a 'solid' inner tent and have a 'Winter' version and keep the 'as supplied' inner for Spring / Summer / Autumn

Full '4-season' inner tent.




Should you find you need a bit more room (Sons gets bigger) or somewhere to keep the bike, or somewhere to cook, you can buy and 'extension'.










Maybe you can tell - I am impressed by the quality and versatility of these tents.
« Last Edit: 13:54:28, 01/02/20 by alan de enfield »

richardh1905

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #32 on: 14:33:45, 01/02/20 »
Interesting that you can buy a more solid inner, Alan.
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Little Foot

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #33 on: 14:42:47, 01/02/20 »
Sorry can't help you with an opinion of Ali Express, I've never used them. I read a couple of times on the Forum that those people were happy with them.As an aside, I bought 2 hiking shirts from Columbia last week, I only realised that their journey originated in France when I started the tracking process.

On some of the Naturehike tents I was looking at, you can select to have them sent from the U.K. I don't think they had the colour I wanted though.

Little Foot, my wife buys quite a lot of small items for her hobby via AliExpress. She says there is usually a clear returns policy shown with each item.
They generally do not like to replace lost or damaged goods but prefer to refund. She has never had a problem in that area.

I have bought a couple of things from Ali, no more than £7 for the two items together. My main worry was just with it being a large purchase, and the length of time it takes, if it arrived faulty, it might take a long while to rectify, if replacements needed sending out.
 I'm looking at getting other gear from there at the moment, like cheap light seats (can't afford the thermarest ones just yet).

I have mentioned this in previous posts, but I guess you may not have seen it.

The tent I purchased arrived exactly when promised (next day) Although listed on Ali-Express they had UK stock.
I opened up the package and assembled the tent, but couldn't work out how to fit the end of ONE pole thru the eyelet in the tab, all others fitted, but this one didn't, I tried moving the poles around to see if it was 'handed' and this 'nipple' fitted into a specific tab, but NO! it would not fit anywhere.
Emailed the company and explained the problem (sending them a photo of the 'wrong' nipple alongside a 'correct nipple'). The company said they would send me a replacement by 'Over night express'.

Next day, parcel arrives and I think that's a bit big just for a 'nipple'.
It turned out to be a COMPLETE replacement, poles / tent / flysheet / Guys / Footprint / pegs - the whole caboodle.
Emailed the company and asked them how they would like me to return the original tent to be told "very sorry for the inconvenience, please keep it free of charge with our thanks".

I sourced a bag (5 pieces) of nipples froma seller on Ebay at a cost of " a couple of pounds", 2 minute job to replace the nipple and then 2-spares in each of the 'peg-bags' (Just in case I ever need one) and I ended up with 2 complete tents for £75 + £2.

I have no hesitation in recommending Chinese companies for their service levels.

The difference between the nipples.




Wow! That is excellent service. Bet you was really please with that result! From what you say, they really do want to keep customers happy, especially with the way they seem to upgrade their tents after listening to what customers think of their products. I'll certainly consider one in future then.


Forgive me if I've got the wrong end of the stick, GWM, but i fail to see how

 "Just throwing this in the mix -  I looked at the Zephyros Compact as well as several similar Chinese lightweight tents before deciding on purchasing the Vango Cairngorm 200 (for slightly less than £110) ,a slight increase in weight and packsize than the Z2 compact but still within the acceptable parameters I'd set for myself.  I know past performance is no indication of present or future performance but I've had Vango tents throughout my life and have never found a reason to distrust them, something that had a major bearing on my decision to purchase."

 translates into "shabby Chinese knockoff" or anything disparaging against any other make of tent for that matter??

GWM wasn't referring to your post when he mentioned about the Chinese Knockoffs.  :)

Another benefit of these tents is the accessories you can get to improve the tent.

The Tents (as supplied) is actually better than the MSR Hubba Hubba in that whilst the MSR inner tent is almost 75% mesh (and cold and draughty in the UK weather) the Chinese copy is actually something over 50% 'solid' with only the top 45% (?) being mesh.



You can also order it with a 'solid' inner (a few £s more) or you can buy a 'solid' inner tent and have a 'Winter' version and keep the 'as supplied' inner for Spring / Summer / Autumn

Full '4-season' inner tent.




Should you find you need a bit more room (Sons gets bigger) or somewhere to keep the bike, or somewhere to cook, you can buy and 'extension'.









Maybe you can tell - I am impressed by the quality and versatility of these tents.

That looks a fab tent, especially with the extra porch piece (or whatever the correct name is). The review I watched from an English guy who reviews various tents (only seen the one review) was very impressed with the quality of the Chinese ones. I've got a few days til the other one arrives so it is definitely something I can be considering.

Butchersboy

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #34 on: 15:23:14, 01/02/20 »

I did think I'd got a bargain, but unsure how it differs between the compact version, apart from larger on pack size and weight. The version I have bought does have 2 doors, which is a bonus. I was wondering about the ground sheet. I realised last night that it didn't come with one. This is the one I bought. Click. [nofollow]


I thought unpacking and testing it out in my rucksack might be a good idea before I return, the tent is not forced to stay in the carry bag it comes with, but if I do get it all out, I'm not sure how easily I'd get it all back in the bag if I did want to return it as I'm not one for being able to pack large things up easily lol. I'll have a 58L bag with me, so can't see it being a problem fitting the poles in.
I would suggest not using the bag it comes in but instead compressing it down into a waterproof type stuff sack. You'd be amazed how small you can compress them to save space.
The tent poles and pegs would simply fit down the inside of your rucksack.


Another good tip, slightly off topic is to use a down sleeping bag rather than a synthetic. The weight and space saving is incredible.
I did get my down sleeping bag from AliExpress.

Little Foot

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #35 on: 16:12:53, 01/02/20 »
I would suggest not using the bag it comes in but instead compressing it down into a waterproof type stuff sack. You'd be amazed how small you can compress them to save space.
The tent poles and pegs would simply fit down the inside of your rucksack.


Another good tip, slightly off topic is to use a down sleeping bag rather than a synthetic. The weight and space saving is incredible.
I did get my down sleeping bag from AliExpress.


Thanks for your advice. I watched a kit vid on YouTube earlier today where the guy was putting certain items in bags and I wondered what they were and called. I guess now that they were the stuff sacks. I shall look into them as well as the down sleeping bag, thanks again.

alan de enfield

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #36 on: 16:18:02, 01/02/20 »

Thanks for your advice. I watched a kit vid on YouTube earlier today where the guy was putting certain items in bags and I wondered what they were and called. I guess now that they were the stuff sacks. I shall look into them as well as the down sleeping bag, thanks again.

I changed from a synthetic to a down sleeping bag and got the tent in the space saved.

Weight of the synthetic was 1500grams
Weight of the Down is 750 grams

Specification virtually identical

This is it (the price has dropped considerably from when I bought it)

https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15903110/oex-helios-ev-hydrodown-300-sleeping-bag-15903110

gunwharfman

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #37 on: 17:44:41, 01/02/20 »
Yes, me too, a down sleeping quilt, compresses so small and puffs up so big. Mind you I am extra careful about keeping it dry, I've read that down loses all of its heat-retaining qualities if wet. From time to time I look for a bathtub groundsheet that rolls up, or folds easily, but I have never found one. For me, this would be useful now that I bivi more and more.

richardh1905

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #38 on: 21:03:08, 01/02/20 »
3 downsides to down:

Expensive
Ethical considerations (sometimes 'live plucked')
Useless if it gets wet

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richardh1905

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #39 on: 21:05:39, 01/02/20 »
I've read that down loses all of its heat-retaining qualities if wet.

I can confirm that! When I was 16 I went on a cadet force camp in Derbyshire. Torrential rain flooded our non groundsheet tents, and then the US Army Arctic Issue down sleeping bag that I had - might as well have tried to sleep in a sponge. We were evacuated to a barn loft, warm vapours from the cows below staving off hypothermia.
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Little Foot

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #40 on: 21:47:18, 01/02/20 »
That's a big saving in the weight for the down sleeping bag, but can't really afford it when I've got a fair bit of kit to get. Also as Richard pointed out, the ethical side of it concerns me, if made in China.


Richard - Sounds like a night to remember!

richardh1905

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #41 on: 21:52:00, 01/02/20 »
It was my first ever night under canvas - a wonder that I wasn't put off for life, but I love camping, the wilder the better.
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Little Foot

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #42 on: 22:01:31, 01/02/20 »
Rather annoyed with Wiggle. They've got back to me in regards to the cancellation message that I sent yesterday, saying it was too late to cancel. The system would not let me cancel despite me trying two minutes after ordering, (their policy states it can be cancelled if done before the order is processed). I find it extremely hard to believe that their warehouse completely processed the order within two minutes, especially since I have a screenshot with the order saying 'in progress' as I tried to cancel.


The Consumer Contract Regulations state that when cancelling an order, it must not be made difficult and I should be able to do it at the point of sale. Their system automatically not allowing it, is against those regulations and is a deliberate ploy to circumvent those regs. I received the despatch email over 24 hours after I tried to cancel.


Luckily one of the options allows me to return the item free, all the other ways I have to pay for.


I still might keep it though.  ;D  I'm moaning because it's the principle of the thing lol.

Little Foot

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #43 on: 22:02:17, 01/02/20 »
It was my first ever night under canvas - a wonder that I wasn't put off for life, but I love camping, the wilder the better.


I'm hoping my son feels the same, and that I don't end up putting him off for life when things inevitably go wrong.

richardh1905

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Re: Tent Choice
« Reply #44 on: 22:32:35, 01/02/20 »
I doubt that the Zephyros will let you down, it is a well proved design from a reputable manufacturer.
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