Seek advice: 2-man backpacking tent

In article <[email hidden]>, Jim Willsher
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

Yes, I know this has been asked a zillion times before, and I suspect
I'll get differing answers.

I'm looking for a lightweight (2.3Kg or less) backpacking tent for 2
people, for three season Scotland. Currently looking at the Lightwave
T1 Ultra, Hilleberg Nallo 2, and the Jack Wolfskin Last Resort RT II.

Lightwave and Nallo both come it a whopping £390+., the Jack Wolfskin
is only £200. With...apparently...very few differences between them,

Any advice? Anyone? I don't mind if it's geodeic or tunnel, just as
long as it's light and can cope with Scotland. Large porch area for
two rucksacks would be useful (therefore, it probably has to be a
tunnel tent).

Take a look at the Saunders Spacepacker too. It is not the lightest but
it has oodles of porch space and two doors on both sides so you and your
buddy need not get in each others way. If you are taller than average
you should go for the plus model or you will probably get irritated by
the sloping tent wall in your face.

http://www.robertsaunders.co.uk/pages/spacepacker.html

--

Dominic Sexton

Dominic Sexton said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Jim Willsher
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

Yes, I know this has been asked a zillion times before, and I suspect
I'll get differing answers.

I'm looking for a lightweight (2.3Kg or less) backpacking tent for 2
people, for three season Scotland. Currently looking at the Lightwave
T1 Ultra, Hilleberg Nallo 2, and the Jack Wolfskin Last Resort RT II.

Lightwave and Nallo both come it a whopping £390+., the Jack Wolfskin
is only £200. With...apparently...very few differences between them,

Any advice? Anyone? I don't mind if it's geodeic or tunnel, just as
long as it's light and can cope with Scotland. Large porch area for
two rucksacks would be useful (therefore, it probably has to be a
tunnel tent).

Take a look at the Saunders Spacepacker too. It is not the lightest but
it has oodles of porch space and two doors on both sides so you and your
buddy need not get in each others way. If you are taller than average
you should go for the plus model or you will probably get irritated by
the sloping tent wall in your face.

http://www.robertsaunders.co.uk/pages/spacepacker.html

Hi Dominic,

I had looked at the Saunders stuff but had more questions than
answers. Do you have this tent yourself? Do the inner and fly pack
separately (carrying between two people) ?

Saunders seems to be a good company, and their gear always seems to be
highly-rated in this NG. Do you have any more info/tails/war stories
on this particular tent?

many thanks,

Jim

Hi Jim

See the new extended porch Mountain Equipment Dragonfly too. I've got
the standard one (i.e. no extended porch) and I'm very pleased with it
(just used it on a 2 weeks' backpack across Scotland). A friend has
the extended porch version, and he's used it successfully to camp with
a second person.

Inner and outer go up together, and pack together. (I suppose you could
separate them if you wanted to.) There should be more info on the ME
site, but basically this tent was designed last year by some
world-famous tent designer (!) specifically for use in our peculiar
British climate. It has cunning little openings that help eliminate
condensation. Highly recommended.

I think mine was £261 from Cotswold: the extended porch version will
be a bit more. Mine weighs 2.1kg, and - again - the extended porch
version will weigh a little more.

Good luck!

Hi Jim,

Quoted message said:

I had looked at the Saunders stuff but had more questions than
answers. Do you have this tent yourself?

I bought one last year. I have not used it much (4 one night trips) but
am very impressed.

Quoted message said:

Do the inner and fly pack
separately (carrying between two people) ?

Yes. The inner hooks onto the fly in two places (one each side at the
top) but other than that it is completely separate. It is very quick to
get the fly up as it just takes 4 pegs (more pegs might be needed if
windy) and the pole and then you can sort out the inner and complete
pegging the fly at your leisure.

Quoted message said:

Saunders seems to be a good company, and their gear always seems to be
highly-rated in this NG. Do you have any more info/tails/war stories
on this particular tent?

I have the standard Mk1 and found that the weight is just over ~2.1kg
rather than the 1.9kg quoted on the site but it also seems a little
larger than the dimensions on the site (but not as large as the Plus). I
am 5'7" and have no problem with the sloping wall but it is a little
strange having the material above my head. I tend to sleep on my side
anyway.

If you want a shelter for a brew stop / lunch out of the rain and wind
it is very quick to get the fly up and you then have lots of space. That
is something I have been inclined to try with my old two pole tents
because of the extra hassle.

Having 4 doors means you will always have one out of the wind for
getting in and out and for ventilation if necessary.

I have not used it in high winds yet but the design does seem quite
stable. It obviously won't shrug off the wind as well as a decent
multi-pole design but 90% of the time or more I would rather have less
weight to carry!

I have not tried it two up as all the trips have been solo - apart from
a quick test in the garden. It would perhaps be a little cosy with 2 but
having two large porches means the gear is out of the inner. If you like
to sit out bad weather in the tent you might prefer more room.

The Saunders green blends in very well with the hillside vegetation
which is handy for folk who prefer to wild camp :-)

I would recommend finding shop with one so you can have a lie down in it
before buying just to make sure that you feel OK with the wall slope.
Ideally you want to try a standard and a Plus.

--

Dominic Sexton

Jim Willsher said:

Hi All,

Yes, I know this has been asked a zillion times before, and I suspect
I'll get differing answers.

I'm looking for a lightweight (2.3Kg or less) backpacking tent for 2
people, for three season Scotland. Currently looking at the Lightwave
T1 Ultra, Hilleberg Nallo 2, and the Jack Wolfskin Last Resort RT II.

Lightwave and Nallo both come it a whopping £390+., the Jack

Wolfskin

Quoted message said:

is only £200. With...apparently...very few differences between them,

Any advice? Anyone? I don't mind if it's geodeic or tunnel, just as
long as it's light and can cope with Scotland. Large porch area for
two rucksacks would be useful (therefore, it probably has to be a
tunnel tent).

Many thanks!

Jim

PS Just carried my 10-year-old Wild Country Trisar (3.4Kg) from
Dalwhinnie to Fort William, and have vowed to buy a new tent!

Terra Nova Solar 2

Dominic Sexton said:

The Saunders green blends in very well with the hillside vegetation
which is handy for folk who prefer to wild camp :-)

I would recommend finding shop with one so you can have a lie down in it
before buying just to make sure that you feel OK with the wall slope.
Ideally you want to try a standard and a Plus.

I have a Spacepacker Plus mk1 and it is superb. I've used in all year
round at low level and up in the mountains for 3 season use. It's a
greta tent, light and very spacious. It's worth getting the plus rather
than the standard one for the bit of extra room in my opinion. I'm not
sure if any shops stock them nowadyas, they may just be direct sales.
Go to Snowdonia, the Lakes or the Highalnds and you should be able to
see plenty in use most weekends though.

Where are you roughly ? Someone on here may be able to show you theirs.
And I do mean their tent! ;-)

--
regards

Bill

On 24/5/05 09:54, in article [email hidden],

Jim Willsher said:

I'm looking for a lightweight (2.3Kg or less) backpacking tent for 2
people, for three season Scotland. Currently looking at the Lightwave
T1 Ultra, Hilleberg Nallo 2, and the Jack Wolfskin Last Resort RT II.

I use the Hilleberg Nallo and can really find nothing to fault it. The tent
is light, roomy and has a massive porch which can take 2 rucksacks without
any problems. It is also fast and easy to pitch.

The Nallo is a tunnel tent but is still pretty stable. Indeed, I've been in
it, during the winter, in some horrendous conditions; this tent takes it all
in its stride.

I'm not surprised that this tent seems to regularly win all of the mag
tests.

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

To mail simply put back the dots ...

On Tue, 24 May 2005 22:56:43 +0100, Bill Scarab

billscarab@junk_hotmail.com said:

Dominic Sexton said:

The Saunders green blends in very well with the hillside vegetation
which is handy for folk who prefer to wild camp :-)

I would recommend finding shop with one so you can have a lie down in it
before buying just to make sure that you feel OK with the wall slope.
Ideally you want to try a standard and a Plus.

I have a Spacepacker Plus mk1 and it is superb. I've used in all year
round at low level and up in the mountains for 3 season use. It's a
greta tent, light and very spacious. It's worth getting the plus rather
than the standard one for the bit of extra room in my opinion. I'm not
sure if any shops stock them nowadyas, they may just be direct sales.
Go to Snowdonia, the Lakes or the Highalnds and you should be able to
see plenty in use most weekends though.

Where are you roughly ? Someone on here may be able to show you theirs.
And I do mean their tent! ;-)

Thanks everyone. I have this morning placed an order for a Spacepacker
Mk 1.

I didn't go for the Plus on the basis that the extra room probably
didn't justify the extra weight - the reason for buying a new tent is
to save weight. There looks to be ample room in the Mk 1 for our needs
(though when it's pitched we might think differently!). Neither of us
is particular tall (5'8", 5'4"😉 as we've already downsized on
rucksacks, so hopefully we won't regret the decision.

The Nallo looked like an excellent tent, as did the Lightwave t1
ultra, but they were just way way too expensive. I've bought the
Spacepacker from Spa Cycles (http://www.spacycles.co.uk/offers.php)
for only £215 - the cheapest I found Nallo 2 was £340.

I'll report back once it has arrived.

Jim

Quoted message said:

The Nallo is a tunnel tent but is still pretty stable. Indeed, I've been
in
it, during the winter, in some horrendous conditions; this tent takes it
all
in its stride.

I'm not surprised that this tent seems to regularly win all of the mag
tests.

I ended up going for a Nallo 2 which I am really very happy with indeed.
Quality of build seems exceptionally good and with the new rear vent,
ventilation is improved. I got mine imported from the US using this company:
http://moontrail.com/tents/hilleberg_nallo2gt.php I also got a free Myo 5
headtorch thrown in which seemed pretty fair! I was taxed ~£60 at this end,
but it still worked out WAY cheeper! I'm normally all for supporting
outdoor retailers in the UK but when you are saving over £100 looking over
the pond seems like the way forward!

Ian MacD.

On 25/5/05 18:33, in article [email hidden],

Ian Mac' No Spam said:

I ended up going for a Nallo 2 which I am really very happy with indeed.
Quality of build seems exceptionally good and with the new rear vent,
ventilation is improved. I got mine imported from the US using this company:
http://moontrail.com/tents/hilleberg_nallo2gt.php I also got a free Myo 5
headtorch thrown in which seemed pretty fair! I was taxed ~£60 at this end,
but it still worked out WAY cheeper! I'm normally all for supporting
outdoor retailers in the UK but when you are saving over £100 looking over
the pond seems like the way forward!

This is a superb tent !!!

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

To mail simply put back the dots ...

On Wed, 25 May 2005 18:06:04 GMT, Andy Howell

andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk said:

On 25/5/05 18:33, in article [email hidden],

Ian Mac' No Spam said:

I ended up going for a Nallo 2 which I am really very happy with indeed.
Quality of build seems exceptionally good and with the new rear vent,
ventilation is improved. I got mine imported from the US using this company:
http://moontrail.com/tents/hilleberg_nallo2gt.php I also got a free Myo 5
headtorch thrown in which seemed pretty fair! I was taxed ~£60 at this end,
but it still worked out WAY cheeper! I'm normally all for supporting
outdoor retailers in the UK but when you are saving over £100 looking over
the pond seems like the way forward!

This is a superb tent !!!

CAAAlm down, cAAAlm down...!

;-)

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Peewiglet said:

On Wed, 25 May 2005 18:06:04 GMT, Andy Howell

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This is a superb tent !!!

CAAAlm down, cAAAlm down...!

You're tying to tell people to calm down ina scouse stylee. Just now
following events in Istanbul, you have two chances; fat and slim!!!
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Phil Cook said:

Peewiglet said:

On Wed, 25 May 2005 18:06:04 GMT, Andy Howell

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This is a superb tent !!!

CAAAlm down, cAAAlm down...!

You're tying to tell people to calm down ina scouse stylee. Just now
following events in Istanbul, you have two chances; fat and slim!!!

;-)

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Phil Cook said:

Quoted message said:

CAAAlm down, cAAAlm down...!

You're tying to tell people to calm down ina scouse stylee. Just now
following events in Istanbul, you have two chances; fat and slim!!!

Two chances ..... but they seized them!

I'm not sure that the goalie is actually allowed to run round the
pitch when the penalty is being taken but the ref didn't seem to
notice!

Judith

On 25/5/05 22:43, in article [email hidden],

Peewiglet said:

CAAAlm down, cAAAlm down...!

Look, just because I'm resisting the temptation to buy another one ...

... For some of us a tent is for (oooh) at least a couple of weeks!

Now about that Kettley thing ...

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

To mail simply put back the dots ...

Judith said:

Phil Cook said:

Quoted message said:

CAAAlm down, cAAAlm down...!

You're tying to tell people to calm down ina scouse stylee. Just now
following events in Istanbul, you have two chances; fat and slim!!!

Two chances ..... but they seized them!

I'm not sure that the goalie is actually allowed to run round the
pitch when the penalty is being taken but the ref didn't seem to
notice!

Yeah he moved about a mile off his line for the second Milan one
didn't he? I laughed out loud at Jerzy's use of the "Grobelaar Wobbly
Knees" method of putting the taker off.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Quoted message said:

PS Just carried my 10-year-old Wild Country Trisar (3.4Kg) from
Dalwhinnie to Fort William, and have vowed to buy a new tent!

One of my mates might be after an old Trisar.... will you be flogging yours
once the Spacepacker(?) arrives?

beaker said:

Quoted message said:

PS Just carried my 10-year-old Wild Country Trisar (3.4Kg) from
Dalwhinnie to Fort William, and have vowed to buy a new tent!

One of my mates might be after an old Trisar.... will you be flogging yours
once the Spacepacker(?) arrives?

Was your mate looking for one on UKClimbing?? I've a Trisar Ultra which
I'd like to sell. . .

druidh

On Thu, 26 May 2005 20:52:50 GMT, druidh <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

beaker said:

Quoted message said:

PS Just carried my 10-year-old Wild Country Trisar (3.4Kg) from
Dalwhinnie to Fort William, and have vowed to buy a new tent!

One of my mates might be after an old Trisar.... will you be flogging yours
once the Spacepacker(?) arrives?

Was your mate looking for one on UKClimbing?? I've a Trisar Ultra which
I'd like to sell. . .

druidh

Will probably keep it. The spacepacker is light (arrived today - not
bad service !) and will be kept for backpacking. I'll use the Trisar
for when I'm car-camping.

Jim