2-person tents

In article <[email hidden]>, Gary Webster
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I'm currently in the market for a new tent. I'm looking at the 200-300 pound
mark and have got my eye on a North Face Westwind. I'm mostly going to be
using the tent at organised camp sites, but want the option of taking it up
into the hills for a spot of wild camping as well. I'm 6 feet tall.

Is this tent a good option?

I have not seen one however from the specs it looks quite robust but
that comes at a weight penalty - it is almost 3kg. You might be better
off with less of a hard core mountain tent which could be a good deal
lighter and perhaps with better porch space or other features you may
prefer.

Unless you are going to be camping for extended periods you are likely
to be able to avoid the worst of the weather and not really need a
proper mountain tent in the UK.

Quoted message said:

Could any users of the tent give me their views
and maybe suggest a few alternatives?

I have just got a Saunders Spacepacker Mk1 but you would probably find
it a bit short being 5 inches larger than myself. They do a Plus version
with an extra 4 inches length to the inner.

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

You might also want to look at a Hilleberg Nallo 2. Hilleberg have a
very fine reputation for quality. Several people here are very pleased
with their Nallo / Akto.

http://www.hilleberg.se/default-e.HTM

Some reviews here:

<http://www.BackpackGearTest.org/reviews/Shelters/Tents/Hilleberg%20Nallo
%202%20Tent/>

--

Dominic Sexton
http://www.dscs.demon.co.uk/

Gary Webster said:

I'm currently in the market for a new tent. I'm looking at the 200-300 pound
mark and have got my eye on a North Face Westwind. I'm mostly going to be
using the tent at organised camp sites, but want the option of taking it up
into the hills for a spot of wild camping as well. I'm 6 feet tall.

Is this tent a good option? Could any users of the tent give me their views
and maybe suggest a few alternatives?

Hilleberg <http://www.hilleberg.se> make pretty good tents.

"Gary Webster" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm currently in the market for a new tent. I'm looking at the 200-300

pound

Quoted message said:

mark and have got my eye on a North Face Westwind. I'm mostly going to be
using the tent at organised camp sites, but want the option of taking it

up

Quoted message said:

into the hills for a spot of wild camping as well. I'm 6 feet tall.

Is this tent a good option? Could any users of the tent give me their

views

Quoted message said:

and maybe suggest a few alternatives?

I'd really appreciate your help.

Gary Webster
Birmingham, England.

I'd recommend Terra Nova tents - though they're £££, they're very well
designed. My Trisar (now replaced by the Voyager), which I've had for about
8 years, is light enough and small enough for one person to carry, big
enough for two people (though it's not roomy!), easy to pitch, and strong
enough for a night in a gale on the side of a mountain in December.
www.cheaptents.co.uk have some excellent prices.

Ken.

On 15/7/04 9:15 pm, in article [email hidden], "Gary

Webster said:

I'm currently in the market for a new tent. I'm looking at the 200-300 pound
mark and have got my eye on a North Face Westwind. I'm mostly going to be
using the tent at organised camp sites, but want the option of taking it up
into the hills for a spot of wild camping as well. I'm 6 feet tall.

I would have a good look at other alternatives - the Westwind looks pretty
tight for space for me; if two of you are going to be using it you might
find some better alternatives.

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

Gary Webster wrote

Quoted message said:

I'm currently in the market for a new tent. I'm looking at the 200-300

pound

Quoted message said:

mark and have got my eye on a North Face Westwind. I'm mostly going to be
using the tent at organised camp sites, but want the option of taking it

up

Quoted message said:

into the hills for a spot of wild camping as well. I'm 6 feet tall.

Ah, the perils and penalties of tents for the tall...as someone that's 6'3",
I know them well. Three things to consider: how long is the tent, how high
is it and how much does it it weigh?

Many tents that advertise a lighter weight are simply too short for tall
people to fit into. You need to be looking for something that has a minimum
interior length of 2 metres to allow room for your sleeping bag, and a
little more wouldn't hurt. Similarly you'll need a maximum height of around
110 cm to allow you to sit up - though as body shapes differ, you can check
exactly how much height you need by sitting on the floor and measuring the
height of your head against a wall. Still, there are a lot of tents that
pass these criteria, including the one you've got your eye on. Then,
weight. If you're only going to be taking the tent walking every now and
again I don't think 3 kg is too bad, especially if there are going to be two
of you sharing the weight. If your walking with the tent is going to be
very occasional, you might think you can stand a greater weight penalty at
these times for a bit more space when you're using organised campsites.
It's your choice. And are you going to be using the tent year-round or just
in two or three seasons? Again this will determine just how strong a tent
you need.

You won't be short of options to choose from and in the end it comes down to
which tent suits your needs, your pocket and your body size. Check out the
usual suspects (Hilleberg, Terra Nova, Wild Country, Vango, Macpac) and if
you can, see the tent in the flesh before parting with your cash.
http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdoor/ have some good prices. And of
course, you could always spend a little less and get two Pro-Action tents
from Argos to take walking...but that's another discussion altogether.

T.

Many thanks to all for your good advice as always. I will do a little more
research. I quite like the look of the Hilleberg. I'll try and get into a
decent outdoor shop and see a range.

Gary Webster
Birmingham, England.

(Just out of interest Andy, as I see you're a Brum resident too, where do
you go for your kit?)

"Tony Buckley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gary Webster wrote

Quoted message said:

I'm currently in the market for a new tent. I'm looking at the 200-300

pound

Quoted message said:

mark and have got my eye on a North Face Westwind. I'm mostly going to

be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

using the tent at organised camp sites, but want the option of taking it

up

Quoted message said:

into the hills for a spot of wild camping as well. I'm 6 feet tall.

Ah, the perils and penalties of tents for the tall...as someone that's

6'3",

Quoted message said:

I know them well. Three things to consider: how long is the tent, how

high

Quoted message said:

is it and how much does it it weigh?

Many tents that advertise a lighter weight are simply too short for tall
people to fit into. You need to be looking for something that has a

minimum

Quoted message said:

interior length of 2 metres to allow room for your sleeping bag, and a
little more wouldn't hurt. Similarly you'll need a maximum height of

around

Quoted message said:

110 cm to allow you to sit up - though as body shapes differ, you can

check

Quoted message said:

exactly how much height you need by sitting on the floor and measuring the
height of your head against a wall. Still, there are a lot of tents that
pass these criteria, including the one you've got your eye on. Then,
weight. If you're only going to be taking the tent walking every now and
again I don't think 3 kg is too bad, especially if there are going to be

two

Quoted message said:

of you sharing the weight. If your walking with the tent is going to be
very occasional, you might think you can stand a greater weight penalty at
these times for a bit more space when you're using organised campsites.
It's your choice. And are you going to be using the tent year-round or

just

Quoted message said:

in two or three seasons? Again this will determine just how strong a tent
you need.

You won't be short of options to choose from and in the end it comes down

to

Quoted message said:

which tent suits your needs, your pocket and your body size. Check out

the

Quoted message said:

usual suspects (Hilleberg, Terra Nova, Wild Country, Vango, Macpac) and if
you can, see the tent in the flesh before parting with your cash.
http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdoor/ have some good prices. And of
course, you could always spend a little less and get two Pro-Action tents
from Argos to take walking...but that's another discussion altogether.

T.

Gary Webster said:

I'm currently in the market for a new tent. I'm looking at the 200-300 pound
mark and have got my eye on a North Face Westwind. I'm mostly going to be
using the tent at organised camp sites, but want the option of taking it up
into the hills for a spot of wild camping as well. I'm 6 feet tall.

I'd avoid the Westwind. I bought one for mostly UK based wild camping
after its predecessor got flattened one wild night in the Lakes.

The Westwind is bomb proof, it really is an expedition tent. But it
condenses like crazy. The groundsheet comes up about 6" and the inner
is rubberised on the two ends, so not breathable. It also pitches
inner first. It's probably more at home in the Himalayas than the Lakes.

My usual wild tent these days is Hilleberg Nallo: lighter & faster to
pitch, with a better porch for cooking. It flaps a little in strong
breezes, but thats about it. The Westwind only comes out for Scottish
winter trips.

--
Giles Chamberlin

IMHO only one choice really, Macpac Minaret. £235 at www.theoutdoorshop.com

Check www.outdoorsmagic.com for reviews.

Cheers, Jiffy

"Ken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'd recommend Terra Nova tents - though they're £££, they're very well
designed. My Trisar (now replaced by the Voyager),

Having read all of your comments, I'm now stuck between a North Face Tadpole
24 and a Terra Nova Voyager. The NF tent seems ok for the price but is the
TNV really worth the extra £80 quid?

Gary Webster.
Birmingham, England.