2 Person Tent recommendations

[philm]

I am looking to invest in a 2 person tent with a space under cover to store packs etc. Mainly walk in Tasmania so want a quality tent that will last and stand up to some bad weather and that is easy to pitch in rain. Any suggestions? and where would be the best place ot buy one?

[matagi]

Aarn Pacer 2 - Backpacking Light in Melbourne, they do mail order.

[tasadam]

Hilleberg Nallo2.
www.moontrail.com or search the forum, I recall someone bought one successfully from a different online store too.
They're a fantastic tent. Try searching the forum (or the web) for nallo or nallo2.

[stepbystep]

I think for a 2man tent I'd want more dry storage space. Some of the other Hilleberg options look pretty nice http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/2-person.php

Macpac Olympus and Minaret are also reknowned as bombproof tents.

[tasadam]

I think for a 2man tent I'd want more dry storage space.

Just seeking clarification, more dry storage space than what?
In the Nallo2 vestibule I stack 2 packs on one side with gaiters, wet japaras & overpants on top of them (if they are wet), and on the other side I stack water bottles, bladder, cookset (stove, billy, windshield etc), this leaves enough space for an entry passage in the centre and somewhere for boots.
Additionally, for vestibule cooking, the inner is very easy to peel back to give a bit more cooking space if needed.
I've said it before, but worth repeating - having had the Snowcave for 20 odd years with 2 doors & 2 vestibules I really thought I would struggle with just one. There is more space in the one Nallo vestibule than I had in two in the old tent.
Or, for some extra cost and 300 grams, try the Nallo3 for palace-like space (for two people anyhow).

Macpac Olympus and Minaret are also reknowned as bombproof tents.

Indeed they are.

[stepbystep]

I think for a 2man tent I'd want more dry storage space.

Just seeking clarification, more dry storage space than what?
In the Nallo2 vestibule I stack 2 packs on one side with gaiters, wet japaras & overpants on top of them (if they are wet), and on the other side I stack water bottles, bladder, cookset (stove, billy, windshield etc), this leaves enough space for an entry passage in the centre and somewhere for boots.
Additionally, for vestibule cooking, the inner is very easy to peel back to give a bit more cooking space if needed.
I've said it before, but worth repeating - having had the Snowcave for 20 odd years with 2 doors & 2 vestibules I really thought I would struggle with just one. There is more space in the one Nallo vestibule than I had in two in the old tent.
Or, for some extra cost and 300 grams, try the Nallo3 for palace-like space (for two people anyhow).

Macpac Olympus and Minaret are also reknowned as bombproof tents.

Indeed they are.

Dual vestibules in particular to help organise gear. I've seen the Nallo2 Adam, it's an excellent tent, particularly for it's weight... I'm just not such a big fan of the single vestibule for everything.
I love my one man tent because I can get all my wet gear, boots, and pack to one side and have a whole vestibule for cooking and entry exit. It's grand! My two man tent has a tunnel design not dis-similar to the Nallo and I know which setup I prefer...

[norts]

WE First Arrow, another bombproof tent, but a bit heavy, the two vestibules work well( back one is only small but handy. The different options for opening the front vestibule are really good.
Used it in some pretty foul weather, it works well
What about a Nallo Gt, if you need alof of vestibule space it would be hard to go past. It covers a big area(long) though.

Roger

[Ent]

Hi

I have a Nallo and Katium both by Hilleberg and now a MSR Nook. As for single versus dual vestibules I am not so fussed as it is in the design details. Nallo vestibule is large and well designed so no hassles only been one. The Nook by comparison is rather cramped so yes would likely be an issue for two people The Katium is a palace but it's length means trouble pitching on most platforms. Still two vestibules are nice.

The biggest issue I have had is with so called bed wetter designs. In pouring rain not much fun having water coming into the tent when getting in and out. Basically I hold that such poor design shows that that tent was not designed by someone doing much if any bushwalking. On the weekend this was hammered home by the MD Kaon compared to the previously mentioned tents.

When looking at tent design it is more than just space, cost and weight. It is the magical and near impossible to define design features. When looking check out how a design will work in rain.

Cheers

[Rico]

If you want a strong and lightweight free standing tent with two nice vestibules why don't you have a look at the Ferrino Nemesi 2 http://adventurefriends.com.au/ferrino-nemesi-2. Another interesting option is the Ferrino Spectre 2 http://adventurefriends.com.au/ferrino-spectre-2/ which is slightly lighter, and it comes with extra internal space. Thanks to the diamond shape you will have enough room to store your gear inside the tent.
You'll end up paying less than half the price of other tents and you'll get 2 year Australian warranty.

[oyster_07]

Exped Auriga:
It is bomb-proof, has a door and a vestibule on both sides, and is a pinch to set up in even the worst weather.

[choppo]

dude i'v had a siera designs clip flash 12 years it's about 1.9kg and it's seen all sorts from a week on the south coast track in tas to countless week ends in the vic high country. i saw that they still make them, have a look on line at somewhere like campsaver or moosejaw. top tent light and will go the distance.

[pbakker22]

Hi

The biggest issue I have had is with so called bed wetter designs. In pouring rain not much fun having water coming into the tent when getting in and out. Basically I hold that such poor design shows that that tent was not designed by someone doing much if any bushwalking. On the weekend this was hammered home by the MD Kaon compared to the previously mentioned tents.

Cheers

So you're saying that the Nook does not have the bed wetter problem? How did it perform in pouring rain overall? I ask because looking at the specs the floor seems flimsy compared to say the Hubba Hubba HP or the Fury. Also, are the walls fabric or mesh, as I can't tell from the pictures? Warmer than an all-mesh tent? Thanks.

I'm on the verge of getting a Nook, only because Canada sucks when it comes to tent availability and I can't find anything else that fits some of my criteria: 1-2 person tent, very rain proof, no bed wetting, freestanding if possible, not all-mesh (more winter-like). They don't sell Exped tents here yet (when they eventually do sell them here, the prices will be absurd; a nice Exped rep sent me the proposed Canadian market prices and you'd weep if you saw those), the Hubba Hubba HP isn't sold in North America anymore, and no WE either. For all of these, I could import but that would pretty much double the price of a tent.

[Ent]

Hi pabakker2

Well the Nook got a good work out on Saturday night up at Lake Sandra on Mount Murchinson. It was around 900 metres high and wind and rain and hail and snow and rain and hail plus more wind. Overnight temperature was zero and Mount Read next door claimed that this felt like minus 8. The wind hit the tent side on. Pitched next to it was a Hubba Hubba HP.

It was compact to pitch but a fiddly design to get up. The optional guyline points were needed as the wind came side on and without them it would have been interesting night. Normally with a proper full double tent like a Hilleberg Nallo the inner is about five degrees warmer than outside. The inside was two degrees warmer so yes the large amount of mesh makes for a colder tent. But the high bathtub means when lying down it is not so bad. I had a -1 sleeping bag on a R3.2 Thermarest X-lite mat and was warm enough but needed to have the bag zipped up. You can get in an out of with the inner tent getting wet but with a blowing wind no. The Hilleberg Nallo is a much nicer tent for the conditions.

In summary very happy with it but any worse conditions and give me my Hilleberg Nallo. Having said that, the conditions were rough and my sleeping bag potentially underdone for the overnight temperature. I was comfortable and found it ok to cook in, but be aware that it has numerous labels saying do not cook in. Just think that the pitching is rather fiddly especially in the high wind gusts.

It does need the ground sheet and the ground sheet gives the ability to outer then inner pitch. Would not use mine without the groundsheet while more than happy to use the Nallo without a ground sheet.

In standard bare tent configuration I would think that the design would have been pushed to close to safety levels for my liking but as configured with ground sheet and extra guylines and tent pegs it was perfectly safe and solid.

The HP peformed well and is always used with the groundsheet as it too gives it the option of outer then inner pitch.

Cheers

[pbakker22]

Hi Ent,

Thanks for your comments on the conditions in which you tested the Nook. I ended up getting the Nook the other day and will be testing it out in similar conditions to yours this coming week, and I expect snow. I bought extra guylines because as you said, it seems it needs it. Why MSR doesn't supply guylines is beyond me, but oh well. I also got the footprint. A Hilleberg would probably make me feel safer but I'll give the Nook a shot first and post some comments.

Cheers

[pbakker22]

This past weekend I had the chance to test my MSR Nook.

I headed into a sub-alpine area for three days; I hiked from a balmy 24 degrees to 5 degrees, where I made camp. It was not very windy even though I was right on the edge of a lake; the wind came primarily from the forest behind me, which is why I pitched the tent with the rear facing a big tree.

Pitching is fairly straightforward, and the trekking-pole attachment is a godsend. Why MSR doesn't supply guy lines is beyond me, but I brought some extras. I found that by using a trekking pole I can really make a taut pitch; without the pole or guy lines the tent is flappy. Yes, that is a word. Perhaps if I had used my guy lines properly I could have made a taut pitch, but it was *&%$#! cold and I didn't have the patience. So, the Nook can be totally free-standing, but with fly you need just one peg to secure the vestibule.

Anyway, at night it was -5 outside and about zero degrees inside the tent. Excellent ventilation, too good actually, so I closed the windows. In the mornings I did not notice any condensation. There is plenty of room under the vestibule for all my gear. I added a universal loft, and this gave me plenty of nooks (heh) and crannies to hang my gear. I did find the zippers for the mesh worryingly fragile; one-handed opening/closing wasn't possible for me.

There is plenty of room inside for one person, or, I suppose, two midgets. I liked that I could sleep in the middle of the tent, with my machete on one side of my mat and my ax on the other; I was in bear territory..

I really have no complaints about this tent. In summary, I'm very happy with the Nook.

[north-north-west]

Gee, that fly sits a long way off the ground.

[sthughes]

Yeah the fly sits pretty high, though that probably isn't the best pitch either. MSR have however made the floor fabric continue up the sides further than most tents to compensate, and above that is a solid fabric with DWR so it's no big issue, apart from the extra ventilation (which is not all bad depending on circumstances).

[north-north-west]

Means it's harder to pack away a dry inner early in the morning. Nice tent otherwise.

[Ent]

Hi

Agree fully with the comments as exactly as I found my Nook. Like it but not sure if I love it like my Hilllebergs. Still it is for nine out of twelve months will be my single person go to tent.

Yes guy lines would be good as standard. Made mine up out of 1.5 guy line and very happy. Still looking at pegging alternatives and will be fitting two adjusters so I need not be pin point accurate with the four basic pegging points. The adjusters will be the same setup as the ones on the vestibule. And thanks Nuts for the two to get me sorted out.

Cheers

[hairbear]

Hey all ,
how are you all ?
Anyone have any experience with a Luxe Habitat NX ?

Thanks
Andree