Bushwalk Australia

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone out there might know a bit about Wild Country tents - especially the Duolite?? From what I've worked out the parent company is Terra Nova but is it safe to assume they have same reputation?
I'm considering buying one from overseas but am worried about making a mistake. The couple of reviews I've found online seem to say good things.
Cheers.

Hi again,

I don't think I asked the right question. I am relatively new to hiking and overnight backpacking so was hoping for some guidance in buying a new tent. I've done quite a bit of research and worked out that I'd like a two person tent that comes in under 2.5kg with a double wall. My thoughts were that a vestible at the front would make it easier for my partner and I to cook in bad weather rather than having two, narrower vestibles on either side. This is what we currently have and in downpours we've been stuck waiting for the rain to stop.
We are both under 175cm tall so could probable squeeze a pack inside with us but maybe this ones vestible would be big enough without blocking the entrance?? Just how big do you think a vestible should be for storage anyway? Most of our bushwalking has been daywalks in Tas, NSW and Qld but we have done a couple of overnight/multiday walks and are keen to do more. We don't plan to go above the snowline (though this might happen up at Barrington Tops or when we get back to Tas ) but do want something that can work in warm and cold weather and stand up to some bad weather - if that's possible? I've read about Hilleberg, Macpac and other awesome sounding tents etc but their $'s are beyond what I can spend. I can get the duolite for around $220AU including postage. I'm hoping that some more experienced people out there could take a look and give me your opinion on whether I'm on the right track or if I'm missing something really important. I've already made one expensive mistake so any thoughts would really be helpful.

http://www.uttingsoutdoors.co.uk/Produc ... ccessories

http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/Gear- ... y-Duolite/

Hi Sassafras - welcome to the forums. After seeing your post a few days ago I did start to read about the Wild Country tents (new brand for me anyway) but soon got distracted and forgot to respond... As I have the attention span of a goldfish these days it's not that surprising. Anyhoo the tent looks like good value for money, and since you're not planning to go above the tree line than you don't have to roll the dice too much.

Bear in mind at 110cm at the narrowest point it gives you room for two standard width mats only. The vestibule extends 85cm which is pretty reasonable. So what I'm saying is the tent will accommodate two people but it won't be 'spacious'. You'll need to make your own call on space vs weight vs cost and what takes priority.

I noticed that the tent is sold in the US under the Terra Nova brand here but out of stock... I did see the Terra Nova Voyager heavily discounted. However it is a smaller tent.

Or you could go for something with more volume and 3 season like this Nemo Espri 3P should be OK if you're not heading above the treeline.

If your amongst trees and reasonably sheltered, you could keep your current tent and get a lightweight tarp to sit and cook under when it's wet. There are lighter and more expensive ones around, but the DD 3x3 tarp is 650g and only $AUD65. I bought one for exactly that purpose to go with our 2-person tent, though we mostly use hammocks rather than the tent these days. A tarp is also great for allowing you to get your gear out and your tent up while keeping reasonably dry.

Here's a picture of our tarp and tent set up a couple of years ago in the winter time at Aire River on the Great Ocean Walk. I set up the tarp on a continuous ridgeline, so once we were done outside I slid the tarp over the tent to give some extra rain protection - it bucketed down with rain most of the night and we stayed nice and dry.

Sassafras wrote:I'm wondering if anyone out there might know a bit about Wild Country tents - especially the Duolite?? From what I've worked out the parent company is Terra Nova but is it safe to assume they have same reputation?

I haven't seen or used that model of tent, but you needn't worry about the build quality: it'll be okay.

Briefly: Wild Country started out life in Britain in the late '70's as a manufacturer of climbing gear - in particular, they brought 'Friends' to the market. As they expanded, they became associated with, and later bought, 'Wintergear' tents. The classic mountain tent from that period - still in heavy use all around the world - is the Quasar, which is a Wintergear design. Later on, in the '90's, Wild Country sold its tent business to the Terra Nova company. These days, Terra Nova makes two ranges of tents: 'Terra Nova', which is focused more on mountain use, and 'Wild Country', which is focused more on backpacking and family use. They produce excellent designs - and, no doubt, clunkers - in either range, so you need to consider the design of what you're planning to buy, along with its intended use - but, as I say, you needn't worry about the build quality.

Hope that reassures you.

Hi again - thanks for the replies!

Marwood - Thanks for your input. I will still be looking for a new tent as the one I've got weighs too much but I did like the continuous ridgeline setup - makes a lot of sense rather than just hooking up the four corners. I will be looking into the tarp idea. What sort of cord/rope do you use (to keep the weight down)? do you do something different when trees aren't as available?

Dale - thanks for the welcome. You've had me sussing out a whole range of 3 person tents wanting the luxury of not feeling like a sardine. What you've said makes perfect sense though - it all comes down to how much we want to carry vs how much room we want with the 'how rich do I feel?' question thrown in. I've had a chance today to get on the computer and I still can't find anything better for quality, price, size, with a 3-4 season rating, double wall and a half decent vestible - and I do love the idea of an all in one pitch! Does anyone know of a better one as I think I'm almost convinced.....I've found a site in the US that has the tent and footprint for about $200AU.

Durks - I was blown away to get a reply from Scotland but when you think that it's a UK brand, it kinda makes sense. Thanks for the reassurance on the build quality - it's nice to know the background a bit too. Am hoping that this isn't one of the clunkers but from what I've come across it seems to be one of the good ones....

Marwood - Thanks for your input. I will still be looking for a new tent as the one I've got weighs too much but I did like the continuous ridgeline setup - makes a lot of sense rather than just hooking up the four corners. I will be looking into the tarp idea. What sort of cord/rope do you use (to keep the weight down)? do you do something different when trees aren't as available?

2.2mm Zing-It. The 2.2mm is better for the ridgeline, and the 1.75mm is good for the Prusiks and the tie-outs (guys).
When no trees, you can use sticks or hiking poles if you carry them. As you can see from the photo I'm a hiking pole fan, though I don't necessarily take them when there's going to be a lot of scrambling or bush-bashing. If you want to spend more $$ you can get very lightweight and compact tarps made from cuben, like this one from Z-packs (they also make ultralight tarptents). Mid range of price and weight are silnylon and Tyvek tarps. There are a number of vendors around for these including Terra Rosa Gear in Sydney.

Awesome - thanks for the links and the ideas!