Bushwalk Australia

Hey,

I'm currently looking for a 3-4 season tent that will also be suitable for desert camping...I really can't make up my mind on what to get? I'm not too worried about it being ultralight but durability is important as is ventilation for summer & warmth for winter.

So far I like the Exped Mira 1, OP Goondie 30D & Hilleberg Soulo.

Some other prerequisites are:

Dome/freestanding style.
High wind strength (coastal sites).
UV durability (2wk+ stays).

Would the Soulo be overkill? I don't really camp in the snow but thought camping in high winds with sand & dust in winter is similar in some ways?

Do you want a mesh inner for ventilation? If so Ferrino Nemesi is pretty good

The Mira is mostly mesh. I have done bugger all camping in sandy/dusty/windy conditions but wont that kinda suck? Best ventilation though.

The Goondie should be best on the UV resistance front, being polyester rather than nylon like the other two.

The Soulo would be the warmest and strongest and the fly-to-ground should keep out the dust/sand when it's windy. But it's also likely to be the hottest in hot weather for the same reason.

It's sort of a catch 22...I like to camp on the Eyre Peninsula a fair bit which is hot in summer but freezing in winter...I used a swag previously but they're too heavy to backpack with.

I don't think mesh is a problem if there is good coverage by the vestibule to the ground, a gap along there is an opening for dust & sand.

The Soulo sounded ideal except for the ventilation.

I'll have to look into the Ferrino tents, thanks!

Honestly the best tent for desert camping is the older style Paddymade Japara tents with added fly sheets, so as they are unavailable I would hazard a guess that getting enough separation between the tent and the fly will be the biggest problem. In high summer you need more space/ gap to give better shade and ventilation. I am not a fan of mesh tents where the mesh cannot be screened off in a blow as the sand and bulldust is worse that spindrift in penetrating every corner of the inside of a tent. Even tho it adds weight and bulk consider taking an extra tarp ( and poles) that goes over the top of everything and a slightly smaller tent, the extra tarp doesn't have to be waterproof but silnylon is pretty strong and light weight also I'm sure Evan will be able to make whatever you need at a fair price

Thanks Moondog55,

Other forums are confirming what you have mentioned...secondary coverage essential, others are also using a space blanket under the lightweight tarp to insulate from the heat.

I saw a few Ferrino tents being used in dusty conditions in Peru, they look good.

OK, I can't resist this...
What Ferrino ?
Ferrino sell many types tents , it is a brand not a product.
is it a Barina or a Commodore ? Are those two the same to you ?
Sorry but a Ferrino expedition tent has absolutely nothing in common with some of the Chinese factory stuff.
When people recommend an item it should be a product not a brand.
Again a Pocket Rocket is not an XGK the same as a Neo Air is noty a RidgeRest...
Franco

What's the problem?

Post edited by moderator to remove personal attack.

For the record they were two man tents, resembling both the Svalbard and Makalu, which would make sense because both of these are sold in Chile.
It seems many in Peru access tents from Chile.
Lots of Doites around but most of the Peruvian guides regard them as crap.

Franco
Ferrino do have a big range of tents one of which I tested(Lightent 2) and gave it an adverse review on this forum as to its suitability in Tasmania however I believe it would be a good performer in drier climes
corvus

You can buy mesh inners for most Hilleberg tents relatively cheaply, and this will increase the flexibility of one tent over a range of conditions and seasons. Better to buy one great tent over two others perhaps?

I cycle toured around Australia for a year and did heaps of camping in desert and coastal areas across the wide range of seasons.
The tent I used was called an Adventure Designs Fastback. It was a tapering tunnel, almost identical to the Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight (which Outdoor Agencies used to import). I am completely aware that this exact model is no longer available AND that it is not freestanding. However, I found that it performed exceptionally well in everything we came across, even steady 20 knot winds in some pretty dry and desolate country in WA and the Nullarbor.
It was 1/2 mesh on the inner, and we never had a huge problem with dust (there was lots of it around, and no shortage of wind to blow it in either). If I was doing a similar trip again (ie through potentially windy outback areas across a range of environments/seasons) I would seek out the closest thing I could find to that tent as it was so perfectly suited to the conditions. Mountain designs did a similar type of tent, from memory it was called a neutron. I don't know how the quality of the Sierra Designs gear stacks up these days.
To follow from Moondog's line of thought, we always carried a 3mx3m fly which could be strung up over the entrance to the tent as a shady/rainproof extension to the inner. It was worth the extra weight.
Clarence

Hi Clarence,

Thanks for the advice...

I too like to tour by bicycle, I have a BOB Ibex trailer I tow with a custom made surfboard made to fit. It's a great way to see the country...

My favourite haunts are anywhere on the Eyre Peninsula to Cactus beach to Albany onwards...I love those limestone cliffs...

Anyway all this advice is truly welcome...thanks in advance!

alanoutgear wrote:Better to buy one great tent over two others perhaps?

I agree!

Ferrino makes a tent specifically designed for crossing deserts, and it is called Aral. Here a link to the Ferrino web site: http://www.ferrino.it/en/homepage/products/TENTS/4_seasons_115/aral_3_ss12_

This tent was designed for Carla Perrotti, the lady of the deserts. She was the first woman to have crossed five deserts on foot (including the Simpson Desert). http://www.ferrino.it/en/homepage/ferri ... a-perrotti

But this model is an overkill for what you have to do. An extremely specialised model designed to withstand sand storms without letting sand in, and strong UV rays for months at the time, and it is also too heavy for normal backpacking.

I'd definitely go with the Nemesi (as already suggested) and a Ferrino Rider to use as sleeping bag cover when it is cold, and UV shield when you need it. Another option is the Ferrino Blow Lite, that already comes with an aluminised fly sheet.

Rico

Roysta
"What's the problem??"

I see that you kind of realised what you stated first by clarifying that in the second post .

Anyway I have no doubt that either the Makalu 2 or the Svlabard 2 would work well in winter except that they are 3.6kg and 4.5kg respectively, so maybe a bit too much for solo bike touring.
At the same time even if the weight is OK they may be just a bit too warm for summer but that is just my opinion.

Franco

Post edited by moderator to remove quoted personal attack.

I had the Eureka version of the Clip Flashlight, the Firelite, really good tent for the time, I'd buy it again in silnylon if I could.
My personal preference for summer is a tarp or fly cut to pitch on the diagonal as I like enough height to stand under if possible

I like the price point of the Kelty Noahs Tarp
http://www.kelty.com/p-518-noahs-tarp.a ... s-shelters

I ended up going for a OP Goondie 1-30D via Pinnacle Outdoors, price was too good to refuse...

I was so sick of looking at tents in the end & found that most were a compromise, I couldn't find one that had all my requirements...many had not enough or too much mesh, pole set ups I didn't trust either, not enough vestibule space yada, yada, yada...

Pick up the tent tmrw, then only have to sort out some extra pegs & a lightweight tarp for some extra UV protection...

Cheers!