Exped Vela I Extreme - Pitching (with pictures)

[Son of a Beach]

I've been looking for a light-weight tent for my solo (or self-catering) walks for quite some time, rather than lugging the large two-person MacPac Olympus with me (which is a fantastic tent for when sharing, but just a bit heavy for solo walks).

Finally I made a decision on Monday, and 3 days and a mere AUD$367 later my new Exped Vela I Extreme was delivered to my door. It looks like a fantastic tent so far (only had it set up in my lounge room for now) with a lot of nice little touches. I'll write up a proper review once I've used it "in the wild".

However, I do have one concern. I'm having trouble pitching it such that the tension on the fly is correct. The fly seems to be nice and tight at the head end, but rather loose at the foot end. In order to get it right, I had to get the tent tension fully loose and the fly tension fully tight at the foot end, and visa versa at the head end, plus put a fair bit of tension on the middle pole strap (that goes under the tent). When I say "fully tight" and "fully loose", I mean that there is no more slack on these adjustments at all - none.

Does anyone else have this tent, and have they found similar issues? Am I doing something wrong? It looks like it will work fine this way, but it just seems that there should be more slack in the adjustments than this.

I found the 3 lines of setup instructions to be somewhat inadequate (maybe I'm just dopey). It's not hard to set up, but they could have been a bit more verbose than that. Eg, should everything be loosened off before pitching, and tightened afterwards? A couple of diagrams wouldn't go astray either. Eg, I assume the pegs go through the round metal rings, not the metal clip, and not just against the string or the strap, but there's nothing definitive in the instructions about this, and it's a bit different to the tents I'm used to.

Does anyone really use this tent with just the minimum 2 pegs? This was fine in the lounge room, but I imagine that out in the wild, you'd want to pitch with at least 4 pegs.

I must admit, I was a bit concerned about the draw-string (no zip) fly doorway at first, but having opened and closed it a few times, I'm impressed. It looks like it's going to work really well. Huge vestible!

Any other tips and tricks for this tent would be much appreciated (although there don't seem to be many people out there using them in Tasmania - or Australia?).

[Ent]

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[Son of a Beach]

wow... that's a long comprehensive review, which somehow I'd failed to find earlier (probably because it's for a different model, but it is similar and has some points relevant to both). Thanks for pointing me to it. It does at least explain that I'm putting the pegs in correctly.

That seems to be a different issue to the one I was having, although without diagrams, it's hard to be sure - I'm not sure what they mean about the ends sliding in... that doesn't seem to relate to what's happening to me. Maybe I just need to tension everything a lot more. Certainly with my model, there are so many adjustments possible. Everything can be tensioned in every direction. I'll have to read through that review more carefully now, to be sure.

[johnw]

Nik, I don't have one but I do own one of their sleeping mats. Anyway I don't know if any of this is useful but I recalled that the Exped web site seemed to have quite a bit of info for most of their products last time I was there. I found the following under Tips on the Vela I Extreme page. It may not be more detailed than what you have but there are also some basic images, diagrams etc via a series of pop ups. May be worth a look if you haven't seen it already.

http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage.nsf/b43HomePageE?openframeset

Setup and Tear-Down:
Setup:
Spread the tent, fly side up and secure one end with a peg;
Prop up both end poles;
Feed the ridge pole into its sleeve, place the pole end into the grommet to tension;
Set the pegs at both ends. Use guy lines if necessary.

Setup variations:
To setup the inner canopy on its own, feed the ridge pole though the elastic loops of the canopy, then set the pole end into the grommet to tension. Set pegs at both ends.
To setup the rainfly on its own; feed the ridge pole into the pole sleeve and tension, then set pegs at both ends.

Teardown:
Remove all pegs and release the ridge pole from grommet;
Push the pole out of its sleeves (never pull); remove the two end poles from their tension pockets and fold. No need to remove the poles from their sleeve.
With the canopy on the floor, fold the vestibule inward then fold the entire tent until the width corresponds to the pole sections’ length;
Roll the pole and peg bundle into the folded tent and then roll the bundle into the packsack;
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Tips und Tricks:

Before a trip, check for damage, make necessary repairs, and replace any missing parts. Practice setting up in the dark with goves or mittens;
In soft terrain, like sand: tie the guylines to the middle of the stakes and bury them square into the ground. Or bury stuff sacks filled with dirt or snow. Consider Exped Sand and Snow Tent Anchors;
Cords too short? The outer sheath and the inner core of an Exped cord can be separated and tied together to double available length;
In deep snow, consider a tunnel entrance beneath the tent’s main door. This will keep the door closed and preserve heat.
Keep the tent properly vented at all times, especially if a stove is used inside the tent. Note: Carbon Monoxide (CO) is odorless and colorless, and can cause brain damage or death when improperly vented!
To increase vestibule space partially unhook the inner canopy.

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Maintenance and repair:

Use water and a sponge to remove sand and dirt. Never machine wash.
Dry thoroughly before storage. Synthetic materials are also affected by mildew.
Nothing “kills” a tent faster than UV radiation.
Exped tents are not intended to be used in prolonged, stationary settings in which they will be unprotected from intense UV exposure. Please consider alternative products designed for such use.

[Son of a Beach]

Thanks John. I had seen that, but unfortunately, there is nothing there about tensioning, adjusting or tuning.

I think I'm going to have to simply experiment.

I'm fairly sure that I can get a perfect pitch by using separate pegs for the canopy and fly at the foot end (the head end seems to be fine on the same peg). I'd like to be able to do it without using the 1 extra peg, but if that's what's required, that's no big deal.

[Ent]

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[bauera]

So pleased to read your queries/problems, because they are very similar to mine. I purchased the Vela 1 Extreme recently and have found it a bit less easy to pitch properly than I expected. I find you need to use all the peg points you can find and it is still not possible to pitch it properly because you can't peg down the "door" side - as you need to be able to open it. Lift up door idea is not as functional as it could be - too fiddly and in hindsight I would rather have a zipper and pay the weight penalty, which I am sure would not be very much. Head room inside also at a premium - I find it a bit claustrophobic when I am lying down. Yes, it is hard to get properly tensioned. How it would go in snow conditions I am yet to find out - may never need to. End result? Satisfactory but not really as good as I expected. Good floor, though. If you find a solution to any of your problems I would love to hear of it. Maybe if we see each other at a campsite somewhere we can swap notes.

[Son of a Beach]

I've spent some time pitching the Vela I and trying various adjustments and generally just playing with it this morning to make sure I'll be used to it before having to pitch it in the rain, wind or dark. I think I've got the issue sorted out now. I took a lot of photos and will post them here now to illustrate the problem, the things I tried, and how I got it sorted out in the end.

NB: In all of this playing I never pegged anything other than the two end-points (although at one point I had two pegs at one end). In the end I got it all working with only two pegs. I'm sure I'd use more that this out in the bush, with the possibility of wind coming up during the night, but the tent holds a nice shape with just the two pegs once I got it figured out.

[Son of a Beach]

Oh yes, there is also a strap joining the two ends of the main (centre) pole (it goes under the tent). I found that pulling this too tight resulted in the edges of the fly (near the ground) getting too loose (especially near the middle of tent). Letting it out too much made the fly lose it's shape.

I'm fairly confident that I'll have no problems pitching this tent now. For me, the key is to have the peg rope at the foot end fully loose as long as it will go, and the fly strap as fully tight as it will go, and getting the middle pole strap at the right tension for the fly to hold the right shape. Now that I've got all these tensions right, I'm hopeful that next time I won't have to adjust them much, and can just push the two pegs into the ground, and I'm done (plus other pegs and guys as necessary).

I think that I'm understanding what the review (linked to above) means by sliding in of the ends now. But that review was for the Vela II, and the Vela I, being much narrower, doesn't exhibit the issue to the same degree. The inside corners (the corners next to the vestibule) tent to be pulled towards the centre of the tent a little due to the tension of the ropes on the pegs. As the review said, that would be easily fixed by using the peg points at the tent corners (this tent has a LOT of optional peg points).

I might post a further review of the tent at some point, now that I've got my pitching issue sorted out satisfactorily. I love the tent so far - but of course have not actually slept in it yet.

[Darren]

G'Day Nik
I will be very inerested in your review. Im looking at a new solo shelter that will stand a bit more weather. What do you think about the door arrangement? The other thing is ventilation when its warm with only a single inner door. It does look very stormworthy. Im leaning towards scarp 1 but these look interesting
Thanks
Darren

[Son of a Beach]

Ventilation looks like it will be OK. The fly is close to the ground most of the way round, but is raised a little towards the head end (plus has the mesh 'windows' in the fly at the head end). The fly also has a 'chimney' near the top to allow air to flow through it. It can be velcro'd open (using the built-in splint) or closed. On the tent itself, there is a mesh area immediately below the fly's chimney. There is also a panel in the top of the door which is mesh, and both end panels can zip open completely to reveal mesh ends.

So it looks like there's plenty of options for ventilation even before you consider that the vestibule door only has to be open a crack to allow a massive opening for air at least under the fly (because the fly door is the full length of the tent). Being a very small tent, I'd imagine there will be some condensation, but it looks as though it's been well dealt with. Hopefully I'll be able to let you know if it lives up to my expectations soon.

I was a little dubious about the draw-string fly door, but it actually works very well indeed. To be honest, I'm not sure that it's any better than a zip (except that it's clearly more waterproof - not that I've ever found that to be a problem with zip doors). But it's certainly no worse that a zip. After just a few uses, I found the action very natural. Pull the string down with one hand while pushing the plastic thingy up the string with the other hand (this plastic thingy pushes the fly up the string from the bottom, which the string itself pulls it up from the top). To close, pull the plastic thingy down, and then pull the fly down by it's strap (and then clip it at the bottom). It works remarkably well so far and you can choose how far you want to leave it open, and never have to worry about it flapping about, as the action of opening it, effectively furls it as you go.

When it's warm (and not raining!), you can furl the entire fly up, or just one side, and strap it to the centre pole. It is then easy to unfurl and clip back down in about 10 seconds flat if it does start raining.

I know it's not 'ultra light' according to some measures, but sheesh... compared to my usual large two-person tent, this thing is so tiny when packed, and so light to carry!

[Darren]

Thanks for that Nik
Ill watch for your review. Dont sell it short for weight though, at about 1.4kg a double wall bomb proof shelter its in good company.
Hope it works out
Darren

[Son of a Beach]

Here's part of the manufacturer's reply to my email raising this issue with them (and pointing them to this forum topic, for a full explanation of the issue):

...Loosening the inner tent adjustment strings (red) as much as possible on both ends of the tent. Tie it down with a stake and do the same on the other side. You really have to pull the tent to have it tight. Then adjust the fly as you did.
Important: always adjust the fly at the end, when inner tent is tight. If you want the inner tent floor tight in all directions you pitch down the inner tent on each corner and then the outer tent.

best regards,
Juerg

and another quick reply to my follow up email:

It is correct to loosen the inner tent adjustment strings (red) and the fly adjustment webbing first, pitch the tent and tighten it.
Have a lot of fun camping with Vela l.

Best regards,
Juerg

So it looks like I'd almost figured it out correctly. It seems that I need to loosen the cords more than I initially was doing at both ends before pitching.

It's interesting to note that he also suggests pegging out the corners of the tent to avoid the other problem of the corners sliding in when pitched tight, as mentioned in the other review linked earlier. The wording implies that this is optional, as though it's only if you really care about the tent having that neat rectangular shape without the wrinkles on the floor. This fits with the instructions that come with the tent stating that the end poles themselves (so short that you can keep them in the tent when packed up) are actually optional. I would imagine that if you left the end poles out altogether, the tent would not keep it's shape very well at the ends, but if that doesn't bother you, and you still have enough room inside, then it's no harm to the tent, and saves a few grams of weight. (For me, I'll keep them in, and make sure there's room for my head and feet).

[abowen]

Hi Nik,
I am also interested in a lightweight tent one person tent and, having read what you have been through so far, this tent doesn't sound too bad. Once you get the jist of pitching and tensioning that is. I would also be interested in your review after using it in the field.
By comparison to the Microlight I like the idea of heaps of vestibule space, which is very handy if get caught in rain - and I have on several occasions been caught in heavy rain. Packing and then pulling down under cover is a major bonus as is the ability to cook under cover when it starts to drizzle.
However, with the Exped Vela, I am not sure about how it might stake out in tight situations where space on the ground is at a premium or even in thin topsoils with lots of rock underneath. Do you think that you will have any problems with this?
I understand that there is a footprint available for this model. In your opinion would this be worth purchasing or is the tub floor strong enough to cope with most situations?
I guess that you did not purchase this through any of the local Tasmanian agents. Are you able to PM me where you purchased the tent?
Cheers
Andrew

[Son of a Beach]

Hi Nik,
I am also interested in a lightweight tent one person tent and, having read what you have been through so far, this tent doesn't sound too bad. Once you get the jist of pitching and tensioning that is. I would also be interested in your review after using it in the field.
By comparison to the Microlight I like the idea of heaps of vestibule space, which is very handy if get caught in rain - and I have on several occasions been caught in heavy rain. Packing and then pulling down under cover is a major bonus as is the ability to cook under cover when it starts to drizzle.

yep, this is a huge vestibule. It looks like there will be enough room to stow a pack, a variety of unpacked gear, cook, and still walk through in between them all.

However, with the Exped Vela, I am not sure about how it might stake out in tight situations where space on the ground is at a premium or even in thin topsoils with lots of rock underneath. Do you think that you will have any problems with this?

It does take up a lot of ground area for a 1 person tent (because of the large vestibule), and this is a justified concern. Because of it's diamond-shape, it is quite wide at the middle, and because of the mechanism of long cords to peg down, it is quite long as well.

I've pitched some tents in some rather cramped locations, and never had any problems doing so. They've all been big two person tents before now (bigger in both dimensions than the Vela I), so I don't think I'll have problems finding places that I can pitch this tent. However, the jury is out on this one, until I really do have to pitch it in a tight spot between scrub, or something similar.

I understand that there is a footprint available for this model. In your opinion would this be worth purchasing or is the tub floor strong enough to cope with most situations?

I've never purchased a tent footprint for any tent. I think that they're a serious waste of money (how do they justify that cost?). I sometimes take a sheet of tough plastic to go under a tent (a mate of mine just uses a bit of shade cloth). Lately, I've been considering getting some Tyvek, as many others on these forums have done.

Usually I take nothing, and am simply careful to clear the ground well before pitching. In all this time, the only time I've ever got a hole in the bottom of my tent was after pitching my very old, very cheap, flimsy-floored, no-name-brand tent on a large piece of broken glass that was hiding amongst the grass (Lake Fergus - there used to be a lot of broken glass around there). I then used 'tent-repair tape' (ie, gaffa) to cover the tear on both sides of the fabric, and it was fine for years after that.

But I'm sure what you're interested in here is the floor fabric of the Vela I, however. Well, it appears to be quite tough and looks like it should be thoroughly waterproof. It is definitely not as thick and solid feeling as the floor of the MacPac Olympus (my two man tent), but it's much more solid than the fabric of the fly, for example. I'd have no problems using the Vela I without a ground sheet most of the time, as I do with the Olympus, but would occasionally take a sheet of tough plastic, tyvek, or whatever on walks where I think there may be some chance of having to pitch on gravel or rock, etc (eg, shelf camp near Mt Anne, or the old Stuart Saddle campsite before they built the platforms in the Eastern Arthurs).

I guess that you did not purchase this through any of the local Tasmanian agents. Are you able to PM me where you purchased the tent?
Cheers
Andrew

I try to support local shops as much as possible, but I couldn't find this (or any other comparable tent) for under AUD$399 anywhere in Australia (let alone in Tasmania), with most shops price being around AUD$450. I ended up paying AUD$367 from http://bivouac.co.nz/ where they allow you to choose Australian currency for prices as well as NZ dollars. Of course the exchange rates vary, but I notice that the same tent is currently AUD$358.48 at that shop! Sheesh I could have saved $9 by waiting a week. I think shipping was free, but I can't find the invoice right now to be certain.

[abowen]

Thanks for the information Nik.
I take your point about the size of the tent being similar to a 2 person and if you can pitch a 2 person in awkward situations then this tent shouldn't be a problem.
Thanks for the tip on the footprint. I was more interested in the strength of the tub, compared to other tents.
Having said that, however, I do use a large sheet of metallized plastic for a ground sheet and this doubles as my emergency blanket. It is, however, very heavy (380 grams from memory) and I am considering ditching it. I would replace it with a better emergency blanket (much lighter to carry) and not have a footprint at all. I do like the idea of the shadecloth or tyvek and will investigate these further.
One of the nice things about a groundsheet, which is where I generally use the larger sheet, is to have something as a floor in the vestibule area to work off (ie cook, store gear where I can find it, removing wet footwear and putting footwear on). The other nice benefit is when I pack up (it has to be a nice day though) I usually drag the sheet out and then dump everything from inside the tent onto it. This helps me to arrange the packing order and I then pack from there. I am one of these people who tends to empty their pack every night and then re-pack it in the morning (I usually use the pack as a bit of a pillow - the generous sized harness on my OnePlanet Strezlecki is particularly comfy under my head!)
I have to keep my eye on the exchange rate and see if I can do better. Still it is pretty good value for the price that you paid.
Cheers
Andrew

[Son of a Beach]

oh, I forgot to note that when I first went to set up this tent, I started pitching it right on a jack jumper nest. Sheesh... I've been looking for this nest for about 9 months!

Thankfully it was late and cold, and they were not really active, so no stings resulted, and I moved down the hill a bit further to try again.

Then the next day, I killed the nest.

[abowen]

I have done the same on occasion and camped on top of them without knowing. I usually do this when I arrive late somewhere and the shadows are starting to get long and I either can't see them or I am too tired to care. Luckily,they tend not to be overly active when it starts to cool down and by time morning arrives I am packing to move on so they don't get a chance to become annoying.
From memory, one of the worst spots for jackies is at the clearing near Junction Lake. If there are lots of tents in there, then they are hard to avoid.
Lucky I am not allergic to them. My son is and when he was a tot, he got very badly bitten and suffered an anaphalatic shock (excuse my spelling). Very scary situation! We also have a couple of nests on the block. I find that pouring boiling water into their nest works quite well - not that I enjoy killing things - it is just better to be safer. They hate water! You never see them out and about when it is raining and they usually build mounds nice and high on dry ground.
Cheers
Andrew