light weight tent for 2 people

[kmiatae]

Could anyone recommend a good tent for two people for a variety of Tassie conditions? Needs to be compact and lightweight. Both users are tall so need some room (tallest 6 foot 3). Havent bought a tent for years so dont know where to start. Have tried Macpac and their Olympus looked good but is 3.1kg a resonable weight?

[tasadam]

Do a search here for Hilleberg Nallo2 or Hilleberg Nallo...
Hope that helps.

[DonQx]

You should be able to find lighter than that, maybe even less than 2.5 kg.

I'm 6'2'' ... have found that tent floor length and head room can be a bit of an issue.

Have got a Hilleberg Nallo 3 for sale if you're interested (2.3 kg, 'bomb-proof', certainly very good for Tassie conditions, one of the few lighter tents with decent headroom) ... http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6920 ... have a look, there are a few pics with people sitting in the tent.

[Mountain Rocket]

I have not tried one myself but I find the new two man tent from One Planet intriguing.
http://www.oneplanet.com.au/goondie/goondie-2-30d.html

I suppose you are after a 4 season tent for down here? Or are you a summer walker(s)?

[kmiatae]

Mostly summer walking but you know Tassie, must be prepared for snow even in January

[corvus]

G'day kmiatae,
Worth your while checking out a Scarp 2 not overly heavy easy to erect and very roomy for two
corvus

[nathanashton]

Could anyone recommend a good tent for two people for a variety of Tassie conditions? Needs to be compact and lightweight. Both users are tall so need some room (tallest 6 foot 3). Havent bought a tent for years so dont know where to start. Have tried Macpac and their Olympus looked good but is 3.1kg a resonable weight?

Recently bought an MSR Hoop which is a bit larger than the Hubba Hubba and a mix of solid inner and mesh which is more suitable for Tas conditions.

I'm 6ft 6 and my partner is 6ft. We both fit comfortably (including sitting). Weight is around 2.1 - 2.5kg or so depending on the setup.

Cheers

[corvus]

[quote=

Recently bought an MSR Hoop which is a bit larger than the Hubba Hubba and a mix of solid inner and mesh which is more suitable for Tas conditions.

I'm 6ft 6 and my partner is 6ft. We both fit comfortably (including sitting). Weight is around 2.1 - 2.5kg or so depending on the setup.

Cheers[/quote]

Looks like a really nice Tent however for the cost ,space and weight factor I believe the Scarp2 is equal to it ,the Scarp has integral pitch whereas the "MSR Hoop" is inner first by the look of it and is rated as three season and free standing,Scarp with solid inner and cross poles is rated four season and is free standing .
Yes I am a happy Scarp owner (both 1 and 2 and biased) but have owned and used many Tents over the years and this one ticks all the boxes for me
corvus

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

At the risk of being shotdown by forum members for my suggestion being overkill/too heavy, have u thought of the MSR Mutha Hubba HP at about 3kg (that's only 1.5kg each) *ducks for cover*.

It is considered 3+ season, and would manage light to moderate snow falls. Might not be quite as good as a tunnel tent in extreme winds, but quite okay in strong winds when pitched properly.

It is an absolute beast space wise - is very comfortable for two people. We can sit upright with oodles of headroom. Fits three at a squeeze. Has entry at both ends. Has BIG vestibules at both ends. The build quality is excellent.

I got one online from the states, delivered for a touch over $500.

I'm all for lightweight, minimalist hiking - but at a touch over 6 feet tall, the one thing I won't do is compromise on tent space. My wife is tiny (5' 6" and 50kg) but we still found most of the two person tents were really only for 1.5 people, or 1 with gear.

Most of the three person hiking tents were more like two person, so this is why we went with the Mutha Hubba.

[etrangere]

I agree with the MSR Hubba Hubba HP choice over TT Scarp 2. The Hubba Hubba is one of the most popular tents going and consistently gets 100's of good reviews from people with hands on experience. Peoples experience with TarpTents don't seem to rate anywhere near as highly, from modifications A, B, C etc etc needed to make it livable to poor customer service, quality control issue, misting, slippery floor, condensation issues etc etc. For impartial advice perhaps Google Scarp or TarpTent along with "reviews" " pros" "cons" "experience" etc

[rucksack]

Steady on there etrangere. Perhaps a little over enthusiastic generalisation with the "100's of good reviews from people with hands on experience" and "Peoples [sic] experience with TarpTents [sic] don't seem to rate anywhere near as highly"?

Declaration first: I own a Tarptent Moment - and I am very happy with it. I am also very happy with the Tarptent service from Franco in Melbourne. After reading your post, I took a quick look at the BPL web site tonight and specifically perused BPL member feedback as to their experience of customer service at Tarptent (and at other manufacturers too), to see if it gelled with your assertion that Tarptent customer service is poor. (See http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... Service%29.

35 BPL members have reviewed Tarptent's customer service on-line and their reviews are cited in full on the BPL web site. Each of those BPL members also rated the service they received from Tarptent: the average rating (from the 35 reviews) is a 4.63 out of a maximum 5. Not bad, I would have thought. These 35 reviews do tend to cast doubt on at least one of your propositions. It's surely a small sample, but on a very reputable site. Personally, I have not experienced any of the manufacturing or technical problems that you cite as negatives with regard to Tarptent shelters, nor any misting (but I have a liner), and the floor of my Moment is spotted with silicone, so no slipping - and I have experienced no more condensation on a still night than any other single-walled shelter that I have used, (and arguably less, as the ventilation options on the Moment are quite good in my view).

We should all feel to express our personal opinions, of course, and to promote our individual preferences as to this or that piece of equipment, (which is what, I think, most members try to do when they post here), but it is probably wiser if we try to leave it to the "100's" of others to express their own views, or, if we are to involve them in support of our arguments, at least tell readers who these "100's" are.

I am not saying that the MSR Hubba Hubba isn't a decent tent, in fact, I'm quite sure that it is, but each tent, like each stove and each rucksack and each single piece of outdoor equipment, will suit some and not others. That is the way that the world is, and it is probably just as well, for it means that we can each seek out equipment that suits our own needs and makes for more contented (and safer) walking. (Besides, if there was only one tent and one stove and one of everything, what would happen to the Equipment page? That's right, it would be very, very boring!)

Speaking personally, I think that Tarptent make rather decent shelters; I am happy with mine, and particularly happy with the quality and the design of it. To my mind, it is an elegant solution. Other Tarptent users can speak for themselves.

Reading through those 35 BPL member reviews on the BPL web site, I think that I may not be entirely alone in my assessment of Henry Shires and his approach to building lightweight (Tarptent) shelters; it would appear that there are at least 35 other walkers who also think that his customer service is rather good.

rucksack

[Dale]

+1 to Rucksack.

I own three Tarptents and very happy with customer service, quality and performance in the field. Haven't used them in Tas, but I see a recommendation from Corvus who has.

Good luck kmiatae with your hunting.

[Franco]

Some confuse their own personal dislike for a product with the actual performance of that product.
That is true for certain Ford fans rubbishing Holden as it is for some Nikon fans rubbishing Canon and so on.
In reality all of those brands have many satisfied users regardless that they irritate others.
I grew up as a fan of Cassius Clay. I watched him willing him to win, my dad wanting him to lose.As a matter of fact Ali cultivated that image because when he was still an amateur he noticed how a certain wrestler filled the arena with people that paid to go to hopefully see him lose.
So the few dedicated TT critics really just make more people aware that the brand is good enough to be criticised.
Anyway, this year worldwide sales are about 40% above last year so in spite of the extra floor space our makers have given us we still have a hard time keeping up with orders.
Australian sales have doubled since last year and last year were well up on the year before but are still a tiny proportion of the total sales.
So , thanks Stranger, keep up your good work.
Oh, Henry is now working on our 10th anniversary shelter.
Franco
BTW, if you follow BPL, one of the guys that adds his criticism to the TT threads does so because Henry refused to make him a custom shelter.
So , yes , sometimes you need to ask yourself "why" ?

Last edited by Franco on Mon 19 Sep, 2011 10:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

[photohiker]

I can echo rucksack's sentiments. I haven't had cause to deal with Franco yet as I bought my TT before he was the Aussie agent, but I have had several dealings with Henry and all I can say is that the service and the product is up there with the best of them. I also had the pleasure of meeting Henry in Scotland and you couldn't find a nicer bloke.

I've not tried contacting MSR for customer service, but I expect it wouldn't be a patch on the personal service coming from Franco and Henry, happy to be proven wrong on that. All the same, the Hubba tents look quite reasonable and well made, just not something I'd trade my Scarp for though.

[Jellybean]

+ another one to Rucksack

In addition to limiting overenthusiastic generalisations, I'd recommend limiting comments about product and manufacturer performance to those that you have personal experience with. (Your comments suggest that you don't have personal experience with either?).

As both an MSR Hubba Hubba HP and Tarptent owner and Scarp 2 user, I'd have to disagree with your comments in relation to these two shelters.

[Nuts]

Not another subliminal Tarptent push... Mention another brand, get TARPTENT suggestions, specifically state you don't want TARPTENT get TARPTENT comments

((i might have to call the ministry of tent ratings..(who rates tents anyhow...) they seem a bit flimsy to me, tissue paper an temporary scaffolding cringe ))

[photohiker]

Resistance is futile! Return this drone to the collective!

Actually, I think it started with an anti-TT push!

[Nuts]

ha ha.. hey etrangere isn't a tarptent operative?? Iv'e actually heard those comments here and there, 'unusual' though.

[sthughes]

Could anyone recommend a good tent for two people for a variety of Tassie conditions? Needs to be compact and lightweight. Both users are tall so need some room (tallest 6 foot 3). Havent bought a tent for years so dont know where to start. Have tried Macpac and their Olympus looked good but is 3.1kg a resonable weight?

I guess I'd take one of three options.

1. Two individual tents at about 1.5kg each
I'd start with MSR and Terra Nova for these (Hubba HP and Laser series)

2. One 2 man very cosy ("sleepable") tent at about 2kg
Hilleberg Nallo 2, Hubba Hubba HP, Scarp 2 (roomier but not as well made)

3. One spacious ("liveable") 2 man tent at about 2.5-3kg
Hilleberg Kaitum or Nallo 3, MSR Holler?

Really up to preferences, what matters most - free standing? Integral pitch? head room? vestibule space? weight? toughness/longevity? comfort? internal space? stormproofness? etc etc.

I'd go a Hilleberg Kaitum personally, but if you just want to go as fast as possible and still survive a storm then a Terra-Nova Laser 2 will supposedly squeeze 2 at less than half the weight of a Kaitum!

Golite Shangri-la 3/5 with a custom inner might also be worth a look

[frenchy_84]

2. One 2 man very cosy ("sleepable") tent at about 2kg
Hilleberg Nallo 2, :

You make the Nallo 2 sound small for 2 people, which i would disagree with, you can fit two fullsize sleeping mats in it with out rolling over on to each other (unless thats your thing). Unless you play table tennis or 8 ball in your tent i dont see why a 2 man needs to be any bigger.

[sthughes]

For sleeping the Nallo 2 is plenty large enough for two large lads. But in my opinion it falls down in the "living" criteria. It's difficult to both sit up at once, more difficult to both cook, difficult to pack up at the same time etc. etc. All perfectly possible but none very much fun. To me it suits a couple who are sharing everything and preferably of either light build or one small ("lady size") and one larger build, not two 6'3" blokes so much. But like I said still perfectly manageable. The Kaitum with it's full height at both ends combined with it's dual vestibules is a much better proposition on this front. Just my opinion, I like a bit of elbow room, am not a light build and am quite long in the body.

[etrangere]

Egads!! sthughes dont say a Scarp 2 isnt as well made or you might get lynched! :p

Two one man tents isnt a bad idea at least you have the benefit of a solo tent if you ever go hiking on your own.

Personally I love freestanding tents due to:
1 - easy to clean out, pick up and tip out dirt/sand etc
2 - less pegs required, a HUGE blessing when dealing with rock hard ground
3 - easy to dry off/clean underside before packing, just prop one end off the ground against a pack or tree to allow it to air dry underneath
4 - not always but in most cases easier to set up solo
5 - easier to move if you find have picked a bad spot, ie on an ants nest or an area that pools water etc

[mattmacman]

Lately there really has been a change in views from what is wanted in a tent. Rather than the traditional philosophy of 'every feature possible it even has a built in fridge'! It has changed to more of a, i want a shelter that does the bare minimum whilst still being safe', this is reflected perfectly by a quote found on Gossamer Gear's site, “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
– Antoine de Saint-Exupery

[corvus]

[quote="etrangere"



Personally I love freestanding tents due to:
1 - easy to clean out, pick up and tip out dirt/sand etc
2 - less pegs required, a HUGE blessing when dealing with rock hard ground
3 - easy to dry off/clean underside before packing, just prop one end off the ground against a pack or tree to allow it to air dry underneath
4 - not always but in most cases easier to set up solo
5 - easier to move if you find have picked a bad spot, ie on an ants nest or an area that pools water etc[/quote]

Sounds just like both my Scarps
corvus

[johnrs]

6'3''??
Look at a Helsport Ringstind 2, 1.8kgs, 110 cm headroom.
Great quality At a high price.
John

[tele-whippet]

I've just got a Mont Bell Stellaridge 2 from http://www.iclimb.co.nz/austents.htm for winter alpine use.
I did a fair bit of research and it seems a good bomber unit at a lowish weight.




Have yet to field test it.