Ideal Tent for Newbies in Tassie

[enviromelza]

Hello!
My partner and I are newbies to the bush walking scene and are very keen to get out there for some overnight trips. Fairly new to Tassie also, but from what I can tell the weather is highly variable and as we are from the North-West it is very wet! So we have been doing research on suitable tents, our ultimate goal is to hike the Overland but in the meantime we want to do smaller 1-3 night hikes.
Do we really need a four season tent if we don't intend to camp during winter? I know in some places it can go from sunshine to snow in the same day. We need a tent that is relatively light-weight so I can carry it myself when I want to head out without my partner in tow. From what I've read however, the more light weight = less durable (I have a clumsy nature) and less water proof at the $500 mark. Also, is it necessary to have a free standing tent?
We liked VANGO HALO 200 2 PERSON GEODESIC HIKING TENT which at the moment retails around $350 on special. But it lists a 3.2kg weight, reviews put it as high as 3.6kg. I thought this might be too high for single use. But all the features are great. Also looked at the Copper Spur which is really lightweight ($520 - high end of budget) has most of what we like, but I'm not sure about how it will hold up in tassie downpours and it is not very durable. We like the dual entrances and dual Vestibles.

Any input is greatly appreciated!!

Thank you,
Mel

[Hermione]

Hi Mel,
There isn't any one perfect tent it depends a lot on what suits you, which you might not figure out until you've been using your tent for a while. Then you'll end up with a collection like me! I think most reasonable 3 season tents will stand up to some bad weather and you can look for more sheltered campsites but some places is Tassie are quite exposed. Freestanding or not? Both have pros and cons, tunnel tents are pretty strong in the wind and are usually outer pitch first which I also like but they can be harder to pitch on difficult sites when there aren't many options to place pegs. I personally like freestanding tents for the ease of pitching and space inside but because they're quite rigid might be more prone to damage in high winds (although so far this hasn't happened to me). I think the Vango Halo looks pretty heavy for one person to carry and without seeing it hard to tell how easy it would be to pitch on your own. The Big Agnes is very light while I have no experience of them the pole configuration looks a bit funny with plastic pole hubs in few spots. I quite like the One Planet Goondie (although I don't own one) as they have a choices of lighter or heavier fabrics and mesh or nylon inner and the crossing pole configuration looks quite strong, they are heavier than the Big Agnes but a bit more water proof (also not cheap). Tarptent might also be worth a look, quite a few forum members seem to have them.
Finally if you're lucky enough to be living in Tasmania perhaps you should consider joining a bushwalking club.

[north-north-west]

While waterproofness counts, tent durability in Tassie is more about wind than anything else. You can reduce exposure to wind by careful choice of campsite and orientation of the tent but, as you've said, down here the weather is highly variable. Plus, sometimes you just need to get the thing up as quickly as possible to get out of the weather and don't have time to muck around looking for an ideal spot.
With two of you to carry a tent the weight becomes a little less of an issue. Still, it counts. The One Planets are good tents, especially if you go for the stronger version. Tarptents are also good - a Scarp II has heaps of room while being relatively light, and also has the advantage of integral pitching.

Everyone has their preferences. My own go-to tent is a Nallo2. Heavy for a single person, but it's incredibly well-made and has endured some diabolical weather. But with the decline in the dollar, Hillebergs are becoming rather pricey. Well outside your budget.

[Lophophaps]

Mel, there's good advice above. Most tents suitable for one wild, wet, windy place will be fine for another. For Tassie, the weather can be quite dramatic, so as NNW said, durability is a factor. You don’t want a tent to fall apart at 2 am in a blizzard four days away from the road.

For many years my tents have always been selected using a number of axioms. Firstly, the fly must go up first, or with the inner. I can see no point in tents that require the inner to go up first, thus risking the inner getting wet. I prefer to be able to sit up and have gear beside me in vestibules left and right. This is easier for me than having gear at the end, where most likely it will be crowded. Vestibules must be big enough to cook in without burning the tent down, which seems to be a bad idea. (I’ve not done this so I can’t say for sure.)

There should be a minimal number of pegs. Older walkers may recall the Backs Good Companion, which was massively heavy and needed 20-25 pegs. The Omnipotent needed just two. My current tent needs about 12 pegs, including storm guys. My snow tent is self-supporting, stays up with no pegs or guys.

If the inner is partly mesh I look for a solid wall to about 3-400 mm high. This stops the tent from getting drafty. Small features add to the quality. For example, having pole sleeves offset makes it easier to thread poles. Some tents have reflective guys and pole sleeves. Peg bags should be big enough to take conventional pegs. A loop at the apex of the inner is a good place for a lantern. Stability regardless of wind direction is good. However, it’s best to camp in a sheltered spot.

[corvus]

G'day Mel,
We use a Scarp 11 with and without the crossing poles for all seasons in Tasmania ,plenty of room for two a "palace" for one and relatively light to carry easy to set up.

[Mechanic-AL]

Hi Mel

If you are hoping for a good 'all rounder' then I would pay close attention to the ventilation system in anything you are considering. I have a Hilleberg Nallo which is pretty much bomb proof in the rough stuff but as these tents are more suited to alpine conditions it has a few issues with condensation when things get a bit warmer. Sometimes it is just not practical to sleep with a door half open and due to a lack of ventilation openings things sometimes get a bit soggy overnight. This isn't really a fault with the tent, more a fault with the conditions I am expecting to be able to use it under. Horses for courses.
So for an all round suitable tent I would definitely be looking at something with adequate ventilation but with vents that seal well and won't be prone to leaking when things get sloppy.

AL

[enviromelza]

Thanks everyone for your input.
I have decided on the Vango Halo 2 after all as it seems to tick most of the boxes suggested above. Although heavier I figure if I do get right into overnight hiking and my partner doesn't want to come I could invest in a smaller, lightweight tent for that purpose.
We don't officially move to Tassie until April but I will definitely hunt down some bush walk groups once we get there!