Tent Review: One Planet Goondie 1-15D

[luke_vic]

Nice review Nik.

So in other words, I got the tent very cheap. This was a big deal to me, because I was thinking I would have to wait another year or two before I could afford to buy a decent 1 person tent...Cost played a big part in my previous tent purchase too

How much did you pay for the tent? This will help give some perspective on the glowing review of this product!

[Son of a Beach]

It would not be proper of me to disclose this, because I got it in an assumed-in-confidence deal with One Planet. However, it was much less than anywhere else I've seen them advertised, and it would be fair to assume that this may well colour my opinion of the tent. So yes, I'm likely to be (subconsciously) biased in this review, but I would guess probably no more than anybody else trying to justify a new tent they've just bought. Having said that, I am attempting to as objective as I can.

[shazcol]

Nice spot Nik, any trout seen out the front door?

Re the Goondie is the front fly overhand enough to keep the rain out of the inside like the Akto?

[Son of a Beach]

Yes, I saw one enormous trout swam right past the tent. Looked like about 50 - 60 cm long, but water can make things look bigger some times.

The top of the fly is just a few centimetres out from the tent, and would provide a bit of rain protection when fully open, so long as the wind wasn't coming from that direction. Not as much as some other tents, I guess (I've not seen an Akto for comparison).

[Son of a Beach]

In answer to an earlier question, the usual cost for these tents is:

Goondie 1, 1.66kg: $469
Goondie 2, 1.96kg: $499

(According to the adverts which are now appearing on the front page of this web site.)

[Ent]

Hi Nik

Great review but the vital question. How would it stack up for tall timber. You may remember Ent in Exped tent, well almost

Must admit I am a fan of integral pitch tents but with DWR inners the inner getting wet when pitching the tent is not such a big issue. The inner then outer is very handy as many designs are self supporting which is great for platforms and rocky country.

I love my One Planet stuff so look forward to seeing if it stands up to to Tassie use. The first retail One Planets tents were rather average in design but very light. The weight is not an issue providing that the tent is roomy enough. There is a trend with the group that I walk with to go up to two man tents to get a bit of space. I use my Nallo over the Akto (Hilleberg) if camping out rather than a dash to a hut.

One final question. While a groundsheet is rather unnecessary in a well deigned tent I do like the Hilleberg idea where the ground sheet covers the vestibule area so you get a clean floor which is a bonus if you are not so flexible and rather well built. Does One Planet do that as an option?

Cheers

[Son of a Beach]

Yes, it was amusing watching you trying to insert and extract yourself into/out of that Exped. You would have to look up the dimensions to see if it would fit you in, lengthwise, but whatever the length is, it is all useable length, with the walls being near to vertical at the ends. However, even if you could fit into this tent, you may also have issues width-wise. The Exped was quite wide in the middle and narrow at the ends. The Goondie is perhaps a tad wider at the ends, but is a uniform width all the way along (an exact rectangle), and therefore somewhat narrower than the Exped at the middle. I'm fairly slim, and there was plenty of room for me, across the width, but not a lot to spare.

I'm not aware of One Planet offering any ground sheets (but haven't checked their website for this). I don't think there is any need for one with these tents, but for people that like to have a floor in their vestibule (or to reduce the surface area for evaporation becoming condensation), a custom ground sheet may be the way to go (eg, Tyvek or plastic).

[Son of a Beach]

PS. Looking at the dimensions in the PDF linked on the Goondie web site, I was not quite right. It is not rectangular, but is slightly wider at one end than the other (which is not obvious to the casual observer). Next time I get it out, I'll have to check to see if I had my shoulders at the narrow or wide end. Here's the dimensions...

[Ent]

Hi Nik

Um? Assuming that the drawing is to scale and my on-screen measuring is reliable then if I assume 2000mm body length placed in the centre and then measure up to the ceiling then the height above ground is around 330mm. Now before the pedendantic claim that I got this wrong, it is just a rough test so next time you pitch it measure in 150mm and then the height above the floor. From memory the Akto end height is around 300mm (and it does tend to sag a bit as the night goes on) and that is rather low for those of us with hair and like to sleep on a thick mat like an Exped 7 downmat.

I fully understand that most manufcturers target the sweet spot in the market being the trade-off to weight and no doubt cost but with the exception of the Hillberg Katium there is not much out there in the lighter weight tents for tall timber.

Still, I like the design as it looks very much the now discountined MSR tents that achieved good space to weight trade-off in a four season tent.

I still think Hilleberg get the most brownie points for "total package" as their ground sheet can be linked to the tent so it all goes up as one, so no chasing a wayward groundsheet. I hoped that other manufacturers had "stolen" that idea

Also I might have missed it (dodgey internet access with Dido) but how the ends of the poles clip in? In more than a few designs this is a potential weak point. Ironically the old cheap tent idea of a pin that goes into the pole seams to work best with the worst been a hole with a ball fitting on the end of the tent. Hilleberg use a pocket one end and a rubber cup the other end. This works well while the MD Kaon is a rotter for the pole dislodging itself from the hole during setup.

Cheers

[Penguin]

Yes, it was amusing watching you trying to insert and extract yourself into/out of that Exped. You would have to look up the dimensions to see if it would fit you in, lengthwise, but whatever the length is, it is all useable length, with the walls being near to vertical at the ends. However, even if you could fit into this tent, you may also have issues width-wise.

Ent

You still have not tried to get into the Vaude Bivvy that I have.

P

[Ent]

Hi flightless ice loving bird (FILB)

Maybe when I am dead it can be used as a body bag I think I did try one of your body bags, I believe that unless your chest can expand you suffocate Ok next time I will give it a shot but take some repair take.

Cheers

[Son of a Beach]

This isn't a great shot, but it uses the similar method to a lot of tents, where the end of the pole has a large indentation (or a T pin, or whatever), and fits through a ring in a fabric tab. Much the same as with the Olympus I have (one side) but the pole end has a more discrete groove, rather than just the entire end of the pole being thinner than the main pole body.

Screen Shot 2011-12-21 at 3.53.40 PM.png (31.77 KiB) Viewed 34983 times

[Ent]

Hi Nik

Looks very similar to the MD Kaon system. As mentioned the pole tends to spring out when setting up that tent. Also noticed that the fly must clip into the buckle which if I am right is the the same as the Kaon. Only thing with that system is a misplaced boot could break the clip as it is plastic. Um? works ok in the Kaon but not sold on that approach. I find with tents (and most things) it is the little details that make a good tent a great tent. For example, simple things like reflective guy ropes are great in a crowded pitching space. Also the supplied tent pegs can make or break a tent. Sure easy enough to replace but you should not have to. The Hilleberg with the Katium got the pegs rather wrong but came back with excellent ones in the Nallo so even the specialist can get it wrong.

Thanks for the information

Cheers

[Son of a Beach]

I guess you could be right. I've not used the clip on fly long enough to say how reliable it is.

But the pole end through the hole has always been very reliable for me with 4 tents over 25 years (plus other friends/relatives tents), and I've never once seen one sproing out, that I can remember. So I think it is more the implementation than the method that may be the problem there, and it may only be subtle differences in the size/shape of the pole end/tag/hole that could make the difference.

Of course it's only early days with this tent, so time will tell.

I'm planning to use it for an extended trip in a few weeks time, so may be able to report more then.

[Ent]

Hi Nik

The Kaon pole design seams to enourage the issue. Once setup no problem just when getting the poles in one always seems to fall out. With the plastic buckle never had a problem with the Kaon so more a "could go wrong" than has gone wrong comment. Look forward to your trip reports as there is nothing like a real world long term testing and living with a product to grow founder or otherwise of it. I am now owner of yet-another-One Planet pack, the Styx 2, so you could say I am a One Planet tragic but with tents probably more a Hilleberg tragic but as you warn, we all like to think that our choice is the best Given the similarity of design to the MSR it would be good to see it pitched side by side with Sthughes' tent.

Cheers

[sthughes]

Be even more interesting next to pomysi's Hubba HP ( as mine is a two man so obviously better :-p ).

I think the "pole in a hole" idea sinks or swims on the design of the hole and/or pole tip. On my hubba hubba hp they are excellent, almost too hard to extract if anything. But on my Vertex they come out annoyingly. I like the little clips, if they are decent plastic they are pretty indestructible.

[Tortoise]

Hi Nik

I'm new to this - maybe i missed something... Have you had your Goondie in snow yet?

I'm looking for a one person tent that will hold up in SW Tassie conditions - researching for someone else, but I might borrow the said tent now and then.
The Goondie 1-15D sounds interesting - though I'd probably recommend the 1-30D as it will be their only tent.

I know some people are happy with their Macpac microlite - though i have my doubts re stability, and don't like having the wind whip around inside the tent.
Any comments?

[norts]

The microlite can stand up to most things that Tassie can throw at it. I dont think you need to worry on that account.
I have never had time that I was concerned(not too much anyway - High Moor got me a bit worried) that the tent was going to let me down. it will handle a bit of snow but you need to watch if you get too much as it starts to build up on the edges of the tent.
I am now a convert to Hilleberg Akto, only changed tents because i am a gear tragic and people rave about hIlleberg. I havent really tested the Akto in bad weather, but everything else about it is great.
Roger

[Tortoise]

Thanks Roger

Still figuring this out - hope I'm replying to you!

How much breeze did you get in the Microlite? I have a MD Kaon, and am disappointed with that aspect - though love it for more sheltered situations.

[norts]

It is one of the problems with the Microlight, It doesnt have the greatest ventilation.
I think of it as a warm tent, when it is all closed up and pitched right it is nice and warm in windy conditions.
Also pitching is simple and quick.

Roger

[ollster]

In what Universe is 1660 grams, considered Light ????

My whole YET TOP BE PURCHASED gear, including tent,Pack and Sleeping bag weighs in at 1.5 kg's, I guess thats Ultra Light !!!!

You mainlanders are hilarious, maybe you should bring your mickey mouse light weight gear down to Tas once you've actually bought some and see why 1.6kgs is light for a tent which will not fold in a light breeze or collapse completely under snow.

[sthughes]

Hi Nik

I'm new to this - maybe i missed something... Have you had your Goondie in snow yet?

I'm looking for a one person tent that will hold up in SW Tassie conditions - researching for someone else, but I might borrow the said tent now and then.
The Goondie 1-15D sounds interesting - though I'd probably recommend the 1-30D as it will be their only tent.

I know some people are happy with their Macpac microlite - though i have my doubts re stability, and don't like having the wind whip around inside the tent.
Any comments?

Microlight's are a well made tent, but very, very cramped inside compared to the Goondie 1 and similar rivals.

[Son of a Beach]

Hi Nik

I'm new to this - maybe i missed something... Have you had your Goondie in snow yet?

No I haven't had it out in any snow yet. This will be a difficult one to test, because I only get out in substantial snow once or twice a year, and even then it doesn't usually snow heavily while I'm out as well. I'm fairly confident that the design will handle it well, based on my limited experience with a variety of other tents in the snow, but of course can't be sure until it happens.

[Son of a Beach]

I've finally completed another trip with the Goondie, and it was a much longer one this time, sleeping in the Goondie for 14 consecutive nights, so I'm getting a much better feel for it.

I do miss the integral pitch. The tent gets a bit wet on the inner while setting up in the rain, but it's not that much of a problem - it's no wetter than most tents get from condensation anyhow, and the water is still on the outside of the inner tent, and generally doesn't get through that layer of fabric.

The fly having its own waterproof stuff sack proved to be beneficial. When wet, I could pack it separately, but even when I did not, the inner remained dry, when the fly had been packed with it (the waterproof floor of the inner, which was all the packed-away fly touched would have helped a lot here too).

Speaking of the floor, the Goondie was the only one of the 6 tents on this 14 day trip that did not ever get any dampness in through the floor (some got a LOT of water in through their floors).

On a couple of nights, the Goondie accumulated a substantial amount of condensation. However, there was one night in which I was very impressed with its ventillation performance. Keep in mind here that we were camped next to a raging spraying river, in a rainforest, where it had recently been raining, and during the day, my pack, including my tent, which was not in a dry sack on this particular day, was upside down under water for about 5 minutes while my raft was wrapped around a log (or was it while upside down caught in a stopper - I can't remember). So the tent was pretty sopping wet when I set it up, inside and out. But in the morning, it was quite dry. Certainly a lot drier than when I went to bed. So I was happy with that.

I experienced several rainy days on this SW Tas rafting trip, including the storm which apparently brought a premature end to Tasmania's leatherwood honey season (and which added a lot of volume to the water in the river). The tent handled the rain very well. With the fly and tent doors both fully open, there was an occasional drip that did get into the tent, but for the most part the fly overhung the door just enough to prevent the rain getting in. Some certainly did get onto the inner adjacent to the door, but that fabric is reasonably water resistant, and was not a problem. I think that it would only take a very slight breeze in the wrong direction for rain to enter the tent while both doors were open, so you do need to be sure that you have it set up with the fly door facing down wind.

I can't comment on wind performance or snow performance still as we got no snow, and virtually no wind (being in deep, steep gorges most of the time). In fact I only used the two compulsory fly pegs most of the time, except when pitched in some odd places.

Oh yes, I sure pitched in some odd places. On a few occasions I was able to pitch this tent when the rest of the group had to resort to tarps and sleeping under rafts, because their tents would not fit in. But really, I think that's probably the case for most small one man tents - the rest of the group all had larger tents.

I'm now very firmly attached to the Goondie, and it would take an awful lot of persuasion to convince me to replace it with anything else. Would I buy another one if it got destroyed or stolen? Definitely. I don't even have to stop and think about that one. Is it perfect. No, I would still prefer integral pitch, but it's better than any other light weight one person tent for my needs that I've had any close encounters with (which is not many, by the way).

[GHub]

I bought a 30D Goondie just before Christmas for my trip to Tasmania, having read this thread.

Its first night out in the open was at shelf camp on the Mt Anne circuit, on a very windy and rainy night. As some will know that campsite is bare rock and pegs cannot be used, so tents need to be held down with rocks. To add to the epic quality my friend's tent began to fall apart as we tried to pitch it in the gale, so two of us had to sleep in the one person Goondie.

The tent came through this test admirably. Pitching it in such a high wind was a 2-person job requiring full concentration but once I had the sides and the 4 guy ropes "pegged" out it was very solid.

Something that occurred to me during that long and fairly sleepless night was that having vestibules on both sides made it possible for two of us to stay dry even though we were pressed hard against the walls of the inner tent. Without that extra distance between inner and fly we would have been pushing the two together and would have ended up pretty damp.

I am giving a big tick to One Planet for this solid little tent. It is a long way from being the lightest shelter around but I have a lot of confidence that it will keep me warm and dry.

My only criticism so far is that a bit more ventilation would be good. For summer use on the mainland it may be too warm.

[Son of a Beach]

Thanks for this update. Having not had mine in significant wind yet, this sets my mind at ease. I've no idea how you managed to get two people into it though!

It's a good point about the vestibules making the fly a long way from the inner tent along both long sides. The only places where the fly can get even remotely close to the tent is along the top and the two narrow sides. But even here, a good distance is maintained, just by good design.

PS. My first tent (a no-name brand) got seriously damaged on Shelf Camp about 20 years ago, during one of the famous Mt Anne Shelf Camp wind storms that came up during the night.

[Son of a Beach]

I tried out the Goondie in snow a bit earlier than expected on the BWT 5th Anniversary Walk on Friday. There was already several cm of snow on the ground when I pitched the tent on the platform at Pelion. The snow continued to to fall for most of the night.

The tent shed snow very well and I didn't fee the need to knock the snow off during the night at all. When I got up to go to the loo once during the night, I did dig the snow away from around the bottom of the fly just to improve ventillation. At this point I found that the large piles of snow around the base of the tent were pushing on the bottom of the fly a bit, but not enough to get anywhere near inner tent.

This photo was taken immediately after getting out of bed on Saturday morning...

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[Ent]

Hi

As a gear freak it was great to see the tent and full marks to you Nik for sleeping out in weather that had the rest of us retreating into the hut.

I do like the tent as it has the nice little touches that come from long and careful thinking. The portal to the other vestibule being a classic example of One Planet's thought processes.

Due to the crummy weather and my unwillingness to take my boots off I did not get a chance to check the Ent fit but it did look to be a better length than my Akto but narrower in the middle.

I have just brought a MSR Nook so be interesting to see how the two compare. I reckon that One Planet have got the floor needed for Tassie. Sure, my Hillebergs' floors have never let me down but yours makes mine seem under done.

In all a great little tent by the looks of it. Just think I am past one man tents myself but tempting for those trips where tent space is limited.

Cheers

[Son of a Beach]

I've now tried the tent in all conditions except for heavy wind, and I'm fairly confident it could withstand a decent storm. So my summary thus far is...

I love the tent and if it got destroyed and I had a choice of any one person tent to buy right now, I'd buy the Goondie 1-15D. No doubt about it. It's a brilliant tent.

However, it's not perfect. My only real issues with the tent are quite minor:

• No integral pitch. In practice though, this is not a big deal. Even in moderate rainfall, the tent can only get so wet before the fly goes on. The inner fabric resists passing water through it quite well, and it dries well again once covered.
• The port-hole on the back wall would be better with a mesh lining so that you could choose to leave the port-hole open for better ventillation without letting the mozzies in. I left it open a few nights anyhow, when there weren't many insects around, and I think it did improve ventillation.

Of course both of these suggestions would increase the weight of tent, so it's a trade off.

PS. A third issue: The velcro tabs that hold the fly to the poles should have built in heaters. They're very hard to manipulate with numb fingers!

[sthughes]

Yeah I had a bit of a perv as well up at Pelion. I'm still impressed, with some minor changes OP could have made it possible to pitch outer first which would have made it awesome and bugger all (if any) heavier. But I still think it's my pick of the current crop of solo tents suitable for winter conditions down here. With a handful of minor changes it would really kick some butt. I hate cramped tents and even I could survive happily enough in the Goondie 1, but for about half a kilo extra I still love the wide open spaces of my Hubba Hubba HP (or the Goondie 2) for solo use