3/4 season tent recommendations for keen bushwalker

[Billy27]

G'day guys I'm relatively new to the site and this is my first post.

Just a quick general question to the broader community, I'm after a reasonable tent so I can start walking more frequently. Uni and work commitments have so far limited me to daywalks and the occasional overnight walk (when its warm and dry) mostly in the SE QLD/NE NSW area where I'm based. However after I graduate , I plan on venturing across the country, doing as many walks as possible,

I wouldn't mind a tent that could handle a occasional winter walk in Tassie or alpine VIC/NSW and be light enough for extended trips. Would a good 3 season tent be sufficient or am I better off getting a 4 season tent? If anyone has any recommendations in the price range of up to $550 it would be greatly appreciated

Cheers in advance

Billy.

[Dale]

Welcome to the forums Billy !

For a versatile shelter that can handle 4 seasons you could try the Scarp 1 It's reasonably light at 1.4kg and has optional crossing poles to make it free standing and to handle snow loading. It has plenty of room and two large vestibules. There is also a 2 person version. It's $315 + postage from the States.

[Strider]

Does anyone have experience with the TT Stratospire 1? Looks as though it could be a good 3-season option which can handle some snow loading if caught out.

[sthughes]

If winter is more the exception than the rule I'd go a 3/3.5 season tent.

Personally if you can get one in the price range I'd get an MSR Hubba Hubba HP. One Planet Goondies aren't bad as well, and there are plenty of others in the price bracket. Depends whats important to you (space,weight, strength, warmth/venting, rain & snow performance, longevity etc etc).

[bushwalker zane]

Also check out Exped, there is a review for the new Gemini on here http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10554. Hilleberg have released a 3 season range this year,the Anjan and Rogen, these might be a bit of a stretch of the budget though.

[johnrs]

The Stratospire 1 has also caught my eye.
It has a fabric liner option.
Any feedback would be welcome.
John
PS
And a mention for the Helsport Ringstind 1 or the Luxe Lightwave.

[doogs]

There are plenty of tents available so you probably need to decide on what style of tent you like be it a tunnel, dome etc. Some folk prefer a double vestibule, one with2 entrances, whether you would be happy in a 1 man or would like a bit more room and get a small 2 man.

[wayno]

Also check out Exped, there is a review for the new Gemini on here http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10554. Hilleberg have released a 3 season range this year,the Anjan and Rogen, these might be a bit of a stretch of the budget though.

+1 Exped, top quality design, features and construction

[cosmic_couple22]

Here is a bit of information I have collected on the same journey for a 2 person lightweight (like to have a little elbow room)

MSR Hubba Hubba HP - 1.93kg - 2.7sqm - floor 40D10000rated -walls 20D 330Thread count 1000rated - 3.5 season, will take moderate snow

Exped Venus 2 UL - 2.4kg - 2.8sqm - floor 10000rated - walls 1500rated - 3 season

Mont Moondance II - 1.98kg - 2.66sqm - floor 10000rated - walls 2000rated - 3 season, will take moderate snow

Easton Hat Trick 2 - 2.08kg - 3.7sqm - floor 30D 5000rated - walls 20D 2000rated- 4 season (they say below the tree line) will take moderate snow, very airy mesh inner.

One Planet Goondie 30D - 2.1kg - 2.8sqm - floor 100D 5000rated - walls 30D 3000rated - 4 season, moderate snow, can save some weight with mesh inner also mesh inner and 15D outer lighter still but not sure how it would go with snow in this configuration.

Vaude Hogan UL - 1.8kg - ? - floor 40D 10000rated - walls 40D 3000rated - 3.5 season, moderate snow, very small vestibule but award winning tent at a very reasonable price.

There were a lot of other tents out their but these all fitted my bill of lightweght (who decides whats lightweight is a plce of great debate, for me under 2.5 kg as my mountain tents are all 3.5 kg plus.) Strong enough to survive multiple wet days and strong wind, have a strong enough floor that I don't have to carry a footprint and add extra weight.

There are many things to consider in your purchase, look at internal length and inner tent shape (steep walls) if you are over 180cm tall as a wet foot area in your sleeping bag is the result of not enough length and touching hard against the side walls. Is the vestibule big enough for your bacpack or just your boots. Do you want a full mesh inner, great for ventalation in summer but damn cold in the alpine regions in winter (won't ever have condensation problems though ) Be aware that the lighter the fly fabric the less UV resilient it is. Lots to think about, plenty of good reviews on youtube so you can see set up and get a sense of the tent you may or may not buy.

Out of my list I think the one planet Goondie is great tent overal,l weight + decent floor & walls + vestibul space, all ticks (also comes in 1 person vairables)
I decided on the Easton for the room, as it will be used as a 2 person tent all the time, it is very airy with all mesh inner and will definatley be cool when I go to north India in October.
If vestibul space isn't a priority check out the Vaude.

Plenty of other tents out there so happy shopping

Chester

[wayno]

by "10000rated" he is talking about the hydrostatic head rating or mm in vertical water column the fabric will resist before water can pass through the shell., ie how waterproof it is
it's debateable what fully waterproof is, 10,000 is regarded as waterproof under most conditions.
two skin tents waterproof rating on hte walls isnt so much of an issue the water may pass through the fabric but it will still run off the walls outside the tent. a few thousand is ok, the floor rating is the bigger issue. pressure of weight on teh floor increases the likeliihood of ground water getting in through the fabric.

[frenchy_84]

I would get a Hilleberg Anjan 2 (lightweight version of a Nallo 2), I own a Nallo 2 and am annoyed that the Anjan wasnt on the market when i bought the Nallo

[phan_TOM]

I'm someone else who's in the market for a lightweight 1-2 person tent & have put together a similar breakdown of information as the last post, for freestanding 1 person tents, that might help you decide. Its not comprehensive but has most of what I consider the main factors covered (and hopefully its mostly accurate).

-The Goondie is leading the charge at the moment as it seems to have the best trade off of pros and cons, good internal area, decent weight, nice having two vestibules, the reviews seem mostly favourable etc
-The Soulo is probably the best featured and quality of all these but its expensive, the heaviest of the bunch and for my needs I really don't need a bombshelter... (I also considered the Anjan 2 put off a bit by it not being freestanding and its a bit more than I'd like to spend. I havent discounted it yet, 1.7 kg packed!, palatial for one/can sleep 2, fully featured, reputable brand etc etc... Is it worth the extra couple of hundred $$?
- The Hubba is very similar to the Goondie in many regards and I'm still considering it plus its cheaper
-The Scarp ticks more boxes than the Goondie for me but the lightweight floor and partly the colour are pretty much deal breakers
-The ACE seems too heavy for what it is and there doesnt seem to be any good reviews out there (or any reviews?)

[Billy27]

Thanks for the speedy and numerous replies guys, some really handy info . I'll probably opt for a 2 person, 3- season tent mainly because of the extra room provided (worth carrying a little extra weight i reckon) and in case I go on a overnight walk with someone who doesn't own a tent.

I've narrowed it down to a few contenders...

-MSR Hubba Hubba HP is an appealing tent. although on sale for $620 from a aussie site (hiking.com.au) still a little on the expensive side.

- The Exped Venus and Gemini are also great looking tents. I found the 'UL' version of the Venus on sale on the same site as above for $455, although it's non - UL is $680 (not too sure about this $200+ discrepancy). Is there anything I should be conscious of when comparing the two models?

- The Hilleberg Anjan/Nallo also look to be top-class tents although could only find on international sites with the cheapest prices being $570 and $620 respectively on the US site backcountry.com. I think the postage to Aust. may just boost these out of my price range, although does anyone know how much postage usually is from the US to Aust?

- The One Planet Goondie is also a very strong contender , going for $494 once again from hiking.com.au. It being a aussie brand is also another bonus.

I was just wondering if these prices sound reasonable when compared to what others have seen/paid. I think it will come down to one of the tents from a online australian retailer.

So basically is the HH HP worth paying a extra 150-200 for, over the Exped Venus and Goondie?

Cheers guys

[north-north-west]

- The Hilleberg Anjan/Nallo also look to be top-class tents although could only find on international sites with the cheapest prices being $570 and $620 respectively on the US site backcountry.com. I think the postage to Aust. may just boost these out of my price range, although does anyone know how much postage usually is from the US to Aust?

For something that size and weight, it's usually cost me about $60, with variable speed of delivery.

[bushwalker zane]

These prices all sound about good for the tents you named. I have never owned A HH, so I can't rightly judge, but from looking at them I would say they don't really offer anything special over the other tents named other than their own little pros and cons. They do seem to have a cult following though, so I'm not sure if there is something amazing about them that I am yet to see, or they are more of a "I love MSR, I'll only buy MSR". They are top quality tents, but in my honest opinion I don't see an advantage.

Owners of Hubba Hubbas, please don't have a go at me, enlighten me if you please!

[Dale]

Some other 2 person 3 season options, all double wall designs:

Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 1.08kg retails for $370 but bargains can be had

Tarptent Stratospire 2 1.1kg and $325 - This is a pretty new design so feedback on its performance is limited. For a couple of days I hiked with two bushwalkers using the Stratospire 2. They had used it in sleet, snow and wind and reported good performance. Lots of room for the weight - can take 3 people.

Big Sky Evolution 2P 1.35kg $374 and lots of option to customise. These tents have a great reputation for design but be aware the company received a lot of criticism early in the piece for long shipping delays. All recent feedback points towards this no longer being an issue, but caveat emptor.

Sierra Designs and Nemo tents are also worth a look.

[cosmic_couple22]

After all my looking, in my opinion (and thats all it is) the Goondie is a better built product than the MSR, the boys at one planet really do have great quality control.

[Billy27]

Geez decisions, decisions. North-north-west $60 isn't as bad as I was expecting, so if I scrounge up enough funds I just may cave in and get a hilleberg. Although there are some great tents that have been mentioned I'm thinking the Goondie or Exped Venus are more in my price range...although the research is not over yet with all these new suggestions popping up.

Thanks once again.

[bushwalker zane]

I just got my first Hilleberg in the mail! Soulo. It looks super duper so far! Notice I said first? There will be more, hehehe

I would prefer the Goondie, Aussie brand, great quality gear. Ah, researching for a tent is a world of fun!

[sthughes]

So basically is the HH HP worth paying a extra 150-200 for, over the Exped Venus and Goondie?

I own a Goondie 1 - 30D and an MSR Hubba Hubba HP. The MSR is better put together, better designed, better materials and just plain better. The Goondie would be more solid in strong wind and a tad warmer due to no mesh (hence perhaps too hot in summer?). I would be tempted to spend the extra for the MSR just for the outer pitch first feature, but really not sure it is worth it as the Goondie is a good tent as well. Hubba Hubba HP's can be had from England for about $520 including postage - maybe less.

I don't have and have never paid a lot of attention to Exped tents as none of them have ever suited what I have been after, but I've never heard any complaints. In the case of the Venus 2 UL it's an extra half a kg for little gain and is that a mesh door? Can't quite tell.

I'm someone else who's in the market for a lightweight 1-2 person tent & have put together a similar breakdown of information as the last post, for freestanding 1 person tents, that might help you decide. Its not comprehensive but has most of what I consider the main factors covered (and hopefully its mostly accurate).

I'd be dubious over some of those number, or at least how representative they are. For example in a Scarp 1 I am touching my head on the ceiling when sitting on a mat, in the Hubba I have ample head room and the Goondie I could wear a top hat (well almost!).

[Aushiker]

Welcome to the forums Billy !

For a versatile shelter that can handle 4 seasons you could try the Scarp 1 It's reasonably light at 1.4kg and has optional crossing poles to make it free standing and to handle snow loading. It has plenty of room and two large vestibules. There is also a 2 person version. It's $315 + postage from the States.

Another vote for a Scarp 1. Mine which has the solid interior weighs in at 1.5 kg. This is it in action in the Northern Territory just outside of Litchfield National Park.



Andrew

[DaveB]

You may want to check Ferrino out also,they may have something suitable.There are a few reviews on the forum,and they are well priced.
Cheers,
Dave.

[phan_TOM]

I'd be dubious over some of those number, or at least how representative they are. For example in a Scarp 1 I am touching my head on the ceiling when sitting on a mat, in the Hubba I have ample head room and the Goondie I could wear a top hat (well almost!).

Interesting to hear from someone who's actually sat in each of the tents and then found such a discrepancy seeing that the numbers listed are from the manufacturers websites. Those 3 tents 'should' have pretty close to the same internal height... It can't be that hard to accurately measure?

[Beacon Hill Ben]

I have just ordered this tent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuuZ2LsjWi8, the Editors' Choice 2011: Kelty Salida 2 Tent

Main benefits for me: it is a Freestanding design, which means it needs NO pegs to stay upright, and only a few to secure it. I just hate trying to put up a tent with lots of pegs and keep hitting rocks all the time... Also, this Salida is light and has sufficient head space, but I will check back in when I have received it to confirm all of that. And I bought for only $139 plus shipping from the US.

[dannnnn]

I have a salida.. its a decent tent for the money. Bit tight for 2 and not super light, but good for the money!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[geeza72]

Hi Guys,

this is my first post and have been reading with interest. I recently bought a Hilleberg Soulo from an Australian retailer. Link is http://mountainadventurecentre.com.au/s ... 04188b5882.
They were really helpfull so thought I would pass it on so people would have the option to buy from here rather than from overseas.

Cheers,

[Billy27]

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions guys, all really useful

Ending up going for the One Planet Goondie 2 30-D, light, sturdy and a Aussie brand (means it will arrive faster too haha).

Will let you all know how it performs on its maiden voyage.


Cheers.

[Tantell]

Hi Billy27, I know this is a year and a bit after the last post, but was wondering how you went with the Goondie 2 30-D (and did you get a mesh inner or the nylon)?

Cheers
Shaun