Vaude Power Lizard UL tent

[Area54]

Has anybody used this tent? I'm weighing up my options for a new bikepacking tent:

http://www.rucsacsupplies.com.au/produc ... _X_DCELL=1

Shortlisted this along with an MSR Hubba.

1.0kg claimed weight...hmmm

Looks like the Vaude tent needs a lot of pegs to maintain shape, yet Hubba seems a bit more freestanding. I like a quick setup and packdown, the less pegs the better in stable weather. hard baked ground (we have a bit of that here in QLD) or stoney regions are a bit hard on pegs...

[Area54]

I pulled the trigger and it arrived yesterday, gotta love pro deals and airbag deliveries. Just in time for the weekend and it is raining out. Perfect timing.

First thing I notice is the fabric, it is gossamer thin. The stuffsack it comes with is very loose, enough room for a footprint.

One of the important things for me was the packed size, it needs to fit into a dedicated cage on my bike fork and their quoted package size of 35cm x 10cm is about right, spot on for the cage. With some strapping during rollup, I'm certain it could be compressed down to 70mm in diameter. The cage has compression straps.

They claim 1kg, I get 1056g on my digi scale incl stuffsac. Weight was not a real critical factor for me, about the same as my OR bivvy.

The colour is a pleasing sandy hue - think QLD white beach sand, not Kuta volcanic sand .

I was a bit worried when all the pics on blogs were of the putrid mustard yellow, thinking that the distributors and Vaude had come up with a clever marketing strategy to sell mustard tents as 'sand'. The green is out there, but I like the sand and I'm sure it will be very bright inside.

[ULWalkingPhil]

What did you pay for the tent? Can you pitch the outer first, and than the inner?

[isoma]

Hi Area54,
I've been seriously looking at this tent for a little while as well now. It seems to get good reviews and compares very favourably against the Terra Nova Laser Comp - slightly heavier, but roomier and packs down smaller. I'll be interested to hear how you go with pitching this one as I've read it can be a little fiddly. If you google this tent and look at the journeyman travellers blog there is a pretty good review and an easy to follow approach for putting up the Power Lizard ( I believe the instructions provided are brief).
As I look out the window I doubt you'll be putting it up today but would be keen to see some photos when you do please. I've also read you can pack it down smaller as well. As far as I can tell this is the smallest packing of the '3 season' 1 person tents ( a photo of the tent packed in its sack would be good as well ).

cheers

[Drifting]

couldn't they just make it 10cm wider, to fit two air mats?

[Area54]

The inner is attached to the fly via corner straps and ring and pin connection. The inner remains attached to fly the when pitching and packing. The poles attach to the outside of the fly, so you can completely remove the inner for tarptent use, just need to plan the pegs as the inner gives the floorplan shape, however I'm told there is a factory footprint available which would eliminate the guesswork and experimentation with peg placement when pitching as tarptent.

The longest pole section is 335mm, this will be the limiting factor with dimensions, however you could pack these separately and stuff the tent into a stuffsack - will try this in a few of my stuffsacks to give an idea of compressed tent fabric volume sans poles.

Pitching instructions were easy enough (if a little vague, maybe just the genglish translation), read them once but honestly, once you take it out of the bag it required very little thought. Peg out one end, attach ridge pole, peg out other end, add end poles, fine adjust peg placement, tune internal straps for inner tub. Nothing complex about the components on this design.

Isoma, I was glad for the rain, as that's one of my preferences to have a nice dry space to reside in should the rain persist all day when riding. I really wanted a tent I could pitch in the rain and wind, then transfer my gear straight into the tent without having to go through a lengthy process of drying the inner. As the inner is attached to the fly, I set this up straight onto wet grass, taking very little care with placement - just took out of bag, shook it in the air, dropped it, pegged one end a pitched it. Inner did not contact ground, just the tub and bottom edges of the fly, so a big tick for ease of setup in rain and keeping inner dry, IN THEORY and LIMITED TESTING at this point.

There is a lot of space between the fly and the inner, covered vents at both ends so should provide a lot of ventilation, condensation YMMV. For 1 person, it is luxury. Fair sized vestibule. With fly door open, inner is still sheltered from light rain in no wind, with dry space in vestibule. Be best to place pack inside though - there's plenty of room for it - given the very lightweight nature of the fabric, a heavy pack falling over on it could render some serious damage.

Okay, just stuffed the tent into a 2L s&s roll top drybag. Expelled a fair amount of air, then rolled the top down 2 times. 150mm x 230mm x 100mm ovalised nugget of tentiness.

Any more questions I'm happy to answer, take particular pics etc. I won't provide comparison to other tents as everyones experience differs with other tents, can only provide facts in front of me and what I wanted in a tent. Didn't want to get into a full review - time poor and rather be out riding than typing...

Once I've had it out in the field I can report more facts and report from experience based testing. Great Ocean Road and Otways in August should be windy, rainy and cold.

[ninjapuppet]

sounds like a great tent.

was just wondering.... how did you manage to contemplate on the tent on wednesday night, click buy, and then to have it arrive on the Friday?
was it from a local supplier?

[Area54]

Yep, bought from aussie distributor.

They don't bring in the footprint though, will have to source one overseas methinks.

[Area54]

Back from Otways with some data. Camped on the GOW, above Johanna beach camp on an exposed bluff on one night, some fairly breezy conditions overnight. I estimated 35+ km/hr winds, tent held up fine but a lot of flapping as there is a lot fabric between supports (say, compared to a tunnel tent)

Then camped in a valley near Lorne, no wind and sharp drop in temps down to 3 or so, had a bit of condensation the next morning. However to be fair, some of my riding gear was a bit damp from 5 days of continual sweat.

Cake to set up each day.

Enjoyed the room in the vestibule, as the inner unhooks from the outer via ring and pin.