alliecat wrote:Perhaps you should read those reviews at BPL a bit more thoroughly (and critically). For example:
"I have not tried this shelter in high winds or heavy rain or snow "
or
"The one 'weakness' of the Contrail is its need for more stability in high winds"
etc. etc.
The contrail is a "3-season" tent (it says so on the tarptent site) - and that's three U.S. seasons with predictable conditions and generally much less rain and wind than Tas. The point is made several times in the BPL thread you quote that the contrail is "not a mountaineering tent", and that it is not suitable for "above the tree line" (read: "windy") conditions, and so on.
The contrail is undoubtedly a great tent - in the conditions for which it was designed. That does not include most of Tassie, most of the time. As I said, I have a tarptent Cloudburst which is great for summer camping at low altitudes in sheltered conditions. I'm sure the contrail would be fine in those conditions too. But I recently bought a Hilleberg Nallo to use the rest of the year and in tougher conditions because I know that the tarptent would be too risky in strong winds in the middle of winter.
I wish there was a tent as light as the contrail that could handle Tassie conditions, but if there is, I haven't found it yet - and I've been looking for quite some time!
It's up to you of course, but I suggest you do a lot more research about conditions here in Tasmania before you consider using a contrail or similar tent here, unless you plan to stick to very sheltered areas.
I undesrstood that 3 season european/us standard was equivelant to anything Australia can dish out (4 seasons)...apart from cyclones and other random seasonal extremes of nature. A us/eur 4 season is a lot colder and windier and extreme then Tas. Also check out if you havent the weather extremes people have on the Appalachian Trail end to enders, lots of rain, snow and wind.
I think I do see where your coming from though and to pitch this tent on an exposed slab of rock on a peak on the westcoast as a mother of a storm front is coming in July would not be a wise move. Mind you, i wiouldnt know many tents that would be a wise move for that. Hubba range perhaps....
In my original comments i said they can handle tassie. Thats was not meant to be interpreted 'well it can handle the worst possible storm tassie has seen in the last 100 years.' Thats going too far. From the people who have used this tent and are capable hikers, have used it in windy, wet, snow, cold conditions and have been fine. Site selection should always be a part of normal tent setup no matter how good your tent is. If someone is an idiot and picks an open site when a nice storm is coming and uses only 4 pegs... call emergency services. I was using my comment for uncommon sense, experienced, packers.
Heres this: For heavy rain or when snow is anticipated there is the option of using your second hiking pole, totally collapsed in lengh, for a rear "pole" to hold the foot end up like the front so a ridge runs from front to rear. This configuration sheds rain & snow better but gives less width at the foot inside. As further preparation for really foul weather, especially wind, be sure to have a prepared guy line to use as the front, center guy. There is a captive plastic line tensioner already sewn in at the peak to recieve this front guy line.
Something Ive noted from people who went beyond light conditions in this tent always said, it came down to being able to using the available options this tent gives you to hunker down. Dont use the options, dont go the bad weather.
Another quote: The Contrail stood up to strong winds, heavy rain, hailstorms and even snow (a bit of a novelty in Australia on Christmas Day!). I remained warm enough and dry enough throughout.
Another: The contrail is very storm worthy, when used with consideration. In my opinion is is a very lightweight shelter and
not a mountaineering tent and should therefor be treated as such in terms of site selection. I went through many summer storms in this tent and never ever got wet but I am very picky about where I would pitch the Contrail (taking special
care to always pitch it foot end into the wind; it is worth waiting an extra 15 minutes once selecting a site to be certain of the wind direction.
Pitching the tent in the right direction makes a HUGE difference in both ventilation and storm worthyness). In very high winds I was forced on a few occasions to pysicaly hold down the sides of the tent from the inside, even when pitched right to the ground but to me the trade of of having a 700 gramme shelter is worth the few minutes of manual "anchoring" over the long run. It is worth noting that in one sudden storm I was camped beside another person in a dome tent, at 2400m, and he suffered a broken pole as the winds were so strong.
A storm that lifts a tent up Ive been in and its damn windy. Was 80 mile and hour winds that night for me in Orkney. Tents around me were busting up but my Vango stayed firm, pitched correctly and rear facing the wind. If this guy took his and it survived the same conditions its a winner for me.
Look. We could go back and forth on this for days and what it comes down to is this, when I come back in with a damaged tent and having to sleep in my wet weather gear and all my clothes on (which will keep me alive by the way..backup plan#44-9A), I will concede defeat and accept a good I told you so.
With how I camp and the importance of site selection and setting the tent up right for the conditions, I am confident she'll be ok...otherwise I wouldnt have bought it.
Oh and it arrived today and I can see shes very well made and adaptable. Im in the process of hooking up all the extra guylines I got with her to keep her rigid and will be enjoying the chance to test her in the wild Tassie weather early next year.
Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong post #1.
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(NB: This is partly tongue in cheek, but I also because I do worry sometimes).