Helsport Ringstind 1 Tent - Like an Akto for tall Types

[DonQx]

Another gear addict is at it again ...

In my mission to find a lighter tent with at least 100cm internal headroom (preferrably 105cm) I've struck out again ... a Helsport Ringstind Light 1.

A bit of background & first impressions.

Currently my lightest 3+ seasons walking tent is the Hilleberg Nallo 3. ~2.4kg. I'm happy to trade some weight for headroom.

I'd seen a Helsport Ringstind once before, a few years ago. Design, attention to detail & quality looked impressive to me.

http://www.outnet.eu/scandinavian-outdoor-eu/helsport.php says this about Helsport:

Helsport (which means whole- or total sport) was founded in 1951 and is still today a family owned Norwegian business. Throughout Norway and many other countries in Europe Helsport is widely known as a manufacturer of tents of absolute top quality. On the Norwegian market Helsport is by far the dominating tent brand.

Manufacturer specs can be found here: http://www.helsport.no/en/HOME/.

Helsport says that the Ringstind has been their biggest seller for the last 10 years or so. And that it is a well-proven design that has been used in all kinds of weather extremes in Scandinavia.

There don't seem to be any dealers based outside Europe who sell Helsport tents. Finding an online dealer to sell Helsport to Oz isn't that easy either, here's one: http://www.outnet.eu/scandinavian-outdoor-non-eu/home.php ("The best of Scandinavian Outdoor!" it says in their title bar).

I received the tent a few days ago, had it up in the living room once.

The quality seems superb. Lots of nice little things are included, like for example seam sealer (in case it is needed they say, even though they seem to think that that wouldn't normally be the case), spare pole connector, large patches of spare material and thread & needle in the repair kit.

Here's a few pics ...

[DonQx]

and a few more

[DonQx]

It feels nicely spacious inside with a floor length of 250cm. The vestibule seems a good size too.

Have read on the www that pitching the tent well is the key to making sure that it is happy in strong winds, also to prevent the inner from touching the outer.

There's a nifty vent mechanism at the foot end (both inner & outer).

The tent including bag, spare pole section and pegs, but excluding repair kit & paperwork, came in at just below 1.6kg on our cheapie kitchen scales.

So far so good

... I'm also hoping to receive a MSR Hubba HP soon. ... then the comparisons & decision making will start. At least 1, maybe even 2 tents will be passed on ... which to keep???? ... Nallo 3, Ringstind and/or Hubba HP?

a.

[Franco]

Sometime ago I asked Helsport about the origin of the Ringstind.
Turns out that it was designed in 2005 so most likely the headroom was deliberately done to have something over the Akto.
And that is what HS did with the TT Scarp (although at 102cm it is less than the Ringstind) as well as having two doors/vestibules, both ends supported and the availability of extra poles for better snow loading.
Franco

[DonQx]

I read somewhere that some with long memories think of the Ringstind as a development from the Stetind 1 which was sold in the 1990s. You might know more about that?

Re. Scarp 1 or 2 ... I pondered getting the 2. Nice tent. Maybe Suse & me will get one to replace the Sierra Leone that will wear out one day.

I prefer my solo tent to be of a longish shape rather than squarish. I regularly camp off-track in fairly difficult terrain or vegetation. It seems easier to find camp spots if the tent isn't too wide.

Should be possible to use the Ringstind with 2 poles.

I'm not too concerned about snow loading, but the Scarp with X-poles would obviously handle that much better methinks.

I also like the colour better. ... shallow ... I know

[Franco]

DonQx
You are right. The Stetind was around in at least mid nineties and that was partially what I was trying to find out, however Helsport did not elaborate that point.
As far as I have been able to find the single hoop design of that type originated with Saunders (UK) but I know that Jack Stephenson had something of that type in the late 50s but I have not been able to find a picture of that prototype.

As much as many poo poo the idea of colour, we often buy items like a tent influenced by it...
Franco

[north-north-west]

How fiddly is the pitching?
Probably my biggest gripe with the Akto is that it's a difficult tent to pitch tight and symmetrical unless you spend half an hour messing about with it.

[DonQx]

Don't know yet.

Will go for a 3 nite outing next weekend, should know more then.

"fiddly", "difficult ... to pitch tight and symmetrical" might also be "in the eye of the beholder".

Methinks that tight pitch will always be harder for single hoop tents, especially taller ones. I don't worry too much about it, 'xept to ensure separation of inner & outer.

[bauera]

I have used a Helsport Ringstind on S W Cape circuit and it was great. Admittedly weather was benign all the time. The same tent has also been used in snow, not by me, with some concerns voiced about a lack of shedding ability. I did note that it did not have a tub floor if pitched well, because if you peg down the floor at the back of the zip it sits flat against the ground, and this appeared to be the only way to get a really nice tight pitch with a gap between fly and inner. That tent was purchased around 2006 or 2007, so they may have amended the floor since then. It certainly looks as though there is a tub floor in your photos. I also thought that the floor appeared to be a little light for wet and rough Tassie tent sites - not quite up to Macpac or even Exped standards. But really roomy - almost big enough for two if you had to.

[DonQx]

Hey, was it you that I met a few years ago to compare Nallo / Akto / Ringstind at your place?

I reckon the floor is about the same weight & quality as my Nallo. Will have a closer look tho when I go bush next weekend.

The same tent has also been used in snow, not by me, with some concerns voiced about a lack of shedding ability.

My take on this is that if you want a tent that sheds snow well, then don't get a single hoop tent.

I've spent a bit of time walking in Tassie snow, including building igloos, snow humpies and digging caves into snow drifts. Can't say that I'm much concerned about a few days in the snow in any tent made of good materials ... yes, I might have to wake up regularly and push snow off, but to me that can be part of being out there. Doesn't happen often anyway.

But really roomy - almost big enough for two if you had to.

Agree. Suse, me & Mollie-Dog tried it in the living room. Fit in snuggly but quite doable.

Our last trip with snow ... Labyrinth Dec '10 ... (http://members.iinet.net.au/~ahack/x_Shows/2010-12%20Xmas%20Escape%20Labyrinth/index2.html)

[johnrs]

Hi Don
Also interested in the Ringstind for headroom,
I have three questions,
Can the mesh on the inner door be fully covered/zippered over by a fabric liner?
And is the Ringstind 2 excessive for solo weeklong Tassie trips?
Finally would you use this for snowcamping in weather protected sites?
John

[DonQx]

G'Day John,

1- There's no cover for the mesh, but you could easily make it yourself methinks. Just needs a bit of material and a few velcro strips.
2- I don't think so, but others might have a different perspective. 200g weight difference.
3- Yes for me here in Tassie. Snow dumps here rarely last more than 24 hours and are generally not much more than 1' snow. In areas of longer/deeper dumps I probably wouldn't.

[johnrs]

Thanks Don

[DonQx]

Just back from 3 nites away.

2 nites on my own, some off-track walking in the vicinity of the Cape Pillar Track. 1 nite with a bunch of other crazies at Snug Caravan Park.

The Ringstind got a workout the 1st 2 nites. A bit of a gale blowing, 1st nite on a pretty exposed knoll. 2nd nite in a windy low valley tucked in between sparse low trees. The tent did well!

Some of my thoughts/observations:

tight pitch easy

outer fly hugging the ground ... good

the tent felt very solid in high wind

heaps of space inside .. headroom & length ... head & feet nowhere close to touching the ends ... no problem seeing myself holed up in the tent for a day or 2 if need be

nifty vent set up at the footend, easier to adjust from the inside than the Laser

sizable vestibule for gear & cooking

feeling of high quality & workmanship

could keep vestibule open in rain

A few pics (sorry for the crappy quality ... cheapie mobile phone)

2011-06-17 Fri Niter Cape Pillar Track test Ringstind 1 1.jpg (85.42 KiB) Viewed 25120 times

2011-06-17 Fri Niter Cape Pillar Track test Ringstind 1 2.jpg (111.35 KiB) Viewed 25120 times

2011-06-17 Fri Niter Cape Pillar Track test Ringstind 1 3.jpg (107.43 KiB) Viewed 25120 times

[DonQx]

Sooo ... I started off with pondering which tent to keep ... Nallo 3, Ringstind 1 or Hubba HP.

Methinks the Ringstind is a keeper, it can do the job that the Nallo 3 has been doing so far at ~800g less weight . The Nallo will be offered for sale.

What about the Hubba HP then? That's a hard one.

I spent 1 nite in it at Snug Caravan Park to test ... much to wife's & dog's consternation ... sorta expected it to feel too small, "like sleeping in a coffin" as someone said. Ended up liking it very much. What a nifty little tent! !!!

I should really keep only 1 of the 3 tents. The Hubba HP would be just right for quick & short trips while the Ringstind is more of a can go anywhere/can do most things type tent. Ah well, might put the Hubba up for sale too and if no-one wants it then that'd be an excuse to keep it.

Hubba HP & Ringstind 1 at Snug CP

Weirdness in action

224_n - Copy.jpg (142.41 KiB) Viewed 25117 times

[johnrs]

Don
The Ringstind 1 looks good.
I am 183 cm so it would suit me nicely?
Have you set a price for the Nallo 3??
John

[ninjapuppet]

Yeh, I've recently gotten a Hubba HP from some kind man from this forum.
Ive had hubbas and hubba hubbas before and got rid of them, but I can see the the HP has real value in its ease of setup + solid inner on simple overnight trips in beautiful weather. I just bring the poles and inner with me. Donthave to mess with dirty pegs or any fly.

WIth just the poles and inner, you're heading into ultralight weights. Such a shame why MSR pulled it from the US market.

[DonQx]

Don
The Ringstind 1 looks good.
I am 183 cm so it would suit me nicely?
Have you set a price for the Nallo 3??
John

"[TAS] Hilleberg Nallo 3 green $450 posted" ... http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6920

[maxx]

Hello DonQx,

I was looking at the Akto until I saw your post with pics on the Ringstind. As most of my adventures will be in the Sept - early June in the ACT/NSW/Vic high country does the Ringstind have sufficient ventilation for this period?

Cheers


maxx

[DonQx]

The Ringstind has a prety nifty ventilation set up at the foot end.

AFAIK the Akto doesn't have anything like that.

I'd assume that the R has better ventilation than the A.

[north-north-west]

The Akto has adjustable ventilation at both ends, but it needs a bit of a breeze for them to be of any good.
Which is pretty much what you'd expect from low-level vents.

[DonQx]

ooops ... looks like a better apologise to the Akto then

just looked up a few pics

@ http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/ ... MYKtag.jpg



@ http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/ ... ric_lr.jpg



... ... jumping between ciooking dinner & this here ... dinner wins ... more later

[norts]

Here is a pic of the vent at the end of the tent in the open position , they are the same at both ends.

Roger

akto.jpg (88.72 KiB) Viewed 24933 times

[DonQx]

Thanks Roger, looks like a good set up.

Just found a page with good Ringstind pics http://www.npm.pl/forum/printview.php?t=1973&start=0&sid=f9a85f32e3d633397ea4be246b502227

[DonQx]

here are 2 more

http://www.unterwegens.de/helsport-ringstind-light-4-jahreszeiten-ultraleicht-zelt_4547.html

http://www.outdoorseiten.net/forum/showthread.php?30526-Helsport-Ringstind-Light-2

[maxx]

Hello DonQx,

I was looking at the Akto until I saw your post with pics on the Ringstind. As most of my adventures will be in the Sept - early June in the ACT/NSW/Vic high country does the Ringstind have sufficient ventilation for this period?

Cheers


maxx

Hello DonQx and Others,

Many thanks for the comments, pics and links, much appreciated.


Cheers

maxx

[DonQx]

Just got & answered a PM:

Helsport Ringstind

Saw this thread and it sparked my interest because I've been looking into the Akto. Have you had any problems with the Ringstind not having a proper bath tub floor when pitched tightly, as per someones comment?

Would it be as stable as the Akto in high wind? I plan on using whatever I decide on for Monoliths typre trips and upwards twice a year or so.

How does the Vestible space compare to other tents? is there plenty of room for a pack and to cook?

Re: Helsport Ringstind

"not having a proper bath tub floor when pitched tightly" ... not sure what they mean, haven't noticed that

"Would it be as stable as the Akto in high wind" ... it would probably flap a little more because it is higher and has longer panels on the top ... haven't heard any stories about either of the 2 tents failing though

"How does the Vestible space compare to other tents? is there plenty of room for a pack and to cook?" ... hard to say for me what you consider to be plenty of room ... enough room by my standards for pack & cooking

Happy to show you the tent if you're interested, I'm in Hobart/Sandy Bay.

[johnrs]

Re Ringstind 1 floor and vestibule.
The floor is comparable to the Atko, the vestibule is larger.
The origin is Norway so weather is not an issue.
In a nutshell, its an "Atko for Tall Types"
John

[DonQx]

Another PM exchange

I was very keen on one until I realised they cost a whopping $900 plus shipping etc.

I think I'll just stick with an Akto or similiar despite the lack of headroom. I can't really justify spending double what I planned to spend.

Should be able to get it for less.

Cheapest option I'm aware of is at http://www.fliegfix.com. Direct link today: http://www.fliegfix.com/produkt/helsport-ringstind-light-1/4223.

Fliegfix is a huge shop in Austria. They've got an incredible range of tents.

- EU404
- minus 17% GST (they call it Mehrwertsteuer 'MwSt' - ask for it to be taken off the price)
- plus very low Austrian Post postage, last time from memory something like EU28
--> approx EU366
--> approx Oz$460

Their online shop can't cope with Oz as a destination, but you can email them on [email protected]. They speak English.

[DonQx]

Just noticed a pic @ Fliegfix ... illustrating vestibule size ... nice

Fliegfix Ringstind.jpg (50.08 KiB) Viewed 23151 times