Bushwalk Australia

Hey guys I'm new both here and on the backpacking scene. I've been looking for hours (and hours) at all the tent related threads and I have almost decided on scarp 1. There's just a couple of questions I wanted to definitively get answered. I'm planning on doing a few smaller treks (a day or two) before then but I would like a tent that could handle the worst Australia can through (on the cold/snow end of the scale). My goal has been to find a tent in which I can do almost all treks in Australia (bar desert treks and such). I've done

I was wondering would the scarp 1 be able to handle the worst of Tasmania's climate? I am going in the summer however, I may decide at some point in the future to do a winter trek through there. I'll be going solo so I think I'll have plenty of room.

Also is it big enough to be able to cook in the tent?

I'd say it's nigh impossible to find a tent for all Australian seasons. Tents that do well in the bonus tropics tend not to do so well in a wintery blizzard.

The scarp, if you get both a mesh and a solid inner (and the two extra poles) would come close, but I don't think it's quite big enough for a multi day snow hike.

As far as cooking inside, most tents are large enough, one man tents just leave much less room for error - you don't wish to be burning down your only tent. Don't cook inside the tent with anything but a gas stove, and make sure you have a model that produces little carbon monoxide. Make sure you ventilate while cooking.

Depending on what type of stove you have , you can just pull back the inner a bit , as in this photo :

(note that I have the fly lifted up on the pole for ventilation)
or even remove the inner completely if needing more space.
The inner hangs from the fly via mitten hooks so you can unclip just a few points or all if needed with the fly standing.
Here is how it looks without the inner in place :

Another tent to throw in the mix is the big sky chinook. You can get a net and full inner for it, its freestanding, lightweight and after october you can get a heavier pole set for it which will make it a robust little beastie I think. Its my next purchase once the heavier pole set is available.

Bluegum Mic wrote:Another tent to throw in the mix is the big sky chinook. You can get a net and full inner for it, its freestanding, lightweight and after october you can get a heavier pole set for it which will make it a robust little beastie I think. Its my next purchase once the heavier pole set is available.

Just do a bit of research before you commit. There have been problems with Bob's supply of product, with some people waiting years for tents. Buyer beware!!!!!

Yes I've read about it. He has apparently rectified the problem in recent times and lists whats in stock on the page but agreed there's been some bad feedback in the past on wait times

Bluegum, I was having thoughts in recent times about buying one of Bob's tents. We did the back and forth and I had settled on a design, poles etc. My last email was about availability and checking on the tents listed and delivery time lines. That was the end of the communication. I never heard from Bob again?, obviously I didn't continue with the purchase.

All could be well at Big Sky, I just got a bad feel.

Cool. Thanks for the heads up. Shame as its a great design. Pretty perfect for what I'm looking at.

Thanks guys, I understand it's hard to find a tent that covers all conditions but do you think a scarp will hold up on the overland in the worst case? I just want to make sure I'm prepared for anything the overland can throw at me. That includes the possibility that I do the trek in winter.

p.s. I'm pretty sure I've posted this in the wrong forum.

achaldo wrote:Thanks guys, I understand it's hard to find a tent that covers all conditions but do you think a scarp will hold up on the overland in the worst case? I just want to make sure I'm prepared for anything the overland can throw at me. That includes the possibility that I do the trek in winter.

p.s. I'm pretty sure I've posted this in the wrong forum.

Scarp will be fine for anything the OLT can hit you with. One of, if not, the best all-rounder one man tents available. I now have a second fly and centre arch pole, plus both inners and cross over poles so can tailor my setup depending on the conditions. Plenty of good tents out there but the scarp has served me very well in conditions that could only be described as hideous. Far worse than you will get in the protected valleys along the OLT.

As SBS said, even in winter.

There's a great photo on the forums of a Scarp in an absolute cracker of a storm - and it's still standing.

That'd be this one Survived on an exposed saddle for ~10hrs with hail and gusts up to and over 100kph. With 2 scared dudes inside!

And without the two external support struts!

The one beside it looks even more impressive.

I recall SBS said the other dude came into his Scarp for the night.

GPSGuided wrote:I recall SBS said the other dude came into his Scarp for the night.

Nope a Macpac Apollo collapsed and it's 2 occupants kept myself and Doogs company.

The green tunnel is an excellent tent. Lighwave http://www.lightwave.uk.com/products/te ... wave-tents I'd certainly shortlist it if I were in the market for another tent.

Doogs seems very happy with it, it was however in a slightly more protected position...

stepbystep wrote:Doogs seems very happy with it, it was however in a slightly more protected position...

Bad luck. The person with the stronger tent will just have to vacate the safer spot to those with inferior tents.

I wondered if that was the t10 when I first saw the photo. Looks solid

Awesome, thanks guys! My decision has been made.

GPSGuided wrote:I recall SBS said the other dude came into his Scarp for the night.

hahaha.. o, nevermind, the moment is lost!

Our scarp sees to have held up ok. It might have 3/4 overlands under it, fine for that, nice and livable with those two doors (and high corners).
The other suitable tents probably wouldn't be as nice in mainland summers.

stepbystep wrote:Doogs seems very happy with it, it was however in a slightly more protected position...

Yeah, hiding behind the Scarp.