Tent Dilemma

[Dexter]

I'm aware that this may be a 'cake and eat it too' type of question. But perhaps a bit of backstory may help.... or at least may help clarify my preferences.

So I have a 1 man hiking tent which I have for most overnight hiking etc. But I also need a camping tent. I often go away with family to Omeo Valley and being in a valley you tend to get some pretty harsh winds ripping through there. Recently this christmas break we had some heavy-ish wind. I certainly wouldn't call it extreme but it was enough to highlight to me that my Darche canvas tent was useless. It also leaked. If it had of just struggled to cope with the wind i'd be looking to modify it to strengthen the tent up a bit. But I just feel like I've lost all confidence in it. When I bought the tent a couple of years ago, I didn't care about weight, I just wanted something strong. Since it's failed, it's kind of put me off canvas touring tents, and I feel like I might go back to a dome. Last time I looked at dome tents it seemed like everything was geared towards weight and hiking, and not built to last. But at least I never really had issues apart from fiberglass poles shattering once in a storm.

I'm now re-thinking the whole thing, and wondering if there's a compromise with something that is actually worth while taking hiking if split up between two people (3 man tent) around the 4-4.5kg maximum that isn't a $2000 Hilleberg. I was looking at a Snugpak Scorpion 3, and they seem to get fantastic reviews, but they are pretty cheap... are they actually a good deal? Or am I right to be skeptical of the lower price? Can be picked up on amazon for around $270 USD.

So I guess I mainly want to know if there's a good 3 man tent I can use for camping/hiking if split up that will be able to handle harsh wind/rain. And if the missus decides she has little interest in doing any overnight walks (she mainly likes day walks), are there any tough tents that I should be looking at that aren't necessarily hiking focused.

[Moondog55]

Which Darche tent? What exactly failed?
I ask as I need a canvas basecamp tent for winter and so far I have found very little suitable
As to the question the 3 man tents from One Planet are reasonable in size, The ones in the Blue group meant for school groups are tougher and heavier and somewhat cheaper
Similar comments on the Wilderness Equipment school tent range
Either of these will handle most weather, even Alpine and snow if the correct model is chosen
4500grams gives a lot of lee-way

[Dexter]

I'm not sure they are on their site now... It's one of these...
http://www.biloelatools.com.au/darche-safari-tent

It's a shame because the canvas doesn't seem like it's too bad, and the floor and zips are excellent. It's just a poor design.
Rather than a normal center pole style touring tent, the poles attach to the sides. There's a rubber stopper that attaches to the poles that cross the center of the top of the tent. That has failed, and is likely largely the reason for the poles moving/slipping out of position in wind. Bit of sealant should fix up most of the leaking I'd imagine, but I just don't have a lot of confidence in the tent anymore. Perhaps some large velcro straps need to be sewn in near the roof as well. I was also (at some stage going to add an inch or so onto the canvas flaps over the doors. They only just cover the mesh, and could really do with being longer.

I wouldn't really recommend it to be honest, unless you are really handy with modifying this sort of stuff. It's also very big packed up! It barely fits in the back seat of a sedan. Really needs to be packed on top of a 4x4 roof, and I sold my Impreza and bought a BRZ. So at xmas it was carried up there by family before I arrived. It's a pain for a number of reasons.

Thanks for the leads on dome tents. I'll take a look!

[Strider]

I've recently been looking for a family tent also. Coleman Instant Up Gold get great reviews and I'll likely go with the 8p at some stage.

https://www.snowys.com.au/instant-up-gold-8

[Moondog55]

I see what you mean and too small for my needs anyway

[sambar358]

Dexter....I'll second MD's comments about the WE "school" tents. I have a WE i-Explore 3 Winter (fabric inner) and it gets a lot of cold-weather high country usage each year mostly base-camping and it is a seriously strong tent.....but really a roomy 2 person rather than a true 3. Good HD tub floor so no need for a footprint, 3 pole dome with 2 big vestibules and good ventilation and as they are "inner pitch 1st" you can split the tent up between 2 people easy-enough. Mine's been heavily snowed on, hammered by high winds and flogged by plenty of rain with no dramas at all and it's still very weather proof after about 10 years of regular usage. These are not a LW tent and would weigh a bit over 4kg's with a full peg set.....but to me they have that nice solid feel about them which I like in a tent when it's a bit ordinary outside. Good luck with your search. Cheers

s358

[crollsurf]

Kids are pretty well grown up now so coming out the other side and no longer family camping. But the tent you want are the Black Wolf Turbos. There is nothing better. Snowys has one for a bargain price ATM.
https://www.snowys.com.au/turbo-tent-240?gclid=Cj0KCQiAv_HSBRCkARIsAGaSsrDIqrh62qSRuttV7OA4jg369HuDGhwVMcP9XSnaZjlDWES2C0IzunkaAh_WEALw_wcB

[Dexter]

Kids are pretty well grown up now so coming out the other side and no longer family camping. But the tent you want are the Black Wolf Turbos. There is nothing better. Snowys has one for a bargain price ATM.
https://www.snowys.com.au/turbo-tent-240?gclid=Cj0KCQiAv_HSBRCkARIsAGaSsrDIqrh62qSRuttV7OA4jg369HuDGhwVMcP9XSnaZjlDWES2C0IzunkaAh_WEALw_wcB

No kids here to worry about, just me and the missus. I'm quite hesitant to go back to a canvas tent though. I just feel like a tough hiking 3 man dome might be my next tent.

Edit: Oh I just realised how you got thought I had more people to worry about as I said that I go away with family. The tent only needs to to be for two. Uncle/aunty/parents/cousins etc all have their own camping gear sorted. Mostly in caravans.

Dexter....I'll second MD's comments about the WE "school" tents. I have a WE i-Explore 3 Winter (fabric inner) and it gets a lot of cold-weather high country usage each year mostly base-camping and it is a seriously strong tent.....but really a roomy 2 person rather than a true 3. Good HD tub floor so no need for a footprint, 3 pole dome with 2 big vestibules and good ventilation and as they are "inner pitch 1st" you can split the tent up between 2 people easy-enough. Mine's been heavily snowed on, hammered by high winds and flogged by plenty of rain with no dramas at all and it's still very weather proof after about 10 years of regular usage. These are not a LW tent and would weigh a bit over 4kg's with a full peg set.....but to me they have that nice solid feel about them which I like in a tent when it's a bit ordinary outside. Good luck with your search. Cheers

s358

Thanks for that. They do look really good. The only hesitation I have is that it seems (at least from the specs on paper) that the Snugpak has a tougher/more weather proof fly, and significantly cheaper.

• Lightweight, but robust, 210t Ripstop Flysheet with 5000mm Waterproof PU Coating

<--- Snugpak Scorpion 3
$270 USD on Amazon

Vs

Outer Tent Fabric: 75d ripstop polyester, dwr face, tape-sealed, 3000mm PE back coating.

<--- i-Explore 3
$629

Happy to pay the money for a good tent, but at the same time, if they are comparable then it's a lot of extra dosh.

[Moondog55]

No comparison
The Snugpak isn't half the tent the WE is, I wouldn't trust that Snugpak in bad weather at all and after postage cost that tent from Amazon will cost over $400- landed for something that will last about a year of real use
Snugpaks warranty is based on UK / US usage of about 3 to 5 weekends a year total it seems although I could be wrong

[Dexter]

No comparison
The Snugpak isn't half the tent the WE is, I wouldn't trust that Snugpak in bad weather at all and after postage cost that tent from Amazon will cost over $400- landed for something that will last about a year of real use
Snugpaks warranty is based on UK / US usage of about 3 to 5 weekends a year total it seems although I could be wrong

That's interesting to know. You see loads of people reviewing them, but never from outdoor/hiking sites. A mate in the army swears by their gear, but perhaps that's because there are far less options in olive drab green around for them to use.

The i-Explore 3 looks like a strong contender then! Cheers. Very much appreciated.

[Moondog55]

I'm biased against Snugpak because I bought one of their insulated vests when I wore the colours [ I feel the cold sometimes] and the company would not honour their warranty because I was using it "In the field" as a member of the Army Reserve. The insulation in the vest tore from the seams and basically collapsed and became useless in weeks

[Strider]

I'm biased against Snugpak because I bought one of their insulated vests when I wore the colours [ I feel the cold sometimes] and the company would not honour their warranty because I was using it "In the field" as a member of the Army Reserve. The insulation in the vest tore from the seams and basically collapsed and became useless in weeks

Sounds fair but how did they know your usage?

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[Dexter]

I'm biased against Snugpak because I bought one of their insulated vests when I wore the colours [ I feel the cold sometimes] and the company would not honour their warranty because I was using it "In the field" as a member of the Army Reserve. The insulation in the vest tore from the seams and basically collapsed and became useless in weeks

That's pretty poor, and fair enough that it would leave a sour taste. I thought they pride themselves on being used by various armed forces.

[Moondog55]

I'm biased against Snugpak because I bought one of their insulated vests when I wore the colours [ I feel the cold sometimes] and the company would not honour their warranty because I was using it "In the field" as a member of the Army Reserve. The insulation in the vest tore from the seams and basically collapsed and became useless in weeks

Sounds fair but how did they know your usage?

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I probably told them
Stupid but honest at 20 YO
I know better now

[Dexter]

One Planet just emailed me their latest brochure. The Wurley 3 Snow look pretty nice. I like the sound of some of the upgrades on that version.

This is a winter fortress for alpine adventures. It uses the same high-quality materials but has added features including thicker DAC poles, a lower-cut fly, reinforced mid seams, and twin sliders on the zips for easy access in the snow.

[Moondog55]

Yes
It has some extra points like 10mm wands rather than 9mm and deeper fly that comes much closer to the ground.
Tight for 3 but very comfortable for 2

[Strider]

I'm biased against Snugpak because I bought one of their insulated vests when I wore the colours [ I feel the cold sometimes] and the company would not honour their warranty because I was using it "In the field" as a member of the Army Reserve. The insulation in the vest tore from the seams and basically collapsed and became useless in weeks

Sounds fair but how did they know your usage?

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I probably told them
Stupid but honest at 20 YO
I know better now

You've been holding this grudge for 30+ years?? Thats a solid effort!

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[Moondog55]

Longer perhaps I think I was one of the first adopters when they came on the market
Hey what can I say? I had an Irish grandmother She still hated the English for Cromwells invasion

[Dexter]

One Planet have come through again for me with their outstanding customer service. I was going back and forward between the One Planet Wurley 3, and the i-Explore 3 ... One Planet had a bigger floor space which was already appealing, as mentioned, the 'Snow' version is also appealing with thicker poles. The only concern is that since snow will be less likely than very heavy winds, I would actually prefer a 3 seasons tent, but with that extra strength.. I was worried that the extra warmth in the non mesh inner might be a bit much in summer months. They mentioned via email that I'd be able to mix and match, and buy a Wurley 3 and swap over to the bigger poles if I liked. Fantastic. I'll put the order in at the end of Feb to allow plenty of time for stock (need the tent over the Easter break). Looking forward to my bomb shelter!

Thanks to everyone for the advise!

[Neo]

That's awesome from One Planet. Reading the thread I was going to suggest the durable 'student' tents but swap out the poles.

A future option is to use tarps (canvas & other) to make a custom shelter, bug nets if you need it. Always had fun rigging tarps as an extra, now practicing using one on its own.
Sand/snow pegs are great. I need a couple more

[Dexter]

Yep. I must be starting to sound like a One Planet rep lol. But honestly not the kind of service i'm used to these days, it's just so uncommon. I've told a number of friends about my couple of experiences so it really does work and makes you wonder why more companies don't do everything they can to make customers happy. Or perhaps they would like to, but larger companies that are too buried behind distributors and retail outlets.

A custom shelter may work as well, but I'm not sure how much I'd trust myself! What pegs do you use?

[Dexter]

Got my Wurley 3 (mesh) on the weekend. They had no snow poles in stock but I thought I’d grab one anyway and get an extra set of poles later on. Only quickly set the tent up inside, and I must say it’s pretty impressive. Love the chunky zips and the fly really does feel durable. Can’t wait to get away with it over the Easter break.


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[zeeva]

You want something that can handle wind? Trailstar MLD creation. OMG have i been in some terrible weather . so much room for 2 plus gear. I LOVE the fact that you can be TOTALLY protected, but still enjoy awesome views. There are many reviews from scottish coast to coast racers who have seen Hilleburgs trashed in big storms. You do have to shift alittle in tent mentallity to enjoy the no zipper, many pitching options. worth a look anyway. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made sight unseen from overseas. Might work for u might not. all the best , Dave

[Dexter]

Thanks I’ll have a look. Can’t really have too many tents

The Wurley got a pretty good work out in Omeo Valley over Easter. The wind was strong enough to see how the tent would cope. Almost no movement in some pretty strong wind. I’m happy with it so far.


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