Macpac Plataeu mountain tent

[ninjapuppet]

That macpac plataeu. For the life of me, there appears to be absolutely no information on the net about it except for there being 2 holes in the inner that lets water in? Its 4.2kg, which is standard for a true mountaineering tent. however, there are 5 poles with 9 cross points.

I was hoping to get more information on it.
Has anyone had any experience with this tent or can shed more information on stories regarding the harsh mountain weather its endured?
I really like the little bits of detail such as the storm flaps at the entrance to prevent spindrift.

Blacksheep, if you're around, i hope you can answer some questions.
- is it integral pitch?
- what is torrent XP and is a groundsheet available for this tent ?
- what are the ventilation options?
- which poles are 9.6 and which are 9.0mm?
- what kind of stakes are included?
- how many attachment points are available for anchoring?

I emailed macpac last year and havnt gotten a reply yet. maybe i'll have to go instore and find out myself.

[Moondog55]

I have a Fairydown "Plateau" They are not the same thing are they??

[Son of a Beach]

This page may not have all the information, but it's a good starting point.

[ninjapuppet]

Moondog, is your fairydown integral pitch? And is it the same 5 pole design with 9 & 9.8mm poles ??

Prob too much for aust, but would you Recommend it for the
Himalayas?

[Moondog55]

The Fairydown has all poles the same diameter and is a very similar design except both doors are the same size, I was doing a a lot of high plains ski touring with my kids and wanted a bomb proof tent, long story short version it was never used for that purpose.
Original version was used by ANARE at times and should be very suitable for 6000M + I'd say
Integral pitch is OK poles need to be colour coded to make the task a little easier IMO
Wanna buy mine?? 1 pole needs a sleeve repair but apart from that it as new

[ninjapuppet]

Hi moondog, I still had unanswered questions so I made an effort to get to macpac to check the tent out in person.

I dont mind carrying 4.2kg if its going to offer extra safety with its 5 poles, especially if the load is going to be shared with a friend. Even a 5kg tent could be justified. But my gosh! the packed tent was so big. I just couldnt believe how big it was.

Compared to my Hilleberg jannu, the plateau packs 50% bigger at least. MacPac's Interior space is 15cm shorter, width is 25cm more narrow, but with 10cm more head room. I dont understand how an extra 2 poles could increase the size so much, so I am guessing it must be thicker materials than my kerlon.

Unless I'm going somewhere with a sled to pull along, I think i'll stick with the jannu. My next few big trips are the Andes, which I think the Hilleberg should cope. Probally would save the Plateau more for extreme remote places like antarctica or north pole.

[Moondog55]

Yeah my old version has the very heavy duty PVC floor and goes a bit more than 6kg, but is super strong, couple of blows it was in on the high plains fazed it not one bit. I got it for a trip to Nepal and then kids and life got in the way

For sever conditions I actually prefer the PVC floor as it is a vapour barrier and that can make a big difference if inside for more than a few days, but almost all of my trips were and are done with the Megamid

[blacksheep]

simply the most stable tent I've seen/ tested...we sell this and a 3 person version for Himilayan Mountain guiding company that get's dragged up into some very nasty weather..
re: the unreplied e-mails- any chance you can forward them to me/ or advise which e-mail you sent to so I can figure out what is happening here?
[email protected]
cheers.

[Moondog55]

I think then that mine ( the original version ) is for 3 people it is very spacious for 2 plus gear