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tent info needed..

pezz

6-Mar-2014
10:39:18 PM

Im in the market for a new 2/3 person tent for a upcoming trip to vic high country in may
i don't want to spend a squillion bucks...
I wont be hiking, so i don't need to shave grams off it in exchange for handing over a few extra 100
should i get a 3 or 4 season tent?

any sugestions for a tight pocked fella?

Justcameron

6-Mar-2014
11:14:42 PM

When you say you're not hiking, are you still going to carry it or will space be an issue? eg. cycle touring, motorcycling. Are you staying in caravan parks and campgrounds?

What kind of weather do you actually expect the tent to stand up to?

Will the tent be used for other stuff in future?

My car camping tent is a Coleman 3cv. Bought from Snowys Outdoors in Adelaide. We have found it to be excellent for car camping. Great ventilation, fairly durable and pretty affordable ($120 I think.)

It would best be described as 3 season but again what are you really expecting the tent to stand up to? I've had it in some fairly bad weather and it's well waterproof enough. If it's forecast to be windy, ensure you properly attach the fly to the poles and peg out all the guy ropes (I usually don't bother with these steps 99% of the time.)

We are so happy with this tent that after wearing one out we bought another one the same. Much better than spending $800 on a Macpac Olympus (which has its place, but it's not car camping.)

martym

6-Mar-2014
11:41:17 PM

Which one is it - 2 or 3 person? There's a big difference in size - and your height matters as well. Read the specs & reviews before you buy.

There's no such thing as a 4 season tent. There's airy tents with great ventillation for summer & there's hardcore snow tents for winter - and lots in between. But any tent you can use in the snow will act as a microwave in the middle of summer!

I have two tents for that reason (3 actually) A mesh Salewa for hotter months, and a 3.5kg Coleman that's worth the extra weight in nastier conditions (survived Patagonian storms - just).

If you're tight pocketed, go grab something that'll keep the rain off without too many bells and whistles under $100 at Rays Outdoors eg. http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/online-store/products/Wild-Country-Spirit-II-Dome-Tent-3-Person.aspx?pid=325584&menuFrom=2146461533#Cross

gfdonc

7-Mar-2014
9:12:34 AM

Some of those cheap tents have crappy poles and fittings such as zips. Then again some of the cheap ones are (relatively) well made. I threw out a 4 person tent last year after the pole collapsed in a mild breeze and speared the side of the tent.
Of the cheaper brands, I'd trust Coleman, not sure about the others. My $190 'Toread' is still going strong despite a hard life over the past 7 years.

Pezz

7-Mar-2014
10:14:06 AM

Sorry for the lack of info,

As stated i will be using it in the vic high contry in may, so i want it to suit the conditions there.
Space isnt to much of an issue, i will be in a small 4wd..
I will be setting it up and packing it up each day, touring camping.
I have a cheapo aldi tent for my summer trips..
Large 2 or small 3 man want to have two people plus a small bag inside
Planned budget is up to $300

martym

7-Mar-2014
10:48:53 AM

How tall are you?

I've got a Coleman PhadX3 which has a relatively high ceiling, which is awesome, but for some bizarre reason is only 174cm long - so I have to lay diagonally. It also has a vestible for your bags and is super easy to set up. The advantage is it's an all-in-one set up; as in the flysheet comes already attached to the inner when you buy it.
$200 online from the UK...
Or just find something similar in a shop. I guess the one thing you have to recognise is - even though weight isn't an issue on this trip, what about the next one? I generally expect 5 years out of a good tent...

Pezz

7-Mar-2014
11:33:13 AM

We are both just over 6' tall.

Is it worth going for a tent with alloy poles over one with fibreglass poles?
One sales guy said fibreglass poles tend to crack easier in cold conditions. When i asked him to define cold he looked at me and said " you know, cold... when its not hot" i walked out

martym

7-Mar-2014
12:31:21 PM

On 7/03/2014 Pezz wrote:
>We are both just over 6' tall.
>
>Is it worth going for a tent with alloy poles over one with fibreglass
>poles?
>One sales guy said fibreglass poles tend to crack easier in cold conditions.
>When i asked him to define cold he looked at me and said " you know, cold...
>when its not hot" i walked out

I think that's the accepted opinion.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

7-Mar-2014
5:04:05 PM

On 7/03/2014 martym wrote:
>I generally expect 5 years out of a good tent...

Stuff me, I am more of a tight-wallet than I thought, as I consider my well used 25 year old bivvy bag only just broken in...
;-)

Big G

7-Mar-2014
6:08:53 PM

Buy a good brand of tent but wait for sales time I have 3 mountain hardwear tents that are all brilliant and I haven't paid more than $200 for any of them.

boulderbaby

8-Mar-2014
5:30:29 PM

Look at the TNF bedrock 4/6person. It's on sale at Paddy Pallin
It's pretty good - I car camp with the Marmot Limestone 4.

martym

10-Mar-2014
12:20:18 AM

Tent sale at Anaconda

This one looks good: Eden Dome - 3 Person

pezz

10-Mar-2014
10:52:03 PM

thanks for the info guys and gals
looks like im getting one of these at a "insiders" price
http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/online-store/products/Escape-Outdoors-Adapt-Hiking-Tent-2-Person.aspx?pid=291490&menuFrom=1021921#Cross

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