Viewing 37 posts - 1 through 37 (of 37 total)
  • tents under 100 quid
  • seosamh77
    Free Member

    So i’m finally going to give up the ghost and get a new tent, the gelert solo is brutal! 😀

    Any recommendations? looking at the vango banshee 200 just now? can get that for about £85.

    Anything else I should be looking at? after a 2 man tent around 2kg(vango is 2.2kg)

    although the Wild Country Zephyros 2 at £120/30 is looking tempting at 1.7 kg or so.

    For bike packing.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    I was faced with a similar choice a couple of years ago for kayaking the Caledonian – we had to carry our tents and other kit in the boats. I ended up with a Coleman Cobra-2 which was grand. I see it’s available for £80ish quid – which is around what I paid for it. It was grand for what I needed and didn’t take long to pitch at all. Weighs a smidge over 2kg.

    dair86
    Free Member

    http://www.wildernessleisure.co.uk/vango-force-10-mk-4-tent-4485-p.asp

    Heavy but bombproof. Buy these for my scouts. Wee bit of fabsil and good to go.

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    bedmaker
    Full Member

    A bit over £100, but I’m planning one of these for the summer as I really don’t fancy one of the tiny coffin tents
    Mini Peak

    peterfile
    Free Member

    Heavy but bombproof. Buy these for my scouts. Wee bit of fabsil and good to go.

    At only 8kg, they should be perfect for bike packing 🙂

    OP, I bought an Zephyros 2 and immediately took it back after a quick set up in the lounge. It’s a very well put together tent for the money, but it’s incredibly cramped for 2 adults. That said, it would be perfect for 1 + kit, provided you’re happy with that weight for what is effectively a 1 man tent. If I was in the market for a 1 man at that sort of budget, I’d have it in a heartbeat.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    that mini peak does look interesting, ta, something to thing about.

    dair86 – 8kg? :mrgreen:

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    peterfile, yes it’s a 2 man tent for 1 person usage i’m after! 🙂 for the right tent I could stretch the budget a little.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    can you sit up in the zephyros? I’m 5’10 btw

    dangerousbeans
    Free Member

    Have had 2 Banshees and had to return for manufacturing faults.

    Would put me off buying Vango again although the design seemed really good.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    deadlydarcy – Member
    I was faced with a similar choice a couple of years ago for kayaking the Caledonian – we had to carry our tents and other kit in the boats. I ended up with a Coleman Cobra-2 which was grand. I see it’s available for £80ish quid – which is around what I paid for it. It was grand for what I needed and didn’t take long to pitch at all. Weighs a smidge over 2kg.

    looks quite low, I think that’s my main issue with the solo is the in ability to sit up in it, I think that one looks essentially like a wider version of it. cheers for thsuggestion though, but sitting up it it is quite important I reckon. just for the ability to get changed and to hide from midges/rain etc. I’m quite intrigued buy the mini peak acutally, looks like it could be quite versatile, add in an extra bit of ground sheet. or just use the outer etc.

    acehtn
    Free Member

    Is there a Go Outdoors store near you ? was in one t’other day looking at the Vango’s and the coffin sized compact solo tent 🙂

    Got a cheapo lidl special that cropped up in the bivi/bikepacking monster thread, so far unused, the solo is the better buy.

    Also have a Terra-nova laser, the old version that the Wild Country Zephyros is based on (Wild Country are now the budget wing of Terra-nova)
    Bit of google-fu, sure i have seen the Zep closer to £100.
    Not much difference in size between the 1person and 2person, the 1p has a larger porch area, the 2p is luxury for a single person and snug for 2. The 2p is the better buy IMO.
    The Laser large i bought over 10 years ago (Mrs Ace’s tent) is still going strong, i was looking at the Wild Country Zep XL Lites as a possible replacement (My tent 🙂 ) easy to put up, one main pole and 2 stubby end poles, sets up is easy enough by a single person.

    Rather a lot of choice out there nowdays, for “around” £100 loads of choice, google-fu hopefully will throw you a super bargin…….dangerous place to vist Go Outdoors….tents set up so you can sit in them……i didn’t buy 🙂

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    dangerousbeans – Member
    Have had 2 Banshees and had to return for manufacturing faults.

    Would put me off buying Vango again although the design seemed really good.aye, interesting, all the videos online, seem to reckon they are pretty well made, ta.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    acehtn – Member

    aye there’s one out in coatbridge I think. Similar sort of thing in the tiso outdoor experience, they’ll put the tents up for you, just wanting to get an idea before I start asking sales staff to stick up 15 tents for me! 😀

    acehtn
    Free Member

    I am 6 1 and can just about sit up, dead center in the Laser, which is 95cm at it’s highest point inside.

    To echo peterfile, the 2p is snug for 2, but luxury for 1, partly why i have been looking at the Zep XL’s about 10cm more head room and a bit more internal space over the standard versions.

    Quite a few versions/copy’s/clones of the old Terra-nova Laser design out there.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    All cheaper, light tents at that price are snug. Less material, less need to reinforce and design.
    Look for a second hand tent, and be prepared to go up 0.5-1kg in weight (or more).
    I had a really spacious for one, just good size for two Macpac minaret – awesomely bombproof and practical, really well designed. But £400 new now..and 2.6kg.
    Vaude’s are often in sales, and you can find them for not much more than £100. Well made tents from good manufacturer, but you do have to understand how to pitch tents well. Other than that, ace.
    I don’t think for cheap and light you can do much better than a Banshee – and a 300 has more space…

    tinribz
    Free Member

    Those gooutdoors Blade 200s get good reviews 2.1kg.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    That reminds me, Blacks do make some great own brand tents that can be silly cheap in sales.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    looks quite low, I think that’s my main issue with the solo is the in ability to sit up in it,

    Ah right, fairy nuff. No, to be fair, you’d struggle to sit up in mine (and I’m tiny!!)…it’s the moon on a stick you’re after…light, big, enough room to set up a dinner party, packs into your pocket. 🙄

    😀

    acehtn
    Free Member

    A random tale of tent shopping.

    When i bought the TN Laser it was from a garden center at Brent Knoll near Burnham-on-sea. Taunton leisure would have a large part of the grounds for a static tent display during the summer, big marquee as the shop.
    The tent was really for Mrs Ace.
    We looked at few single person coffin type tents, small but heavy for size, bombproof, wide pricing.

    They pulled out a Hilleberg and set up. I liked that (and i was paying) Mrs Ace found it a bit small.
    I asked about the Laser-1, afraid we sold the last one 2 days ago, chap who bought it was doing LEJOG 🙂 goodman !
    The Hilleberg was left up and a Laser Large was sent for and duly set up. I still liked the Hilleberg.
    The Laser was lighter, cheaper, more room, more head room and that was it.
    They wouldn’t do a discount for cash on the Laser…..but i picked up a 3.5kg dome tent for car camping, we got that cheap, the idea was that would save the TN from un-needed use. Hardly used the dome tent over last 10 years 🙂

    Morale of the story, try for size before you buy 🙂 the TN is a 3 season tent the Hilleberg is a 4 season mountain tent…..we don’t camp much on proper mountains 🙂 the Laser wouldn’t last long at Everest base camp, the Hilleberg should, nearly over tented myself 🙂 how STW is that. Still, it was a good buy, not cheap but 10+ years service, better lifespan than some Ti frames 🙂

    danielgroves
    Free Member

    Worth bearing in mind that Wild Country tents are the old Terra Nova models made out of heavier materials. They’re really good solid tents, and you’ll get a lot of use out of one if you look after it.

    Had a Wild Country for about five years of heavy use in some pretty foul weather. I still have it, but recently upgraded to a Terra Nova Voyager XL (not cheap!) as my tent for longer-term trips and stays. Also have a TerraNova Laser for the lightweight stuff. Both incredible.

    I’d buy either a Wild Country or a Terra Nova in a heartbeat should anything happen to any of my existing tents. Worth every penny.

    peterfile
    Free Member

    It’s definitely worth considering less obvious ways of picking up a “new” tent.

    When we were looking for a bombproof mountain tent for high up winter antics in Scotland, it became very apparent that 4 season nylon has some sort of platinum weave through it…they’re all very very expensive. I was patient and managed to track down a lightly used one on ebay for about a third of what I could find online.

    After two summers of also using the Super Quasar for year round camping duties, we got bored of lugging around 4.5kg everywhere, so started the hunt for a lightweight 4 season which we could use on mountain tops and remote areas in all but full on winter weather. Again though, even though not looking for a geodesic 4 season, the fact that we wanted lightweight 4 season meant the cost was going to be equally daft.

    By chance, after spending quite some time looking at Lighwave tents, an ultra lightweight version of one of their top 4 season tents appeared on Sportspursuit for about 55% off. At around 2kg, it’s a noticeable improvement for summer stuff!

    Moral of the story…do your research, identify the ones you want, then broaden your search as far as possible. Call up a few places and see if they have any old stock they want shifted, scour ebay and gumtree etc.

    If you need one asap then this won’t work mind you!

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    deadlydarcy –
    it’s the moon on a stick you’re after…light, big, enough room to set up a dinner party, packs into your pocket.

    Sounds about exactly right! :mrgreen:

    cbmotorsport
    Free Member

    I’ve got a Banshee 200. It is not a 2 man tent! It is reasonably generous for 1 person though, and a rucksack, but not a lot else. It’s proved very waterproof, and I’ve had no issues with the build quality.

    natrix
    Free Member

    Heavy but bombproof. Buy these for my scouts

    Are you some kind of sadist??? I still have nightmares about lugging these about on various scout/DoE expeditions in my youth, they weigh a ton!!!

    I bet you sneak rocks into the poor little scouts rucsacs for lols as well 👿

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    Had a night in the gelert solo at the weekend there, prompted me back to this! Zephyros 2 purchased for the bargain price of £105 delivered! 🙂 should get it in a day or two!

    acehtn
    Free Member

    The stub end poles can be modded by cutting in half and gluing a bit of alu/steel tube pipe onto one end as a joining sleeve.

    This gets the pack size down, my TN end poles are 52cm long, way longer than the folded main pole section length.

    Enjoy 🙂

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    good tip, ta! 🙂

    Capt.Kronos
    Free Member

    The Banshee is pretty good – mate got one for motorbike touring and quite likes it. I went with the Tempest 200 instead which was also £85 when I bought it (can’t remember if it was Blacks, Go Outdoor or Gaynors mind) which is a better tent for sleeping space and has been utterly faultless.

    Given I bought it as I couldn’t face taking an expensive Lightwave to a motorbike rally it has probably seen more use than the rest of my tent collection put together over the last 4 years or so!

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    That mini peak up there^ you can make that with a tarp a d midge net for waaaaaaaaay less than that!

    Cougar
    Full Member

    purchased for the bargain price of £105 delivered!

    Where from, out of interest?

    I’m currently trying to decide whether getting the Lite version is worth almost double the price for saving about a pound and a shorter pack size. Hmm.

    HoratioHufnagel
    Free Member

    re: pack size, I’ve strapped tent poles to my top-tube with velcro straps before, worked quite well.

    I did actually wonder if they could be slotted into the handlebars/seattube but they wouldn’t fit.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    Cougar – Moderator
    purchased for the bargain price of £105 delivered!
    Where from, out of interest?

    I’m currently trying to decide whether getting the Lite version is worth almost double the price for saving about a pound and a shorter pack size. Hmm.

    http://www.uttings.co.uk/p110746-wild-country-zephyros-2-tent-44z2/#.U43t8XJdVk5

    btw, looks to be a more garish green than the standard one mind you. But I’m a celtic fan anyhow, so all good! :mrgreen:

    HTTP404
    Free Member

    I’m selling some tents in the classifieds which you may (or may not) be interested in.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    So got the tent yesterday and I went up to pitch in my brothers garden to get a proper look tonight. Initial thoughts, absolutely brilliant purchase. Need to see how it stands up to the weather. But its like a palace compared to the gelert! I can even sit up fully in it, albeit with my head touching the inner tent slightly.

    Well pleased. 🙂 its not a bright green btw. That’s just a dodgy image on the uttings site.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    I’m currently trying to decide whether getting the Lite version is worth almost double the price for saving about a pound and a shorter pack . Hmm.

    btw if you roll the tent up tight you can get it to a smaller pack size that it comes fairly easily. Only thing is the 2 poles that are 52cm wide. I’m contemplating the mod suggested above for them, or I’ll just figure out another space to attach to my bike separately. Not sure yet, i’ll try the latter first on my next trip. I bought and alpkit dual airlock with straps for the handle bars so I should be able to jam them in there easily enough.

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