Advice required on choice of 2/3 person lightweight tent

[willem jongman]

Sorry yeas I got the Lofoten and Fjellheimen mixed up.

[Mr.Benton]

I have recently replaced my Vango Spirit 200+ tent as it got old and suffered pole breakage.
I chose the Vango Halo300 Pro tent purchased from go outdoors https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-halo-pro-300-tent-p453077.

I choose it because of the weight 4.2Kg was light enough when split between 2 or 3 people
2 porches / entrances
Internal space - adequate for 3, roomy for 2, massive for 1.
Pitches fly and inner together, or fly first. So ideal when pitching in the rain.
Sensible price.

So far I am happy with the tent, but I have only used it on a couple of times this summer so it hasn't been tested in rain or a storm.

Hope this helps.

[horizon]

Hope this helps.

I would hope so too but it may not, for the reasons I gave above.

[crazydave789]

One thing to consider carefully is the entrance(s). Some tents, like some Scandinavian tunnel types, have an opening on the side rather than at the front. A disadvantage of this style of tent is your view outside is very limited. Being able to take in the scenery without getting out of the tent is one of the little pleasures of camping (if it's not blowin a hoolie).

Blimey! You think you've written a clear email Andy then people keep mentioning the bits I've forgotten! So here goes. We need a 2/3man tent with large vestibule, 3 season, lightweight, good waterproofing, mostly for one night stays (we can cope with a little discomfort if we stay longer) and for use in Europe. It'll be split between two most of the time.

I have camped A LOT in my life; my wife and I did a round the world backpacking holiday where our home was a Macpac Microlight for much of the time. It's more personal recommendations of specific tents from experienced tourers I am after rather than a discussion about what the ideal features might be. No offence. Thanks for all your help so far. Are there any more to add to the list?

Martyn

if you are taking cooking kit then don't bother splitting it just allocate the weight/bulk to one and the other can cart the cooker and sink around. I've seen a few where she has the tent and mats while he has a big rack bag with the catering supplies in. if you are not cooking then have a tent bag and a sleeping bag bag.

[Thehairs1970]

For the purpose of this thread (and the benefit of our long-suffering OP) it might be worth separating the high-price tents (that's say over £500 RRP) from the standard budget tents (say over £200 RRP).

If we also agreed on two or three person we could also talk more sensibly about cost, weight and space. To say a three person tent has more space is nonsensical if weight and price are ignored.

Given that most of the designs are fundamentally similar (or we could stick to one perhaps) then we could focus on reliability, performance and the few remaining features that actually are different.

The price isn't quite as simple as you suggest. If the tents over £500 are significantly longer lasting then I would be tempted to make that investment. That's why I am asking for recommendations for tents so I can make the decision. The two or three person thing may be frustrating for you but let's face it, some three man tents are small and some two man are big. I am figuring a weight of around 4kg max.

Martyn

[Thehairs1970]

I have recently replaced my Vango Spirit 200+ tent as it got old and suffered pole breakage.
I chose the Vango Halo300 Pro tent purchased from go outdoors https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-halo-pro-300-tent-p453077.

I choose it because of the weight 4.2Kg was light enough when split between 2 or 3 people
2 porches / entrances
Internal space - adequate for 3, roomy for 2, massive for 1.
Pitches fly and inner together, or fly first. So ideal when pitching in the rain.
Sensible price.

So far I am happy with the tent, but I have only used it on a couple of times this summer so it hasn't been tested in rain or a storm.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Mr Benton. I'm after porches I can sit in not just pannier storage.

Martyn

[bikepacker]

My recommendation to you was the Vango Xenon UL+ and I still think it fits most of you wants at a reasonable price. However due to age related health problems I am finding it difficult to get up and down from a low tent and have been using this year a Vango Galaxy 200. It would more than fit your requirements except for one thing, the weight. On the other hand if you a splitting the carrying ( I have to carry my own) it would be worth looking at. Here is a link but also try Uttings in Norwich as they may still be able to get one and they are doing cheap footprints.

https://www.worldbackpacker.co.uk/vango ... tent-p7001

[Thehairs1970]

My recommendation to you was the Vango Xenon UL+ and I still think it fits most of you wants at a reasonable price. However due to age related health problems I am finding it difficult to get up and down from a low tent and have been using this year a Vango Galaxy 200. It would more than fit your requirements except for one thing, the weight. On the other hand if you a splitting the carrying ( I have to carry my own) it would be worth looking at. Here is a link but also try Uttings in Norwich as they may still be able to get one and they are doing cheap footprints.

https://www.worldbackpacker.co.uk/vango ... tent-p7001

Thanks. I like the look of it. Just wondering what else is out there?

Cheers.

[bikepacker]

If you are able to get to Mildenhall Rally next week I shall be there with the tent and you can have a good look at it.

[bikepacker]

Just noticed Uttings are doing the Vango Galaxy 300 at £169 it may be a bit larger than you want but that is a bargain.

https://www.uttings.co.uk/p122543-vango ... 3XPahNwbcs

[pjclinch]

The price isn't quite as simple as you suggest. If the tents over £500 are significantly longer lasting then I would be tempted to make that investment.

But it's entirely possible you're paying for something that will last longer than you need. If you buy, say, a Keron 4 GT for family camping and you use it for a fortnight's benign summer camping every year it'll probably be roughly as good as new when the kids aren't interested in having holidays with you any more. There's longer lasting, and lasting long enough.

Having said that I have a couple of Hilles that will quite possibly outlast me, but I bought them for other reasons (size, ease of use, bombproofing, layout).

One thing I have seen over the years is a number of tents go to an early grave when the flysheets get icky in long term storage. While this is at the level of anecdata they've all had PU coatings. All else being equal I'd avoid PU coatings, as they weaken the tent. However, all else may not be equal, with our Hubba and Hubba Hubba HPs picked up 2nd hand at very good prices, so even if the HH fall to bits in a quarter of the time a Rogen might last it'll still have worked out cheaper.

Pete.

[Jezrant]

Most of my mates are pretty indifferent to the sort of tent they use. The main criteria are weight and price. How long it lasts, how well it's made, and whether it goes icky don't seem to be part of the equation. However, I can't understand why there's such a big price difference between the Swedish Hilleberg tents and the Norvegian Helsports. A 2 person Kaitum is £855. Helsport's 2 person Lofoten Pro Camp is a similar size and weight and uses very similar fabrics and poles yet costs £459! I guess part of the difference must be down to differences in their respective marketing/advertising costs and labour costs (Estonia vs Far East).

[Sweep]

Just noticed Uttings are doing the Vango Galaxy 300 at £169 it may be a bit larger than you want but that is a bargain.

https://www.uttings.co.uk/p122543-vango ... 3XPahNwbcs

can't help but say that is one ugly looking tent.

[pjclinch]

Most of my mates are pretty indifferent to the sort of tent they use. The main criteria are weight and price. How long it lasts, how well it's made, and whether it goes icky don't seem to be part of the equation. However, I can't understand why there's such a big price difference between the Swedish Hilleberg tents and the Norvegian Helsports. A 2 person Kaitum is £855. Helsport's 2 person Lofoten Pro Camp is a similar size and weight and uses very similar fabrics and poles yet costs £459! I guess part of the difference must be down to differences in their respective marketing/advertising costs and labour costs (Estonia vs Far East).

Until recently, presumably coincident with the move to Far East manufacture, Hilles and Helsports were pretty much the same price for equivalent models. Tricky to compare advertising/marketing, because Helsport distribution has been somewhere between patchy and non-existent in the UK (aside from Tamarack I don't think anyone did them until recently, there's only so much room for very expensive expedition tents in the market, now the prices are coming down the distribution is better). Quite a different matter in, say, Norway.

Beyond that it's basic economics to some degree: people will charge what the market will bear. And so Moulton can charge you £16.5 K for a NS Double Pylon, which is bonkers, but... people still buy them. There are people buying Hilles (particularly Aktos and Nallos) "because they're the best" even though with so many variables in tent design "the best" is a pretty meaningless claim and a lot of them would be better off with something else, and that puts demand up, which puts up the price.

It could be that one of their models is "best" for you by your particular target criteria. If so you can still be using it in a decade long after the price is forgotten. IME the devil tends to be in the detail, and what I particularly like about my Hilles (a Tarra and a Kaitum 3) are the details. If they don't mean much one way or the other to you, no sense in paying for them.

Pete.

[willem jongman]

We have and have had both Hilleberg and Helsport tents and I think their quality is very similar. The good news is, therefore, that you have more choice to find the model that fits your needs exactly.
Helsport tends to be a bit lighter and is certainly significantly cheaper.