Ultralight Tent Materials

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Psamathe
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Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by Psamathe »

One thing I found using my Nordisk Halland II LW https://nordisk.eu/halland-2-lw/forest-green/p/74/ is how that fly stretches and shrinks when subject to different weather conditions. Before going to bed I'd tighten it all up so the material is taught and not flopping around. By morning when I was wet with dew and material had expanded and was very loose the fly and inner often touching and the fly flapping around.

Pack it up, arrive at next site in full heat and sun, pitch the damp/wet tent and if I pitch it so it's not flapping around, as it dried it becomes really tight. In practice, because of this I'd pitch it really lose and let the wind blow it around and as it dried so it would tighten-up.

Is this expand/shrink with moisture normal. I appreciate that it's a very lightweight tent and thus is bound to have some negative behaviours (in that you can't have everything and reduce weight must come at some costs).

Ian
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
One of my tents does this too.
Its an old Vango, not sure of age but maybe ten years old.
I have a guess its the material as my cheap tents don't do this.
Vango Spirit 300 I think.
https://www.outdoormegastore.co.uk/vang ... model.html
"The flysheet is a Protex 40D SPU-RP3000 silicone elastomer coated ripstop nylon flysheet),"
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willem jongman
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by willem jongman »

Yes this is characteristic of silicone elastomere coated nylon. And the more so the thinner and lighter the material.
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foxyrider
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by foxyrider »

Yup, my Vaude Power Lizard does the same :?
Convention? what's that then?
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horizon
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by horizon »

If you click on the second video in the images you'll see exactly this in a test that Robens did:

http://www.robens.de/en/Products/tents/ ... osprey-3ex
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
1500grams is a seriously light weight tent for two or more Psamathe!
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Psamathe
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by Psamathe »

Weird as it's not a cheap tent and it does not need rain. Just overnight dew is enough.

horizon wrote:If you click on the second video in the images you'll see exactly this in a test that Robens did:

http://www.robens.de/en/Products/tents/ ... osprey-3ex

Yup, exactly what mine does (with overnight dew).

Normally inner and fly stay together and if they are wet packing away is not an issue if it's fine weather as pitching on arrival in good weather and it all dries out fairly quickly. If it's not such good drying weather I try and take down inner and fly separately to keep the inner dry. But often as fly is saggy, inner has got wet as well meaning you end-up with a sopping wet inner that wont dry before bedtime and all because the previous night has a dew.

What do people do about this as it seems something of a shortcoming in an expensive tent.

Ian
Psamathe
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by Psamathe »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
1500grams is a seriously light weight tent for two or more Psamathe!

Which is why I was wondering it it was part of a "trade-off" in that you can't have everything - light weight and there are down sides and I was wondering if this is one of those down sides.

Ian
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Robens at £550 sorts it but weight is near double :P
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Sweep
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by Sweep »

My vango spirit 200 plus does this.

Strikes me as a problem if you don't get the compromise pitch right.

One morning in perfect sunny conditions (no wind) as I had breakfast a pole just snapped.

I suspected that this was caused by me tightening the tent and the tent then tightening itself as it dried.

Possible?

Yet another argument for using a cheaper heavier tent?
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foxyrider
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by foxyrider »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
1500grams is a seriously light weight tent for two or more Psamathe!


Erm, my Power Lizard is a 2 person tent and weighs 1050g!
Convention? what's that then?
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PH
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by PH »

Psamathe wrote:What do people do about this as it seems something of a shortcoming in an expensive tent.

Ian

Is the fly wetting out, or still shedding water? My TN fly degraded to the point where no water beaded off and re-proofing helped but didn't last long. In this state it behaved as you describe, I don't recall in ever happening when it was newer. I have a new fly, but haven't had the chance to use it yet, I'll see how that does.
The Rubens example in the video looks extreme, is yours that bad? I've never seen any decent tent go that baggy. It's one of the supposed advantages of synthetics over cotton, I used to work with marquees when they were canvas and the shrinkage in the rain could split a tent or pull the pegs out, no such problems when they all became PVC.
Psamathe
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by Psamathe »

PH wrote:
Psamathe wrote:What do people do about this as it seems something of a shortcoming in an expensive tent.

Ian

Is the fly wetting out, or still shedding water? My TN fly degraded to the point where no water beaded off and re-proofing helped but didn't last long. In this state it behaved as you describe, I don't recall in ever happening when it was newer. I have a new fly, but haven't had the chance to use it yet, I'll see how that does.
The Rubens example in the video looks extreme, is yours that bad? I've never seen any decent tent go that baggy. It's one of the supposed advantages of synthetics over cotton, I used to work with marquees when they were canvas and the shrinkage in the rain could split a tent or pull the pegs out, no such problems when they all became PVC.

It's still shedding water but the inner surface of the fly is still wet and the flopping around then wets the inner.

I appreciate the inner surface wetting could be condensation but it does not happen on the mornings I awake when the tent is dry (no dew) and it's a good size 2 person but only with me and the main entrance only closed with the fine netting (so better ventilation).

Mine is easily as bad as the video (but it only needs overnight dew to do it). Similar shaped/design tent to that in the video as well.

Ian
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by PH »

Psamathe wrote:Mine is easily as bad as the video (but it only needs overnight dew to do it). Similar shaped/design tent to that in the video as well.

Ian

That's a shame, I'd find it unacceptable, have you contacted the manufacturer/distributor? I have a real dislike of flappy tents anyway which is one of the reasons I don't choose tunnel designs and prefer inner first pitching.
Psamathe
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Re: Ultralight Tent Materials

Post by Psamathe »

PH wrote:
Psamathe wrote:Mine is easily as bad as the video (but it only needs overnight dew to do it). Similar shaped/design tent to that in the video as well.

Ian

That's a shame, I'd find it unacceptable, have you contacted the manufacturer/distributor? I have a real dislike of flappy tents anyway which is one of the reasons I don't choose tunnel designs and prefer inner first pitching.

I have (they are a very reputable and helpful retailer). I actually contacted them whilst on tour in case I was pitching wrong i.e. seeking advice. They gave me advice and said they'd be happy to have a look at it if I sent it in once I returned. Not yet done that as I'd dried it out thoroughly bit it could really do with a bit of a clean. Maybe I should just send it in "a bit mucky".

I have used it daily for 2 months and do fully accept the concept of "trade-offs" when selecting products. I didn't take any video of the tent in it's floppy state and whilst tent manufacturer comparisons can ensure starting with same tension on both, in my case with the one tend I guess pics/video would not demonstrate much as maybe I was not tensioning it enough to start with, etc.

Ian
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