Terra Nova Voyager tent anyone?

[rollinbone]

I'm looking into getting a Voyager to host me and my new Arkel GT54s pannier bags:-
http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/Brand/Terra ... escription
note: Its cheaper on other sites

On previous trips I used a Terra Nova Laser and it has survived much rain etc
While that is a good tent (for one) and is still ok, it has limited space both in the tent and under the fly to store stuff and pannier bags.
I previously used some Vaude bags that when stored under the flysheet stuck out a bit into the weather.

The size of the Arkel54s requires more space either in the tent and/or in the porch
http://www.arkelpanniers.co.uk/uk/all-c ... nnier.html

I have a Vango Spirit 200+ tent that I have not used yet (got a back injury last year) that has excellent porch space
http://www.tauntonleisure.com/vango-spi ... override=1
but whole tent + pegs weighs in at about 3kgs Note: it takes 24 pegs to secure it.
The Terra Nova has 12 peg points, I think, and judging by uTube videos on the whole looks easier to erect.
Also it stores down to 52 x 13cm so it (the voyager) would fit into the Arkel54s right hand 'Tube' pocket
Leaving the top of my rack for other stuff or a 'rack pack'

This Voyager would be about 2kgs (with my twizzle pegs) so is less than the Vango 200+ but am concerned that the porch is too small.
Especially as it seems to slope down from height of 100cm to the ground in about 85cm
Its difficult to judge whether this porch space is large enough to store stuff in.

Note: I think I would go for the normal version not the superlite because the flysheet specs quote rain resistance
of 5000mm while the superlite is 3000mm. Also the normal version has a full 'bathtub' groundsheet.
So generally the normal version is more waterproof.

I would preferably like to store the pannier bags inside the tent with me, leaving the porch free for my food/cooking stuff
Has anyone got one of these Terra nova Voyagers? and what do you think about the space in and out for one person

[Barrenfluffit]

Yes got one.
The tent does indeed pack very small but the poles are a bit too long to easily to fit into an ortlieb pannier (had to go diagonally).
The facts its practically free-standing is useful. However it is a three season tent with an inner mesh end so its can get pretty draughty (and your supposed to pitch it end on into the wind). The roof at the front is almost horizontal; rain doesn't run off so it tends to be wet when you want to move in the morning.

Random snow definitely means getting wet or getting out to clear it. Weight on this area of the roof brings the inner and outer into contact.

The groundsheet is quite thin so a basic additional groundsheet is essential. The outer and inner are not connected so the outer tends to move after pitching. But they do come in dark colours for stealthy pitching (once you've taken the labels off).

The elastics have frayed. The pockets are nice but lack of a central hanging loop means lighting is a bit awkward.
The front porch is quite useful, enough space for a pannier and to get in and out. The rear porch is really stupid, its an extended area of flysheet so its undercover but there is no access from inside the tent. Very irritating.

Also the headroom is only just adequate for me. The narrow but long format with entry at the end tends to mean smaller usable porches than the entry down one side. Its the difference between a Voyager and a Voyager 2; very different tents.

For one person with gear inside its ok but tends to end up a mess. With two people it would be rather short on living space.

My feeling is that the Voyager is a good tent but underdeveloped and overpriced. I probably wouldn't buy another.

[rollinbone]

thanks for that v.interesting- didn't know it had any space under rear of fly that you could get to in any way

just come across this new one:-
Terra Nova Solar Photon 2 Tent 2011 - weight is 1kg and is two man tent - is about £430 though
Seems to have about the same space as a Voyager and looks very much the same to me, but is only 1Kg !

[johnb]

This tent should tick all your boxes, I use one for touring and it has two large porches with plenty of room in one porch to store front and rear carradice panniers,food, stove and pots pans etc and still have a porch to use for entry and exit from the tent.

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=48458

[Badger]

I use an Ultra Voyager for solo touring. I've had it for about 15 years so I'm not sure how it compares to the current range. It has a good groundsheet which has only leaked once when it was effectively pitched in a swamp during a walk of the West Highland Way. Even then, it wasn't serious. I still think this tent is the bee's knees but all of BaronFluffit's comments are true. I've not experienced the outer touching the inner at the roof section but I've not had a tremendous weight of snow on there. For the record, a pal of mine used a new fangled superlight version of the tent on the same WHW walk mentioned above. He ended up thoroughly soaked. It's a completely different tent, only recognisable by its shape. Every bit of robustness seems to have been sacrificed in pursuit of weight saving. There wasn't even pole sleeves so pitching was twice as awkward and it seemed very flexible.

Most camping trips nowadays are undertaken with the 'other 'alf'. We use an Ultra Quazar, supposedly the last word in mountain tents. I find it difficult to keep the inner away from the outer in the large sidewall section. I'm thinking of swapping to a Hilleberg offering with a bigger porch. I think any tent you buy is a compromise of some sorts. Personally, I think the voyager is one of the best 3 season tents you can buy but it's not without fault.

[rollinbone]

thanks for all the input
have ordered the superlite version from terra novas' clearence page for £270 so am committed to it now

did ring terra nova about differences and they seem to imply that you have to seal the joints yourself to make it perfectly waterproof
- bit strange that why cannot they do it?

I hope the voyager will give me a little more space and save my sanity when it rains
also my terra nova laser has vertually no porch at all, so if you are wearing wet gear - it all goes into the main area of tent with you

the best tent i ever had was a khyam vector that i used for a C2C in 1995.
would still use it but it weighs 3.5kg and the flysheet needs reproofing
seems all khyam tent are like this - too heavy due to the complexity of the poles i guess - its a pity they are very easy to erect and strike

as said it all seems to be a compromise between space and weight, and the materials used reflect that
as explained to me by terra nova you have to look at the test levels figures
(if you don't know, this is a test column of water that the material can support before it leaks through.
apparently the minimum this can be is 1000mm)

the Voyager flysheet is 5000mm, the Voyager SL flysheet is 3000mm
both groundsheets are 5000mm but I think the normal Voyager is more of the 'full bathtub' type
my lasers' flysheet is 4000mm with 7000mm for the groundsheet

I looked into johnb's Solar 2.2 and this too has same waterproof figures as my laser BUT only packs down to 55x20cm
so is sadly too large to fit the whole thing into my GT54's Tube that has a diameter of 14.6cm
otherwise it looks just the job, appart from the weight of 2.1kgs

the Voyager packs down to 52x13cm so it will fit into my 'Tube' and if its wet can dry out or not in there without effecting other stuff in my bags
note: the Arkel GT54's 'Tube' dimentions are 61cm x 14.6cm
also with the tent in the 'Tube' I can use my Arkel 'Trailrider' rackpack as in pic

pic - 'The Tube' with a terra nova laser in it

[markask]

I have had this tent the terra nova voyager for just under a year now mostly took out out in fair weather I decided to camp on top of Pen-y-fan 11/04/15 the wind condition's were moderate to strong at the time's but with this being rated a 4 season tent I was confident it would withstand the weather being thrown at it , but boy was I wrong the arch pole over the door kept being blown back onto the tent and me inside all night despite being pitched correctly the result in the morning was a broken pole and where the red pole sit's over the two blue horizontal poles it had rubbed holes in both pole sleeves and the stitching inside was tearing through the inner tent where the pole sleeves attach, now I cannot insert the poles through the sleeves without them coming through the holes . I contacted terra nova about this they were useless after many emails and pictures of the damage were sent I had to send it off to them, 2 weeks for them to look at it and after they make a dissension another 2-3 weeks for them to repair it at my expense when it is clearly a design fault as there is no reinforcement protection where the poles overlap on the front of the tent but there is protection on the rear. Truly disappointed in there poor customer service I expected more form a British company I have lost faith in there product's and will buy a Hilleberg for a better experience .

[gloomyandy]

I have one of these (had it for 3 years new) so far it has served me well (including surviving some very high winds in the Hebrides). As others have said the poles are a bit on the long side (I tend to put them on top of my rear rack), it pitches inner first which can be a bit of pain if the wind is blowing hard and it is raining. The centre section of the roof is near horizontal but I've never had any issues with water staying there. The porch is OK (I tend to open one of the sides rather than using the the main double zipped doors), but not huge, you can certainly cook in it if you have to. I'm a bit puzzled about references to a second porch as there certainly isn't one in mine, the inner tent goes pretty much all the way to the tail of the tent. I tend to use a Footprint with mine and have found the groundsheet to be waterproof.

[hamster]

I have had an original Voyager for 20 years but finally the flysheet got dodgy so have just replaced it with another, I avoided the Superlight as I felt the compromise was too far in favour of weight spec over durability. I've never had stability issues with mine, and hope the replacement will be just as good.

[whippet020207]

I have an Ultra Voyager that I must have had for well over 13years, it says made in Derbyshire on the side. It's been the best tent I've ever owned and served me well in NW Scotland last year, just starting to leak in the ground sheet area sometimes ..... Like Applecross in the pouring rain!

I have wondered what I'll do when I come to replace it, I take it they are no longer made in the UK?

[meic]

My Terra Nova Voyager Superlite was made in Vietnam in 2008.

It has a couple of perforations in the groundsheet as I mostly wild camp with just an old shower curtain as a footprint.
It also has a few dribbles onto the inner tent in rain and some tiny holes worn in the flysheet probably from when it is on the bike from other harder bits rubbing.

I have done around 50 nights in it, which makes it cost about £5 a night so far. I am finally accepting that is no longer my new tent.

[Barrenfluffit]

Now to report my second (of three) pole breakages which also ripped the flysheet. Latter will be patched and the former will have a pole replaced. Other repairs have been needed.

[davidb84]

I have had a shocking experience with Terra Nova, especially the customer service (or lack of it). I bought a Terra Nova tent and the second time i used it it ripped. Sent it off for inspection and they said it was my fault and it must have got snagged on something. It ripped in the middle of the night when i was asleep, so this is not possible. I had to have it fixed at my cost. On its return it was not returned with the tent bag i sent it in. This time they (Terra Nova) said it was not in a tent bag when they received it. Now I have a repaired tent and no tent bag that has been used twice! Keep Away!