Cycling UK Forum

Hi all,

Looking for opinions if the Terra Nova Laser Competition 1 Tent is a good choice for 1 person camping?

Thanks,

That would depend on the person and the camping...

What are your particular priorities in a tent? I'd sooner have a Tarptent Scarp because there's more space and I like twin-porch/entrance designs, but on the other hand the Scarp doesn't pack as small and it's heavier. An Akto is a more robust choice and probably a bit easier to get a reasonable pitch, though it doesn't suit taller people with a lower-than-some 90 cm inner height, and it's heavier than the Scarp. And so on...

Whatever your priorities I'd always suggest a crawl around a pitched example if you can (one of the downsides of the Scarp is you can't, you have to order them from overseas). What looks good on paper sometimes lacks the X Factor when you see it in the flesh (or the other way around).

Pete.

I purchased one for my Coast 2 Coast walk and found it great. Small and lightweight to carry although the end poles do restrict the packed length and once used to it very easy to pitch. Very few other tents come close in terms of weight and when your walking 190 miles with a full rucksack every ounce matters.

I had the laser comp 2..Worst tent i've ever had..Yep packs up small and it was light but and its a big but..Because of the crazy venting system using a line attached through the inner to the flysheet its really difficult to detach it. So on a morning when the tent is saturated with condensation (which it will be) if you want to move on its a case of either waiting till its dry or packing up a soggy mess..Others may may be along to argue otherwise but in my opinion don't bother with it...I don't normally pass comment on gear but i'm making an exception on this one..Ps don't even get me started on the useless pegs you get with it...

Ahh interesting, thanks guys, looks like I might avoid this then.

Priorities are being as robust as possible and not too fiddly to put up - only require 1 man size, don't want anything too big.

Will look at other mentioned suggestions now,

Scarps get good reviews and i almost bought one.For now though i use a MLD duomid with an Oookworks custom inner..great combination.. Normally pitches using a walking pole but i use an extending mid pole brought from Backpacking light UK..

The Laser Comp 1 is a perfectly good tent, and popular due to the low weight. The worst I've heard of it is that it's a bit noisy in windy weather.

However, there are quite a number of broadly similar tents that you may also like to consider.
I've got an Akto, which I got because I wanted something that was reliably robust and that I could put up on my own in windy/poor weather without much difficulty. I don't need to accommodate a second person, find it high enough for me, and like the fairly generous porch. If you look on youtube, there's a video of some chap pitching his Akto on top of some Lake District fell in 60-70 mph winds.

If it got stolen, I'd certainly consider a Tarptent Scarp 1, despite having to order it from the US.
Others (apart from the Laser Comp) that are also similar are...
Wild Country Zephyros - cheaper and a bit heavier than the Laser Comp, but otherwise pretty much the same (from the same company).
Vaude Power Lizard
Nordisk Telemark
Helsport Ringstind
...and a variety of others, especially at the cheap end of things.

It's worth trying to get a crawl about inside at least some so that you have an idea what the sizes feel like, and then compare numbers with those you haven't been able to look at in person.
If you are just starting camping, it might be worth getting the Zephyros, so that you don't loose so much cash if you decide you don't get on with the size of the tent.

Condensation:
ALL tents suffer from condensation on occasion.
If there's dew on the grass, you will have a substantial amount of condensation on your flysheet, or even an elevated tarp. The only "exception" is if you have an old-style cotton fly, in which case the condensation soaks into the fabric so it's less visible and doesn't drip, but is a fair bit of extra weight to carry the next day. I carry a J-cloth or something so that I can wipe any condensation, rain or dew off the tent before I take it down (wipe, wring out, wipe).
Condensation is caused by warm air inside the tent contacting a flysheet that's cold because it's radiating heat to the sky. You can reduce it by reducing radiation (choose a cloudy night or pitch under trees), or by cooling the air inside. The same heat will warm the air in a bigger tent less, open vents or a big gap under the fly edge will allow warm air out and colder air in, provided there's a breeze. In the winter, open vents can cause condensation on the inner, where closed vents will allow the air between the inner and fly to warm up and transfer most condensation to the inside of the outer.

Certainly not good for southern Europe in the summer, I sent mine home from Venice as it was like an oven. It also suffered with condensation, but the thing is quite small so quite easy to wipe it dry before setting off in the morning. Those are its faults really, not enough ventilation causing condensation or roasting hot in the summer.

On the plus side, very easy to pitch even in the wind and rain, and it does the job of keeping you out of the elements. Packs down very small. It is nice tent to use on the whole.

I think I will still keep mine but given the chance again I would probably get the Hilleberg Akto as it has more vents, and I think you can get a mesh inner version for it, for summers in southern Europe.

Thanks guys, much appreciated,

The Akto seems like a great tent and popular choice, think it will be the one I go for.

The Akto also gets pretty hot inside if pitched in south-of-France sunshine. Dark green has a fair bit to do with it, so may be the "sand" option would be better.

In the evening it's not a problem - you just lounge about outside until sunset, then flap the tent about a bit to expel the warm air. In the morning however, you can be forced out of the tent earlier than you might like.

There is a mesh inner available, but I don't know whether it's available as a tent option, or just as a £130 extra. (I'd contact Alpenstock to ask)

There is a lot of info on the Laser Comp here
http://blogpackinglight.wordpress.com/laser-comp-mods/

Depends on your priorities, I like mine for lightweight trips but for comfortable living I much prefer my Nallo.
Both Mark Beaumont and Julian Sarreyer used it for their round the world trips but Julian commented that he grew to hate it!

It's a tent that's fairly heavily optimised to be used for adventure racing / competitive events. So its weatherproofing is great, but comfort and durability are sacrificed to save weight in my opinion. If you want the lightest possible fine - if a long tour when you live in it for a sustained time, then maybe not. Personally I'd pick a Terra Nova Voyager over it every time, but it depends on your objectives.

Thanks for all help guys, much appreciated.

hamster wrote:It's a tent that's fairly heavily optimised to be used for adventure racing / competitive events. So its weatherproofing is great, but comfort and durability are sacrificed to save weight in my opinion. If you want the lightest possible fine - if a long tour when you live in it for a sustained time, then maybe not. Personally I'd pick a Terra Nova Voyager over it every time, but it depends on your objectives.

Thanks Hamster, just to confirm, you are talking of the Terra Nova and not the Akto?

Depending on conditions and budget, the Hilleberg Anjan 2 is another option for a more comfortable solo tent (though marketed as a tent for two, and with some justification). It is essentially a three season Nallo 2. Its weight (1.7 kg) is only a little bit more than most solo tents (bar the very lightest), and it is far more spacious, easier to get into, and better ventilated. It all depends on your priorities/intended use and budget.
Willem

Bike-Rich wrote:Thanks for all help guys, much appreciated.

hamster wrote:It's a tent that's fairly heavily optimised to be used for adventure racing / competitive events. So its weatherproofing is great, but comfort and durability are sacrificed to save weight in my opinion. If you want the lightest possible fine - if a long tour when you live in it for a sustained time, then maybe not. Personally I'd pick a Terra Nova Voyager over it every time, but it depends on your objectives.

Thanks Hamster, just to confirm, you are talking of the Terra Nova and not the Akto?

Correct - thsat's what your post was about I thought. However the Hilleberg Taliban always emerge from their Nallos to change the subject on any tent thread!