Pictures of your tents.

[epa611]

My mum was a machinist for Andrew Mitchell who sewed the Vango tents in the early 70's in Shetleston in the east end of Glasgow. I had several growing up [emoji3]

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my D5803 using hovercraft full of eels.

[mercalia]

some info about conquest

http://www.wildernessleisure.co.uk/merdina-mk1-tent-2911-p.asp

"They were purchased by Vango in the early 1970’s who desperately wanted to enter into tent manufacture but had no idea and thus the Vango Force 10 range was born and this very tent was rebranded the Force 10"

Iseem to remember seeing some really super duper expedition class tents made by Conquest for high altitude work hence the orange colour?

[Graham O]

I'm not sure that story is correct. Both the Force 10 website and Wikipedia say that the F10 tent was introduced in the '60's, which is in line with my memory. Plus Conquest and F10 were on sale at the same time and competing.

[Gattonero]

...
Pack size and weight?
Otherwise, is comparing the nutrition of a bag of oranges against two apples

bl****dy heavy. I once did carry it on the back of my dawes 1-down on a trip to the then Ridgeway YHA ( now sadly gone ) Pack size about that of the Thermarest mondo King. These days is one I would use on a m/c trip

There you go.
not sure I'd like to carry 4kg big pack for a 1-2 person tent, just because it has to last decades. Not that I support disposable stuff, but it's a personal choice

[pjclinch]

I
I always liked the orange for living in, it was always summery sunshine in there.
Lousy for secret wild camping though.

As I understand it, the idea of the bright orange was specifically the bright aspect of the interior and not (as I used to assume) sticking out in a landscape. In a similar vein, having used green tents by choice for years my first Hille was a red one because it was an end of stock offer I could actually afford, and I really liked the warm quality light, just like the F10.

Says a lot that a tent that is maybe 40 years old is still in good nick and works as good as new. Any one here have a plastic tent they can say that of?

That probably says more about the state of synthetic tent coatings 40 years ago than anything else. The first silicone elastomer coatings came from Hilleberg and Saunders in the late 70s and I think they'd be among the first with a credible chance of still being going after all this time. Even at the back end of the 80s, ten years later, silicone coats were still rare and pretty expensive so the tents from then would be relatively rare, though Hille have a picture of a 30 year old Nammatj taking some pretty serious flak on their website. My Dad's Spacepacker Plus is a "youngster" at 28 or so, but still in fine fettle.

Pete.

[mercalia]

I'm not sure that story is correct. Both the Force 10 website and Wikipedia say that the F10 tent was introduced in the '60's, which is in line with my memory. Plus Conquest and F10 were on sale at the same time and competing.

maybe. One intersesting thing is that both companies ( wildernessleisure and Conquest) are/were in Fareham wonder if there was/is a connection maybe ex-employees bought up the old Conquest stock?

[mercalia]

...
Pack size and weight?
Otherwise, is comparing the nutrition of a bag of oranges against two apples

bl****dy heavy. I once did carry it on the back of my dawes 1-down on a trip to the then Ridgeway YHA ( now sadly gone ) Pack size about that of the Thermarest mondo King. These days is one I would use on a m/c trip

There you go.
not sure I'd like to carry 4kg big pack for a 1-2 person tent, just because it has to last decades. Not that I support disposable stuff, but it's a personal choice

more like 8kg - it was the only tent I had at the time is a 3 person tent I think. and the groundsheet makes a joke what passes for groundsheet in modern tents - no foot print needed

[pjclinch]

the groundsheet makes a joke what passes for groundsheet in modern tents - no foot print needed

I think most of the "need" for a footprint is marketing and inexperienced people going out and buying up what they think they might need, instead of what they actually need.

Pete.

[Gattonero]

Depends a lot where and how people camps.
For sure, it's good to keep the mud away, less to clean on the more expensive tent. The footprint has to be cheap, it's a sacrificial part.

[Jezrant]

Never thought about taking a photo of my tent before seeing this thread, but here's a couple that sort of show my Helsport Borgefjell SL. Not a place you'd cycle to, but a nice spot -- Loch Coruisk before climbing the Dubh Ridge.
First time posting a piccie here so bear with me. The Helsport is the green one. Don't know what that other tent was that my friends were using. Ah, rubbish photos. I'll make a concerted effort to photo my tent better some other time.

[PH]

Ah, rubbish photos. I'll make a concerted effort to photo my tent better some other time.

Well they don't show the tent very well, but great photos anyway.

[Jezrant]

I'm new to this concept of taking photos to show off your tent. It's just a place to pass the night.

[pjclinch]

I'm new to this concept of taking photos to show off your tent. It's just a place to pass the night.

Try to see it as a means of spending the night in an awesome place, where you might be taking a picture anyway...

[Jezrant]

I get that Pete. It's just a means to an end.
Stunning photos, btw. The second one (somewhere in Scotland?) reminds me of that dreamy 2-parter on the Beeb with the chappie who rowed a currach up the West Coast of Ireland.
Hah, just spotted the two open entrances on the tent (Kaitum?). Nice one.

[pjclinch]

I get that Pete. It's just a means to an end.
Stunning photos, btw. The second one (somewhere in Scotland?) reminds me of that dreamy 2-parter on the Beeb with the chappie who rowed a currach up the West Coast of Ireland.
Hah, just spotted the two open entrances on the tent (Kaitum?). Nice one.

Top one is a Kaitum 3, lower one is a Tarra. The Kaitum is overlooking Loch Etive, parked at about 600m, second is an island somewhere Oban way on the West Coast.

Pete.