old tent

[bygone era]

Hi, i have bought a ultimate equipment tramp 1 with a poles does anyone have anymore info on this tent it is 100% original.
When were they made and the weight?, i would like to use it for cycle touring, i know they are made in GB and were top tents at the time.
cheers mick.

[hubgearfreak]

i've got a couple of UE tents. one has an A-frame at the opening, an 18" upright to keep the other end off your toes and is single skin goretex. is this it?

[bygone era]

Hi, no that is not the one it has a sloping ridge and is 2 skin tent in nylon.
cheers mick,by the way do you still use them today, i used to have a pheonix phreerunner goretex tent it got stolen off my bike during a3 month tour of france spain and portugal in 1990 it happenedf in porto but still carried on to st malo oh happy days.

[andrew_s]

The Tramp was sleeved A poles at the front, short vertical pole at the rear, outer first pitch then hook on the inner.
It would have been some time like 1985-1990, and weighed about 2kg.

Good strong tents, but less usable space than modern hooped designs

[freebooter]

As has been said they were very well made and strong tents. The A frame gives less room for sitting up than a similar size hooped tent and the materials used aren't as light as those used in modern lightweight tents but if you don't mind that then they are still a good tent and will likely to be still standing when more modern ones have succumbed to the weather.

Can I ask how much you paid for it? I really need to cut my tent collection and have a Tramp and a Peapod that haven't been used for a while.

[bygone era]

Hi freebooter i paid £5.00 for it at a local car boot!!!
mick.

[simonineaston]

I remember (or, at least, I think I do... ) pawing over UE's tents in various catalogues in the early '80s, and thinking they looked rather good. They were quite near the up-market end - Lucky You - got to be a bargain at a fiver! Give it a treat by way of a rinse in some NikWax proofer, I would... probably cost more than the tent did!

[PW]

We had one back in the 80s. Transverse ridge, flysheet with 2 bell ends opening from opposite sides so you could always cook regardless of wind direction. It stood up to Cornish gales, Yorkshire rain, you name it. Eventually the flysheet split from UV degradation, but we had over a decade of heavy use out of it. Shame the hooped designs superseded it. I've never found a tent that large, of that quality since.

[pedalsheep]

I had an Ultimate Packer and back in 1983 I reckoned I spent more time in that than I did at home! Wonderful tent but the UV degradation did for it in the end.

[Fingers]

I know that this enquiry is rather old, but then so am I. I bought a Tramp 1 in the 70's and it was a great little tent for back-packing. I have just recovered it from the loft and it is going to the Cornwall Air Ambulance charity shop tomorrow, so I hope that someone will make good use of it. I have copied the instructions for anybody who is interested

[mercalia]

if its that old I hope it is still water proof

[BE1]

I have a Tramp1 But it has been a long time since it has been pitched anywhere except mt garden as a play tent

I bought mine in the mid 1980s, I had wanted a Saunders spacepacker, but it was a little out of my price range.

The Tramp is fine for one but very tight for 2 ( kit outside in a survival bag). The inner hangs by a couple of hooks and so a lot of space is "lost".

What strikes me most about it is that it is around 2kg but this includes some very thick sturdy poles compared to modern poles and proper pegs, both skewers and Vs.

For a fiver you have done very well

[Slowroad]

I've still got my 1984 Ultimate Tramp - the other students at uni hooted with laughter at the name! The flysheet has gone rather stiff so I've not used it for years but I agree there are few better designs today for spacious front porch.

[rmw]

I am still using my 1982 Ultimate Tramp. I have not done a huge amount of camping with it, so it is still in good nick although waterproofing is not what it was. But did OK for some wet nights camping this year. Eroica Britannia of course.
It is extremely cosy for two, fine for one.

[rmw]

a trip with my then 11 year old daughter in 2012

en route, tent in green bag

room for mother, daughter and cuddly toy