New Tent Advice

[willem jongman]

Backpackinglight has done some tests on CO, and the result was scary. Some gas stoves were very good and can be used safely, but many popular ones were positively dangerous. Multifuel ones have their own risks, with flaring probably the biggest one, but also carcinogenic pollutants. My favourite Trangia was not very good on CO either, although better than some popular gas stoves.
Willem

[pjclinch]

I suppose you could always pop the household CO detector in for the camping trip if you're particularly worried. They're light and compact and will give you advance warnings of problems.

[honesty]

About 10 years ago I bought my first ultralight tent (a Marmot Nutshell). I did not buy the ground sheet. I used this tent all over the place and pitched it on a number of different surfaces and after a while water slowly started to leak through the tent floor. I'd probably put a number of micro holes in the floor. In the end the tent went into the bin as even when there was even just a mild dampness outside it would have leached through the tent floor and soaked my stuff inside. This would have all been bypassed if I'd had a footprint and I'd still be using the tent today.

Footprints for me depend on the tent. Ultralights make themselves light by having hightech/lightweight/thin materials which in my view are not as rugged. For these types of tent if you want to keep using it for a long time a footprint makes sense and the total weight would still be under 2kg. For my old tent (a cotton Vango force 10 that's my perents from the 70's) there would be no point. The floor is pretty much bomb proof.

I do find it interesting when I see people cooking in tents. I was always taught as a lad that this should never (Ever!) be done because of fire risks. Maybe tent design and flame retardant materials have moved on, but I still don't like doing it!

[willem jongman]

Materials for high class tents such as Hilleberg are explicitly not flame retardant.
Willem

[BeeKeeper]

My Hilleberg has a prominent and strongly worded label inside it warning of the dangers of cooking inside the tent. However, when it is blowing a gale outside and lashing it down I will cook in the porch. There is a larger gap under the outer above the flysheet and a large vent above where I cook so I believe, being aware of the risks, I am safe. I also do not cook for long. Cooking in the inner tent would be a different matter, not least the problem of getting out in a hurry if it was all zipped up.

There was a death in the UK this year of a child from carbon monoxide poisoning in a tent and it came from a disposable BBQ I believe, which had been brought into the tent after they had cooked outside. The parents thought the fire was out but it continued to burn and produce carbon monoxide - which filled the tent.

[pjclinch]

Footprints for me depend on the tent. Ultralights make themselves light by having hightech/lightweight/thin materials which in my view are not as rugged. For these types of tent if you want to keep using it for a long time a footprint makes sense and the total weight would still be under 2kg. For my old tent (a cotton Vango force 10 that's my perents from the 70's) there would be no point.

"It depends" is the salient point. The Hilles we've been on about here are somewhere between "ultralight" and a Force 10, and the groundsheets on the Nallo/Kaitum are noticeably chunkier than those found in, say, Terra Nova's "Superlite" range. If you're looking at Keron/Nammatj they're chunkier still. The newer 3 season ones have flimsier groundsheets but even there it's part of Hille's design ethos that a tent needs to be reasonably tough and reasonably light rather than as light as possible and for predominantly grass/mud pitches I'd personally not bother.

Pete.

[mercurykev]

I like my Hilleberg footprints, for the porch coverage rather than for the protective aspects. They give all this extra living space if the ground is wet/soggy. My Keron 3GT is an excellent 2 person tent but I keep it for car camping. The two porches - one for cooking and one for kit - are great and the living space is luxurious. In addition it'll stand up to all that the weather can chuck at it.

[willem jongman]

It does indeed depend. In the summer of 2011 we camped in Croatia for a week. There was little grass on the campsite, and all the more sharp little stones. When we came back, the sturdy factory footprints of our Hilleberg (Nammatj 3 GT) and Helsport (Rondane) tents each had at least a few dozen little holes in them. I think the floors of the tents have survived, but the jury is still out. After decades of camping my preference is on the one hand for lightweight gear, but on the other hand for reliable stuff, particularly tents. A tent is your one and only protection against the sometimes dangerous and certainly unpleasant elements. Tents also are a pretty expensive item (and Hillebergs certainly are), so I want them to last. For me that means that for my wife and myself I will stick to the heavy duty Keron and Nammatj range. For solo trips weight matters more, so if and when I will buy a solo tent as well, I will give in and get something lighter but also more fragile.
Willem

[foxyrider]

i'll stick to Vaude, my near ten year old at the time Taurus UL remained watertight to the point of finding myself actually floating after an overnight deluge near St Gallen, CH two years ago.

That despite no footprint ever used and use on pitches ranging from almost complete rock to sand over the years. Not the cheapest but bullet proof and their ultra lights really are - not 3-4kg bricks but sub 2kg.

[crazyferret]

Hi
I only ever cook in the porch if i absolutely have to (this year lightning storms near Geneva). However even when i do this the stove stays outside of the tent in the rain and i squat in the dry. I hate the thought of accidentally setting the tent on fire let alone the fumes.

I've never actually used footprints for my tent, if i had it still might be going today.

[bretonbikes]

Hi
After many years of heavy use i have decided that I need to replace my old tent. I have been using a 3 man Vango Tornado for touring, walking and just casual camping and was wondering what would be a good replacement. This previous tent was bought by my dad and so have little experience in different tents. I do know what i would like to get out of it though.
The main factors are:
1)Enough space for 2 people, I rarely camp alone so it would be pointless getting a single man tent.
2)Have a good size porch, enough space for panniers or rucksacks.
3)Not too heavy

Thanks for your help

Just posted this tent test - http://www.bretonbikes.com/generalartic ... -test.html - it's certainly one to consider, we've been bowled over by it (and I'm usually pretty critical on equipment!

[simonineaston]

Have tried the (awesomely expensive...) Hilleberg footprint with my Nallo and found the toggles and pooling of rain water in the vestibule slightly annoying - have gone back to using cheap home-made footprints - thick polythene in the summer and closed-cell foam in the winter
As hinted at above, my car-camping Vango Force 10, decades old, has never needed a footprint and I will be dead before it does...

[tucker]

We have a TerraNova Laser Space 2, weighs in at just over 3 kg, have used it on 3 extended ( 3 month ) trips in Europe.more than enough room for panniers etc.
The height is enough for me at 5'11 to stand up in the middle of it, you can actually park 2 touring bikes in the porch.

[chris3vic]

I have a Terra Nova Wild Country Zepyros 1 - i can't speak highly enough of it. Porch is good enough for my panniers and stove. Inside it is cosy instead of cramped. They do a 2 man version. Easy to pitch and is really light too.

[DaleFTW]

I have a Terra Nova Wild Country Zepyros 1 - i can't speak highly enough of it. Porch is good enough for my panniers and stove. Inside it is cosy instead of cramped. They do a 2 man version. Easy to pitch and is really light too.

What other 1/2 man tents have you used?