My name is Tom from Tom Heaney Adventure - I am fanatical about high performance outdoor gear and equipment.
My first passion is winter wild camping in the mountains under harsh conditions and I have been doing it now for over 25 years, using outdoor clothing and equipment from the world's best manufactures.
I have winter wild camped in temperatures down to -25 degrees celsius with winds in excess of 90mph. Nothing better than putting up your tent at night in a blizzard… Some of my camping locations include Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Pyrenees, the Alps, and Antarctica using tents from Hilleberg, The North Face, Terra Nova Equipment, Mountain Hardwear, and Crux. My preference is to camp on summits if possible and only carry what I absolutely need.
Today I am still learning but here you can follow my experiences and learn too. All the very best for safe fun and adventure in the outdoors. Tom
Hi thank you for the comment. Yes the Hilleberg Soulo is definitely the strongest one person tent available... Best wishes and I hope you get one very soon... Tom
Looks good Tom. I like the 3ful tents the loary is good but the trekking pole is right in the centre. So I kept getting caught on it. That single pole over the top solves that. I’m a fan of this new one here. Not sure you had the footprint wrong either? The bit where you sit outside the door should have the print. Anyway. Nice work showing us round. Wonder if they’ll send me one 😂😂😂😂. Atb. 👍
Hi Andy thank you for the comment I really appreciate it.. This one is very ugly but once you get in it it's really practical... Interior space and vestibules are superb. Build quality and attention to detail is great.. It's a bit of a fiddly pitch but with practice it will definitely be easier.. Yes I still can't work out that footprint set up but at least you can have it whatever way you wish.. Give them a shout and I hope they send you one.. best wishes and thank you once again for watching and taking the time to comment.. Tom
Hi David, the pole heights at the ends needs to be about 80cm... Not sure how or if its possible to have folding poles set at that length... Thank you for watching .... best wishes Tom
Thank you for reviewing this tent. I've looked at it several times on the 3FUL website. Their pictures and dimensions are difficult to understand. Your pictures and description are just what I needed. You say that it fits "two regular-wide pads", but the pads you show _look_ like wide pads rather than regular. Are they 50cm or 64cm wide?
Hi really sorry for the confusion.. It's just the way manufacturers list them.. That is regular length but wide width.. So yes that's 64 cm.. Hope that helps..Best wishes Tom
Good review. Thanks for the insight that two wide pads will actually fit (for you and your girlfriend-5:37) even though the specs show the wides will not fit.
Hi Stuart, I dont actually get out the tape measure but practically its really good with the vertical ends... 3FUL quote 215 cm but it feels longer... As I mention the vertical ends make such a real world difference to tent length.. best wishes and thank you for watching and taking the time to comment... Tom
Hey thank you for watching and commenting now on a number of my videos... I really appreciate it.... It's a great tent on the inside and very practical. It's well made and constructed so would probably survive some windy conditions but it definitely would bend a bit.... best wishes Tom
Nice review Tom, and top kudos for Mrs H for making an appearance. The tent would not be for me, but it could suit others, but Tom, is it as ugly in real life as it looks?
Hey Dave thanks for the comment and watching.. Yes it's ugly for sure I definitely agree.. I think it's the high ends that don't help...Once inside though it's great and feels super spacious.. The 3FUL stuff is very well put together and great little details too.. They are pretty experienced at making tents and it shows here... Best wishes Tom
Hi Gary thank you for the comment.. It's not a great looking tent but the space inside and with the vestibules is great.. Pretty light too for the overall volume.. Tom
i don't like plastic tents, they do are kites. i know cotton is heavy weight, but i am a musician, i wouldn't sleep well with the constant noise of plastic moved by the wind. i've dissassembled many of those plastic tents, mainly quechua decathlon. they smell bad. i've been in storm with 400 km/h wind, watching tents flying like dorothy.
Hey Marty great to hear from you....It's a super valuable tent with great quality, space and practically all for a decent weight.... I appreciate you watching and commenting on many of my videos.. Best wishes Tom
I love my Kilos Gear Hi back chair (with no arms, not a fan of arms) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yuxb7xZz3ag.htmlsi=f8B1aq6oDRHmEt5f . I found with my Hi Back in a little wind, it would fall backwards, but solved that issue with a little cord under chair and some pegs. I don't know if this chair is more stable in wind. Having stated this, if this chair is as comfortable as the Kilos Hi Back then would no doubt purchase as a chair to set up next to parked car on a nice day. Thankyou Tom for sharing.
Tom, the scoring system provides a great basis for comparison. Well done. Can I suggest that you give 15 marks for appearance as that's important for us ex-dedicated followers of fashion ! This tent in white deserves zero points, because I think it looks shit. Is it available in green, or sand ? I'd never buy a mess that looked like this tent does. It looks like a pre-sale prototype. Of course that's my opinion, but maybe one or two others feel the same. Good review otherwise.
Hi thank you for the comment... Ha ha appearance is so subjective and could reduce or increase the total score by a long way. I could work with mentioning it in the bonus section worth 5 marks in the future and thats a good idea, but how can I seriously give 15 marks to a category when it does not effect tent function in any way... its a new venture and a new fabric for Tarp Tent so to then make it in different colours when sales are not yet proven doesn't make much sense to me... best wishes Tom
I bought an Akto and thought it would be my last tent. That all changed half way up Ben Nevis when it got windy... Roughly fresh gale force. The pole snapped, I had to endure most of the night with the tent acting as a bag over me. The Akto went back to the shop with a vote of no confidence. I used a Vango Hurricane now and that's really bombproof. BTW you make the best videos I've seen on this subject. Cheers
Yes I get it.. The Ben Nevis area can be mad with high winds.. Had a few tents pancaked there before.. While many will say the Akto is good for big winds (a few videos showing this too on RU-vid) I never found it great.. I quickly added a 10 mm pole which helped but once the wind heads north of 40 mph it's pretty uncomfortable.. I eventually sold both mine and now absolutely favourite the Scarp 1 from Tarp Tent.. That Vango Hurricane looks good and I always liked them but not made anymore as far as I am aware.. Hey thank you so very much for the positive feedback and sharing your tent experience.. best wishes Tom
Yes, its not particularly compact but its build for strength, durability and comfort so then it occupies a greater volume... Thank you for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts.... Best wishes Tom
Yes and I was gutted that there was no snow.... Roll on winter...On a more serious note that you for watching and taking the time to comment... best wishes Tom
Be interesting adding thoughts to the 'Flextail Zero insulated mat RO5' since they both RO5and Kilos have a similar design and price, though the RO5 is a bit warmer on paper.
Yes thats another mat to look out for... It may be warmer but I dont think that the longitudinal baffles will be as supportive... I appreciate the comment... best wishes Tom
Just a box of Cuban Cigars..... Yes it definitely gets a ten out of ten for comfort thats for sure.. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment... best wishes Tom
Yeah looks very comfortable,but for me the cup,bottle or can holder is in an awkward position.they should have placed it at the front of the armrest.and possibly a couple of them,also on the foot stool.👍
At 7:40, you mention gear hanging loops in each of the four corners in the Trango. While, you could use these for gear hanging, I believer they're actually for an internal guyline system if the weather is truly horrendous.
Very true.. It's a pity though that the manufacturers don't show how to do this.. North Face have them and so do Slingfin who actually at least show and explain
Hi, What do you think which tent is better for 1 person. In next winter aim going to climb Aconcagua, where are strong winds. Im thinking about Tarp Tent Scarp 1 Ultra and Jannu. I know that Jannu should be much better but also is is twice as heavy. What score in Durability you will give for Jannu ? br, Michal
Id give the Jannu 14 out of 15 with 15 only for Hilleberg BL tents... The Jannu is a great tent and definitely more suitable for continuous use in harsh conditions BUT I sold mine recently favouring the Scarp for it's massive weight advantage and it's strong enough for most... Tom
Looking at treating myself for my 30th to either this or an Unna, which do you prefer? Hoping to use it on summits so need that extra bit of strength but aren't keen on the soulo!
I prefer the Samaya as I feel it's stronger and lighter.. But not as usable in all conditions due to it being single skin.. Build and quality is insanely good.. Tom
Hi, definitely the Jannu.. The BL Soulo is too close in weight with such a reduced internal and vestibule space.. The Jannu is strong enough for 60mph winds and if you are out in more then that its no fun... I have owned both and just find the Soulo very small but its still a great tent... I hope this answers your question.... best wishes Tom
Yeah its a great tent but I think all the talk about storm worthiness kind of got my back up... Guy points and tie out options dont make that much of a difference if there is too much fabric thats not actually supported by poles... Its maybe a bit unfair comparing the X - Mid against one of the strongest single person 4 season tents but as I said all the claims about storm performance when no one had actually tested the tent set me a challenge. All that being said most double pole trekking pole tents will perform little better and they are best for sheltered conditions... best wishes Tom
Hi Michael, thank you for sharing your purchase of the Kakwa. I am so very happy with mine and its showing absolutely no sign of wear after decent use.. Very impressed with the Ultra fabric. I wish you all the very best with yours and many great trips in the outdoors... Tom
After trying so many different brands of headlamps and flashlights, the ones that have been the best have hands down been Ledlenser, Surefire, and Petzl with an honorable mention to goal zero’s torch 500. They’re all rather expensive and on paper may sometimes not seem to offer much over the cheaper lumen chasing brands, but their product support, durability and oftentimes practical sustained output is much better than the vast majority of lights I’ve had experience with. Long story short, although pricey, I’ve found you really get what you pay for.
Hey I totally agree.. I just dont deal with the cheap, lumen chasing or brands that copy.. For me a headlamp is seriously essential and if you have a problem in the middle of the night and you need to deal with it then reliability of your headlamp is crucial... I have had to bail on a couple of occasions due to one thing or another and having a headlamp fail is not an option... You need to stack the odds in your favour and certain areas of equipment selection I will never take chance on... best wishes and thank you for the comment..Tom
Thanks for this interesting review. I own what I believe to be the predecessor of this tent: the Abisko Lightweight (2p version tent). Seeing as they don't offer any information on their site anymore and even deleted their old video's about care for this tent from their official RU-vid Page, I hope maybe you can answer a question I've been having. Especially after seeing the performance in these kind of windspeeds. I've owned the tent for around 9 years, but due to circumstances and going off to university, i've only used it lightly going hiking for 6 weekends in 9 years. (I bought it as a Boy Scout, thinking i'd invest in a good tent that'll last me a lifetime). I was always lucky with the weather and never experienced a storm but... I had the tent poles break on me during a windstill and dry night. I couldn't believe my tent being down when I woke up. Do you have any experience on the DAC featherlite NSL poles being easy to break? I hoped to take it to a summer trip to Iceland this summer so I set my tent up againto test if it was waterproof, and during the same night, where it was lightly drizzling, but without wind. My replacement pole I bought (which was literally still in the package... before I used it) also broke during the night... Now my wife is calling me crazy I payed 800 euro's for a tent (+ 200 euros for a replacement pole set) claiming that with the light camping we do, we'd better be off buying a whole new decathlon tent every year and coming out still cheaper. And I'm starting to believe her and lose faith in the Fjällräven brand...
Hello I am sorry to hear of your experience.. Personally I have had no issues with DAC poles over many years and many manufactures use them.. But my friend who is very experienced broke one in his Hilleberg Kaitum under no wind and we have never worked out how it happened... I think you have just been very unlucky and maybe landed on a bad batch... However they all are fragile especially if not fully inserted or the separate slightly when the tent is pitched... best wishes Tom
Your excellent reviews are a little dangerous… Ive just ordered a Sand coloured Tarra to go with our Nammatj 3 and Jannu exposed wild camping options. Im considering an Allak3 for bikepacking for 2 people and camping in sheltered places. I think the extra size on the Allak3 over the Staika will help a lot.
That's some collection you got.. It's the way forward.. If you are interested in something do it right and get the best.. Sure they don't cost that much compared to something like an expensive bicycle.. My wife isn't aware of half the tents I own.. Especially similar models and colours... Keep up the supplies.. best wishes Tom
Which fjallraven were you comparing to? I assume Abisko Lite 1p? I'm kind of debating this tent vs. Enan (lighter) vs. Abisko 1p or just going with a mid like MLD duomid.
Yes the Abisko lite 1.. I would buy a Scarp 1 before any of these... Build quality is good enough but lighter, more features, better ventilated and stronger with the crossing poles.. Much more liveable space too... best wishes Tom
