BIggest tent wish list is option for a slightly heavier duty groundsheets. I appreciate that many tents are sold on weight comparisons, and the ground sheet is an easy area to save weight, but would far rather have a few extra grams on the ground sheet (which could be offset by not always needing a ground sheet protector). Gives more confidence when camping on shingle beaches (not always safe / or possible to head into wilderness behind beaches in wild areas) and the modern materials just sometimes feel like the pass damp through even though they dont. Or perhaps its just the place I camp, not always nice soft grass.
I use a space blanket/emergency foil blanket. They're big enough for most 1 or 2 man tents, incredibly tough and light, with the added bonus that it reflects your body's radiated heat back up to you. You can fold them back up and re-use them indefinitely. NOTE: if you want to peg it out, you need to tape the corners. Although the material is tough to pierce, once it IS pierced it will split easily (unless tape reinforced). I just lay mine down, weighted at the corners if windy, then pitch the tent on top and tuck any overreaching edges back under the tent.
I’ve had this tent since its launch earlier this year. I find it less noisy in wind than my old Laserlarge1 tent that it replaced, and the materials are superior. I’ve had it in extreme winds in the Yorkshire dales and found it to be a very capable tent, equal to the likes of the Hilleberg Akto,but with better internal space. It strikes a great balance between strength and weight, in addition to space and ventilation. I have no issue with the pegs either. They are strong and light. Recommended.
I find a groundsheet that also covers the vestibule area can help reduce condensation as some of the dampness rises from the grass in those areas when not covered.
Now I'm in my 50's, the range of tents over the years I've used , repaired , fished out of skips etc has created a wish list so to speak, but has heavily evolved over the decades. In the 70's it would be unpainted wooden poles with undented metal sockets please, too often using old scout tents where any combination of poles being cannibalised, painted, hurled in a Transit, spilled across car parks gives a host of chunky splinters to discover. So many hours duly spent with sandpaper and boiled linseed. Then a good supply of old Post Office canvas cash bags, to repair the rat holes and sacking for the skirts. Then many 5 litre cans of Fabsil. My preference for colour would be dark rather than white tents , 4am June mornings really brings home the extra few minutes sleep having a dark green canvas over waking up in Celestial Heaven. During the 80's there were these steel framed thingies with multi cornered puzzle mind bendered assembly Kypton Factor ... lots of pinced 12 year old fingers later the whole concept made sense eventually and my appreciation of them slowly warmed, but the supplied pegs were still knaff so I kept my old stock knife wooden ones for main guy lines, but the weight saved with modern materials over canvas was a blessing, but here also was a new challenge, getting Don Camerons balloon back in the bag with the poles as well. The old scout tents usually had some monstrous Army kit bag to engulf everything, Modern tents with their igloo, tunnel, dome, blade designs with inners are a massive step forward but still now I've had a "few" years to play with them, I guess my wish list for a 1 man one would include 1, decent sized bag to get the thing back into, I have no hydraulic arm folder thingy in a field. 2, as waterproof as possible, it's the British Isles, the Atlantic is just over there. 3,dark inner with a little mesh, for complete barrier to bugs.mozzies,wasps, and early morning dark 4,aluminium poles, because fibreglass splinters suck, I know, I made knives with G10 scales 5, roof hook thingy, as all the mini pump/light Olight S1R are so small, why not have a roof light? 6,tent pegs should be a functional thing of beauty rather than a BBQ skewer 7, guy lines should be visible and durable with good slide/lock. 8, plenty of room, Banshee 300, Bobcat kind of room, enough to kneel to pack, sit up to dress 9, vestibule, size 12 boots and a 65litre rucksack don't like sharing the bedroom section. 10, Price, oh dear, only ever got second hand, on sale with codes, out of a skip or cobbled together, so I would choke at anything over £90 but there are plenty of people to use high end gear rather than what the rat had a chew on so I'll go, keep it under £160 on sale with codes etc...
I'm designing my own ideal tent right now, so this is top of mind. Ten other points, big and small. 1) Warm colours on the inner. I find the white inners used by Terra Nova and Wild Country are depressing as you sit out a freezing rainstorm. Give me a cheerful Hilleberg yellow every time. 2) Progressive pegging. In good weather, get a good pitch with half a dozen pegs or less - 3 minutes max. When Armageddon looms, enough effective guy points to build a flap-free fortress. 3) Sheltered thru-venting that can be adjusted from inside the tent. It's amazing how many premium designs force you to venture out into the storm to close up the vents. 4) Double inner doors like the old WinterGear Sapphire.. Mesh only for hot weather, with the option to zip up a solid panel to at least deflect the draught above your sleeping bag. 5) Doors that can be left open in all but the worst weather. The old Sanders A-frames with the 3 panel vestibules are the standard here. You can cook with the central panel open with shelter from both sides, with the steam escaping upwards. And unless the wind swings 180 and blows in horizontally you can leave it open all night for superb venting. And of course doors with a fall line that drips on the inner are a deal-breaker. And the fly doors should have straight zips - far too many failures with curved zips, even on Hillies. 6) Integrated outer-first pitching - something the Americans don't seem to prioritise. but a must-have in Europe. 7) Small footprint. On steep mountain walks, finding a pitch at the end of a tiring day can be a major stressor, as you walk on into the night searching for a spot. Yes, some inner space, but the minimum necessary. Some designs give far more vestibule and floorspace than you really need if you're organised. Duplex? Stratospire? Trailstar? Plenty of examples. 8) For me - a single skin design with integrated bug protection and bathtub. Peg it out and you're done. You can wipe the walls with ease, while with double designs you often end up packing wet and soaking the inner, or separating and faffing about as you pack in the morning. Then you're grovelling around to hook up the inner again in the evening. Lots of ways to mitigate condensation in a single wall, such as the reflective panels on the legendary Stephenson Warmlite. Or simply a minimal bivy bag. But with well designed venting it's rarely an issue. With double walls, it is what it is with no flexibility. Plus with a single wall you get more space and can build it smaller. Less weight. Tighter footprint. Less fabric to flap in the wind... 9) Simplicity. The less things to break the better. Far too many intricate, fragile designs on the market. I loved the basic cotton Vango Force 10s and Blacks Mountain Tents I cut my teeth on. Utterly bomber. Pity you need a yak to carry the damn things around or I'd still be using them. 10) Robust ground sheets. I'll happily trade a few grams for a groundsheet I don't have to baby and that saves faffing around with bloody footprints. Enough for now...
@@calleiglesia Sadly, artisan tent making is a very marginal proposition. There's only one operation in the UK that has made a success of it (TrekkerTent) and even they had to invest in a significant workshop. Not a very viable business, especially for something as niche as my design. Making them at home I'd have to charge an insane price to make it worthwhile.
@@the_bridges If there is anything there that helps anyone enjoy the outdoors safely, I'm more than happy. This would be a tiny market, and none of my ideas are original enough to patent even if I wanted to.
I've tried a lot of different pillows but the best one is still the compression sack of the sleeping bag. If it has some buckles just turn it inside out and fill it with a jacket or some other clothes.
When someone states something so obvious and I pull a funny face thinking ....why haven't I thought of that? Uncomfortable Pillows are the bane of my life. Bravo that man 👏👏
I don't even carry a sleeping pad, other than the standard 'Karrimat' on the odd local 'Minor Exped'. But for real wild - 'Major Exped' /long-distance hikes, I always use what comes to hand for bedding; I build a natural 'mattress' out of brush/heather/grass/braken and pitch the tent over the natural mattress... Pillows? WTF are they? Stuff-sack filled with a jumper and usually a T-shirt slipped over the stuff-sack for extra comfort every time for me.
Yeah - but what if you're wearing all your camp clothes inside your bag, and your trail clothes are wet? (Plus I run hot so don't wear much when I'm active).
@@tullochgorum6323 I always have an small inflatable pillow with me for that case but if I have a jacket or something left, I still prefer the compression sack :)
I've been using the same 2 person dome tent for like 15 years. Spacious, easy to set up, weighs a pound or more, and has a solid tarp bottom. It has always kept me dry, I've learned to give it a 5 star rating. Others might scoff at it but it works perfectly for me, literally all seasons. Never expect a 1-man tent to be tick off all the boxes, though it can be done.
As a 6'5" hiker it looks like this is a solid tent. At my height i dont think 'ultralight' is truely a thing but if i can keep by baseweight around 9kg I'm happy so dont mind the extra weight. If only i could get on with hiking poles id try a trekking pole tent!! I have a scarp 1 (brilliant, spacious, never leaked in 100+ camps, lightweight) but the thing that is starting to do my head in is the inbuilt poles at the ends - means it more difficult to pack in my bag. It is a relative minor niggle but its something that does my head in when im packing away. My wishlist would be: 1) all poles need to be inserted. 2) near verticle head/foot end so if i use a 3-4" pad I'm not inhaling inner tent 3) easy to take inner out on those rainy mornings so if i am multi day hiking and weather is bad the tent inner doesnt get wet when I pack away
I am the same build / size and just (only just) fit in to the naturehike spider 1 person that I use for bike packing where pack size is king, but prefer a 2 person tent if I have room to carry it.
I’m 6’5” and haven’t found a single hoop tent yet that I can sit up in. I use a Hubba Hubba NX just because if I am on a multi day, I want to be able to sit up in my tent when the midges are swarming and I am forced inside!
@@dodge_walks I recently bought a USMC combat 2 tent, as heavy as hell but its the first tent that can comfortably sit up in and have loads of internal space and not to mention being bomb proof, to heavy for back packing realistically
I dont understand tenting lingo, but I enjoy your chatting and other content. Always feel relaxed after watching. Thankyou for giving us your time and tips Ps..a pillow is a must
I've had a Laser Compact 2 for a few years now. Back in 2020 it survived storm Francis on a very exposed site in Norfolk with only minor damage to the pole hood. Got a replacement from Terra Nova easily. Didn't sleep much that night 😬 It's great tent, packs small and tight, easy to put up even in bad weather.
I agree with all your wishlist bar one, if i am shelling out the sort of mone these tents go for i want a freestanding tent, i dont mean semi where the main living area is held up and you have to peg out the vestibule, i mean a full 3 cross pole tent that is ready to use once the poles are in it, if i cannot use it in a carpark or on the flat roof of my house without pegging it out, im not spending my money on it. The closest to perfect one man i have come across is the Aztec Esquina solo, but like alot of great things they dont make them anymore. Id like to see you do a video on true freestanding tents. Been watching a long time, still loving your honest views and locations ❤.
Bought one of these tents a few weeks ago, and only set up in the garden but was really impressed with the size for a '1' man tent. Maybe not the lightest to take on the coast to coast I start next week, but spending 14 odd nights in a tent it has to be comfortable so looking forward to it.
@@donaldcook3112 it’s 156 miles.. even if you average 20 miles a day it will take you 7 days. 9 days for taking in the scenery. I’ve done 84 miles in 26 hours. So yeah must be walking back as well.
Great suggestions. I'm still harking for a 4-season 1-man Tipi-tent. No-ones quite got there yet. One pole you can replace in the woods if need be, or your walking stick. Octaginal; top loop; 2 or 3 top vents; 2 or 3 lower vents; stove opening (as a choice, also good hide peek-hole); tarp can be fastened at top of door; 2 doors, that can be opened to make 1 vestibule; fly tight to ground, maybe snow skirt; can sit in porch on a small UL chair (just!)... Tentipi did Ovilin: no lower vents; upper vents not for stormy rain. And the rest aren't up there in true 4-season quality. Luxe Hex 6e comes close in design, not materials. Bach closer in materials but not design. A mini Nortent Lavvu '1' would be the ticket for me.
That tent looks great and might be exactly what I’m looking for, thanks for getting Andy to go in - he’s the same height as me so very useful. There’s lots of tents that on 1st look seem like they’d be ideal. Then you look around and find they have a glaring design flaw, like water pouring into the inner when you open the door. Makes you wonder how on earth something like that gets put into production.
Looks like a lovely tent Paul. I know what you mean though about the struggle to find the perfect tent. No matter how much money you spend there is always things you find that could have been done better. Maybe you & Terranova should get together and work on a tent together. I can just picture it now . The terra Nova Mesner 1 AS!
I have a Terranova Solar tent that I bought must be 30 years ago. I’ve used it dozens of times over the years and it’s still in pretty good condition. It has a heavily siliconised ripstop fly that amazingly is showing virtually no ultraviolet damage. Fantastic quality made in England !! I think Terranova tents are fantastic value for the professional quality you get.
I agree Paul, it is key for the user to iterate what they absolutely need from a tent. There is no other way manufacturers can assume what is the best option. Obviously a lot to say for other equipment, sleeping bag etc: You are correct to say what your requirements are. ✊🏻🙌🏻
What a bloody good idea putting the spatula under the steak so you don't cut the pan. Great video mate, and a nice looking tent. Wouldn't it be nice if a tent came with an inflatable bathtub floor so you didn't have to bring a sleeping mat with you.
I appreciate you taking time to show the shelter pitch at a closer distance. Many a video is a wide shot of someone getting to camp and rushing to set it up. This gave me a chance to see the ease of deployment and different angles of the tent.
I’ve nearly bought that a few times but relented. I still occasionally use a laser photon 2 which was dead stock from terra nova. It’s like that old photon 1 you featured in vids a few years back, but I’d say half a size bigger. I still really rate it and even with mods I added is still only around 1000g. This one in this vid looks very decent. I like this kind of review - inviting a tall mate to have a gander. ATB👍🏼
@@bimazivanovic4784 my most often used tent is a Rogan (2kg, freestanding dome) and my extreme weather tent is a Crux Shadow X2 (2.85kg, freestanding tunnel). Both of these have two door arrangements.
Fantastic video as always Paul, tent looks a great piece of kit. This is exactly where I took my sister on her first ever Wild Camp last year 👌🏼 Great spot and didn’t see another person all evening / night which is ideal. Pipedream 400 is my main bag for majority of the year, probably ordered it from the recommendation of you or Haze last year👌🏼 I’m yet to try an alcohol stove, but i’ve just ordered some new kit, gonna stick to using it outside the tent as i’m a clumsy get sometimes and will end up with the tent up in flames. Anyway, thanks for the cracking content as always. 👍🏼
Great review Paul, keeping weight of pack down is a big issue for me, so 1.7kg for all that space is a winner. Seriously thinking of treating myself to a Terra Nova for walking the West Highland Way next year, your video has confirmed what a great tent the Laser Comp. is. Thanks, and ATB.
Repeatedly,the best light tent for me for over twenty years has been the Vango Banshee......itstough!!!! On my third one.from extreme winter to cosy summer
Well done video as usual. Thorough, well thought out, pleasant presentation and environment, and an interesting subject. I guess that's why I'm a subscriber.
That's a great looking tent Paul. As far as my tents go, I've settled on the Helm 1 as my 3 season shelter. It was a squeeze at first, but now I've lost a bit of weight and gained some fitness it's much easier to get around inside. There's enough room for all my gear and it's a solid shelter. Going to test out the Panacea 2 at the end of the month when I take my sister on her first wild camp. She'll be in the Helm as she doesn't have any camping gear of her own yet. The Panacea just gives me a bit more room for those long winter nights, and as you experienced, it's a tank with the trekking poles fitted.
24:08 beautiful sunrise! Astonishing landscape with interesting stone formations that were probably eroded in millions of years. Looks like people in ancient times have drilled holes in some of the stones
Hi Paul . Having trouble getting the right pillow? For my pillow I use a cheap inflatable pillow put into a dry bag ,then place a buff over the dry bag and hey presto ,you have a brilliant pillow at what softness you require.
My wish list is specific for a hot rainy region: enough room for me and my gear inside the tent, be able to pitch it rain fly first, gear loft above the head (for my glasses, phone, etc), tall enough to sit up straight inside, interior hooks/loops for hanging misc gear, vestibule large enough to keep the inside of the tent dry in a hard rain when getting in and out as well as cook under, way to increase ventilation while protecting from rain.
I have the Laser Competition 1. Went out in it at the weekend. Lying on the mat the top is inches from face. The pole cover is a pain. This looks much improved
Awesome vid Paul, I have recently started getting my camping stuff so I can hopefully do what you do next year. What would be nice if the manufactures would invite you down to design an affordable tent with the features that you mentioned. Having your experience on hand while designing and developing a tent would be incredible
FINALLY SOMEONE SAYS IT!!! Finally!! I want pockets!! We want pockets! Give me as many pockets as possible!! Then it would be amazing if tent manufacturers actually included a guy line that stretches on the inner tent roof so we could hang stuff also! Like a close line!! I don't get why it's so complicated to install and it is so innovative and it HARDLY puts any more weight on!! Then yes I also want ALL tents to come with solid inner and a double sipper lining on the door to give that mess option!! Super crucial fir us in the uk!! Too many wild spots that are super windy and we want a full solid mesh inner!! 1. POCKETS 2. Cloth line for hanging inside! 3. Solid inner tent with meshed door option with zipper! Oh and plz make vestibule bigger/wider so we can actually comfortably have our stuff around without cramming!!!
Another great vid mate.Quick tip about your cooking. Cook the steak 1st then wrap in foil & put in an insulted bag if you have one or in a sock or boot ,anything, then cook the veg in all those steak juices, when veggies done carefully open foil & pour the steamed juices over the veg & steak. The big advantage of this is that you letting the steak rest. By the way I have no advice for wild camping as I watch your channel for that
The Vango starav 200 is almost a perfect tent but then again, a lot of tents are close to perfect! 😂 If the starav was made from lighter darker coloured materials, had sleeves in one side for the poles to slot in, a vent at the top of the door or 2way zip, an inner that has the mesh full option on the full panel where the door is like they used to have, and loops in the inner so you could add a washing line or gear store. Then it would be perfect 'for me'... I love the end port holes that you can make a brew under. It's strong and doesn't flap about plus there's loads of room inside! But then again, I could pick apart every tent that I've owned in this way!!! 🤣🤣🤣 #vango I hope you're listening!
Good vid. Beautiful place and view. The tent is big enough to sit in a camp chair in the vestibule . they all have condensation in the morning almost all. I would rather keep the wind down inside. Good one.
Exactly why I choose the helm compact 1. Good head space and solid for most of our (UK) conditions as you know Paul. And let's not forget the money. Can't really beat it for the money.
Think I'll stick with my Scarpe 1, Durston x mid solid and Vaude power lizard tick all the boxes for most scenarios and far better value for money tbh. Nice tent just not sure it's comparable as an all season for Hilleberg money? The steak looked absolutely sublime, can highly recommend the jet boil pan, so easy to keep clean. I'm guessing that was back Tor a real favourite of mine. Keep em coming Paul, highly enjoyable content.
I have tried many tents but at the moment I don't think anything can replace my stratosphere, 3x3 tarp and homemade ground sheet that can turn into a bathtub when configuring the tarp into a pyramid or lanshan2 style tent. The only thing I also carry is a budget hammock that also has a bug net and ridgeline attached (Cost me about 24 quid). I use my sleepmat for ground in the hammock and I have not had any issues with a good night sleep.
Greetings from NorCal. Crackin’ good review. A bit like my old Tarptent Moment, but kicked up several notches. I had an epic blow down failure with my old Moment at Point Reyes National Seashore many years ago although in all fairness Point Reyes has recorded some of the highest wind speeds on the entire west coast of the U.S. When Paul fixed up the steak and asparagus, massive gastronomic response from me.
I started off with a dome tent many years ago. Took it on the hilltop. Never again if you put the door of the tent away from the wind, the wind generally changes direction at times and you're in trouble, whereas the backpack is tent avoids this
Nice video Paul, loving the longer form videos as they're really enjoyable / relaxing. Still really eager to see your opinion on the Exped Mira HL 1 (particularly how it holds up in the wind) as I'm toying with purchasing one as an ultralight 1 man semi-freestanding option.
Very good looking tent although my favourite one I have seen from your collection is the helm 2 and now I have seen there is a helm 3 available so my wish-list is just to have one of those, I have a 4 and 7 year old that have a growing interest for camping and outdoor pursuits
Compared to my vango helium , this terra nova as 1p is only simalar ( just ) in looks. The quality of the AS looks outstanding, double poled.. Yes could easily take a winters battering. Love the almost full lentgh opening inner with is dual solid and mesh option. Plenty of ventalation and height at either end. But more importatly. The room, the space you get inside and the vestibule is spot on for a one man tent. Pricey, yes, but look at what you get for the money.. Not a bad packweight really either 👍😁 Great video and superbly explained and showed off.. As for the alpkit whisper 2.4 r ive used mine several times now since buying it over a month ago. Quite, keeps the cold at bay down to 5 degs any lower ide use a Z pack or simalar underneith , but with a good quality sleeping bag ide use in the depths of winter 😁 Apart from maybe a couple of more pockets, theres not much you can do to make this AS 1p tent the best 1p tent for the uk weather conditions. .. Now im in a quandry 🤣 A Kuiu Mountain Star, or Storm Star or this terra nova AS 1p hmmm ..
I have a older laser comp 2, and i added the exact guy line arrangement to it years ago! This looks like an overall good move from TN, the old pole sleeve was honestly terrible
At 6'4" and 16 stone, I find my compact 1 man tent (wildcountry Zephyros 1 compact) a little bit too small, but its big vestibule does help. That tent would be perfect, but the price for me is just too high to justify an upgrade. I wish tent manufacturers would include groundsheets as standard, It makes a huge difference in my tent to groundsheet it
I'd like 8000 /10000 hhs., Basically a super reinforced seem tarp tent pitched with a walking pole (yeah right). But since a bath tub inner is advisable quite a lot of the year round in the UK.. Dunno ? a single pitch, lower vents on the broad side with secure fastenings. maybe have the outer skin skirt on a fastener so you can pitch that part higher off the ground whilst still not being broad side to the wind. but still pitch deeper down for snow. pegs, Ally. bring a rock.
Not watched it all yet, but the perfect tent wishlist? 1. Tall enough to sit up in. 2. Under 1kg in weight. 3. Double skin because UK climate. 4. 2 vestibules and doors to help cope with changing winds, cooking inside, and all-round views. 5. Big enough for me + gear. 6. A colour that blends in (basically an olive green type affair, no bright yellows, oranges, reds, whites etc.). 7. The option to pitch fly AND inner separate. Allows for outer-only if you want a tarp experience, but inner-only if you wanna look out at the stars without being eaten by insects. Pretty sure that's it, and I can now also see why I stopped looking after I got the X-Mid 1 (apart from to buy the X-Mid 2 for when the wife and I did the Wales coastal path together)
Reminds me of the Scarp 1 this tent. Lots of room, sturdy, well made. There's benefits to that over this, 2 doors, adjustable inner to maximise vestibule space, but this looks like it's simpler to set up, and lighter for similar strength as you don't need 2 cross poles etc.
Big Agnes tiger wall UL2 Solution dyed,covers all you want apart from colour,but there’s always a compromise,for some reason Paul rarely reviews anything big Agnes if ever and it’s some of the best quality kit on the market.
