Tent Choice

I was thinking something along the lines of the Odyssee or the Hogan Ultralight. http://www.vaude.com/epages/Vaude-de.sf/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Vaude/Products/15601/SubProducts/156014000&Locale=en_IN&NavSignature=5,5,4 http://www.vaude.com/epages/Vaude-de.sf/secLgncgT1pS3w/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Vaude/Products/15745/SubProducts/157452270

I haven't tried any Vaude tents, but I considered them before I finally bought a Fairydown Altimate 2 person tent. Really pleased with the Fairydown so far and would happily recommend it. It's a snug 2 person, 3kg, 4 season dome. I wanted a tent that could withstand strong winds and crap weather and this does. 4 poles, plus a 5th spreader pole above the door plus 8 guy points off the fly makes it rock solid. The vestibule may be too small for what you want though, the emphasis with this tent is compact and strong rather than roomy. It's incredibly warm too, not a lot of mesh on the inner, more of a winter/alpine tent really. Which is what we wanted. Only real downside is you can't pitch the fly independently as the pole sleeves are on the inner. At 3kg you may not want to carry it on your own either. I split the load with the missus or use my one man tent if I'm on my own, so don't consider the weight an issue.

Oops, should have explained why I decided against the Vaude tents - they just didn't look strong enough with the two poles and high profile for what I wanted. Picture of the Fairydown Altimate: http://www.findmeatent.com/itemphotos/4626.jpg

Sorry to dig up an old thread! With the aged collapse of my old 3 season, 1 man, and the recent acquisition of an incredibly light, yet very poorly ventilated 1 man, I'm wondering about these Hennessey Hammocks I've been hearing our Northern Hemisphere friends rave about. I understand they would be next to useless above the treeline, but does anyone use one elsewhere? 600 odd grams for their you-beaut model sure seems a wonderfully light little package that can be strung up over rocks, on slopes, ignoring midnight river invasions and the like. I understand Mr Hennessey himself now Summers in NZ and the accessories are all being built there! Any comments?

I was keen to try one but this thread gave me second thoughts. http://www.fishnhunt.co.nz/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1240987722/0 Probably would get a pole supported Bivy bag made from event instead.

Neat, thanks for that. haven't seen that forum before either.

Hennessy hammocks are a brilliant design. Take note though that the lighter version was made for the adventure racing market and although strong it is not designed to last as long as its slightly sturdier counterpart. That is the nature of the market. Much the same as with high altitude climbing it is about what will do the job and not what will last longest.You might note the lighter version is also more expensive keeping in line with the theory that just because you pay more doesn't mean it is stronger or will last longer. It is about what will do the immediate task at hand. eg finish the race or achieve that summit. When you submit to undertaking racing or extreme conditions the money is not the highest priority. I have used them extensively and own a couple of them. The regular versions are just over a kilo. They are good to have in stock but of course are not the answer to everything.

There is no such tent that is the optimum thing in all possible conditions. That is why i own so many options. The more walking you do the more you can justify having many. There are so many on the market because no one tent can have it all. Just prioritise and make a choice based on the activities you are doing most of the time. It's no good buying the strongest and likely slightly heavier tent if you're only going to use it in the worst of conditions only once a year and spending most of your time doing fine weather walking.

I agree that there is no ideal tent. I know when I was looking around at first I was looking for an alpine tent that would sleep 6 with all the bells and whistles that weighed less than 1kg. Of course, there is no such thing. In the end I bought the MacPac Microlight on the basis that a smaller, lighter tent I was more likely to have with me so was more likely to use more often. That philosophy has turned out to be very sound. I was initially concerned about the lack of space but I very soon adapted and organised myself to make the max of the space available. As for not being able to fit anyone else in, that is an advantage, it keeps the smelly snoring bastards out. Also with a small tent it sits low to the ground and has a minimal footprint to the wind and warms up quickly inside. I have found these features to be a great advantage at times. On the subject of cost, I think this should be the last consideration. A tent will last a long time and you soon forget what you paid for it. You won't regret quality. Imagine sitting up there is a storm and the seams start to come apart. I am sure you would start wishing that you had spent a few extra bob on a better quality tent in those circumstances.