Types of shelter

I know its a UK website again.... but this seems too good to be true on price http://www.singersoutdoors.co.uk/coleman-kraz-x1-man-tent-p1990.asp Will definnately keep the bugs out :D

WEIGHT: 1.65kg Ultralight??

It does seem that a few manufacturers/wholesalers play with numbers a little bit when promoting a model. I noticed a few that highlight the stripped down weight and then at the bottom they detail the weight incl. stuff sacks, pegs. But I suppose it gets you in the door. The same goes for "ultralight" when they are "light" at best and trending to mid weight in reality. There should be some form of scale similar to the EN rating for sleeping bags so we can more readily compare apples with apples. I confess as I get older the need to modernize & lighten some of my gear is more relevant than when I was young and never even contemplated putting my pack on the scales, it weighed what it weighed and you carried it and that was that. To my mind folk who go super-light/ultra-light to the nnth degree are suffering from the tramping equivalent of anorexia. It's just not healthy or sensible to have no fat on your gear bones so to speak. Gear diet - Yes, where necessary, Gear starvation - No, not healthy or sensible. (Before someone pulls me up on it, I am not minimizing the genuine suffering anorexia causes)

One thing to consider with a store brought foot print is the added weight. OK so 200-300 gms doesn't sound like much but in comparison to all the other light gear you will be carrying it is weighty. Personally, I have been using a very thin PVC tablecloth I brought from the Red Shed for $10 as a ground sheet. It weights about 100gms, it is slightly stretchy so doesn't pierce easily and is totally water proof. I cut it down to fit under the Luxe Lightwave tent I use. Hasn't failed me yet! You will definitely need a robust tent for the windy sections of the TAT between the Rakaia river and Lake Ohau, if only as an emergency shelter. The huts are well spread out through that section, and bad weather could stop you from reaching one before night.

1strider, I agree. I defer to Andrew Skurka. There's light, then there's 'stupid light'. I do not want to TRUDGE the entire trail, so want to minimise weight WHERE PRACTICABLE. However, I don't wanna die either, so carrying weight where I feel it is important to do so, is exactly what I'm gonna do. Of course, I'm completely soaking in all suggestions and opinions here in these forums. What I then do is combine that with my own experience and experimentation, to come up with a gear fit-out that is optimum for me in the conditions I can expect. So thanks guys (and gals, Honora)! You're all helping me a heck of a lot.

Me too @Kreig, I'm obtaining little bits of knowledge and will be road testing certain products et al. Where I live in the UK is quite condusive to testing out camping gear. The other week I was working 4 miles from home in (by UK standards) warm weather, 12c is quite warm in North England in March. Yet at home, it had been snowing for 90 minutes and the temp. was around 3c and factoring wind chill it probably felt like -2c. Crazy, but these fluxuations put you in good stead when you are out on the trails as we all know how conditions can change quickly. Even at a relatively low height. I'm finding much of the suggestions pretty helpful for when I finally get out to NZ later this year.

@hutchk I know it's not ultralight as the website states, but for £40/$80 i'd take the extra 300/400gms. My experience in prolonged storms tells me Coleman have made (more so in the last 10-15 years) very durable hard wearing and storm proof tents. So £40 is an absolute bargain, considering the price of some of the so called rivals. Not all about price i know, but I've used Coleman a fair bit and they stand the test.

Personally, I find Coleman hit and miss. Some stuff good, some stuff crap. And without extensive (personal!) testing, I'm not about to put my faith in anything Coleman. Not when things like potential hypothermia come into play.

Ive not used a coleman tent but the ones Ive seen in shops dont really inspire. Seeing USA gear in NZ shops often has a price premium that is rarely deserved but the tents I looked at were more than double the cost of locally branded equivalents with little to justify the cost except the name. These were mostly camping tents although I did see a 3 person hiking tent for $400. This still had fibreglass poles and steel pegs and was only 5kg. Almost identical tent at Warehouse is $80 on sale I have one for overnight stays when 4wding not tramping and its seen a 140kph breeze and handled it ok

@Kreig You are quite right, some of the tents they do are absolutely shocking (having said that, a friend bought a MSR once and said it was terrible) and you can tell they have been purely designed to snare the very casual leisure camper or first time family campers. But if you could get your hands on a Coleman Adrenaline 2 it's definately a windstorm, rainstorm, hailstorm resistor. I'd say it's one of the best models they have made. Worth trying out, but I most certainly respect your concerns. @geeves I'm sure the USA models do inflate the prices in stores in NZ. I once was browsing at my local camping show and there was this apparent (can't remember the make) tent that everyone was raving about. One of these inflatable innertube type structures that partially resemble a bouncy castle (without the bounce). Priced at around £800/$1600 for a two man (don't ask me about the family sized prices, whooosh). During the demo, people were commenting about how quickly it inflated. I then pointed out, what happens if someone punctures the chamber.... ...yeah, the whole thing slowly falls on you. The manufacturers hadn't even factored in individual chambers to prevent collapse. I don't think they sold many that day. But yeah, find a good Coleman and they are very good.