UKH

If I tell y'all what I'm looking for could you give me some suggestions?

Proper, roomy 2 person - it's for extended use mainly on cycle tours so this is important.
Large porch or 2 smaller ones to give space for panniers and cooking.
Robust - I've had some really disappointing experiences with lightweight tents of late.
Watertight - Again, been disappointed by a recent purchase on this front.
Easy to pitch - can't be faffed with things with weird pole configurations and hunners of pegs.
Round about 2.5kg or less.
Up to £500 although there is a bit of flexibility on this if something looks ideal.

To my mind this shouldn't be too hard but recent experience suggests otherwise!

In reply to DaveHK:

Nice selection to browse here.

http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/search/index/?category=175&Sleeps[]=2&k...

In reply to DaveHK:
I use the hilleberg nalo gt2

They Retail around 700 tho last time I looked.
However you can pick a second hand one up for under 500 on ebay.

Before I bought It I thought there is no way I could justify that kind of money on a tent.
After using it for the first time I can definitely say It's money we'll spent.

Been using it now for about 4 years in all conditions.
From high altitude in Peru, winter down in Patagonia and on beaches in New Zealand
And good old rainy nights in Scotland.
The porch is easily big enough for 2 70 litre rucksacks and there is still ample room to set the burner up and cook.

http://hilleberg.se/product-family/nallo-nallo-gt

Cheers

Neil

In reply to DaveHK:

alpkit zhota - sensational, and good value reduced to £350 at the mo.

just got back from a weekend camping in it and can vouch for waterproofness.

In reply to Bluebird:



Err, did you read my requirements? I'm sure it's superb but it's about twice the weight I was looking for!

In reply to DaveHK:

If you want a roomy 2 person tent, might be best to get a 3 person tent. I'm looking at getting a 2 person tent, to use as a comfy solo backpacking tent, and the Mountain Hardware Skyledge 2 DP seems to be a good option. You can get the 3 person version for about £500. You can pitch it outer first (DP=dry pitch), it's geodesic, comes with a footprint, weighs about 2.2kg and it's not a silly colour in case you want to camp discretely. Obviously I can't vouch for it personally, I don't own one yet, but there's a few online reviews you can have a look at.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:


Not a bad idea that.

I'm particularly interested in personal experience as the last tent I bought looked great on paper and had decent reviews but was a disaster in practice.

In reply to DaveHK:

Plenty of user feedback on some sites, maybe look at REI, or see if it's on Amazon.

In reply to DaveHK:

A small 3p tent is better than a 2p with a large porch. I recommend the Hilleberg Keron 3, although it slightly exceeds your weight specs, otherwise the Nallo 3, but would not bother with the 2p GT versions. Space is more useful inside, e.g. for sitting up in crap weather or taking packs and luggage inside.

CB

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:


They look quite good although I wouldn't like to use them for long at their actual person ratings! The 3 person is only 17cm wider than our current 2 person tent.

In reply to DaveHK:


Go on then, name and shame.....all in the interests of improved customer service of course!

In reply to sbc_10:

I'm going to hold off on that until it's returned and I've got my money back, don't want to turn them against me until / unless I really have to!

In reply to sbc_10:

I like my TN Voyager Superlite. Has stood up in some nasty weather and doesn't leak. There is a slightly larger version of the Superlite (Voyager 2.2?), which would be better for extended use.

In reply to DaveHK: how about this http://www.lightwave.uk.com/products/tents/trail

In reply to DaveHK: I would have recommended a TNF Tadpole 2DL, however as normal with such things, it has been discontinued and the replacements look crap.

It is not as light as a TNF Voyager but I think it is actually a marginally better design and much better value for money. I decided to buy some decent pegs (MSR warthog?) for it but I have been suitably impressed and have used it at 650m in bad weather below Triple Buttress of Being Eighe last month. There may still be some stock available so it is worth keeping a look out.

Otherwise...

You probably can't go too far wrong with Hilleberg.

I haven't used them but the Lightwave tents look good - unless it is one of them you are taking back!

In reply to DaveHK:

If you flex to £700+ then I'll vote for the Hilleberg Nallo 2GT. We have a 3GT, would have preferred a 2 but the 3 had about £200 off the price.

We use it for cycle touring, it is relatively light for its size and the porch is good for storing 8 panniers and still having room to function. The design and build is top notch.

In reply to DaveHK:

Something like this...
http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/tents-shelters-c25/four...

or this...
http://www.golite.ch/pi/en/Shangri-La-5-Tent-558-561.html

In reply to DaveHK:

Have you looked at The MSR Hubba Hubba .
2 person tent under 2 kilos . good for 3 season plus and stands up to some good(bad) weather . 2 entrances . The poles are linked and you can easily sit up inside the tent. Easily in your budget too.

In reply to wilkesley:

Or the TN Voyager XL? Seems to be designed for extra porch space.
http://www.uttings.co.uk/p100502-terra-nova-voyager-xl-tent-green-41vyxl/#....

Haven't used this particular one, but have in general been very impressed with TN/Wild Country tents.

Is pole length an issue for cycle touring - I seem to remember some were designed with shorter pole sections which were supposedly more suitable?

In reply to DaveHK:

Just so happens there's a new review of the MSR Hubba Hubba NX here: http://www.ukhillwalking.com/gear/review.php?id=6451

I'd say this ticks your boxes

In reply to DaveHK:
A Hilleberg might be really good. But I was somewhat shocked at how high EU prices were compared to US prices. At the US price its expensive but bearable, at EU prices..Christ!

(I had a soulo, have a jannu. Really well made. Easy to use. Can't complain about any aspect of them.)

In reply to sbc_10:


I've got my money back (superb service from GO Outdoors) and can now reveal that it was a Lightwave G20 Trek Geodesic.

They seem to get a good reputation and others really rate them (which is why I bought it) but it was by a country mile the worst tent I've ever used. I hope for their sake it was a one-off. I included a detailed description of the faults / problems with the return so if Lightwave are worth their salt they can maybe take something from it.

The short version for those who are interested is that it was virtually impossible to get it pitched so that the transverse pole was touching the ground, the fly was so high off the ground that windblown rain soaked the inner, the seams leaked like a seive and after 3 weeks of use on a bike tour holes were developing on several of the seams and guying points.

Thanks for all the suggestions offered so far folks, going to compile a short list in the next few days.

In reply to DaveHK:

Another vote for Hilleberg.

We were similarly disappointed with the poor quality of tents from other reputable manufacturers. Went for a Nammatj 3GT which is probably heavier than you're looking for but wasn't a major concern for us - I'm sure there will be a model that suits your needs.

The quality of materials and attention to detail in the design and manufacture is excellent.

Pitching is really easy even in a strong wind. Inner and flysheet go up together, so no wet inner. Once up it's very robust and weatherproof. Only slight down-side is that it's a bit prone to condensation.

Not sure where you're based, but we got ours from Alpenstock in Stockport. They keep a large range in stock and are very happy to discuss and pitch to let you have a proper look.

In reply to DaveHK:

http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tents-and-spares/all-tents/superlite-quasar-ten...

A friend has one and it seems pretty solid despite weighing not very much. I have seen a few going cheap recently but can't remember where though!

In reply to Reach>Talent:


The Superlight Quasar was one of my first thoughts but after my recent experience I'm a wee bit doubtful about untaped seams on light siliconised fabric.

In reply to DaveHK:

Next question...


All mesh or mostly mesh inners. Never had or used a tent with this. Does it create any issues? Not as warm and potential for condensation to drip through is what I thought. Does this happen?

In reply to DaveHK:

Yes, mesh inner is colder and condensation from outer drips through. Another thing is splash back going through inner if outer does not reach the ground. Some brands have normal-not-mesh panels on top and bottom of inner preventing some of these issues, but they are colder just the same. Mesh gives good ventilation, though, which is nice on a hot day.

In reply to Sir Stefan:

Ta. Tending towards a Superlite Quasar.

In reply to DaveHK:

To bring closure to this (I know you've all been on the edge of your seats) I've just bought a Nallo 2. Got a great deal and it seems to tick all the boxes.

Cheers for all the advice.

In reply to DaveHK:

Good choice. I've had one for years (at least 15) and it's never let me down.

In reply to smr:

After 2 disasters that's what I want to hear!