Snugpak have come up trumps again with a sleep system to take a look at. Let’s have a look at what they have sent…
All Weather Shelter G2.
As I opened the box with the typical excitement of Christmas Day morning, I pull out some goodies, one of which was their All Weather Shelter G2, this tarp came in olive colour and was in rather an impressive zipped carry bag.
When opening the bag you’ll find a 3×3 meter rhombus shaped tarp, some aluminium pegs and four guy lines, along with a stuff sack to keep it all in.
The material has a good quality feel to and and upon closer inspection the G2 has reinforced corners with both a wedding loop and a brass eyelet. This then gives you the choice of either tying to eyelet or the webbing.
The polyester is a ripstop which I’m sure will come in handy if you plan to not be overly nice to your kit, or a peg pulls out and starts whipping the neighbouring trees. Im sure a patch of gaffer tape will have you happy camping again.
When setting up the G2 I choose to run a top line between two trees, and thread the line though the loops pulling it all tight before pegging out the two hanging corners. I must admit this felt a little alien to be as I’m used to a standard square set up. But it’s good to try new things, and I’m sure will a few tweaks I will have it set up better.
As you can see from the photo, there is also a hammock in there, but before I come to that, let’s have a look at the specs for the G2. It weighs in at 900g with the lines and pegs, or 750g for just the tarp if you want to make your own pegs in the field. The material has a 2000mm hydrostatic head with a UV30 rating, so this will keep out the worst of the rain, along with the sun, if your lucky enough to get some.
I set this up in the manner Snugpak have done, however it a tarp with 12 guy points around the perimeter and 5 across its spine. So mix this with a couple of walking poles and you’ve got a ground tent, team shelter or well what ever you want to set up. This really is the beauty of a tarp shelter, you are only restricted by your own imagination or knot tying ability. A nice touch in the packaging is sheet with a few ideas of how to set up the G2.
Specification
- Weight: 1000g / 35oz
- Packsize: 24cm x 20cm x 10cm / 9″ x 8″ x 4″
- AWS Weight (Stand Alone): 750g
- Light & Fast Weight: 900g Shelter + Guylines and 8 aluminum Tent Pegs (No Packaging)
- Origin: Imported
Highlights
- 100% Waterproof with taped seams
- Supplied with four extendable guy-lines, and eight ultra-lightweight alloy tent pegs
- Reinforced attachment points throughout
- Features robust materials that will protect you from the sun, wind, rain and snow
- Deploy as a diamond-shaped tarp or as a fly, tarp, lean-to shelter, as well as other freestanding shelter designs
- The All Weather Shelter can be configured in a big-top design, allowing four or more people to shelter underneath
- In an emergency, the all weather shelter can be configured as an emergency stretcher
- Supplied with a stuff sack for easy compact carrying
Fabrics
- Material: 210T Polyester Rip-Stop PU 2000MM Anti-UV30.
- UVF Factor: SPF30 Protection
- Colours Available: Olive, Terrain
Jungle Hammock.
Right let’s move over to the hammock, this is their Tropical Hammock, this is a no frills lightweight hammock which packs down to nothing. Like the G2 it came in a rather nice zip up bag however the hammock does have its own built in stuff sack.
The hammock is make from nylon with triple stitched seams to ensure it will happily hold up to 180kg (28 stone).
When it comes to hanging from a couple of trees, Snugpak had included a rather nice system which consists of 550 paracord encased in a webbing which not only protects the tree, it also reduces the possibility of it sliding down the tree. As the tree I was using was only thin I wrapped the line around the tree fully to ensure it gripped. Having fed the paracord back through one of the pre tied loops, it was just a case of clip on the steel carabiners, job done.
My only worry with such think webbing is that it will be rather too good at wicking water down from the tree, however those carabiners will act as a drip point keeping that water away from you and your sleeping bag.
As I have said the hammock has it’s own built in stuff sack I found this very handy as you can’t loose it, and I’m sure it will also come I handy for somewhere to store your phone at night. Well I say phone, but it’s also a perfect size for a beer on those lazy summer days.
I like my other hammocks, there is not built in bug net which for me as a real plus as not only does this keep bugs and the draft off your face, I find it also helps to steady the hammock so you don’t sway quite so much. The plus of it not having this is that it halves the weight so I suppose if your looking lightweight packing, this is a must.
Unfortunately I didn’t have time to spend the night, as getting married, getting covid and Christmas has all got in the way, however having spent a rare sunny afternoon playing on the parents farm I was able to appreciate the set up. Not sure how Dolly felt about the invasion of her field though.
Specification
- Weight: 600g / 21oz (Includes hammock, carabiners, suspension system and tree protectors)
- Packsize: 18cm x 16cm x 9cm / 7″ x 6″ x 4″
- Max user weight: 180kg / 400lbs
- Origin: Imported
Highlights
- Suspension Attachment System: Made out of “550” paracord with spaced out knots to allow for various attachment points and distances from the tree.
- Supplied with two attachment system guy ropes, 3 meters / 10ft
- Two tree protectors included
- Supplied with two steel carabiners for attaching to the suspension attachment system easily.
- Self-contained stuff sack
Fabrics
- Material: Manufactured from a 100% nylon material to make this hammock lightweight and strong.
- Colours Available: Olive
Cost
Pricing for both these range depending on where you buy, however the G2 is around £55 online and the Tropical Hammock is around £50.
Value for money
It’s hard to put a price on quality, however I feel that both these items are priced with both cost effectiveness and quality in mind. The reinforced eyelets of the G2 and the suspension system of the hammock really do set them apart from others.
Pros
- Quality feel
- UK designed
- Great features
- Lightweight
Cons
- The pegs for the G2 are a little flimsy
- The G2’s stuff sack could do with being bigger
- No bug net on the hammock
Final thoughts
Although trying to get the G2 back in the stuff sack was rather problematic, I very much like it, and will be building some alternative set ups with it. As for the hammock it is ideal for when you don’t need to worry about a face full of bugs and still have space in your pack for other items. I would recommend both these items, just make sure as with all your kit that they are used for the designed purpose. If you’re camping in Scotland in the summer, you’ll hate it and may put you off, however away from midge season and you’ll love the open view of the simple design.
For more info take a look at the Snugpak website.
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