Changes from standard MiniPeak II:
1) Over 200g lighter
2) Four upright stays sewn into each corner with associated sliding tabs to tension the frame
3) Removal of the rear zip to just offer the single entrance (Single end zip only)
4) Reinforced material bowl inside the peak to accommodate different walking pole supports
5) Lighter shock-cord and reflective guy lines
6) Material used 40D/230T siliconized nylon ripstop
7) New peak hook system for easy removal of inner nest
Specs:
Fly: 40D/230T Siliconized nylon ripstop fabric
Fly: HH 2000mm
Inner Tent: High density nylon mesh
Floor: PU Coated nylon with HH 4000mm
Guys: 11 supplied with glow in dark line locks
Weights: Tarp 710g, Nest 418g, Pegs 116g = Total 1244g
I had been looking at getting a MiniPeak II for a while now until I noticed the Sil-Nylon version (Sil-MiniPeak). They're both great designs but wanted the lighter version and have no real need for the extra door you get on the Minipeak II.
My usual tent before this is/was the Wild Country Zephyros 1, and while it is a great tent (cheaper brother to the Laser comp) I would like a bit extra room, especially to sit up in or maybe do a brew or snack in bad weather. The minipeak not only gives me this extra room but its also lighter and a more simple design. I also like the fact that it will pack down much better and doesn't require any poles as we can just use walking pole or branch.
I ended up buying from a NZ based site because UK seemed out of stock and when BPL came in stock it was either when I didnt have funds available or they went back out of stock within 10 mins of getting the bloody email. It has cost me an extra £47 altogether which includes the customs and ParcelFarce charges (About £37) aswell as an extra £10 for Saturday delivery. I didnt like these charges but really wanted this tent and was too impatient to wait for BPL to get stock so went for it.
After a lot of BS from Parcelfarce about it still been at customs (even though customs were adamant it had been released) I finally got it after couple of week.
First thing I noticed was the hideous color of the tent pegs aswell as them been a bit naff so these will definitely be getting swapped with my set of Alpkit titanium pegs. They're similar to what I got with my Zephyros a year ago which also got swapped with titanium V pegs as they was like bloody tinfoil and didnt even last one push with boot.
This is what happened after first use with the supplied minipeak pegs, Not as bad as the zephyros pegs but still crap..
Here is the corner of tent which has small plastic stays as well as a strap to give tension.....
This is the vent and support arm with Velcro fastener. This is a good improvement over standard version as it now has a longer thinner arm that is attached to tent instead of a smaller wider arm that is removable, which would just end up getting lost at some point most likely.
All up and ready....
The inner nest area...
I'm still undecided on whether I'm going to take the inner with me and just use it as a more basic tarp tent setup, plus it will shave 480g of from pack. Overall I think this is an amazing tent, especially because of price (£159.99) vs size vs weight compared to some other brands and similar types of tents.
If you have been looking for a great lightweight spacious tent for long distance walks or in the hills etc and didnt want to fork out £200-400 or wait 8 weeks etc then I would highly recommend the Minipeak II or like this the Sil-MiniPeak.
I will be taking this out for a camp this week or next so will try and get some more pics/vids of it in action as well as my opinion of it out in the field.
Here is a quick youtube video of the non Sil version been erected..
[video=youtube;rjR4XOrZQrk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjR4XOrZQrk[/video]
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