STILL looking for a new tent!

[cipherdias]

Morning folks,

After months and months of researching and looking at reviews I still looking for a new tent!

Requirements are:

Less than 2kg
Easily packable
Under £200
Enough space of me (heavy build and 5ft 11) and my backpack and boots
Outer pitch first
Discrete colour for wild camping

Suggestions guys?


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[Mesquite]

Have you looked at the tents by DD Hammocks?

 

[cipherdias]

I had forgotten about DD Hammocks, I will take a look!

Cheers!


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[Erbswurst]

I would watch the second hand market and get a used Hilleberg Akto.

 

[nigelp]

I would watch the second hand market and get a used Hilleberg Akto.

Not for less than £200.

 

[nigelp]

Worth looking at Terra Nova tent sale page periodically:

https://www.terra-nova.co.uk/sale/tent-sale/

 

[nigelp]

The Hex Peak is popular with lightweight backpackers.
https://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/shelters-1/WF129-138.html

 

[Erbswurst]

I own the SilHexpeak V4a, only the outer tent.
I combine it sometimes with my standard equipment, German army mat, Snugpak SF bivvy bag, Defcon 5 poncho, in the various options, because I can keep like that my prefered versatile lightweight equipment for stealth camping and add to it a very light camping site solution that works also well along the coast line.

It's weight is just 740g without lines, pegs and poles.

You can hang this tent under a branch or under a washing line between two trees or hedges and like this it is quite comfortable. I just carry such a long lightweight line and lightweight pegs with it. (Edelrid Multicord 2,5 mm)

It depends on the area if I find trees to set the tent up on touristic camping sites. Sometimes it becomes a bit complicated to cut a stick (that can be used as a pole because the tent is constructed like that) if checked in at French camping grounds. I could buy an aluminium pole but that doesn't really fit to my concept and on top of that the tent isn't very comfortable if used with a pole. A student would laugh about my problems, but I was pretty surprised how stiff I became when I bought it. It works of course, I used it surely 6 month in continuous use. But I can enter my Nallo2 hundred times more comfortable and because of that I think about returning to the Nallo2 as my standard tent or buying an Akto, also because I would get rid of the problem to search for poles or trees. For wild camping in the woods that's no problem of course, but I use my tents mainly on camping grounds and sleep just in the bivvy and perhaps under a poncho if wild camping.

The Silhexpeak V4a used as 1 man tent can usually be left open over night and works very well like this. But in Normandy and Brittany I camped next to the beach, closed it and got there condensation inside the tent that I touched on my way in and out.
That's why I am a bit careful to recommend it to Brits, although I principally like this tent very much.

I am 185 cm tall and I think that is approximately the maximum body size to recommend it, and already here in combination with the Snugpak SF bivvy bag, because one tends to touch sometimes the outer tent and would get whet feet without bivvy bag.
Only in the outer tent I also get an airflow because it sits pretty high and sleep more or less on the naked ground anyway. For my summer use in France that's good, but perhaps less good for a 4 seasons use in Britain.

(There are similar interesting versions of this tent that are surely worth a look. Larger ones and whatever.)

You can set up this tent on a smaller ground plan if needed. You have a pretty large ground plan but can make it smaller if needed. That's fantastic!
It Is constructed to use a stick from the woods if you want, the tip is heavily reinforced. Or you can hang it under a tree. That is the optimal bushcraft tent, a good mountain tent too. Very light but very tough!
But it isn't optimal if you usually pitch it in the open country and have no trees. That's a tent that is constructed for the woods!

Otherwise if you use long walking poles anyway, you have the pole with you.

 

[Wandering Fred]

Also worth having a look at the Luxe Minipeak II, bit heavier than the Hexpeak but comes with the inner & simpler to put up.
Both the Hexpeak & Minipeak II are stocked by backpackinglight who also stocks poles & pole extenders etc.

 

[Tiley]

When trundling through the Pyrenees a few years ago, I met one of those weathered, leathery gentlemen of a certain age who obviously backpacked/camped regularly in wild/very wild places. He had - and swore by - Eureka! tents. The link below seems to answer your criteria pretty satisfactorily, so it might be worth a look...

https://eurekacamping.johnsonoutdoors.com/tents/backpacking/midori-1-person-tent

Alternatively, if you can up your budget a little, I can thoroughly recommend the following:

Scarp 1

A weather-proof pod with low fly edges, double walls, and generous living space –you’ll sleep warm, dry, and secure whether pitching on Mt. Rainier or biking across the Scottish Highlands.

www.tarptent.com

I've had one for years and it has been utterly brilliant. On trips to Greenland, 2 Devizes to Westminster races, the Cape Wrath Trail, the Skye Trail and endless trips out in all seasons, it has kept me sheltered and dry in a huge range of violent, nasty weather and has never failed. The fact that I'm still using and enjoying it shows what a worthwhile investment it has been.

 

[Erbswurst]

@Tiley
I am very surprised that you recommend here two tents with a mesh inner!

Did you never get problems with the condensate water rain???

When I went decades ago to Iceland we planed to sleep in hostels and had just in case a cheap single wall igloo tent with us, that we indeed used for two nights on a camping ground. In the first night I awoke and thought the fabric would have got ripped and it would rain directly onto my face and sleeping bag. It was just the condensated water from the inside of the tent fabric that the wind did hit away.

 

[cipherdias]

Does anyone have any experience of the DD Hammocks UltraLight Tarp Tent?

I haven’t found much by way of reviews but it seems to tick all the boxes from why I can see


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[BoomerangBob]

I would watch the second hand market and get a used Hilleberg Akto.

Which sites do you recommend in Germany / France / Luxembourg area for 2nd camping hand stuff? Is ebay practical over here?

 

[Erbswurst]

I think it's e-bay here too. And it's worth to have a look. The market leading shops in Germany are placed very well in the towns and sell a lot of civil good quality equipment.
You see incredibly much outdoor clothing in German towns. If people get the wrong sizes the stuff can be found often pretty cheap. It's the same with other equipment. It's offered every corner and if it doesn't fit it comes nearly unused to e-bay.

The French rather tend to buy either very traditional stuff and simply keep it or just get something cheap from Decathlon and wear it off. Most areas in France don't demand a special equipment and most French still have relatives in the country and know what they need, and that's nothing special because the weather usually is fine. There aren't many outdoor shops in France that sell civil high quality equipment that would be worth to sell second hand.
The Frogs tend to use either grandpa's old stuff or military surplus or cheap stuff from Decathlon. Especially Solognac clothing you see everywhere because it's good and cheap.

The French bushcraft forums are very small, the German ones as well, and they have on top of it the problem, that the boy scouts are still pretty strong and traditional in Germany. They pull into the associations nearly every teenager who is interested in bushcraft and these people usually don't show up in bushcraft and outdoor internet forums. They are so well outdoor educated that they buy the right stuff immediately and don't sell it.
What you find in the market places of German bushcraft sites is usually weird crap bought new by bloody greenhorns who try now to get rid of that garbage.

The best assorted internet surplus shops in France and Germany are the following:

Le N°1 du surplus original à Tours

Magasin surplus militaire à Tours et à Saint-Ouen, vous propose la vente en ligne de surplus militaire. Vêtements, accessoires et équipements pour professionnels.

www.trancheemilitaire.com

ASMC - Bundeswehr Shop for Military Clothing & Equipment

Your Bundeswehr shop for high-quality military & outdoor equipment ► Free shipping from €99 ✓ Free returns ✓ Order online now at ASMC

www.asmc.com

Armeebekleidung - Bundeswehr und Army Shop - raeer.com

Bundeswehr Bekleidung und Armeebekleidung vom Räer Hildesheim Bundeswehr Shop. Seit 1920 Militär-Ausrüstungen von RÄER.

www.raeer.com

For Dutch stuff you have this Dutch here:

X Military Store

Army surplus & military dump online, X Military Store is the online Legerdump & military dump store. Our Army Dump has a lot of military and military

www.xmilitarystore.com

For Austrian equipment this here:

Bundesheer - Army-Warehouse GmbH

Bundesheer

army-warehouse.com

 

[BoomerangBob]

I think it's e-bay here too. And it's worth to have a look. The market leading shops in Germany are placed very well in the towns and sell a lot of civil good quality equipment.
You see incredibly much outdoor clothing in German towns. If people get the wrong sizes the stuff can be found often pretty cheap. It's the same with other equipment. It's offered every corner and if it doesn't fit it comes nearly unused to e-bay.

The French rather tend to buy either very traditional stuff and simply keep it or just get something cheap from Decathlon and wear it off. Most areas in France don't demand a special equipment and most French still have relatives in the country and know what they need, and that's nothing special because the weather usually is fine. There aren't many outdoor shops in France that sell civil high quality equipment that would be worth to sell second hand.
The Frogs tend to use either grandpa's old stuff or military surplus or cheap stuff from Decathlon. Especially Solognac clothing you see everywhere because it's good and cheap.

The French bushcraft forums are very small, the German ones as well, and they have on top of it the problem, that the boy scouts are still pretty strong and traditional in Germany. They pull into the associations nearly every teenager who is interested in bushcraft and these people usually don't show up in bushcraft and outdoor internet forums. They are so well outdoor educated that they buy the right stuff immediately and don't sell it.
What you find in the market places of German bushcraft sites is usually weird crap bought new by bloody greenhorns who try now to get rid of that garbage.

The best assorted internet surplus shops in France and Germany are the following:

Le N°1 du surplus original à Tours

Magasin surplus militaire à Tours et à Saint-Ouen, vous propose la vente en ligne de surplus militaire. Vêtements, accessoires et équipements pour professionnels.

www.trancheemilitaire.com

ASMC - Bundeswehr Shop for Military Clothing & Equipment

Your Bundeswehr shop for high-quality military & outdoor equipment ► Free shipping from €99 ✓ Free returns ✓ Order online now at ASMC

www.asmc.com

Armeebekleidung - Bundeswehr und Army Shop - raeer.com

Bundeswehr Bekleidung und Armeebekleidung vom Räer Hildesheim Bundeswehr Shop. Seit 1920 Militär-Ausrüstungen von RÄER.

www.raeer.com

For Dutch stuff you have this Dutch here:

X Military Store

Army surplus & military dump online, X Military Store is the online Legerdump & military dump store. Our Army Dump has a lot of military and military

www.xmilitarystore.com

For Austrian equipment this here:

Bundesheer - Army-Warehouse GmbH

Bundesheer

army-warehouse.com

Do you happen to know of a good surplus shop in Saarland or Rhineland-Palatinate? Perhaps I'll find a nice Hilleberg Akto hidden in the back lol

Also, thanks for the thoughtful response. I think your analysis is pretty accurate, and mirrors what I've learned over the last 6 years living in the 3-border region.

But to keep the thread on topic - I've also often use a poncho (Varusteleka) and at 193cm, it just fits... Thanks to Erbswurst, I'll be getting a Snugpak SF bivvy next month!

Nevertheless, I am going to follow the thread. Those requirements closely follow my own, apart from a being a few inches taller

 

[Erbswurst]

I don't know this corner.

I think ASMC Schiffweiler is the ASMC headquater. 20 km northeastern from Saarbrücken.
But I never have been there.

Unsere Filialen

Dein Bundeswehr Shop für hochwertige Militär- & Outdoor-Ausrüstung ► Gratisversand ab 99€ ✓ Kostenlose Rücksendung ✓ Jetzt bei ASMC online bestellen!

www.asmc.de

Interesting is the shop in Köln-Lind.
Natoshop Köln
Guido Müller
Niederkasseler Strasse 4
51147 Köln Porz - Lind.
Telefon: 02203 / 63241
E-Mail: guido-m-69@gmx.de

He doesn't open every day and you shouldn't go there before Karneval.
There is a weaker one in Cologne, called Truman. Together with Decathlon Cologne, Yaluta (Neusser Str 233), and Globetrotter and two Mc treck shops one can spend quite a lot of time in the outdoor shops in Cologne.
On top of that you have Matzker there!

https://www.matzker.de/mdx:::369.html

Very interesting is the orthopedic shoemaker in Frittlingen (On the way to Switzerland).
I payed for the Geiger Bernina custom made in my individual measures only 320 €, waiting time after appointment in the work shop approximately 1 year. He sends you the shoes and you pay when you got them.
That's an outstanding good offer for this quality. You don't search for boots that fit. You just come with your prefered socks and choose colour and leather, grommets and soles. If you get them, they fit perfectly, but you have to break in them of course, that are classical all leather boots.

Geiger Schuhe – Wanderschuh Bernina

 

[Tiley]

@Tiley
I am very surprised that you recommend here two tents with a mesh inner!

Did you never get problems with the condensate water rain??

In short, I have never had condensation problems with the Tarptent - ever. As I have said, it has been used extensively in the U.K. and abroad, in conditions that have, shall we say, been 'meteorologically hostile' - one one occasion in just below Tryfan in Snowdonia, we had a night of incredible wind and rain after which my little Tarptent was the only tent left standing. Even in milder, more sultry conditions, condensation has never been a problem.

I would say that the inner of my Scarp is not just mesh: it is mostly unproofed fabric with fairly large mesh sections in the doors. I don't know if that makes a difference.

Over the years, I have tried a variety of single-person tents, including single-skin ones, and this has beaten them all - hands down. The friend with whom I went to Greenland had a Hilleberg Akto and suffered from pretty bad condensation; I was able to sit there, quietly smug, having not suffered from it all. That, and the fact that it is a both compact and light in weight and you have, in my humble opinion, an ideal little tent. I did opt for the extra 'cross-over' poles which enhance the tent's ability to stand up to strong wind - something for which I was very thankful on that savage night below Tryfan!

 

[Erbswurst]

Ah, I looked once more and have seen, that you can choose two different inner tents! One with a normal fabric for usual weather and a pure mesh tent for hot - dry climates.

I think Hilleberg offers that also for most models.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Proceed with caution - I have a 1 person tent, only used twice and first night I was very tired from hill walking and there was a breeze - s;[et OK ish and 2nd night (different trip) there was a breeze too and both nights I pitched it side on, door facing the breeze. Last night was the second trip, I ended up in the car sleeping. I would have slept outside the tent but their were midges. The issue last night was ventilation, I woke up after 2hrs sleeping and felt it very stuffy. Almost claustrophobic. It may be just me ! I have two tents that are 2 person plus a pop up 1 person decathlon one that is really bad summer camping. But never have the same issue.

I like seeping under a tarp either in an original (2006) DD hammock with midge net built in or under the tarp attached to my open and in a bivvy bag. This is normally an open canoe trip.

The 1 person tent above; was £39 (impulse buy) when a Go Outdoors store had a closing down sale.
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15980945/oex-phoxx-1-tent-15980945

The different version but similar, they do has an all inner mesh, so maybe better.
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15905148/oex-phoxx-ev-1-backpacking-1-person-tent-15905148