Bushwalk Australia

Im doing some research for a solo tent.
Must be light ie-under 1.5kg but preferrably less.
Must be strong ie-handle strong winds and rain.

Ive looked at Hillman atko and tarptent range-anyone have experience with these?
Ive looked at oneplanet goondie...a little heavy but i have a oneplanet pac and love it.
ive looked at big agnes copper spur 1.

Has anyone had experience with these tents or are their recommendations that i need to look at?
looking forward to your replies kids!!
cheers

Hi waggy,

Once you start looking for the "perfect one man tent" you realise that everything is a compromise. Some have outstanding build quality with a weight penalty, others lesser quality and lighter. All depends on you, your style of camping and where you will be using it. Snow and alpine tents need different things than one you would use in the tropics. Budget is another big consideration.
I would suggest your on the right track with the Hillebergs and Tarptent products but there sure are a lot of tents to choose from.
There are plenty of threads on this topic on the site in the gear section, so don't hesitate to use the search function.
Happy researching.
G_U

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards"

Waggy, you're on the right track.
Tarptent Scarp 1 or Hilleberg Akto are good start points.
In fact I would stop there and toss a coin.

I agree, Hilleberg and Tarptent are good places to start (and perhaps end). Go Hilleberg if you want something truly bombproof. Go Tarptent if you are willing to sacrifice a little storm-worthiness and durability for significant weight savings.

If Port Melbourne is close enough for you, you are welcome to come and have a play with a Scarp 1 ( or a Moment,Notch...) at my place.
(I don't sell them...)

My tarptent has never let me down...

http://www.tarptent.com/scarp1.html

Quick to setup. Quick to set down. I have the extra layer for winter in case I'm going into funky weather.

Easy to pack.

What more can a man ask for? beer... that's what's more.

Extra layer?

Strider wrote:Extra layer?

When it gets cold I add an extra layer to ensure I sleep a bit warmer ( been known to add fleece pants and full Down jacket on at least one really cold snow camp when I was too knackered to even eat) that won't happen ever again but even a cheap polypro jumper can add lots of warmth in your Bag.
I use a European made and rated to -5 Pure Down bag with a silk liner and Thermarest Prolite 4 Mat and normally sleep warm however as I get older I am a firm believer in wearing as I said extra clothing if you need to rather than increase the weight of your sleeping bag.
corvus

Strider wrote:Extra layer?

Yes the tent comes with an extra sheet. So you have the mesh. Then the waterproof layer, and an optional clip on third layer for funky weather. Or I am completely crazy and imagining something else.., The tent is 20 meters away from me so I will go check when I get a chance. Which will be when I drink out of beer.

jickham wrote:

Strider wrote:Extra layer?

Yes the tent comes with an extra sheet. So you have the mesh. Then the waterproof layer, and an optional clip on third layer for funky weather. Or I am completely crazy and imagining something else.., The tent is 20 meters away from me so I will go check when I get a chance. Which will be when I drink out of beer.

I have one and I still have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Are you sure you're talking about the Scarp? Sounds more like the clip-in liner on the Moment/Rainbow.

jickham wrote:What more can a man ask for?

A warm hiking companion!

Strider wrote:

jickham wrote:

Strider wrote:Extra layer?

Yes the tent comes with an extra sheet. So you have the mesh. Then the waterproof layer, and an optional clip on third layer for funky weather. Or I am completely crazy and imagining something else.., The tent is 20 meters away from me so I will go check when I get a chance. Which will be when I drink out of beer.

I have one and I still have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Are you sure you're talking about the Scarp? Sounds more like the clip-in liner on the Moment/Rainbow.

Oh its a black inner mesh. Not too sure what it's used for as I have never used it. It is not waterproof though. Definitely optional though...

Love my Scarp 1 and 2 both with crossover poles JIC or if I want freestanding The Scarp 1 can fit two adults top to tail (or otherwise if you are close as a tight fit and ultra cosy ) and the 2 is palatial for not a lot of extra weight so worthwhile considering IMHO .
corvus

jickham wrote:Oh its a black inner mesh. Not too sure what it's used for as I have never used it. It is not waterproof though. Definitely optional though...

Sounds like you have both the mesh inner and the solid inner? But you can't use them both at once like I think you're suggesting..

The one I'm using now is good.
Wilderness Equipment Ace UL winter
http://www.wildequipment.com.au/tent_detail.php?Code=WEACEULW
Never had any problems with it and it's light and comfortable.

Onestepmore wrote:

jickham wrote:What more can a man ask for?

A warm hiking companion!

Any companion will do out in the bush!

Strider wrote:

jickham wrote:Oh its a black inner mesh. Not too sure what it's used for as I have never used it. It is not waterproof though. Definitely optional though...

Sounds like you have both the mesh inner and the solid inner? But you can't use them both at once like I think you're suggesting..

That sounds right haha. I can't remember if I paid extra for it or not... I haven't needed to use it yet, however, given my lack of familiarity with it I believe I will test it out next time.

waggy wrote:Im doing some research for a solo tent.
Must be light ie-under 1.5kg but preferrably less.
Must be strong ie-handle strong winds and rain.

Ive looked at Hillman atko and tarptent range-anyone have experience with these?
Ive looked at oneplanet goondie...a little heavy but i have a oneplanet pac and love it.
ive looked at big agnes copper spur 1.

Has anyone had experience with these tents or are their recommendations that i need to look at?
looking forward to your replies kids!!
cheers

Best of luck in your search. One thing to consider is living in it in bad weather. This is probably the thing that splits tents into keepers and eBay fodder. You want a tent that you can get in and out of without getting the inside wet for example. Trouble is you often do not to get to test this until you buy a tent.

As for weight. Be flexible as often a bit extra weight buys a lot of extra space and or comfort.

Most reputable brands will stand up to expected Australian conditions so it is more a case of what works for you and the places and times of the year you wander.

Cheers

Strider wrote:

Onestepmore wrote:

jickham wrote:What more can a man ask for?

A warm hiking companion!

Any companion will do out in the bush!

Camp Brokeback style do we?

ILUVSWTAS wrote:Camp Brokeback style do we?

We?

Strider wrote:

ILUVSWTAS wrote:Camp Brokeback style do we?

We?

You said it bro, not me.

And for the record I have never been on a walk with Strider folks!!

Yes Strider and the black mesh is for your partners apparel.
Alternatively Waggie could also look at the new Big Agnes Slater.
John

Since you asked for people's opinion on the One Planet Goondie (amongst others), I thought I'd better point you to this topic (originally posted by myself) in case you haven't seen it already: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8031

It includes a comprehensive review as well as a few experiences from various people. The executive summary is that I reckon its a great solo tent and if it was destroyed or stolen tomorrow, I would definitely buy the same tent again. However, as with any other tent, it is not perfect - e.g., integral pitch would be a nice, but not necessary, addition.

By far the best tent I ever owned and still do is a Mountain Laurel Design Cuben DuoMid and I used to own a Hilleberg.

Ok, I'm going to be honest here, because that's the person I am, There's a lot of mention of Tarptents here on this Forum, I recently looked over a Tarptent while I was hiking the Six Foot Track and I didn't like it one bit. Ok, seat belt on, I'm buckled in, Here comes the flaming.

There are a lot of shelters sold here in Australia and overseas, that you have to pitch the inner first, I think that's the worst design you could have in a tent. What ever you purchase, Make sure it's something you can pitch the outer first than clip in the inner.

PS:
The Tarptent I seen was a Contrail in case everyone is wondering.

Or like a Scarp both at once
corvus

Removed as Philip answered my question
corvus

corvus wrote:

Phillipsart wrote:By far the best tent I ever owned and still do is a Mountain Laurel Design Cuben DuoMid and I used to own a Hilleberg.

Ok, I'm going to be honest here, because that's the person I am, There's a lot of mention of Tarptents here on this Forum, I recently looked over a Tarptent while I was hiking the Six Foot Track and I didn't like it one bit. Ok, seat belt on, I'm buckled in, Here comes the flaming.

There are a lot of shelters sold here in Australia and overseas, that you have to pitch the inner first, I think that's the worst design you could have in a tent. What ever you purchase, Make sure it's something you can pitch the outer first than clip in the inner.

Which Tarptent did you not like ??
corvus

Contrail.

Before someone asks why, here's a few reasons I can think of that I remember. I don't like the pole straight up in the front entrance, There's not a lot of room to get in or out there, I know the design you can move the pole of to the side, but in my opinion that than deforms the shape of the shelter slightly.

I don't like all that Velcro. I'm not a fan of Velcro. Why not use a zip on that outer? Zips are so much easier to use than velcro.

I don't like how low it is on one end.

This is just a few reasons I can think of. Other designs in the Tarptent looks a lot better for me.

PS:
I just viewed some images on the Tarptent website shown with two poles on the front given the door way free access. That overcomes that issue. But still don't like the velcro and the shape.

I was wondering the same thing. I've only had a quick wander past a scarp 2 a few years ago. I've always thought when I have need of a more robust style shelter I'd be keen on one.

I'm not sure I'd stack up a Cuben single pole shelter against a properly structured tent like a scarp with cross poles or a hilleberg. I've had my hexamid in some feral main range weather but that's not something any of my walking mates would enjoy at all.

Would I take my hexamid on a purely alpine above treeline trip. No. (And I say that with much pain)
But I'd take a more robust tent in a heartbeat.

Phillipsart
The Mountain Laurel Design Cuben DuoMid is not what I would call a Tent more like a large umbrella IMHO,good for warmer and more benign climates than where I live
corvus

corvus wrote:Phillipsart
The Mountain Laurel Design Cuben DuoMid is not what I would call a Tent more like a large umbrella IMHO,good for warmer and more benign climates than where I live
corvus

There are inners you can purchase that are mostly enclosed Silnylon, such as the Oookworks inner I own. Here's a picture of the inner and the Duomid setup over the inner. I been in some wild storms a couple months ago in this setup and it's didn't move.