Terra Nova Laser Competition

[MJD]

The Terra Nova Laser Competition is a very nice one person lightweight tent. I have had mine out on a few trips. Not in any really bad weather; but it has been rained on, put up with a bit of wind, and even pitched on snow.

It has an inner tent and I did get a footprint. The fly, the inner and the footprint all pitch together. Not free standing but two end pegs and the centre pole are enough to get pitching underway and you can then take your time with the other pegs. The original pegs look more like hooked toothpicks than anything else and I have been using MSR pegs instead. The footprint and the addition of real pegs have added to the weight but all packed up with a couple of spare pegs it still comes in at only 1200g.

It can be used without the black pole cover if you want to save a few grams and leave the storm guy attachments behind. You could even use the supplied pegs. It is made of lightweight materials and needs to be used with a bit of care but so far so good.

It is described as a one and a half person tent but you would want to be good friends. In practice it has lots of room for one person and their gear. The vestibule is very large and can accommadate a pack while still leaving room for boots, gaiters and enough room to cook. The centre pole comes down at quite a steep angle and this contributes to the spacious vestibule.

Certainly worth considering if you want a good lightweight tent. There are lighter models available but these seem to have a smaller vestibule and even lighter material.

Here are a few photos to enjoy of the tent and some of the places it has been.

[ollster]

but it has been rained on,

To paraphrase your good self "obviously fairly blunt rain".

In other news, Terra Nova have finally made the breakthrough in polymer technology to allow them to finally make a completely transparent tent.

[MJD]

Some campsites:

[tasadam]

They've got the Hilleberg colour thing going...

[ollster]

Geeze, that MSR looks pretty hardcore! I bet the owner of that is a real extreem dood!

[north-north-west]

Looks like a nice roomy little beast. What's the build quality compared to a Hilleberg?

[stepbystep]

Looks like a nice roomy little beast. What's the build quality compared to a Hilleberg?

flap flap flap flap flap.............

[north-north-west]

OK, OK, I'll try to get used to the Akto . . .

[MJD]

Ollster - My other tent is a MSR - what else can I say!

NNW - the build quality is very good. I've never had a close look at the quality of a Hilleberg so I can't really comment. ILUVSWTAS may have an opinion though.

(Geez my Bigpond Wireless is running like crap tonight - I'm sure the 56k modem was considerably quicker!)

[ollster]

Ollster - My other tent is a MSR

I'll get you a sticker made, so you can put it on the side of the TN.

[Taurë-rana]

Looks like a nice roomy little beast. What's the build quality compared to a Hilleberg?

I'd be interested in the answer too - my little (very) Vango Helium 100 is really too small and gets too much condensation for Tassie trips - on the Cathedral Plateau last weekend I woke with a lot of condensation inside. The only ventilation is the mesh in the door.

Could you cook in the vestibule if it was raining?

[ninjapuppet]

very nice tent MJD.
without comparing any specs yet, it does really look similar to a vaude power lizard at first sight.

[MJD]

Taurë-rana - yes you can cook inside with the door closed. Did that on Pandani Shelf and on Mt Wright in the morning.

[ILUVSWTAS]

I have the lighter model, the Photon Elite. it's 200g lighter.

And as he said, he has an MSR, and I have an Akto, and guess what tents we both use these days..... NOT the MSR or the Hilleberg. That should say enough about them.

SBS, MJD has the pitch downpat to stop the flap. He is going to show me how to pitch it tighter this weekend as his doesnt flap about.


And Ollster, we had a decent amount of rain fall up at Lake Sydney, and my tent was as dry as any i've ever been in. Of course time will tell on these beasts, but so far I wouldnt use anything else!! I can now pack all my gear for a 2 day trip into a 38l pack at around 4-5kg. But if you big strong (stubborn) boys want to carry around 20+ kg for overnight trips who am I to say your fools. I know they aint free standing, but i've never had a free standing tent so that doesnt bother me in the slightest. Neither do they have a double vestible, but I dont think I will go into what you use your second vestible for anyway..........

[ILUVSWTAS]

Looks like a nice roomy little beast. What's the build quality compared to a Hilleberg?

I'd be interested in the answer too - my little (very) Vango Helium 100 is really too small and gets too much condensation for Tassie trips - on the Cathedral Plateau last weekend I woke with a lot of condensation inside. The only ventilation is the mesh in the door.

Could you cook in the vestibule if it was raining?

I also have one of these Rachel. It's an awful tent to put it bluntly. Very poorly made with an awful design.

[johnw]

Thanks for the review MJD. I've long admired the specs of the Laser Competition. Sounds like it may be good value for a solo tent and OK for a wider variety of conditions than I thought. ~1.5 kgs less on my back implies a more comfortable experience. Base model seems to be relatively cheap online too. On my wish list.

[MJD]

I guess you mean the Vango in your last comment.

[ollster]

But if you big strong (stubborn) boys want to carry around 20+ kg for overnight trips who am I to say your fools.

I like to think of it as insurance. When the *&%$#! hits the fan, I want to be on the winning team. Not huddled inside a tent that has been flattened and ripped to pieces. Incidentally, I think I'm taking a bit of a risk with the MSR Hubba HP and I should've bought a Hille Soulo like Stus. Basically, my view is if your tent goes, you're pretty stuffed, so why take a risk on something so critical.

I'd like to see evidence that they are more than 2 season. Never know, this overnighter to Jukes might yield a bit of wind...

[Taurë-rana]

Forgot to say, thanks for your review MJD, perhaps we should have a dedicated area here for gear reviews, no off-topic conversation allowed!
So you're not keen on the Akto either Mark? What don't you like about it? I thought they looked pretty good. I do like the idea of a free standing tent, I've used one and it makes camping on rock considerably easier! And moving "house".

[frenchy_84]

I'd like to see evidence that they are more than 2 season. Never know, this overnighter to Jukes might yield a bit of wind...

An overnigher on Jukes? cant they all be done in a day?

or is this too off topic?

[ILUVSWTAS]

Well if I perish, I give you permission to say I told you so. I think MJD's Pitch on the NE ridge proved it more than 2 season surely????

And yes MJ, I was referring to the Vango. I wouldnt trust that to stay pitched inside under a blow heater. The Akto is good Rachel, a very good tent indeed. But the Terra is nearly a full kilo lighter. I have actually decided to sell the Hilleberg.

[Taurë-rana]

The Vango is actually very good in wind - I've had it at Shelf Camp and high up on the Pleiades in a howling gale with no problems at all. That is the one thing I am happy with about it!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Pleased your happy with it!! Each to their own of course. I've had mine in wind as well, and it's starting to fall apart already.

[ollster]

I'd like to see evidence that they are more than 2 season. Never know, this overnighter to Jukes might yield a bit of wind...

An overnigher on Jukes? cant they all be done in a day?

or is this too off topic?

Who cares?! I don't! We're doing a certain peak on Sat that must remain nameless due to certain "access limitations", then heading around to Jukes and camping up top overnight. Makes the most of the long drive out there.

[ollster]

Well if I perish, I give you permission to say I told you so. I think MJD's Pitch on the NE ridge proved it more than 2 season surely????

Not really. It wasn't snowing or windy, just drizzle and mist.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Well if I perish, I give you permission to say I told you so. I think MJD's Pitch on the NE ridge proved it more than 2 season surely????

Not really. It wasn't snowing or windy, just drizzle and mist.

Wernt you pitched on top of a foot or 2 of snow?? Anyway as I said about that guy in Scotland, he survived and I believe they get the occasional bit of snow and wind over there......

[ollster]

Wernt you pitched on top of a foot or 2 of snow?? Anyway as I said about that guy in Scotland, he survived and I believe they get the occasional bit of snow and wind over there......

Could've been, but I didn't exactly dig down to measure it. Just because it's pitched on snow doesn't mean it's 4 season! I could use a K-Mart tent on a glacier in still conditions and it still doesn't make it a 3/4 season tent.

That Scottish guy did do a good job, but who knows, he might have gotten a clean patch of weather... for 48 days... yeah, ok, unlikely.

EDIT: hang on... from wiki "Pyke's round started on the island of Mull on 25 April 2010 and finished on Ben Hope in Sutherland on 3 June 2010. He cycled and kayaked between Munros; no motorised transport was used. He was backed by a support team in a motor home, but had to camp out in the remoter areas"

Sooooo... does that mean he had access to a motorhome for most of it?

[ILUVSWTAS]

Wernt you pitched on top of a foot or 2 of snow?? Anyway as I said about that guy in Scotland, he survived and I believe they get the occasional bit of snow and wind over there......

Could've been, but I didn't exactly dig down to measure it. Just because it's pitched on snow doesn't mean it's 4 season! I could use a K-Mart tent on a glacier in still conditions and it still doesn't make it a 3/4 season tent.

That Scottish guy did do a good job, but who knows, he might have gotten a clean patch of weather... for 48 days... yeah, ok, unlikely.

EDIT: hang on... from wiki "Pyke's round started on the island of Mull on 25 April 2010 and finished on Ben Hope in Sutherland on 3 June 2010. He cycled and kayaked between Munros; no motorised transport was used. He was backed by a support team in a motor home, but had to camp out in the remoter areas"

Sooooo... does that mean he had access to a motorhome for most of it?

Hahaha do I get a sense of a "Bear Grylls type adventure" going on here....


Yeh look I admit the verdict is yet to be out on these tents, but so far so very very good!!

[tasadam]

Geeze, that MSR looks pretty hardcore! I bet the owner of that is a real extreem dood!

Not knowing for sure, but, yours was it?

[ollster]

Geeze, that MSR looks pretty hardcore! I bet the owner of that is a real extreem dood!

Not knowing for sure, but, yours was it?

Oh yes, sorry, I did indeed forget. How silly of me! Good looking tent that, though!