Using Terra Nova Laser Competition 1 in snow

[Moondog55]

Googling some images of early Lasers they come to a single point, not the stronger triple triangle bell which give two staking points. With a triple triangle bell a low vent is easy enough to design in. It would of course add to the weight and cost and that wasn't the desigh criterion of the tent was it?

[stry]

"comfort" and "discomfort" in the context of condensation in these low volume synthetic tents, are, in my experience only, rather euphemistic.

[Nuts]

I saw a straight pole frame joined with pieces of plastic tubing, left in place and the poles folded when not in use.

[Mark F]

Nuts - I have also seen the use of pvc tube as a flexible joint and very much like the concept but I haven't worked out how to attach the tube to the end apex and am unsure of how it will fare in below zero conditions. If the joint did not need to be attached to the tent then pvc tubing would be in serious consideration.

md - I fail to understand how a 3 section bellend would add anything to the tent. The end sections are only 40 cm high by 1 metre or less wide - different if it was 4 or 5 times the size. There are already 3 to 5 possible pegging points at each end but I would like to reduce that to one major point like the Tarptent and two optional points at the base of each pole. The aim is to reduce the end surface to a single plane (currently 2 planes) which will actually provide a bit of an overhang to protect the vent when open as the apex extends further than the bottom corners.

[Moondog55]

1 extra peg Mark, so twice the hold down, combined with the CF stays there would probably be little need for any extra pegs except in a bigger wind. My small personal experience in this type of tent is that a small vent is simply easier to sew in on the centre triangle and also it will take a breeze from either rear direction. If the rear vent is on only one of two panels Murphy says it will always be the wrong side.

[andrewa]

Nuts, thanks for that. I've spent most of the afternoon thinking about a "V" join of poles, and, whilst I've seen this before, I'd forgotten about it. I'm aiming to set it up Sunday , and get on with mods next week, whilst family away. Planning in either using the stuff sack for additional nylon, or some left over cuben. Was actually thinking about an external V pole, but, until I have a good look at the tent, I'm undecided....sad that it's been sitting in my shed for 4 months, and I've only set it up very briefly once.

Will quiz others, and report as it gets modified.

A

[andrewa]

PS Mark, a spare bit of tubing is pretty easily and lightly added to your repair kit if needed. I was actually thinking of using irrigation plastic angles for it, but I think the pvc is better.

[Moondog55]

A couple of those cheap tent rings A la Eureka tied together with a small nut and bolt would also work, that would allow for any angle at all

[andrewa]

Have decided to do V poles at ends, just sewing a short doubled bit of 1" webbing as a pole sleeve at the apex of each end, and similar at the bottom. I don't think it needs supporting in the middle, although I'm going to add guy points in the middle of each side of the end triangles ( which I think the later model Laser Comp have), and this will involve unpicking a short section of seam, so it wouldn't be hard to add a small loop on the inside to support the pole.

My (second hand) tent didn't come with a pole hood, so I made one today from some left over cuben. The original pole hood ( a mate lent me his as a pattern) seems over- engineered, and the original floor footprint the same - weighs almost as much as the tent!

Haven't slept in the thing yet, but it doesn't appear much bigger than a coffin!! Certainly not a lot of extra length, and I'm only 5'11.

Will post piccies in due course.

A

[andrewa]

Not such a coffin for some.

Had a bit of a catastrophe attaching the pole hood.

[andrewa]

New cuben pole hood

Used a kitten, sorry, mitten hook on one side

And a mitten hook and slider to tension the other side. Seemed much easier than fluffing around threading cord through gross grain loops when its cold

[andrewa]

And just realised ( having looked at the photos) that I have a laser photon elite, not the competition!!