Bushwalking gear and paraphernalia. Electronic gadget topics (inc. GPS, PLB, chargers) belong in the 'Techno Babble' sub-forum.
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Bushwalk Inventory System can help bushwalkers with a variety of bushwalk planning tasks, including: Manage which items they take bushwalking so that they do not forget anything they might need, plan meals for their walks, and automatically compile food/fuel shopping lists (lists of consumables) required to make and cook the meals for each walk. It is particularly useful for planning for groups who share food or other items, but is also useful for individual walkers.
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 5:14 pm
Slowly narrowing things down. Hilleberg akto seems to be a pop choice. Also keen on the Vango F10 Helium(0.9kg) and Vaude power lizard (1kg). Has anyone had experience or heard of how the those 2 tents rate in a storm?
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 5:17 pm
ausrandoman wrote:I have an Exped Vela 1. You can read about it right here:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2248I like it a lot. I was dubious about the no zip entrance, but it works very well. It is easy to pitch and, despite what others have said, easy to fold and pack.
One of its great virtues is the effective ventilation: I camped in it on the Bogong High Plains a few days ago, at -5 deg C on my thermometer watch, and woke up with only a light dusting of frost on the inner with lots of frost on the outer.
How does it fair in the wind. Like the weight and look of it?
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 5:22 pm
I also have a Vango Helium. I wasnt happy with the service I received from the seller, the tent is 200g heavier than stated, and I wouldnt trust it in a bad storm. But still, it makes a nice emergency shelter being easy to carry on long day walks or over summer.
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 5:29 pm
ILUVSWTAS wrote:I also have a Vango Helium. I wasnt happy with the service I received from the seller, the tent is 200g heavier than stated, and I wouldnt trust it in a bad storm. But still, it makes a nice emergency shelter being easy to carry on long day walks or over summer.
thanks ill cross that off the list.
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 5:37 pm
Personally I'm tossing up between the Akto and the Scarp1 but haven't seen enough in the way of reviews for the Scarp in Tassie conditions, luckily I'm in no rush so get out there Scarp owners and give 'em hell...
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 5:38 pm
What about Macpac Microlight.
it can handle some snow but not a major dump and it will handle anything else that Huey throws at it.
Roger
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 6:24 pm
Hi Roger, i've heard alot of people say that the condensation in the microlight is quite an issue.
A friend of mine has a Microlight and an Akto, and the Microlight is now in constant storage under his bed....
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 6:40 pm
stepbystep wrote:Personally I'm tossing up between the Akto and the Scarp1 but haven't seen enough in the way of reviews for the Scarp in Tassie conditions, luckily I'm in no rush so get out there Scarp owners and give 'em hell...
The scarp is slightly larger than the akto... both are small...
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 6:43 pm
Nuts wrote:the scarp is slightly larger than the akto... both are small...
Thats helpful, cheers - I have a bigger tent but need to cut weight if I want my knees/back/ankles/brain to survive on upcoming trips.
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 6:50 pm
Dont know if youve seen marks Akto, i'm only around 5'10 but it (and the scarp as well) are just too cramped for me. I do like a thick sleeping mat though and have been used to sleeping under a tarp. (Ive mentioned elsewhere) A bivy and modified tipi are my personal faves these days (these too have some drawbacks)..
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 7:48 pm
ILUVSWTAS wrote:Hi Roger, i've heard alot of people say that the condensation in the microlight is quite an issue.
A friend of mine has a Microlight and an Akto, and the Microlight is now in constant storage under his bed....
yep... had a microlight for about one month before I sold it on... no vents ... and certainly not a 4 season tent...
I doubt you'd really claim the Scrap is 4 season either... while it has extra poles there are not real tieouts, strength in the pole fabric interface, etc ... Have a look at something like WE 2nd Arrow tieouts (heavier I know but a 4 season tent that can handle snow load) - 2 doubled over high thread count nylon squares that contact 2x4in into the pole sleeve and the pole sleeve that itself is 2x2 rows of stitching... the support this gives the fabric and the fabric to the pole is 2nd to none...
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 9:01 pm
No vents whatsoever?? That would explain it!!
Surely thats a major design flaw???
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 10:36 pm
ILUVSWTAS wrote:No vents whatsoever?? That would explain it!!
Surely thats a major design flaw???
It had a covered hole as opposed to a working air venting system ... a lot of tents fail here though IMHO... I actually didn't think my old Olympus was that great either... a good tent for cold and humidity is able to get good flow from bottom to top.. but with a still night it is still tough... our Hex - a pyramid with top vents - is great when it is pitched off the ground... my First Arrow was really good ..... because you could open the small end right up and with a really large vent at the high end because it was so sheltered. Brillinat design. but a lot of tent for bushwalking - it is a 2/3 person tent and most folks these days are not into big tents ... especially for general bushwalking... different for above treeline where a bit of space is good when you can be stormed/snowed in for some time.
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 10:38 pm
Hi dan, have you had the hex3 in hard driven rain? Any dramas?
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 11:00 pm
Nuts wrote:Hi dan, have you had the hex3 in hard driven rain? Any dramas?
depends what you call drama I guess... It is made of a heavy 1.9oz/yd silnylon but that doesn't give it the same waterhead of a good PU backed polyester... it has two opposing vents in the top - great for better ventilation though more places for blown wet stuff... we've been through some great weather and consider a little misting from time to time a part of the experience. If you take an 800g shelter above the Artic Circle (or anywhere there are good breezes) there are obvious pros and cons.

we had a bit of rain/sleet/poo... coming in here... it is an area the Norgies call the 'Sulis'... above the artic circle and it just poured for 48hours with a little 20-30 knots from the North Sea... we didn't see the sun for 7 days - and it was 23 hours 50min of sun up time... we did use the tub and inner there though!
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 11:02 pm
Fri 24 Sep, 2010 11:47 pm
Yer, I think they are great, nice and cosy with most of the base sealed..being four season and light i guess they are useful to this topic...

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Yer, i guess they were more 'dramas' to those new to them, i found that they were livable, nice with the backup of a light bivy. Used for a few years before going to tents, just recently got the new model, has a few smaller vents, tad lighter etc I'm yet to see whether that bit of misting has been solved...
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 7:35 am
tele-whippet wrote:http://www.brooks-range.com/StoreBox/trpshl/rocket_tent_a2.htm
tele-whippet, would you like to tell us more about this tent please?
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 8:07 am
"Dont know if youve seen marks Akto, I'm only around 5'10 but it (and the scarp as well) are just too cramped for me."
have you been inside the Scarp ?
It is 218 cm long and all of that is fully usable.
On top of a thin mat and a fully inflated Neo Air over that I still have about 15cm over my nose before i reach the fabric.
Spent three days up at Mt Sterling and camped on a saddle so that we would give the tents a bit of a test and have a nice view as well...
This is my Scarp in action..

(shadowman eliminated...)
In this picture the inner is set up back to front. normally the door of the inner should be on the same side as the door on the fly.
The idea was to cook under the vestibule with the fly door open but we cooked in the open anyway so I later turned the inner the right way around.
The first night was down to about -5 but sort of calm, the second night was around zero but blowing all night long. The Moment was set up (by me...) nice and taut but still had the fabric slapping my mate every so often but he was inside his eVent bivvy. The Scarp remained perfectly taut all night (it was WELL anchored down)
BTW, it can take more snow than the Akto because of the cross poles and the much stronger supported ends (pitch Lock corners)
Franco
Last edited by
Franco on Sat 25 Sep, 2010 11:23 am, edited 2 times in total.
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 9:02 am
Franco wrote:
have you been inside the Scarp ?
Franco
No, stood(squatted) there and looked in, my point was more that I no longer really want to be crawling into Any tent and dont really think it necessary...
I would say that if the choice was between snow loading and wind capabilities (stronger fabric and better reinforcement) the Akto still quite obviously wins side by side. This being the case I do think it is likely a more suitable four season tent (for Tassie at least). Nothing against the scarp, just a point, i'm sure either would last many winters. Just as said i dont really like small tents (and sell neither).
Nice photo, good luck to shadowman
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 9:33 am
tasadam wrote:tele-whippet wrote:http://www.brooks-range.com/StoreBox/trpshl/rocket_tent_a2.htm
tele-whippet, would you like to tell us more about this tent please?
Sorry about the abrupt first post tasadam, I didn't mean to look like a spamer.
I've looked at this forum site quite a bit, as I have been a keen walker for quite a few years but now spend more time climbing and BC skiing these years.
I'm really keen on light weight winter gear and am contemplating buying the Rocket Tent, which as far as I can tell is the lightest weight, purpose built winter skiing/mountaineering tent available.
From the specs it looks really cramped for 2 people but cushy for 1 person.
I currently use a modified Black Diamond Betamid.
Cheers
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 3:21 pm
'4 Season'... it sure is a non specific noun ... What is meant by 4 season is very subjective.... pretty sure I would not call the Hex a 4 season shelter - for one thing you really have to keep away from the sides if it is pitched to the ground though steep sides are useful... and I generally wouldn't take it above the treeline in winter
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 3:40 pm
It probably wouldn't be the first choice in areas where there is no choice for Some shelter. Most places i can think of in Australia it would be fine, especially with a bivy. Pitched to the ground does mean condensation, not a problem as a one man shelter ^^. As i said, be interesting if the extra vents top door zip and materials make a difference with the shangri-la. The 4 and 6 were excellent group shelters though the hex or '3' has the most sides and seems to handle wind and snow better.
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 6:06 pm
Interesting comments on the Scarp 1 especially from those who have only looked at it and not actually field tested it

and I don't think Tasmania in Winter is any worse than northern Europe where it has been well field tested
I also think the "hexamid shelters " are very good however if a floor and bivy are required in wintery conditions I don't believe they will fill the bill for our original poster as he was looking for 1 Man tent with reduced weight.
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 6:32 pm
corvus wrote:Interesting comments on the Scarp 1 especially from those who have only looked at it and not actually field tested it

and I don't think Tasmania in Winter is any worse than northern Europe where it has been well field tested

If you read back, my fine feathered friend, I meant nothing derogatory about your tent, i think either the scarp or hilleberg would be fine in most conditions. My comments were (meant to be) just my thoughts on the hilleberg, which particular one would you disagree with?corvus wrote:I also think the "hexamid shelters " are very good however if a floor and bivy are required in wintery conditions I don't believe they will fill the bill for our original poster as he was looking for 1 Man tent with reduced weight.
The golite shelters with full inner (ie, a tent) come out at about 1.6kg, another 300odd if you dont carry a walking pole.
The way I have mine set up with floor and bivy (and mesh once i get the chance) will make it around 1.2kg. Yes, it would sleep 2/3 but...
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 9:36 pm
corvus wrote:Interesting comments on the Scarp 1 especially from those who have only looked at it and not actually field tested it

and I don't think Tasmania in Winter is any worse than northern Europe where it has been well field tested
I also think the "hexamid shelters " are very good however if a floor and bivy are required in wintery conditions I don't believe they will fill the bill for our original poster as he was looking for 1 Man tent with reduced weight.
I think we basically agree...
The Scarp is a good tent, don't get me wrong... I would be very happy to spend a wintery night in it -
below the treeline... same goes for a pyramid w a tarpbivy as Nuts uses...
the thing with pyramids is verstility... in
summer above the treeline we are quite happy w tarpbivys, a bit of polycro and a hex (800+225+225+45+45+pegs or less than
700g per person!! I eat more than that a day!!) ... or a just the floor in wetter areas (800+624+pegs)... or the 'nest' a tub and mesh in wet and serious blackfly areas ie not Tassie (800+1030+pegs ... we take ti stakes and carbon long pegs for very soft ground)... in mild weather you don't need to pitch the hex at all - just use the tarp bivys...
but all this stuff is what I personally call 3 season... in my experience above treeline in winter is 4 season and a different thing... for me this means an alpine tent... my favourite is a WE 1st Arrow for two over 6' people - but there are plenty of others... Hillberg was mentioned for example...
Sat 25 Sep, 2010 9:43 pm
corvus wrote:Interesting comments on the Scarp 1 especially from those who have only looked at it and not actually field tested it

and I don't think Tasmania in Winter is any worse than northern Europe where it has been well field tested
It's more the winds that worried me. I was in wind today that we seriously could not stand on the summit in. Anything but the best tent in those conditions would be harshly delt with.
Sun 26 Sep, 2010 4:31 pm
Tele-whippet, how does the Betamid go, and what are the modifications you made? I'm interested in how one would go for 1-2 for all round use.
Sun 26 Sep, 2010 10:19 pm
Blister wrote:ausrandoman wrote:I have an Exped Vela 1. You can read about it right here:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2248I like it a lot. I was dubious about the no zip entrance, but it works very well. It is easy to pitch and, despite what others have said, easy to fold and pack.
One of its great virtues is the effective ventilation: I camped in it on the Bogong High Plains a few days ago, at -5 deg C on my thermometer watch, and woke up with only a light dusting of frost on the inner with lots of frost on the outer.
How does it fair in the wind. Like the weight and look of it?
I've never had it in winds as severe as you describe. It has two guy ropes at the back of the arch and one at the front. In addition to the pegs at the ends, it has provision for pegs at the ends of the pole and four more, half way along each edge.
It does not feel claustrophobic: there is plenty of clearance above my face and at my feet and enough room to put everything from my pack inside, at each end and in the angle next to my sleeping mat. I always dig a pit at the entrance when I camp in the snow. The vestibule is big enoughfor a pit that takes my boots and pack and still leaves ample room to cook.
Alas, I have some bad news. Packed ready for one night out (six pegs, sleeve to repair a broken pole but no other spares or repair kit) it weighs 1603 grams.
Fri 08 Oct, 2010 5:46 pm
That tent Tele-whippet mentioned seems really interesting!
I'm interested in finding out more about it.
http://jolly-green-giant.blogspot.com/2 ... -tent.htmlabit steep at $655 USD, but I dont think you can complain about 620g for a true hardcore 4 season tent.
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