Tent Choices

[TheSeeker]

Hi thanks for all the replies, I see everyone does not favour the single pole by black diamond . well thats a pity i think they really are quite good, my mate has used it in the snow, question ! is would it stand the windy weather ?.

Ok so following the majority opinion, I have 2 tent choices left, both Eureka, an (old bushwalker 2.5kg) still ok, and an autum wind 2.7kg free standing .

I fell the autum wind is a stirdy option although heavier slightly.

Have many of you used theEureka bushwalker ? I feel it might let a bit of rain in around the edges if the weather turned fowl, as its not my tent i have yet to try it .

Has anyonre had exp with this tent.

ThanksTheSeeker

Nothofagus cunninghamii


Posts: 2
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 6:12 pm
Region: Australia - Other State/Territory
Private message Hello Everyone

I am doing a walk in the western Arthers in early January .we are planning a 5 to six day walk from scotts peak but not the whole traverse.
Anyway i was wandering If a mega mint single pole tent would be suitable it is a T pee style, its very light 1.5 kg but does not have a fly screen or a floor there fore is completley open under the fly.

What are the insects mosquito & midges etc like , are there any midges there. And how do people pitch tents on these wooden platforms that i have heard about, What about putting in the tent pegs.

I do have other choices of tent use but the single pole is definatley 4 season and quite stable in windy weather,although it does rely on 8 tent pegs as it is not free standing.

Also are the camp sites very muddy in wet weather do they become quite water logged?? we will be using a basic ground sheet.
can anyone provide me with info on this
Thanks

[Azza]

I wouldn't be worried about the insects and midges..
All major camp sites have wooden tent platforms these days and you simply clip the guys onto the ropes attached
to the platform and maybe used a rock or two on old things down.. I dunno how you're going to go with a single pole tent,
some of the sites are reasonably well sheltered...
I almost got blown away at high moor, it dumped 15cm of snow overnight and my boots froze.
A single pole tent without a floor is not really 4 seasons in my opinion.
You'll probably get away with it in summer, but I've bivvy the Eastern Arthurs in summer and it rained constantly and
eventually my sleeping bag got wet and I spent some very uncomfortable nights unable to sleep on the verge
of hyperthermia. Keeping your sleeping bag dry is vital in SW Tassie.
Actually I reckon you'd be better off taking a bivvy bag along with your one pole tent.

[Azza]

I shouldn't write replies late at night if I want to make sense...

Often in Tassie I'd put a ground sheet under a tent that already has a floor.
You are definatley going to want a floor, and then your next issue is going to be the horizontal rain getting under your T pee.
Of course the weather could be perfect....

[ollster]

I shouldn't write replies late at night if I want to make sense...

LOL. LATE? 10pm is beddy bye time is it grandad?

Agreed. I would be very reluctant to go anywhere in the South West with a tent like that, but especially an exposed place like the W. Arthurs. It COULD turn nasty at any time, and I suspect that sort of tent might get flattened or even get ripped out of the ground and fly away.

Assume you will encounter the worst. Driving rain and snow, 80kph winds and exposed campsites. It won't necissarily HAPPEN, but you need to expect those conditions.

[red tag]

I was wondering if many people make their own hiking tents - doing it yourself means , you can design and customize it to suit your own needs. Sewing is a skill ..but with practice you can make just about anything. I'm presently making a new top for my 58 year old Land Rover... ( it's older than me ). A tricky and slow job but I'm getting there. Mike

[ollster]

I was wondering if many people make their own hiking tents - doing it yourself means , you can design and customize it to suit your own needs.

I doubt I could do a better job than a computer designed/wind tunnel tested/airospace grade aluminium poled top quality tent. I'd like to see anyone make a better/stronger/lighter tent by hand and cheaper than buying something like a Macpac (and by cheaper I do mean factoring in the hours it would take for you to design and build it, at whatever you feel your time is worth!).

PS: I would be happy to be proved wrong by some enterprising person!

[Son of a Beach]

One of the obstacles to this is access to the fabrics. Some special purpose fabrics are very difficult to buy, except by commercial bulk purchases. Eg, it's relatively difficult to buy really good quality polar fleece, even though it's dead easy to get the basic cheap stuff at any fabric shop. Even more specialised fabrics would be even more difficult to get hold of. Gortex is impossible to buy expect with special contracts with Gore for warranties, etc.

I've no idea how available good tent fabrics are to the end consumer. Does anyone know of a good retailer for this (or anyone able to buy in bulk for this)?

[Darren]

G'Day
Sylnylon is the material of choice for a lot of tent manufacturers. You can buy 2nds fo about $5 a yard or first quality for $11. There are heaps of suppliers in the states who sell to punters. Try OWFINC, thru hiker, Quest outfitters, and Seattle fabrics.
I have bought from the first two and they were very helpful. Also you can’t tell what’s wrong with the 2nds. If you Google make your own hiking gear you will be swamped.
Also try Rodger Caffins bushwalking FAQ's page. I believe he is a member of this forum. He is a master of myog and makes some beautiful little tents that i am very envious of.
Hope that helps
Darren

[Son of a Beach]

Sounds great Darren... thanks for the info.

[Swifty]

Hi seeker and welcome to the forum!
You might want to rethink taking the tent you described for a trip to SW Tasmania. A fully enclosed tent (such as a fly hanging inside a dome for example) will help keep you dry during your trip, after a long day's walk there is nothing worse than having to crawl into a wet sleeping bag and lie on a muddy groundsheet. I believe you can hire them in Hobart somewhere from one of the outdoor shops (maybe someone else can give you details?) and that might be a more comfortable option. Enjoy your walk.

Cheers

[Andrew]

I have 3 tents depending on the conditions I expect.

The one we use the most is a 2 person Aarn Pacer-2 from NZ. It is a bit under 2kg and uses 2 treking poles as the main supports. It is on the small side for 2 but a 4 season and while I haven't had heavy snow to test I think it would be OK. $NZ 499

http://www.aarnpacks.com/products/pacer_tent_2.html

At the other end is a Macpac Olympus at 3.5kg is like a bomb shelter and a bit more room for 2 and has 2 vestibules. We take this when we are not walking too far or maybe camping in the same place fly-fishing or in winter expecting rough weather.

Our other tent is in the middle but rarely gets a run if only 2 of us going.

Not sure if the Aarn tents are available here through their Melbourne distributer but I rang them in NZ and got ours posted direct. If you carry treking poles and don't plan on rough mid-winter walks it would be my choice. I didn't think much of treking poles until I started using them.

Always liked the loo of MSR Hubba (1person) and Hubba Hubba (2 person) tents too.

Cheers,

Andrew

[bluewombat]

I just picked up an Aarn pacer from hikelight (http://www.hikelight.com.au) in Melbourne, have not tried it yet but looks pretty bombproof and lightweight
bw

[rcaffin]

Also try Roger Caffins bushwalking FAQ's page. I believe he is a member of this forum. He is a master of myog and makes some beautiful little tents that i am very envious of.

Thanks! See http://www.bushwalking.org.au/bushwalking/BWSpring08.pdf for some pics of my 2-man silnylon and carbon fibre winter tent - front cover and pages 10+.

Cheers

[Taurë-rana]

How do people go in the small, light tents cooking dinner in the vestibule? Or do you just have to do it in the tent? This is a concern I have re the one man tents.

[Andrew]

Hi Devon Annie,

Have to be careful. I never cook in the tent but will have a go in the vestibule if it is really rough. I mainly use gas and it is supposed to be very dangerous to cook in the tent. Apparantely you just go to sleep and die without warning. Can be tricky making sure don't burn entry door in small tents. Usually I just put a coat on and find some shelter under a tree.

Cheers,

Andrew

[norts]

I have done a fair amount of cooking in the vestibule of my Microlight and First Arrow. I always cook with gas. l always ensure that stove is very stable and there is a bit of ventilation. Have a good sized clear area around it, if somehow you knock it over you dont want a fire.

I have never had any issues except which way to sit while you cook. Mate like to sit and cook to the side, that is really uncomfortable for me. I like to sit crossed legged but the knees are starting to get a bit tired. In the first arrow I lie on my belly and cook in front of me differen sort of vetibule from the Microlight.

Roger

[Andrew]

Just looking up CO poisoning. I think cooking in the vesibule is probably OK with small gas stoves especially if aware that adequate ventilation is the key but should be really careful.

'Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, nonirritating gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels. CO exposure is responsible for more fatal unintentional poisonings in the United States than any other agent, with the highest incidence occurring during the cold-weather months (1). Although most of these deaths occur in residences or motor vehicles (2), two incidents among campers in Georgia illustrate the danger of CO in outdoor settings. This report describes the two incidents, which resulted in six deaths, and provides recommendations for avoiding CO poisoning in outdoor settings.'

Both these cases of 6 deaths were large zipped up tents using gas stoves for heating.

'To avoid hazardous CO exposures, fuel-burning equipment such as camping stoves, camping heaters, lanterns, and charcoal grills should never be used inside a tent, camper, or other enclosed shelter. Opening tent flaps, doors, or windows is insufficient to prevent build-up of CO concentrations from these devices. When using fuel-burning devices outdoors, the exhaust should not vent into enclosed shelters.'

Quotes from US Centre of Disease Control & Prevention:- http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4832a1.htm

Cheers,

Andrew

[DaveNoble]

Hmm - I almost ONLY cook in the tent vestibule. Reasons - you are out of the weather, you can read a book while the food is cooking in the comfort of your sleeping bag, the stove is out of the wind - so is more fuel efficient etc.... The only times I can recall cooking outside the tent was in California - in the Sierras - where you are more or less obliged to cook well away from your tent because of bears.

Now for tents - I have done a solo A-K traverse of the Western Arthurs using just a rectangular fly - and I had no problems - BUT - on that trip - I did know where the very sheltered campsites where at Square Lake and High Moor before I set out - and in fact only camped at Square Lake and Haven Lake (both very sheltered spots - and in bad weather) - and after leaving Haven Lake and walking via K back to Junction Ck to camp - the next morning the range was plastered by a lot of snow - and I would not like to have been out in that in just the fly. And a fly would not be my favoured accommodation for the range.

On my early trips in the range - I and nearly everyone else used japara tents - single skin tight weave cotton tents. These were very waterproof and quite comfortable - but very time consuming to pitch and protect from the wind using many rocks.

I tend to favour good double wall tents that are good in the wind and are roomy enough to be comfortable when stormbound.

Dave

[rcaffin]

How do people go in the small, light tents cooking dinner in the vestibule? Or do you just have to do it in the tent? This is a concern I have re the one man tents.

My wife sits up the back of our tent in her sleeping bag and makes hungry noises. I sit at the vestibule end and cook in the vestibule. I might cook outside once or twice a year.

Yes, ventilation! The CO hazard is real, but the amount of CO emitted varies by a factor of over 100x between stoves. The MSR Reactor and the Primus EtaExpress are ultra-dangerous (by my measurements); the Snow peak GST100 (and clones) and Vargo Jet-Ti are extremely good. The Coleman Xtreme and Fyrestorm are also good winter stoves.

Cheers

[Son of a Beach]

I use a Trangia, which although not the lightest stove around, has an excellent wind shield. I very rarely cook anywhere but outside when walking and tenting - why walk all that way and spend your cooking time cramped in your tent, instead of outside in the wilderness enjoying your surroundings? Actually, come to think of it, I probably cook outside at home (on the BBQ) more than most people too.

However, when the weather is really terrible, I cook in the tent vestibule and have never really had any problem with it, other than it's a mighty uncomfortable place to do it (even in a big tent). Of course you do need to be very careful. When I do it, I make sure there is nothing else in the entire vestibule other than cooking/eating equipment and food and that the stove is nowhere near touching the tent, and has plenty of clearance immediately above it. Mind you, I have a large tent with two vestibules, so this is relatively easy for me (but even with a small tent, I'm happy to leave my pack out in the rain, and anything else essential in the tent itself).

[TheSeeker]

Well Thankyou.

To all those people that have replied , Its amazing how we can start on one topic and it i changes course. But alot of fun hearing all those answer's.
I actually have a couple of tents, and I think i will take my eureka bushwalker cheap but good quality,only three season 2.2 kg. Hopfully It won;t snow too much.

And no doubt will probably end up cooking in the vestibule.

Thanks Mark

[Taurë-rana]

Sorry Mark, for hijacking your thread! I hope your trip goes really well, the weather here has been shocking (at least up north anyway), we just came home a day early from camping in the bush because we were sick of the rain.
I just have one more comment though, my concern is whether there is actually enough room in a one person tent to cook in the vestibule if the weather is too bad to cook outside?

[norts]

I have cooked in the Microlight (1 man tent) alot of times. Had no issues, I am careful and try to keep the vestibule open as much as possible.

Roger

[MichaelfromQLD]

Have many of you used theEureka bushwalker ? I feel it might let a bit of rain in around the edges if the weather turned fowl, as its not my tent i have yet to try it .

Has anyonre had exp with this tent.


I am doing a walk in the western Arthers in early January .we are planning a 5 to six day walk from scotts peak but not the whole traverse.

Thanks

I own a Eureka Bushwalker. I would NOT reccomend it for use in the western arthurs.

Remember the South-west gets the worst of Tassies weather, the most rain, the strongest wind. The Bushwalker is not suitable for these conditions.

In my experience, the bushwalker does not stand up well to prolonged or heavy rain. I have taken it on car-camping trips and it has leaked through the seams in the fly fabric around both poles, especially near the door.

I also find the uneven poles mean there is no real way to point this tent into the wind. Either there is too large a "sail" area at the head end if this end faces the wind, or turned the other way, the middle section will bow inwards. The unsupported middle section is in my opinion too long, and the main hoop too high, for this tent to be stable in high winds. I haven't had mine collapse on me, but it hasn't seen the winds you wll get in southern tassie.

The bushwalker is a very roomy tent for mild conditions, and it does pitch fly-first or fly-only, which I wish more tents did. This means if you want to cook undercover you can just push the inner away to extend the vestibule. Still, I think you'd be a fool to take it to the south-west any time of year.