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.
Wed 05 Dec, 2012 7:07 am
Just got a catalogue in the letterbox and noticed what appears to be a reasonably well designed tipi for $119- ( advertised as less than half price BTW )
Anybody had a chance to go and look at it?
Branded Wild Country
I'm thinking it may do as a basecamp tent for next winters trip if it is even halfway decent, weight will not bother me as once again I'll use the pulk for the first short snowshoe in
I'll try and get to the store and look at it but interested in other opinions.
Advertised size is 4350 X 4250 hexagonal base and 3 metre high
Wed 05 Dec, 2012 8:12 am
I love that "you won't lose your camp site' comment.
Better find out the weight first...
Wed 05 Dec, 2012 9:33 am
Interested as well- for exactly the same use- pulk in and then set up base camp. Looking for a bigger tent than my 2man to possibly introduce my 6yo to snow camping. Need space out of the weather to sit and play.
Any ideas if this would be much colder than a "normal" tent- i find inside my tent rarely drops below 0 even if outside touches -10.
Might try and drop into Rays to check it out.
Robert
Wed 05 Dec, 2012 10:25 am
I just went and checked one out.
While I think it is a little on the lightweight side I think it would last a season or two, the PU proofing is a little thin but that could perhaps be fixed with the judicious application of some diluted silicon to the outside. One semi serious defect is the door entry tho. There is only a bottom up slider on the zip entry and for winter I personally prefer dual sliders.
Total weight is reasonable about 8 or 9kg and if you cut out the poly floor it would save a kilo or so.
The pullouts for windbracing are reasonably strong with two rows of stitching sewed into the lap felled seams, 2 rows of 32 stitches, looks like standard cheap Chinese poly cotton thread so about 3kg per stitch?? but the folded triangles are stronger than most I have seen, either 4 layer or with a woven poly inner for some added strength.
Seams are sealed.
Mesh vented windows and doors and the main exit for damp air is in the apex with a cowl over a heavily taped mesh
Steep sides should shed the wind well enough and the supplied steel pole looks strong enough and has a small D-ring welded on for hanging a lamp or wet clothes, there are no D-rings on the tent walls for a clothes line.
Big, plenty big enough for using a wood stove inside.
Supplied pegs are of course totally useless and these need serious consideration for winter, needs 24 pegs for a winter pitch. I am seriously tempted at the sale price
Rays do a Lay-By at 20% deposit and 90 days to finalise so I am asking SWMBO if I can put 2 aside to pay off
@ robatman being a single skin it wont be a "Warm" tent unless heated but for my intended purpose I think it would work very well. it would provide a well sheltered area for about 8 people to eat and play games but sleeping may be better off in a smaller double skin tent.
I think I better start working on a small wood stove and buy a stove jack.
Wed 05 Dec, 2012 1:40 pm
thanks moondog- went to my local store in southern sydney and only had 2 and they were gone. Wanted to see it packed- the idea of bottom opening zip is almost a deal breaker for snow use isnt it?
For the price its a good option- I was previously thinking of a Vango Spirit+ 300 as the Kaitum 3GT is just too much money for me. If it was for communal use for groups it is probably perfect.
Taking the good old Sierra Designs superflash (best tent ever owned and still good after 20+ years) as a sleeping tent might be a good idea- also give a bit of space apart for when the boys- got 3 under 6, get a bit older!
robert
Wed 05 Dec, 2012 2:53 pm
Sale isn't supposed to start until tomorrow
Want me to get one for you? North Geelong still has 4, I was going down tomorrow morning right on 9AM
Putting a slider in is not all that hard and it looked like a standard slider #8 coil zippers too
Wed 05 Dec, 2012 3:08 pm
thanks for the offer but i rang another store and they have a couple- might check them out tomorrow,
much appreciated
Robert
Wed 05 Dec, 2012 7:45 pm
Link so others can see the picture
http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/online-s ... escriptionOne of the few tents that are much more impressive in real life, very
RED
Thu 06 Dec, 2012 7:25 am
Hmm After all the interest in last years post on possible base-camp tents I was hoping there would be more comments on this unit.
Maybe I'll just get one and see how it performs but the price does look a little too good to be true.
Thu 06 Dec, 2012 8:12 am
You want a base tent, hows this one?
Thu 06 Dec, 2012 8:29 am
Those really are a laugh aren't they?
I just came back from my local store after putting the last 2 on lay-by. some-one else went in just before me and bought 3, but probably just for fun for the kids or such like.
I have a Bearpaw Designs stove jack on the way from America to sew into the side and I'm looking forward to next winter already
Thu 06 Dec, 2012 9:21 am
"I was hoping there would be more comments on this unit'
The reason I mentioned the weight in the first place is because some would find a 9kg teepee to be on the heavy side , even using a sled.
The price is good but it still is 9kg or so...
(the US 6 person tepees are about half of that weight, of course a lot more expensive)
For car camping I would imagine many prefer shelters with higher side walls
Thu 06 Dec, 2012 10:21 am
A lot of shelter for the weight tho and last years experimental dome weighed a little more and probably not as strong.
I will be cutting most of the floor out and saving that small amount of mass. yes it is heavier than the Kifaru but it is after all only 10% of the cost and that is the trade off. most of the weight is in the tall centre pole, if a cheap carbon fibre pole (LOL) was available that would save 2 kilos.
Of course the ideal would be to share the weight amongst a big party, I never thought of these as solo shelters.
The wood stove will probably weigh more as I cant afford a Titanium stove this decade
Thu 06 Dec, 2012 10:35 am
My main concern is the standard use of cheap polypropylene webbing at all the tie-down points, I know from past bad experience that these only last a short time in our UV
Franco which woodstove did you finally wind up with??
Thu 06 Dec, 2012 11:28 am
Hi
The offer for the stove never materialised and I did not ask why..
Kind of weird but that is what happened.
I am familiar with the Kifaru and TiGoat stuff mostly in theory (from forum comments) as I have seen little of it and not used any of it anyway.
I might take a look at those stoves again for you (there are others)
In the meantime you could take a look at the Ruta Locura site for some lighter poles.
Their .600 (15mm) pole extends to 188 cm with the adjustable ext bit, not sure if it is strong and tall enough for your tepee..
http://www.rutalocura.com/Tent_Poles.htmlYou could contact Josh there and ask.
Luxe Outdoor has a 213-245cm 450g pole , 19mm
http://www.luxeoutdoor.com/eng/catalog- ... th=/12/163
Thu 06 Dec, 2012 11:55 am
Thanx Franco but I think something lightweight and home made is called for here, something a lot lighter than the gas bottle stove I'm working on for car camping with family ( BushPig type ) maybe something using a second hand stainless steel stockpot or a Heineken keg
Fri 07 Dec, 2012 4:57 pm
Franco I just watched your stove video again, is that Titanium foil really that difficult to roll up and secure?
I am open to suggestions on where to put the stove jack and what best to use ( ie 75mm or 100mm ) and the minimum length for a decent draw
Fri 07 Dec, 2012 5:26 pm
Moondog
I do most things on instinct not on knowledge.
It just happens that my instinct particularly about tents is not all that bad...
The pipe you see on my video is 7' long and that is about the max length that folk use for this purpose.
The longer the pipe the harder it is to roll up.
Watch the video on this site;
http://seekoutside.com/instructions/woo ... e-burn-in/and you might just change your mind about my dexterity (note the gloves and work bench)
also note that most if not all videos involving stove assembly are heavily edited, no one take as I do..
(there is a very good reason for that...)
The size of the pipe will depend on the stove you use, I suggest you explain to TiGoat (if you get the bits from them) what size stove and tent you use and they will suggest the right size.
Sun 09 Dec, 2012 4:12 pm
Thanx mate. I would guess I couldn't go too far wrong doing that.
Still trying to decide what to do about the stove size
Sun 09 Dec, 2012 4:21 pm
Moondog55 wrote: the gas bottle stove I'm working on for car camping with family ( BushPig type ) maybe something using a second hand stainless steel stockpot or a Heineken keg
I love these - on my 'wish list' for camping with our big OztentRV-5
OMG they are incredibly cute - the OzPig BBQ stoves!
Have you seen the 'pig pens' you can get for them? (pic is about 1/2 way down my link)
http://www.ozpig.com.au/?q=productsPS the big red teepee looks like a great thing for teenagers/kids base camping. Gets them out of your hair, great value
And Phillip - i also love those gorgeous Field Candy Tents - the watermelon one looks luscious
Pricey tho!
http://www.fieldcandy.com/All the designs
http://www.fieldcandy.com/categoriesMouse over the triangles to see all the beautiful designs
Sun 09 Dec, 2012 6:25 pm
I have 2 on lay-buy so I may have one to pass on if things don't work as I plan.
If only these sellers asked the people likely to purchase what they actually want and need before sewing these sorts of things up.
The members of this forum could have made design suggestions that would have made them much, much better
Mon 10 Dec, 2012 6:04 am
Would the material of this tent be good for hot weather in direct sunlight?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Mon 10 Dec, 2012 10:55 am
Being a fully coated fabric (PU on polyester) they will be relying on ventilation for cooling.
Being so tall, having big windows and doors and with the huge vent in the peak I think "Stack effect' will give excellent airflow.
At the price point I don't think it has a DWR treatment on the outside even, although Nikwax have a product that is advertised to block UV that is supposed to have some repellent properties. While I think I may only get a couple of seasons out of this others who use them only on the odd occasion may get a much longer life but it is a very lightweight fabric with a very light PU coating
Tue 11 Dec, 2012 2:46 pm
Franko I wasn't disparaging your dexterity, I was asking a serious question; as my own hands get clumsy when my arthritis is bad which can happen with no warning. For my usage I think stacking steel pipes will suffice but the Titanium foil is so light it was worth considering. Especially as my beloved is going home to look after her mother for a short time and is only taking one suitcase ; coming home with 2 tho LOL.
How long do people think a Heineken keg would last as a firebox? I just got another one at the recycle centre, cost me $2-
Mon 17 Dec, 2012 5:15 pm
Hi there people!

Just stumbled across this in my quest to get this tent. I ordered online from Rays a couple of weeks ago and they have only just informed me that apparently they now can't fulfill my order because they are out of stock. Hugely disappointed as we wanted it for a festival for a bit of fun and so we could easily find our campsite and then to head further up the East Coast camping over New Year. Did anyone buy 2 or more of these and is willing to part with one? Or know where else I can get one for a reasonable price like the one that had at Rays? (I am on a Uni student budget). Would be happy to pay freight costs of course and the price of the tent. Please let me know if you or anyone you know can help out in any way.
Cheers
Mon 17 Dec, 2012 10:03 pm
Villino - give Rays in Campbelltown (NSW - Sydney) a call - they had 3 when I was there on the weekend, maybe they can do an interstore transfer?
Tue 18 Dec, 2012 8:38 am
I'm just on my way to my local Rays store to make my layby payment, I'll check out stock for you. Other than that I have 2 on layby so maybe you can have one of those
I'll post again and PM in an hour or two
Cheers TedM
Tue 18 Dec, 2012 9:55 am
All sold out at my local store ( which happens to be head office ) and I was told none left anywhere.
Tue 05 Feb, 2013 12:45 pm
Well I just paid off my layby and picked up the tent.
The heaviest part of the tent is the centre pole and the cheap steel skewer pegs.
Question for Franco here, would normal 25mm Aluminium tubing .7mm thick be strong enough for the centre pole in this thing?? Best guess answer BTW
It's just that I picked up some second hand tent poles at the Op-Shop yesterday ( probably a gazebo frame or similar) and of the tipis total weight of 9.6 kilos 2.7 is what the steel pole and pegs weigh. Take out the floor and I would save another ~1100 grams
The Aluminium pole weighs 700 grams add 200 grams for the Titanium pegs and the snow pegs and some spectra guy line.
This would bring the weight down to ~6.6 kilos
I think 7 kilos is a reasonable mass for a shelter this big
I have listed the other tipi on eBay PM me for the link if anyone is interested, I'll add an Aluminium pole for forum members
Tue 05 Feb, 2013 1:40 pm
Hmmm
My googlefoo seems to be working
I just found this website
http://www.sollercomposites.com/I think I may be able to sleeve and epoxy the lightweight tubing to get a reasonable strength at minimal cost.
Wrap, epoxy and shrink tube over the top??
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