Hello everyone,
I'm looking for advice about a particular tent style I would like to buy. It resembles the Big Agnes Fly Creek tent.
First off, I am on a strict budget and can't afford to go abroad. Therefore, I go camping for a holiday. In the past, I used a cheap dome tent from Rays Outdoors $60 which lasted me for 5 years with no tears or problems (and still going strong!). I've used it in the outback, snow at the top of Feathertop, severe wind and rain as well as on beaches. It's a tough cookie, just heavy at 3kg.
Now I want to upgrade! (I carry 20kg in my pack sometimes and I'm only 5ft2!) I like to do alpine trips where most of the time, I am camping on granite or places with limited soil to put stakes in. So I'm looking for a cheap but reliable freestanding tent.
I like the sleek tunnel entry design of the Big Agnes however, it's $500+ and I can't afford that. My limit is $200. A few hiking friends mentioned how impressed they were with Naturehike's Cloud Up 2 (20D Nylon version) Improved version seems to be very resilient in the wind and storms when pegged out. They also noted a little condensation but it wasn't an issue because it quickly dried.
When I looked up this tent on Aliexpress, I also found a very similar tent by 3F UL Gear. I've not heard of them but I saw good reviews about their Lanshan tent. However, the tent I am interested is the Zhengtu 2 which seems to be an improved version of Cloud Up 2 as it has added vents at the front and back. They also come with a 4 season inner which is basically an Autumn inner with 50% nlyon and 50% mesh, another improvement on design compared to the Big Agnes. The cost of one is under $200 compared to $500+. It also comes with a footprint.
Now, I also have had some bad experiences with expensive popular tents. I did spend 3 weeks in Hotham during summer wild camping with a MSR Elixir tent and the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL HV 2 I borrowed from a friend. The MSR did the best and lasted for about 2 weeks until we had severe winds that it flattened, got wet inside and the poles started bending. I was still able to use it though, no rips except maybe tiny holes in the foot tub which I don't think was me. Luckily another friend was able to meet me during our hike to drop off another tent that was lighter too, Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 2 but again, wasn't happy as it sagged so much in the rain so it made the inner tent wet whenever the wind blew onto it and then a few days later when it dried up, it developed a rip from the guy lines being too taught in the strong winds. The fabric on these expensive tents are soooo thin and fragile! I'm just not cut out for fragile gear! I'm still paying off the damage to my friends's tents doing free garden work! Never had these problems with my trusty $60 tent!
So, I'm very reluctant to buy any form of UL Nylon tent and luckily, the cheaper versions come in 210T Polyester. The Naturehike and 3F UL Gear both weigh about 2kg for the polyester version, between $150-$200 and roomy inside for myself and all my gear.
However, a few hikers suggest that I should stay away from these cheap Aliexpress tents and invest in more expensive tents like the Marmot Tungsten but they are heavy and the space inside a 1P is too small but the 2P is just too big! If they made a 1.5P tent then I may have been swayed as they make theirs from good quality Polyester too. I looked at the Vango tents too, again too heavy and not many are freestanding.
Does anyone have any experience or advice about tents that would suit my needs?
I'm wiling to buy a tent that is less than 3kg, I'm happy to have a reliable tent that is cheap but a bit heavier.
It seems the more popular brands have their problems and they are NOT cheap!
At the moment, I'm leaning towards the 3F UL Gear Zhengtu 2 tent as it seems to be better constructed and the design of 2 vents instead of 1 may help with condensation. The Cloud Up 2 has been tested the most and there is a growing popularity in my hiking group for them.
Will I be making a fatal error?
Cheers.
Images of the tents below:
The ZHENGTU 2:
NATUREHIKE CLOUP UP 2"