European lightweight tents

[Andreas Evers]

Hey everyone,

I just became a subscribed member, thanks to the amazing "state of the market" articles.
Yet what I'm searching for is not among the information therein.

I'm especially looking for 1 or 2 man tents that you can purchase in Europe.

My highest priority is that the tent is orderable within 2 weeks, which would be a lot easier if it was made somewhere in Europe. Yet I can't find any stores or companies who are based in Europe.

Secondly I've got a wool **edit: down** sleeping bag can't get wet, so condensation should be kept to a minimum. I read somewhere that condensation is "manageable", but I don't really understand how if it can leak on your bag. If it's only a wet morning head I could live with that but of course the less condensation the better. For this reason I'm thinking of double walled tents.

My third and last concern is the weight. Anything more than 1.5kg (50oz) is a serious no-go. I'd like to keep it below 1kg (35oz).

Last time I created a topic I got spammed by very useful replies so deep inside I'm hoping for the same ;)
Yet any response would be greatly appreciated! Once I made a decision I'll also mention it below with the reasons and experiences.

Cheers,
Andreas from Belgium

[Ben H.]

If you are humping around a wool sleeping bag, it sounds like that should be first on your list to replace. You should be able to get major weight saving by replacing that versus your tent.

As far as tents go, you should have access to the major American tent manufacturers in Europe. MSR and Big Agnes seem to be the more popular lightweight double wall tent makers.

[Franco Darioli]

Vango and Terra Nova are European tent brands that have lightweight double wall shelters at around that weight.
You can also buy some Tarptents (Scarp 1) from a couple of European re-sellers but I don't have a link to them right now.
And yes, wool sleeping bag ?
Franco

[Rod Lawlor]

Great timing Andreas.

I'd never seen this question on BPL before, but someone asked virtually the same question last week, so you might find some info in that thread

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=65160

It did cover off some manufacturers, and also some LW retailers in Europe. Also, if the UK is included in your parameters, you could look at

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk

Regards,

Rod

[Wes Kline]

http://hilleberg.se/

http://www.robens.de/en/Products/Tents/XtraLite/Typhon.aspx

[Wes Kline]

Salewa and Crux also make pretty bomber tents, although none of these suggestions are 'ultralight.' Probably the Terra Nova is the best direction to trim the weight and buy within the EU.

[Wes Kline]

Also this Tarptent DR for sale:

http://www.backpackinglight.dk/product_info.php?cPath=38_54&products_id=136

[Stephen M]

Hi Andreas,

Check out ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk as they ship to Belgium at a very reasonable rate.
They also have comparison pages listing weights and specs.

When I lived in Brussels I bought a lot of gear from then.

I Wild camp a lot in the Uk and the majority of tents are Hilleberg, Terra Nova and lightwave, Tarp Tent and MLD are very popular also.

backpackinglight.co.uk is good also.

The outdoor shops in Belgium are a bit expensive and hold limited stock.

Cheers,

Stephen

[Ole Saether]

I have the Helsport Ringstind Superlight and it is highly recommended. It is a double wall three season tent made in Norway and weights only 940 grams (33 oz) including everything except the rep kit. More information at the link below. Here is a picture I took on a trip two weeks ago:

Link to manufacturers web: http://www.helsport.no/en/product/TENTS/PRO/Ringstind_Superlight_12

[Andreas Evers]

Because of the deadline I managed to convince my German friend to bring a TarpTent to Belgium next week.

I bought a TarpTent StratoSpire 1 from a German dealer called Trekking Lite Store (http://www.trekking-lite-store.com/trekkingshop/).
They offer a broad range of SUL tents and not just the big commercial brands such as MSR. TarpTent, Six Moon Designs and Terra Nova are some of them.

At first I was looking for a SMD Lunar Solo 2012 but then heard quite some negative feedback concerning condensation. Also, the German shop didn't have it in stock, and non of the other European retailers do.
My sights turned to TarpTent Notch, but unfortunately this tent is also unavailable in Europe.
In the end I went for the TarpTent StratoSpire 1. This has a bigger footprint than the Notch, which makes it possible to sleep with two inside. Strangely after ordering the tent it disappeared from the Trekking Lite Store webshop.

@Franco: I meant down instead of wool. You mentioned the scarp 1, how does that compare to the stratospire 1? I'm guessing Stratospire is lighter and has more room but is less solid in bad wheather conditions.

@Rod: Thanks a lot for that link, it led me to the Trekking Lite Store website.

@Wes: Good feedback, but most of those tents are more than 1.5kg making them a bit too heavy for my liking.

@Stephen: You're absolutely right, Belgium has the worst outdoor shops ever :D Very small stocks, only the big brands and way overpriced. Thank god for shipping services!

@Ole: Thanks for the suggestion, but this tent was really pricey compared to the other ones with similar specs. Also quite hard to get a hold of (the SUL).

[Franco Darioli]

Andreas,
I look after TT in Australia but I am not a dealer, that is i don't buy or sell them.
A possible reason why the SS1 has disappeared from that shop list is simply because they don't have any more stock.

How does it compare with the SS1.
Well the SS1 is very weight for size competitive if you use trekking poles. The Scarp has its own.
The SS1 is designed as a 3 season shelter , once you deploy the two included guylines it does stand up nice and strong (if you have decent poles) however it may not perform that well under heavy snow.
The Scarp was designed as a convertible shelter. 3 season as it comes, 4 with the extra poles.
I have sent SS1/2 to folk here that have a Scarp 1 or 2…
Franco

[ROBERT TANGEN]

… or is that just a rumor?

[Andreas Evers]

He sure was born in Belgium :)
It's a fictional character though, British Agatha Christie created him.

@Franco Thanks, that's a comforting thought. I'm not planning on getting heavy snowfall so I guess I don't need something stronger. How's your experience on condensation inside the SS1?

[Sabine Funk]

Hi Andreas,

I have the Vango Vitesse. British brand, purchased in Germany. Nice single wall tent, you can leave the poles at home and use your trekking poles (makes it about 1kg) and has netting and a quite large vestibule.
The tent is really spacious – even 2 people can sleep in there. It's also quite long so even if you're tall you still won't touch the walls with your sleeping bag =)
And last but not least it's affordable – when I bought it 2 years ago, I payed about 130€.

[Franco Darioli]

Andreas
I have used the SS 2 (as a solo) not the one.
Main reason is that Henry had the 2 out first…
biggest tent I have used for many years (I almost always use solo shelters…)

Because I fiddle with and seam seal them I often have a shelter on my back lawn and that is great for condensation tests.
The very large vestibules in either SSs can collect a lot of ground evaporation , you can reduce that by having a groundsheet that covers the vestibules as well
I don't bother.
There is good space between the wall and the mesh inner so as long as you keep the shelter in tension you don't easily come to touch the wet walls.
Both can be pitched rather low but if you set them up the standard way there is a good air flow.
In cooler weather you could look at the "solid" (fabric) inner. That breathes but it is water resistant.
Franco
BTW, condensation (again)
same place (my lawn) same shelter (Notch) two consecutive nights.
First morning the fly was completly wet inside and outside (two or three drops on the floor)
Second morning ,bone dry…
Not unusual (for me….)

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