Terra Nova Laser Competition Review

[Addie Bedford]

Companion forum thread to:

Terra Nova Laser Competition Review

[Matt Moore (TNUK)]

Hi Guys
The 2009 model also has new guy lines and improved locking sliders.
Importantly we have also added a two way zip on the main door which allows extra ventilation and should answer some concerns raised in this article. I have passed a copy of the article on to our designer to take on board the feedback

Matt
Sales manager
Terra Nova Equipment

[Matt Moore (TNUK)]

Hi
Also note that the US reccomended retail price on the Laser comp is $370

Regards
Matt
Terra Nova Equipment

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Doug

An interesting tent all right. I can't match your photos of the occupant – too old! :-)

But I am puzzled by the pole cover/hood thing. I don't understand it. More details?

Cheers

[Franco Darioli]

Something about the Brits being too lazy to do their own seam sealing…
(that is where the two panels meet, no other seams at the top)That is why like the Akto it is a bit difficult to get a nice taut look.
The sleeve also spreads the load from the guylines.
( just my opinion…)
Franco

[Matt Lutz]

The lack of a top vent disappoints me. Weight be damned, the tent still needs to be functional when everything hits the fan.

Also – 10 stakes? That's far too many for my book unless I am using all of my guylines.

[Miguel Arboleda]

I found, when pitching the Laser Competition, that it was hard to get the end struts positioned at the right angle so that the canopy fabric is taut. Anyone know what should be done to position the struts?

The pole sleeve cover really does work, it really does make the top of the tent more stable. Don't know how. It just feels more solid.

Forget the tiny titanium stakes that come with the tent! Like toothpicks! Bent the first time I used them.

[Doug Johnson]

Matt- thanks for your feedback. I'll see about getting the retail price changed. Good to hear about the 2-way zipper too; I could see this being a small help in regards to airflow and condensation.

Roger- it is a long strip of nylon with attachments at the end. It covers the entire middle seam including the zipper and attaches to the tent with three ties and loops over the pole ends. The side guylines pull directly on two of these tie attachments. I agree with Miguel that it works well.

Miguel- there is an adjustment at each end strut that tightens the strut against the inner tent. This has some impact on the outer tent tensioning. Beyond that, I use the end guyouts on the top of the strut independently of the ground level stake point. Together, this tensioned this part of the fly without concern. The tricky area I found was from where the strut attaches to the fly to the ground. Getting this small area to properly taut can be challenging (and impossible if the ground is very uneven). In high winds, if this small area is not fully taut it doesn't affect wind stability and I never noticed any flapping.

Good to know about the new stakes- they may not be much better than the carbon fiber ones included with this earlier model.

dj

[Diplomatic Mike]

I wouldn't worry too much about condensation.
I have had the Laserlite (the forerunner of the Comp) for years, and haven't found condensation to be any worse than other small tents. The Comp is one of the most popular 1 man tents in the UK, and our climate is very condensation friendly. If it was a major problem, the tent wouldn't be so popular.
Living in condensation hell (Scotland) you get used to condensation, and just deal with it. As most of the time i'm pitching in tree-less, exposed sites, there is usually some wind, (often too much!) to help control the condensation. I've used the Laselite on many 2 week treks with down bags, and never had a problem.
I think it's a great choice if you want a very light, double skinned tent.

[Robin Evans]

I've made a few tweaks that you might be interested in:

http://blogpackinglight.wordpress.com/laser-comp-mods/

[Doug Johnson]

Very interesting Robin. I especially like your method for cracking the door open for increased ventilation. Thanks for sharing!

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Doug

Well, I have looked at all the pics I could find (easily) to understand this pole cover thingy, and all I can conclude is that if TN had made the pole sleeve and guy rope anchors properly in the first place the cover would never have been needed.

Very arrogant of me I know, but I simply cannot see why the original design should need a pole sleeve. While I have not had a Laser Comp pitched in my back yard, I have had some experience with pole sleeves and guy rope anchors. I guess they can always come out with V3.

My 2c worth.

Cheers

[Greg Mihalik]

Roger,
I share your opinion.

It's a re-hash of a Photon thread in January.

The question that remains is "Is there any way to improve the situation?"

I have seen references to aftermarket fixes in the UK but have never followed up.

Martin Rye – any links to services and photos?

[Chris Townsend]

I find the pole cover fiddly to use and I'm not convinced it's necessary. I haven't had any leakage through the seams without the cover. The pole guylines can be attached to the pole cover attachment points. I haven't used the tent in strong winds like this though.

[Martin Rye]

"Martin Rye – any links to services and photos?" ….does this help Greg?

I use the Laser which is the next one up in the range. Same, but bigger. The pole sleeve works. I find it adds stability. If the guy lines where attached directly via the pole sleeve attachment points it would be fine – I could not see any reason to doubt that, as they anchor the pole sleeve. I have been camping in very bad weather with other Laser users when the pole sleeve has come loose due to them not checking the anchors. Rain did leak in to the inner tent due to this. Some UK backpackers have seam sealed the pole stitching and not used the cover. The attachments for the sleeve should hold. Just remember to thread the guy line through the attachments each side of the pole for maximum hold. The bottom line is Terra Nova added it as they could not prevent water ingress with out it in my view. PTC is the man with the answers about this tent. He has a profile on on BPL. Be good to hear from Terra Nova on this and there reasons for the pole cover.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/profile.html?u=ptc

His web site has lots on the Laser Comp.

http://www.petesy.co.uk/

The Laser and Comp has a growing reputation for standing up to bad weather. Check:

http://www.petesy.co.uk/?p=1158

http://backpackbrewer.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/a-hell-of-a-night/

http://summitandvalley.blogspot.com/2008/11/stormy-night.html

[Robin Evans]

I agree that the pole cover as it is supplied is a bit of a pain. However, if you use my line-lok system it is very easy to use. It turns a negative into a positive. With a properly tensioned pole cover, it seems more stable and the stress from the guying points is spread over a wider area by the two lines in the pole cover.

Having said that, I think the Akto pole sleeve is superior and less of a fiddle. The other issue I have seen raised on other fora is that attaching the guys direct can lead to failure. I don't know whether that is the case or not.

It is definitely worth using two guy lines at each end as it improves stability at very little weight penalty.

[dave hollin]

I have been waiting for BPL to do a full review of the Laser Comp so well done for that chaps.

In the UK, there is a long running discussion/argument over which is the better 1-man tent: Laser Comp or Akto.

I have owned both and think even forgetting the huge weight saving the Laser Comp is still a better tent than the Akto. If you look at the link above to the blog Backpackbrewer (me) it relates to a particularily nasty evening I spent in a Laser Comp and came out smiling. Basically, I rode out a 67mph storm in a Laser Comp and the pitch was still inch perfect in the morning. Ok so I added a few extra guylines as I knew a storm was coming but the tent was magnificent in its performance

As Mike Dundee states, in the UK we get a hell of a lot of condensation as a norm and even so its not that big a problem for the Laser Comp. I guess we are just used to it. Even tarps get condensation in the UK! :) The other thing we get is a rapid change in weather conditions, sometimes literally "4 seasons in one day". The Laser Comp is one of those tents that is a jack of all trades and I would happily take it just about anywhere and under most conditions.

Positives

it is really light and yet its a true 2 skin tent ie not jst a mesh inner with a fly. This is a very important feature in the winter
It goes up easily and gives a taut, eye-pleasing pitch
It is side opening
It packs down very small
Inner and outer can be separated
it sheds snow reasonably well
reasonable room and clearance in the inner
good sized porch
with 4 extra dyneema guylines, you can make this a 4 season or at least 3+ season tent for very little weight penalty (still less than a kilo)

Downsides
if hit by really strong winds, the unsupported side panels can deform inwards. Admitedly, this didnt affect me until the windspeed rose above 50mph and started gusting…..
um…..struggling now
expensive, although if you look in the UK you can pick up one for around £190/$240

OK, so I'm a fan but seriously, this is one great tent that does a lot of things well.

[Greg Mihalik]

Martin,
Thanks for the links. I'm impressed. I hope I never have to experience it.

I did see that everyone is using the pole sleeve, and obviously a good thing too.

Now, if it just didn't seem like a kludged up afterthough, both in design and implementation. Maybe in next the iteration…

[Doug Johnson]

FYI: This tent was reviewed in Washington State, USA. I compared rainfall and temps from Seattle to Cardiff, Wales and found that temperatures and rainfall were very similar (which is what I suspected). Condensation should be similar between these two locales.

However, this tent was tested at elevations that far exceed the highest point in the UK and year-round with many nights on snow. In Washington, we often have rain at higher elevations when camped in snow. This is a real test of a tent's condensation resistance and the area where I found that the tent's condensation was the worst.

Just an fyi.

[darren stephens]

G'Day
I’m impressed by the storm worthiness but concerned this would be a very hot tent. Does anyone think the lower skirts on the fly than the scarp would be an advantage in the high winds described? And I’m not referring to the scarp with cross poles as there is a large weight difference. Maybe a laser comp with 2 doors now it doesn’t have to worry about being the lightest tent in the world
Darren

[dave hollin]

fair point

however, there are far worse places than Cardiff than for rainfall and condensation by a long way and I've camped in most of them! :->

Scotland and the middle to West of Wales are really bad. Warm and wet……..

needless to say the Laser Comp copes with these climes quite well even without a dedicated fly vent

[Derek Goffin]

"A laser comp with 2 doors" that allows cross ventilation if it is hot" try the 2009 Laser just out, 1.3 kilo. 2 person.

[Martin Rye]

At the cost of a narrower porch. It looks good on paper but is it any better than before?

[Derek Goffin]

Hi Martin,
I bought one because my older laser has pin holes in the groundsheet from camping on spiky Pyrenean grass. Thats fine again for dry Pyrenees but not so good for Scotland.
Why do you think the porch is narrower? I have tried both now and not noticed the difference, although I have not pitched both side by side and measured. I like the new tent. For 2 people the extra back door makes a difference. It wont be important when used for one person though. It does allow access to extra space under the fly and it does give the possibility of high fly vents on both sides of the tent, as both fly zips are double ended. There are slight improvements in the end guy line lengths but I dont trust the 2 gram pegs except for the corners. The ends of the fly now have a loop so you can override the vent system and tension the ends of the fly to the tape peg.
I have added my elastic pull outs for extra inner room at the ends for our heads and the loop on the ground band that I use to pull back the groundsheet for cooking. The Al hook and ring at the bottom of the door(s) have been replaced with very small plastic buckles.
The 2008 version has double ended zips too, without the back door

[Martin Rye]

Derek Terra Nova on their web site have changed the layout and list the width as 40cm. The Competition is 50cm like the old Laser. I am glad they have improved the vent set up. I have down sized and got a Competition. Have a good year in the hills. The links show the change:

Before:http://www.uttingsoutdoors.com/?sections/campingtrekking/tents/?gclid=CNnYjs3MxJkCFc6T3wodDFsCTw

Now:http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/Product_Type/Tents/Superlite_Tents/Laser_Green.html

PS the new plastic door closer at the bottom of the door is not a good idea compared to the strong old hook set up. I reckon they will break.

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