UKC

Hi
Im in the market for a new 4 season backpacking tent and think I have got it down to these 2. Anyone got any experience with either of these tents or tents from either company? They are both around the same price and weight. Lightwave is a British company which is obviously good but I would have to order it online. The Fjallraven obviously not a British company but is available to buy locally. Sadly neither are UK made.

http://www.fjallraven.co.uk/abisko-lite-2

http://www.lightwave.uk.com/products/tents/hyper-tents

Any advice greatly appreciated.

In reply to andy.smythe:

I posted elsewhere recently about Lightwave. A reply suggested their recent products have a poor reputation for leaking.

In reply to Father Noel Furlong:

you got a link to that?

In reply to andy.smythe:


http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=643181&v=1#x8318558

In reply to andy.smythe:


That was me. It was awful. You can read what I said in the other thread.

In reply to DaveHK:

Doesn't sound good. One off maybe? Did you contact lightwave at all?

In reply to andy.smythe:

If you intend to use this in the winter, which I suppose you do since you are after a 4 season tent, consider a free standing tent for better pitching, especially in shitty weather. A tent that pitches the inner and outer at the same time is infinitely easier if it is blowing a hoolie. Also consider how the tent ventilates. This I found to be absolutely critical. These things get absolutely sodden if the tent doesn't and it appears that many manufacturers can't get this right.

In reply to andy.smythe:

I've a Cylq from Lightwave that's very similar to the Hyper T20. It's had well over 100 nights of use and has been absolutely amazing. The groundsheet now leaks if I pitch it on saturated ground, but I'm actually going to get the floor replaced rather than buy another tent - the rest of it is in that good condition. I'd thoroughly recommend the Hyper, and the venting in it's very good. The poster above is right that it's not free-standing and is more reliant on pegs than a full geodesic, but I've never actually found that a problem.

In reply to andy.smythe:

I got a lightwave t1 for my 18th birthday. I replaced it last December, when I turned 29. The groundsheet leaks if I pitch on saturated ground, which is the only reason I replaced it, and things like that do tend to happen after 11 years use. Can't fault it otherwise - build quality and attention to detail is superb. I'd buy another lightwave any day.

In reply to andy.smythe:

Yes but they never got back to me. Shop refunded it without quibble though. I'm sure some of their tents are decent as the above testimonials show but there are a few bad reviews out there which suggests quality control issues.