UKC

My 10yo Vango 2 man has a leaky groundsheet and a pole has just snapped so I'm in the market for a new tent.

Planning to use it for Lake District / Scotland wild camping (trips of a couple of nights, predominantly in summer but occasionally in winter), as a basecamp for climbing trips to Carnmore/Skye/Dubh Loch etc., and week long campsite stays in Dolomites/Alps etc.

Looking for it to sleep 2 (I'm 6'), stand up to a fair bit of mountain rain/wind (but not 80mph Cairngorm winter storms), be reasonably light, have decent headroom, reasonable gear space and be hardwearing.

I was looking at Terra Nova as a middle ground for price/quality between Vango and Hilleberg, but I've read a lot of people have issues with poles snapping and poor customer service. Is this still an issue, or was it just a bad batch of poles?

Seen the TN Voyager (light, fairly storm proof), TN Southern Cross 2 (light, good gear space) and TN Quasar (very storm proof, good gear space). Any experience with these? Not sure whether I like the idea though of inner pitch first in rain.

Are Wild Country tents worth a look (Trisar, Helm), they seem to have very reasonable prices? What do I sacrifice for the cheaper price over Terra Nova - weight/wind & rain resistance/durability/features/attention to detail?

Not so keen on MSR as the interiors seem to have a lot of mesh that might get drafty on a cold and windy night.

Do I go left field with Crux, Lightwave, Tarp Tent etc., or just bite the bullet and spend £900 on a Hilleberg (would rather not unless nothing else fits requirements)?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts/experience.

I'm a bit of a broken record on this one, and it's not necessarily helpful as they aren't easy to source. To misquote Blackadder: the Durston X-Mid 2P is more capacious than an elephant's scrotum, and just as difficult to get your hands on. 

They aren't overly expensive even after import duties and you will need to get the full inner rather than the mesh one (the full inner is going to be offered as a spare - in 2022). They sell out within a few days of becoming available and the next lot will be out probably next month, so there will be hell of a scramble for them.

But - for 1.2kg it is huge, light, strong, and very weatherproof for a two person tent with huge covered bells, easy access, good headroom and great ventilation. The reason they are in huge demand is they are basically excellent. For grotty weather in the UK the full inner is needed though. 

https://durstongear.com/product/x-mid-2p

b

1.2kg huge covered bells.  It really does sound a lot like an elephant's scrotum.

Also, it's made of hairy leather.

b

I have a voyager and being 5' 9" I can categorically confirm that if you are a unit, you would need to be very friendly with your campmate to sleep two. It's a lovely tent, easy to pitch in all weather (I've done it in gales/rain in a few mins) but I would be very wary of sharing the small space in anything other than emergencies. I would make exceptions for Kate Beckinsale.

The Terra Nova voyager is an excellent tent, really solid for the weight and pack size and very durable. Can't speak to their customer service because I've never had to use it.

My tuppence worth on a two man tent for two to use ( and carry) year round is to buy a 3-man tent. Usually minimal weight increase for the useful space ( even if sometimes just reaching genuine two man dimensions).

I've an MSR Elixir 2...I know you mentioned MSR, but given your use case, the inner mesh is actually a rather nice in summer, you can pitch it without the upper on and enjoy the view whilst mocking the midges. 

Really well made, and goes up in 1 minute easy. Only downside for me is that it's inner first....but that's mitigated by how quick you can put it up.

I have a helm compact 2 and it truly is compact. As a 2 person tent i find it annoyingly small and the porch space on either side is tight if you want to shelter your backpack from the elements.

Overall i don't mind the tent but as noted by a previous poster, a 3-person tent for 2 people might be the answer.

The MSR Access is a good 3+ season tent, not that much mesh and worth a look, it’s not a bomb shelter tent but hits the sweet spot for weight, comfort and taking a bit of weather, unfortunately there is no tent that is going to do hot nights in the Dolomites and  cold winter nights in Scotland without leaving you either draughty or sweaty 😏 

I agree that if two of you are sharing the load then get a 3 person for the extra space it will help you preserve your friendship.

If you were looking at a Quasar, then Alpkit's Kangri may also be worth a look?