UKC

Hi, can anyone recommend a good 1/2 person mountain tent for Aconcagua?
So many to choose from! any advice much appreciated!
Cheers, Peter.

In reply to Pete23:

I'd take a strong one...

When I was there in a Terra Nova Hyperspace, one very windy night did damage to the tent.

I've also been in that part of the world in a Hilleberg Saivo, and it survived a similar storm completely undamaged.

Whatever tent you go for, I'd suggest getting snow valances fitted - not because of snow, more for using big rocks to pin the base of the tent down.

In reply to Pete23:
I have a Hilleberg Soulo and Jannu; they're jolly nice, and pretty sturdy bits of gear. More importantly for me, it was possible to get them relatively cheaply second hand. Simultaneous pitch handy if you're on your own, especially if it is windy.

Crux/Lightwave make some nice 2-man geodesics which are pretty sturdy, though I'm not a fan of inner-pitch-first myself. Not tried these tents.

Helsport make some nice gear too, but it is quite difficult to find in the UK (I think Tamarack are the only dealers, and it might be awkward to pay them a visit). They don't seem to have cracked the 1-2 man extreme weather tent design though, as they seem to change every year. Storm mats built in to the fly as standard. I've not tried their small tents.

Alpkit Kangri is cheaper than the others, and perhaps more interestingly you can rent em to see if they're any good.

In reply to TOS:
>.. one very windy night did damage to the tent.

Yep, +1 to all that.

I've done it twice. The 2nd time with my gf we spent a night at high camp around 6000m (near White Rocks) and our Bibler Tempest was lifting up in the air and thrashing around. In the morning some of the attachment points were partly ripped out and it had generally taken a hammering. A lesser tent might have shredded. We found it hard to get enough big rocks to guy it to, and a Bibler has no valences, which would have helped.

I used a Hberg Jannu on Peak Lenin last year and it's a good tent (long) but funky low door means the floor underhangs the roof lip, so snow/rain can drip down into the inner.

Aconcagua (normal route) really is an easy climb, but it's a serious place - especially above 6000m in bad weather - and you need a proper tent, if only for a couple of days.