UKC

I'm gonna buy a new tent, something like a quazar. I have noticed a few shops stocking similar tents by 'Mountain Hardware'. I am assured they are top notch but they seem a fair bit cheaper. Who are 'Mountain Hardware' and are they any good at making tents? Are they Americans, i've never heard of them?

Who's got one? Is it any good?

haven't got one of them but I've got an Antarctica one - and they're dead good (if a tad heavy, but I only camp by the car or with porters). Top notch 4 season mountain tent for about £350 - www.antarctica.co.uk - I've got the middle sized one and got in the sale for £250.

er er er couldn't possibly comment.

The bottom line is they're not up to much for the price you pay. You're effectively paying North Face/Terra Nova prices for a tent made of inferior fabrics.
They're an American company and as such produce a tent suitable for the American market. This means it has to have a fire retardant flysheet. Fire retardant chemicals can only be applied to PU coated materials which have lower tear strengths, poor UV degradation and less waterproofing than silcone elastomer flysheets used by North Face (on the euro spec tents, not the cheaper US versions), Terra Nova and Hilleberg. You may pay slighlty more for one of these but they're all expedition proven and will far outlast any manufacturers tent that uses a PU coated fly - Mtn Hardwear, Vango, anything from Millets. They're also a nightmare to pitch which is also a consideration when it's pissing down! I believe the Antarctic Tent mentioned in one of the replies also has a PU fly so will suffer all the same problems - sorry!

Re: Mountain Hardwear Tents. MHW are a US company, started in 1993 by the old TNF team. As a company they've not been around for that long, however the employees have been in the outdoor industry for decades. The tent designer has been designing mountaineering tents for 28 years! The materials used by MHW are certainly not cheap. The fly is a PU coated Nylon, however it's treated with UV and mildew inhibitors, it's tear strength is high (not as high as Silicone Elastomer, SE) it's UV resistance is high (not as high as SE) it's waterproofness is higher than SE. Especially as very few SE flysheets are taped (TNF and Hilleberg for example). The big question is do MHW tents work? In a word yes. I spoke to John Barry recently when he returned from Everest, he said "are you guy's giving tents away? 80% of the tents on the mountain are MHW" We aren't giving them away (or selling them cheap) expedition proven they most certainly are. To group a top class company which even it's competitors (TNF etc.) will admit to making "great gear" with Millets and Vango is frankly laughable, almost school playground stuff. Imagine believing that one sports car is better than another just because it has Pirrelli tyres? Sounds stupid, because we know that great sports car design isn't about what tyres are used. Price is also not always a guide to performance. I'd say that your best course of action would be to speak to someone impartial who's used a MHW tent (call a specialist outdoor store) you'll see that despite what Andy say's they are very impressed.

Buy a Terra Nova Quasar or Ultra Quasar.
By far the best tent for this country.
All American tents tend to have crap groundsheets that leak water through, buy the best and the bonus - its made in England, all the other US brands are Far Eastern made, think about it.

The Poles are Easton and made in the US, think about it!!!!

I can't really vouch for the tents (I've had my Ultra Quasar since before MHW came on the scene), but I've got several bits of MHW clothing (Goretex jacket, trekking keks, and a few other bits and bobs ) and it's *really* well designed and put together - well ahead of the competition.

If they put the same amount of attention into designing their tents as they do into their clothing, then I'd say they're well worth a look.

Still, the competition from Terra Nova is pretty stiff, and apart from the stupidly small porch it's hard to fault the quasars. so I guess it's going to come down to trying to find someone impartial who's actually used one in the UK. Could be tricky...

Chris

Got a Trango 2 and have been very pleased. It survived last weekend in gale force winds and rain in the Cairngorms. I find it good and quick to pitch and particularly like the the porch space which is significant bigger than the Quasar. I personally was convinced it was the best buy.

My MHW assault is pretty good, survived a few storms, wish they provided tent feet with the tent though, for the amount your paying it woudln't hurt. They're clothing is ok I guess, could do with improving! (just griping cos Paul Kramer in the US won't give me any work!)
Gerard

The tents are excellent!

I have a Trango 3 (a sort of three man quasar with a huge porch). It is indestructable and although more complex to put up than the Quazar because of the extra guying clips, it is far more stable (particulalry to side gusts). It also has numerous internal pockets. As I remember the quazar had only a couple of low side pockets.

I also borrowed a small MHW 2 man backpacking tent over the summer. It weighed only slightly more than a gortex bivvy bag but performed splendidly. You could roll up the front and real of the fly leaving mesh patches exposed which was great for chilling in the Spanish heat.

Apparently the jackets are well made not too expensive too.

Recently I pitched a MHW Trango 2 in my drawing room and it survived all the blows after a late night curry. fantastic

Mountain Hardwear seem to be alot of hype from what i've seen. Cover up the logos and just look at the product and you will be comparing with vango rather than North face or terra nova. They may look the same but you get what you pay for and terra nova definately are made for British conditions. The other point is how long have these people had their tents? Mountain Hardwear have only been widely available in the UK for 2 years so who knows what the long term quality of fabrics etc will be. As for the American bullshit image its all made in china anyway!!

The British maritime climate exists in other parts of the world you know! Take N.W. United States for example. Terra Nova are strong contenders but just because MHW are designed in Berkley does not mean that they don’t know their stuff. Actually they are more likely to have good experience of a far wider range of conditions. In other words do you want a tent designed specifically for UK conditions and nothing else? It would be nice if more gear was made in the UK but at the end of the day most people look at the design and quality before they look at the country of origin. The Far East is tough to beat on both counts right now and without their competition you can bet that we would be paying a lot more for domestic brands as well.

they pitch up way easy, stand up to some good gales and the zippers are sewn in so they do not take much tension so they are much harder to break unlike the terranova's etc which come apart way to easy. I am well happy with mine (trango 2).Also lots of pockets to which i use a ton.good luck

It seems those who actually have a MH tent are well pleased! No post yet from anyone who has one but has been disapointed. Proof of the pudding...