UKC

Hi there,

I am going to the south of Patagonia next March for about a month. I have decided to buy a new tent and I was wondering if someone could advise me or share his own experience.

I need a tent that is light, good with rain and possibly strong wind.(for 1 person only)

Budget I would say around £200.

Among the popular ones I was thinking of either the Terranova Laser Competion (very light, but someone told me it is not perfect if it rains heavily) or the Vango Force Ten Helium 100, which is slightly heavier, but apparently better under heavy rain (and cheaper).

Any advise?

Thanks

In reply to musashi:

I might as well be the first to point out that in Patagonia....

expect very strong winds.

In reply to musashi:

I have a laser competition and its great , never let the rein in , in many a wild camp in the lakes, though it can start to flatten out a bit in strong winds, the terra nova solar competition keeps itself much tighter in wind due to the pole configuration imo, though its a little smaller i think.

In reply to Mr Christian:

The Zephyros is basically the Laser Competition, but made with heavier and cheaper materials. In theory it should be more robust. I am happy with mine which has never leaked and has withstood 40mph plus winds. However, all single hooped tents tend to be very flappy in the wind. Take some ear plugs!

In reply to musashi:

I have a Comp and been out in 50mph winds with no issues in winter. Just be aware you need to pitch side on to the wind, not end on. Had no trouble in the rain with mine but you'll need a selection of pegs.

I also had a Helium 100 for test a couple of winters back, rock solid in a wind compared to the Laser but it's way tinier. At 5ft 10in, it was too small for me and the sleeping bag was damp both at feet and head ends in the morning due to forcing the inner against the outer. The porch is too small to be useful, cooking was nightmare. Inner guys are a pain in the backside but do help it stay nice and taught. Some of these issues would be solved by getting the 200 instead.

In reply to musashi:

I'd be after a Semi-Geodesic 2 Man tent for a trip like that unless weight is a serious issue.

In reply to musashi:

What exactly are you planning to do?

I was in Southern Patagonia 4 years ago this week and spend some time in a one man tent above El Chalten.

It was a cheap Vango job as the trip wasn't meant to be solo and I had to get a smaller tent in a hurry and not too expensively. It was fine.

Yes, Patagonia is windy, but in the summer whilst the wind was pretty constant, it wasn't super strong. The campsites generally had some shelter. Going on to the glacier was another matter, but I am guessing you are not planning to camp above the snow line.

In reply to musashi:


Possibly?!!!!!

In reply to The New NickB:

I had one night in the campsite at Paine when there was barely a tent left standing in the morning.


Above the tree line I would say camping will often be impossible.

In reply to musashi:

What are you doing with it and where are you going? Patagonia is a pretty big area. Something 3 man size geodesic, bomb proof and definitely secondhand for that kind of money if you are going to spend any amount of time in it outside a campsite. On the other hand if you are cutting around El Chalten & the W at Torres Del Paine then the tents you have mentioned will be adequate.

D

In reply to musashi:

You're going for a month. You don't want to lose or have your tent damaged.

Therefore I'd get a full on geodesic tent. I was in touch recently with someone on that auction site who was selling a good nick antarctica geodesic for not very much (130). Would you like his details?

In reply to musashi:

Thanks everyone for the advises.

To be precise I will be flying to El Calafate; from there I am planning to go for few days around the Fitz Roy and then to the Torre del Paine..possibly the full circuit..otherwise for the so called W.
After that I will be heading down to Ushuaia..visiting the Tierra del Fuego NP and ideally the Isla del Dientes trek...

I have been warned about the strong wind, but obviously to understand it fully you have to be there.

I don't know Geodesic tents very well, they look good and solid..but they seem to be quite heavy (minimum 2 kg)..so yes, weigh is an issue as travelling for a month I would like to keep my backpack under 12Kg (more or less).

Any lightish Geodesic?

Thanks anyway for the very good advises.

In reply to musashi:

Terra Nova Voyager would fit the bill if you can find one for your budget. A few come up in the classifieds now and again.

Used mine in Peru over a 3 month trip and it was great. Wish I'd never sold it

In reply to musashi:




I did the W a few years back with my girlfriend. We had a Bibler Tempest (4kg?) as we were going to Aconcagua afterwards. At the 3rd campsite on the trek it belted down all night, rivers of rain running under all the tents, some floating away. Most people had an epic night, and morning cleaning up. We were fine. It's no place to gamble your holiday on a cheap tent (or cheap rain gear). I'd done a shorter trek there some years before and it remains pretty much the windiest place I've ever been (and I used to go there en route to Antarctica).