UKC

I am after my first proper tent, and by proper I mean something a little pricier and better in quality than I am used to.

My budget is about £450 tops. I want it to be lightweight but also durable. Camping on summits in the lakes and to be able to deal with gale force winds and pretty miserable conditions. Also a two man will do space wise.

A few I have just briefly glanced at are:

MSR Hubba Hubba NX

MSR Tindheim 2 (seems a little heavy)

Big Agnes (can't remember the model but seen it on Sportpursuit for a good price)

Anyone have any suggestions? 

One of these characteristics does not belong with the other two I'm afraid.

There is no tent out there that merges being lightweight with being able to withstand a gale force?

I have a hubba hubba nx. It’s light enough for my purposes, and has really good space for its size and weight. I’ve used it in fairly windy conditions in the Brecon Beacons and it was fine, but not gale force. The poles stretch the fly nice and tight so it doesn’t flap around much.

The groundsheet does feel quite thin to me, although I haven’t put a hole in it yet. You might prefer to use a footprint. Also, the inner has a lot of mesh so it isn’t the warmest in cold and windy conditions.

I would recommend MWIS to avoid such scenarios, so that you can be by the fire in the Pub, during such events.

I have a Macpac microlight. Not really a two person and IIRC about 2.5 kg. I've camped in it in very high winds with rocks piled on the pegs. I think it's still being manufactured after many years.Its single pole and high enough to sit in the centre part.

2nd hand Hilleberg Nallo 2.

I have a Hubba and it’s definitely not good in high winds (snapped pole and ripped fly). However the  customer service from MSR is second to none. Worth noting you also need an additional ground sheet if camping on rough ground or heather which adds ~400g to the overall weight when you include pegs.

If you use trekking poles try a search for a "trekking pole tent" - you're effectively carrying just a fly and ground sheet and some midgy netting.  Not sure about the gale force winds though ...

e.g. the Alpkit Polestar Trekking Pole Tent available in Decathlon or a Vango Heddon 100/200

It depends what you call lightweight and two man but something like this might be suitable.

https://www.climbers-shop.com/camping/tents-and-footprints/terra-nova-voyag...

It's two man in the sense that two can sleep in it but a bit 'cosy' and at around 2kg it's not ultralightweight but neither is it heavy. It's also about as strong as you can get for a backpacking tent. Gale force is about 50mph and I'd expect it to stand up to that if pitched well.

Also available here

https://www.terra-nova.co.uk/products/outlet-voyager-tent/?srsltid=AfmBOort...

and both fall just within your budget whilst they're on offer.

I aim to put the tent through its paces. Plus if I spend 400-500 notes on a tent I want to know it can deal with the shitter end of the weather stick.

The skill is in not putting the tent through its paces by careful pitching and taking note of forecasts, however I find an eye mask and silicone earplugs useful in extreme weather, tents can be incredibly noisy places when it's windy. Also one of these https://www.ypc.co.uk/product/topcloud-shrinkable-urinal/ will save having to stagger out into the tempest to have a wee.

Whatever though, have fun

I think that you have a good budget but need to be realistic in what a tent can achieve in high winds if there’s no shelter such as a wall or large boulders.

There are a lot of people out there pushing the boundaries on social media, but this can quickly turn to a very bad situation.

With your budget, there is a Terra Nova Voyager at a reputable shop. 3 pole geodesic and 2 person at a push. Good tents and quite light.

Tunnel tents, I’m not a fan of no matter what make. They are designed to be pitched tail into the wind. If the wind changes or is variable as is often the case in a mountain environment, they lack stability at the sides.

Personally, if there’s 2 people to carry it, I would try to find a 4 pole geodesic. Again, there’s a really good terra nova at the same site for £100 more than budget.

Dont skimp on pegs. The delta pegs are cheap and good for guylines.

Dave

Holy crap, when did they get so expensive!

I have a Mountain Hardwear SuperMega UL2 which I bought around 2013 for my summer ML process. It's stood up to some pretty nasty weather in the UK. We had standard Welsh summer weather on our training - snow and hail and blowing 60mph on the summits. With some sensible campsite choice you can certainly use a tent like this in bad weather. Nothing is going to stand up to mad winds on exposed summits, but I hope you're not planning on camping in those sorts of places. More recently, it survived a week on Pabbay when it was so stormy the boat was delayed for two days to collect us. One persons Banshee was totally flattened during the night. 

I'm not sure if they still make them, but as far as lightweight tents go, I'm impressed, and would buy sometimes similar from MHW if I need to replace this one at some point. 

Lake District rescue teams dealt with quite a number of summit camper tent failures last year, seems to be a growing trend to want to sleep on the most exposed areas whatever the weather. Please don’t continue the trend, poor weather on the high tops will be more than a match whatever the tent budget.

Lightwave t10-raid.  4 season. Under 1.5kg. Have one for sale, new unused. If you're interested i can forward pics. 

Dont get the hubba hubba if you're planning of camping in gale force winds, they are not good in the wind (though very spacious, fairly light and decent quality). Look into the Scarp 1 by tarptent. Excellent in high winds with the external pole structure though it's a bit out of your budget

This. Absolutely this. Camping out on summits is a fair weather activity. Doing it in other conditions is unpleasant at best.

There’s a Hilleberg Akto in good condition with footprint on Ebay for £542. This will meet most of your needs except for space, a bit over your budget but very good value

I'd be cautious about American-style tents like the MSR Hubba and Big Agnes Copper Spur - they're great, but generally built for camping below the treeline, like a lot of things in the States. They've absolutely got a place and avoid a lot of the issues like heavy condensation and can feel wonderfully spacious compared to more Nordic style tents, but for camping in the UK, something outer pitch first with a ground sheet that touches (or nearly touches) the ground is my preference for most of the year. Some people love them though and use them all the time. 

I got an Akto used a few years ago for about £300, I've used it for maybe 100 nights, and I think it was used for a good couple of hundred before me. It's still in exceptional condition, but it's a 1 man tent and is maybe slightly heavier than I'd like for a super long trip. It's spacious enough for me at 6ft 1, I can just sit up, cook in the porch and generally feels pretty livable, and I think it could cope with any weather I'd likely need it to. 

Terra Nova Voyager Superlite was one of my Dad's tents and I've used that a lot now too. It's light and a very spacious 1 man, copes with all manner of weather. Even the superlight is a bit heavier than I'd like to carry for more than a few nights, weighing 1.9kg ish with some decent pegs rather than the daft thin ones the tent comes with - it's also barely a two man and I think it requires you to be very good friends with the person you are sharing with.

If I were to get a 2 man tent for UK camping nowadays, I think I'd look at the F10 Xeon style tunnel tents. Light - good in wind, spacious, just about light enough to carry on your own and strong enough to cope with a fair bit of weather. I think Nordisk do a similar one but it's a bit more expensive. 

Second what others are saying - there isn't a real need for a tent to be able to cope with 60mph winds - you can always find somewhere more sheltered to pitch with some thought and have a calmish night even in a storm. 

Don’t you love UKC. A lot of your time and effort to help on basis of real experience and you get dislikes!

Kuiu Mountain Star. Basically an tweeked and  improved Hubba Hubba .

For a start you can pitch out first / joined together

I have a Hubba hubba and it’s not good in high winds.

I also have a Nallo and can sleep soundly in very strong winds, I’d second the suggestion that you find a secondhand one.

if you aren’t too large and will only occasionally share it with a small and very close friend then a secondhand Akto would be perfect. I used to have one, I miss it. Extremely comfortable for one and totally solid in a gale.

I'd point you in the direction of the Durston X tents, specifically for your requirements the X-Dome 2. 

https://durstongear.com/products/x-dome-2-ultralight-tent

Very strong, very light, ideal for conditions you would want to be out in. plenty of of reviews of the X-Mids (which I have x2 and are great) but sounds like you want self-supporting. 

b

I'd point you in the direction of the Durston X tents, specifically for your requirements the X-Dome 2. 

https://durstongear.com/products/x-dome-2-ultralight-tent

Very strong, very light, ideal for conditions you would want to be out in. plenty of of reviews of the X-Mids (which I have x2 and are great) but sounds like you want self-supporting. 

b

Everyone else is wrong, just buy a good tough bivvy bag. A bit lighter and you can't snap poles you don't have to begin with.

I’ve got the Terra Nova Superlite. Have camped in some god awful conditions in Iceland and Cairngorms.

Although as others have said its foolhardy to risk gale force winds and i can’t see many tents surviving that (other than expedition tents which are certainly not lightweight).

I think it the OP really wanted to sleep (that won't happen!) on exposed tops in gale force winds, the only sensible option is this, a tied-down bivi bag, or one of those poled bivi bags that are really low. Anything else is asking for an expensive mistake, or worse.

I'm interested... What price?

I'd also recommend a secondhand Akto. They are bombproof, not too heavy and have a very livable space inside.

If I was thinking of summit camps in poor weather I’d want to be in a Hilleberg…..you may have to up the budget though for a good 2nd hand one….

Drop me a pm and I can come back to you with pics and details. 

I have a Hubba Hubba NX 2, but find it a little cool, with most of the inner being mesh. Need my fattest sleeping bag to cope. These tents are designed for USA backcountry, not Scottish winter.
I also have a MSR Access 2, which is a lot warmer, and heavier and much more robust.
I have tried combing the NX2 outer with the Access inner, which works, but a bit baggy inside.
NX 2 is amazingly light and small to pack. I need to do the maths as to the lightest combination of tent and sleeping bag.

Looks excellent, I am a Durston fan, their stuff is great and not ridiculously expensive. I've recently got a set of Iceline poles which are the business.

Worth reading this series of articles: https://slowerhiking.com/shelter/tents-in-strong-wind-what-you-need-to-know

Ever tried to use your Access's side pole instead of your Hubba's short roof pole? With sewing on a few loops for it, perhaps?

I'll take a look at that thanks.

I liked this, in part 3:

"Some vloggers – those UK men again – head into storms for fun, with riveting, ridiculous or hilarious footage for us to enjoy."

if you don't want to pay more than a car for a tent..

Naturehike Cloud Up 2:  youtube.com/watch?v=9CcW6MwSWqY&

ASSlso in that part was a pertinent quote from Hilleberg:

“You have to determine the lowest level of strength you are willing to accept. A good approach is to think about what ‘light weight’ is for what you will be doing: that metric is different for someone who spends a majority of time in big mountains, above tree line,  in all seasons and in all weather conditions, than it is for someone who stays in forested, rolling terrain in the summer. In general, the lighter the tent, the less features it will have and so, consequently, the less comfort it will offer – and possibly the less security it will give you in adverse conditions. Extra strength and security ‘costs’ weight, and if you need it, then you need it.”

I have a Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 2. I love it, have used it extensively wild camping and was in it this weekend for the GL3D. It weighs just over a kilo, has two doors and porches for real 2 person living, loads of pockets or organizing stuff and is pretty good in the wind (surprisingly). It's also pretty thin material, potentially quite fragile and would not be suitable for a summit camp in high wind.

Pick your weapon for the fight you've started.....

I have a couple of Terra Nova tents(Laser and Pioneer) and have always been utterly fine through really rubbish weather. I also have a BA fly creek, which has stood up in some pretty punchy winds but you do spend the night convinced it won't. As others say, if you want durable and something that feels solid then it won't be as light as a midges fart.

If you are camping on rocky ground then consider how reliant the tent will be on the perfect pitch.

I'm off to Scotland in about ten days' time. I have an Akto, but I'm going with my daughter, and  we're thinking of sleeping in my van, in bunk houses, and hopefully bothys. Yet we may sleep in a tent. So I'm wondering if the Akto is big enough for the two of us at a squeeze/for a short while.

Somewhere I have a lesser single man tent, but so far I have not discovered it, but if I do, then we each have a single man tent. 

Otherwise another thought is to consider buying a 2 man Durston (I'm right that the Pro is a single skin tent?  If so, then I want the 2 skin version, which is not the Pro?). If I ordered now, is there likelihood of being able to pay for faster shipping, in order to arrive in time? In other words, do they have even a basic distribution setup in the UK, with some stored new tents?

I hear the humble Decathlon pop up tent is all the rage in Patagonia. Doesn’t make for a peaceful night but the flexible poles bend in the howling gales where others snap. 

The pro has a dynema fly.

https://valleyandpeak.co.uk/collections/durston-gear

're both sleeping in the akto.... depends on the size of the daughter. You may well struggle to get 2 mats suse by side, I'd expect quite some overlap. 

suorised to see no mention of the wild country quasar . For many years it was the go to four season tent in this country . Totally bomb proof . I never replaced mine after it went missing in its way to India and still hang my nose over one .  Another good choice for poor weather is the north face tadpole . All the alpkit tents are incredibly good value and I struggle to see any reduction in quality between them and tents at twice the price. For poor weather I have a tetri , for better weather a viso 2.The tents are often on sale . As above , planning to go out in really poor weather is for silly sausages. 

Maybe things have improved but for a while there was a huge dip in Terra Nova/Wild Country's reliability and customer service. To the extent that I wrote them off entirely when considering a new tent.

If you are implying that the Pro is of an inner tent plus a fly, then you are incorrect:

"It combines our maximally weight efficient and stormworthy X-Mid geometry with Dyneema® composite fabrics (DCF) and a singlewall design to create a tent that is both incredibly light and incredibly capable." This is what Durston themselves have on their website.

I was thinking of buying one, but there was a bad review from somebody who had one, and got fairly wet in consistent rain.

I also forgot initially to thank you for the link. Thank you

Yes, there are, but not with your budget I suspect.  If weight is a big thing for you then tunnels win hands down, however they're fussier with wind and need to be well pitched. Silnylon also has the annoying habit of stretching when wet, so a Hilleberg tunnel pitched in the dry that gets wet when a squall comes through suddenly becomes a noisy flapping thing.  As suggested upthread, going secondhand may well be the best option, but I'd want to inspect before buying.

Yes Pro is single skin, Mid is fly and inner. I think they only ship from Canada and you may have to pay import tax. They are fabulous tents.

I bought my Kaitum2 in 2012 for ~£600, they're £1270 now :-O. Seems crazy, but a doubling in 10 years equates to 7% each year. Not bad when you compare to house price rises, but still above inflation which would make it just under £900 now.

The Pros are all single skin DCF models. Spacious, but prone to condensation.

The X-Mid and X-Domes are double wall models and (for my money) more useful as a result - in UK or NZ conditions. 

They all come in 1P and 2P variants - there's also a 2+ DCF model.

I have no idea about lead ins for shipping - the X-Dome 2 has only just been released and I think there's a limited supply line. Certainly with my X-Mids they came to NZ quickly, but I didn't have to deal with customs etc. If you ask on the FB page you will likely get some pointers as to import duties and times currently. They are a friendly bunch!

If I was in the market for another tent I'd buy an X-Dome 2 for sure

b

Ah! Apologies, saw the mesh in the picture and assumed it was a fill inner tent.

You're going to have to back up wild claims like that with some evidence. A Banshee has never knowingly failed in the wild. 

It's a little known fact that they're actually the tent used on the higher camps up Mt Everest. Due to sponsorship issues, they have Mountain Hardwear logos stuck to them but if you look closely you'll see that they're Vangos. 

what about a custom made quasar with a my little pony unicorn print on the inner ?

https://www.terra-nova.co.uk/products/expedition-quasar/?srsltid=AfmBOorNdc...

Ive got the Terra Nova Voyager (non lightweight) and have camped in some pretty crappy conditions, including on the top of Pillar in what can only be described as a wind tunnel.

Did it survive? Yes, with flying colours.

Would I do it again? Never in a month of Sundays

Let us know please. I've been thinking about such a Hubba/Elixir mod before, as it could add quite a bit of stiffness to it, but don't have access to Access pole myself (ahem, pun not intended). Ta.

Should have secured the colours more robustly...

I’m 6’+ and shared my Akto with someone who was 5’0”. Both of us are/were skinny. It was ok for a few nights, but you have to be very good friends. It’s not really a 2 person tent, maybe think of it as a 1+1. 

Ah, AI. “You look like you want shelter from the weather on a mountain. Have you considered buying a house?”

I predict someone trying to sell roof tents fairly soon  

b

In reply to FredoN:

Ahh the wild camping freedom of sitting on top of a car in a crap filled layby! The glamour! The romance! Truly an unparalleled outdoor exerperance.

Also look at European manufacturers - VauDe, Helsport, Nordisk, Wechsel, Fjallraven, Frilufts etc.  Plenty of good gear out there we don't see in the UK.

For latecoming readers, the 'roof tents' comments refer to a now-deleted post that looked like it was an AI bot, suggesting a roof tent would be a good match for a lightweight tent for summit-top camping...

Thank you..!

For what ... ?

A lifetime of F1 memories?

good suggestion

i'v got a vango banshee 200, at 2.5 kg,, not lightest but good enough in wind,, a bit tight for 2 but a great 1 man tent.. easy to put up as well,,

The thing is, that's twice the weight (and a bit more) cf the modern leading tents. And some poor sod gets to put their head at the low end, and the one at the back has to climb over the front one in the night for a pee. Definitely better value but personally I'd go a bit lighter on the tent and take more food or a warmer sleeping bag out of season. Or a fresh pair of duds!

b