Hi, can anyone offer advice on what tent to get for wet activations and Raynet use. Prices vary considerably, and not all “pop-up” quickly. or pack away sharpish.
Thanks
In reply to M6PEW:
Liz, that’s a difficult question. For personal experience and talking to many of my hillwalking (non-SOTA)) friends I’d reccommend you have a look at tents from Vango. Excellent products, excellent build quality and excellent company service.
The do some good rucksacks too.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to M6PEW:
Hi,
I’m not going to make any specific recommendations but the following
points might guide you in your choice.
-
Weight. You can get a number of cheap lightweight tents worth considering
that fall in the 2-3Kg range. For a longer stay something like a Vango
force 10 at 6Kg+ might suit but is too much for one individual to carry far
comfortably. -
Can you easily attach it in, on or under your rucksack? I guess, you
won’t want to be carrying things in your hands. You dont want to have
a large pop-up tent strapped to your back when the wind picks up to
20mph+. Remember you may also be carrying a sleeping mat (recommended)
and sleeping bag. -
How waterproof is it actually? Most cheap tents are are just about
shower-proof. Once sodden, heavy rain driven by 20mph+ winds will get
through most fabrics in the end. Consider applying your own water
proofing agents periodically. Also consider the quality of the ground
sheet. -
How easy is it to put up? In the wind? In cold weather? In the dark? I’d
say it needs to be a one woman/man operation. Look for a tent with separate
inner and outer. It’s useful to be able to pitch the outer first in
heavy rain. -
How well made is it? Are you up to doing repairs when zips go etc?
-
Cost. Backpacking enthusiasts are prepared to pay silly money just to
lose the last few grams of weight. As we tend to be carrying batteries
radios etc. anyway this is perhaps not so important a consideration for
us. To paraphrase the old adage: Cheap, light, waterproof - choose two.
The Go-outdoors chain is a reasonable place to start and reasonably priced.
To be honest any sort of tent (except perhaps a pop-up one) is going to be
luxury compared to trying to keep out of the wind and the rain under a
bivvy/bothy bag.
73
Rick.
In reply to M0RCP:
Weight. You can get a number of cheap lightweight tents worth
considering
that fall in the 2-3Kg range. For a longer stay something like a
Vango
force 10 at 6Kg+ might suit but is too much for one individual to
carry far
comfortably.Can you easily attach it in, on or under your rucksack? I guess,
you
won’t want to be carrying things in your hands. You dont want to
have
a large pop-up tent strapped to your back when the wind picks up to
20mph+. Remember you may also be carrying a sleeping mat
(recommended)
and sleeping bag.
Forty years ago I backpacked with a Vango Force 10 mk 2 - the orange cotton version, the lightweight green nylon ones came out later. I weathered a storm near the summit of Carnedd Dafydd one night whilst backpacking the Welsh 14 3,000’s, and can verify that it was a terrific tent that stood hard use for about 15 years before being retired. I know the orange cotton Force 10s are still made, though they cost silly money nowadays, and consider the two smallest ones as good summit tents and quite back-packable.
I agree that a pop-up tent would be a poor choice, but a small double-skinned igloo-type tent would give plenty of room for an overnight activation…in a sheltered nook and double-guyed!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to MM0FMF:
Hi all.
It’s Paul asking, not me.
Thanks anyway.
Liz
In reply to M6PEW:
As Andy says you could do a lot worse than Vango, looking at website their expedition range is what you might want to look at. Generally Vango tents are really quite good and easy to put up, offer excellent value for money and give a lot of the premium brands a good run for their money.
I’ve a Vango Spirit amongst my tent collection and have had it on top of WS-088 & WS-102 overnight amongst its many nights out(photos somewhere on the flickr page). It’s not quite the same as the current model as it doesn’t have the extended porch so it’s lighter and easier to put up. I’d personally avoid the tempest model, it’s not quite so intuitive or quick to put up as many others.
As Rick says, the ability to pitch outer first is a rather useful attribute, if you can find something that you can leave the inner attached as well so it all goes up in one smooth step then that’ll save you plenty of time. Someone will no doubt tell you to separate them etc etc when packing away but I never have and haven’t seen any issues yet.
Have a think about how you’ll use the tent, 2 side doors might be more useful than a single door at one end if there is more than one of you in it.
Another UK brand which not a lot of folks have heard of is Saunders - google is your friend. I used to have a jetpacker, very light, stayed up in a gale but rather awkward to get into/out off. Ease of getting in/out might be important in bad weather.
Worth having a look around on various websites as if you have an idea what you want and brand spanking new with labels isn’t important there’s often stuff for sale on UKC/outdoor magic/ebay that is almost new at a much nicer price.
For interest, on the force ten subject I’ve also an old Vango Force Ten type which I think might be from before there was a Vango Force Ten, it’s a Blacks of Greenock tent, looks just like a orange force 10 but its blue and the outer is open at one end but it has a bespoke huge porch. No way I’d ever try and carry it up a hill, light it is not. I inherited it and put it up in the garden I couldn’t figure out why it looked familiar until I remembered the Force 10, currently haven’t managed to persuade myself to off load it, it’ll come in handy one day I am sure.
Anyway, I’ll go and make some tea before i bore everyone.
Iain, MM3WJZ
In reply to MM3WJZ:
I made my own tent from tarpaulin, slate batten, plastic tube, gaffa tape and cord. The size is 700mm700mm1000mm so it is comfortable for one person to sit in with two at push. It is a windbreak for UKAC, see http://carconline.blogspot.co.uk/ for a picture. It was made from scraps so cost next to nothing.
In reply to G4VFL:
Luxury, I used to dream of living in a …
Sorry, I cant help myself.
Mike G0HIO
In reply to M6EPW:
It’s Paul asking, not me. Thanks anyway.
Liz
LOL! I recall calling you Paul the first time we spoke on air. I obviously wasn’t listening that carefully! Maybe one of you need to move up a licence class. 
73, Gerald G4OIG
In reply to M6EPW:
Hi…
We’re doing some activations in Scotland later in the year and this is going to involve a hike over several days, camping rough in a tent.
I’ve bought a Coleman avoir x3 for this, and we’ve made several “test” camps and it’s excellent. Not that quick to put up but very simple and good specs for water resistance and the like. At under 3kg it’s very light too. I got mine from “Charlie’s direct” - reduced to 60 odd quid.
The best thing is that I’m 6’ and can just sit upright inside!
Rob
In reply to M6EPW:
I’ve spent some time looking back and forwards over this thread trying to make sense of what you said Liz till I’ll stopped and read the callsigns slowl*y. Oops! A thousand apolgies, Effendi! I’m going to blame it on these new varifocals…
A dude in our contest group has a Blacks of Greenock “Vango Force 10”. He used it for 45years before retiring it a few yesrs back. He said he always ensured he cleaned and dried it out properely before packing it away which was why it lasted so long. And he did actually walk with it but only when he was 40 years younger. He retired it as the years of exposure to UV had finally weakened the fabric. He uses some modern plastic thing now… the contest site doesn;t look the same without the faded orange tent amongst the others.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
A friend of mine in the climbing club who is over 80 and still regularly goes mountaineering, skiing and rock climbing(!) has a Blacks “Good Companions” which at a rough guess is over 50 years old (it was already old when I first went on a meet with him in 1974) though he doesn’t use it so much nowadays. They built to last in those days. I reckon now that if I get ten years out of a tent I am doing well, but if I was daft enough to spend £310 on a Vango Force ten Mk3 it would well outlast me!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G4OIG:
Hi Gerald,
Yes I remember that too. Even more confusing in the Lakes as there is another couple of operators with very similar call signs also, so heaven help everybody if all three of us operate from summits on the same day
I believe Paul has now got his intermediate licence so hopefully that will help matters.
Liz