Tents

I have a 3 man K way treklite (2 ppl and kit). It has held up pretty well in the Berg, keeps the rain and snow out, although I havent used it in strong winds.
It works for me and is a reasonable price...

Just a little factoid: The Isodome design phase incorporated proper wind-tunnel tests conducted by the CSIR / WNNR and the design speed was 150km/h winds, if I recall correctly.

Also of interest, MSR also incorporate windtunnel tests with their tent designs. A result is also the rolls royce priced space-craft looking MSR Wind tents (have a look on the findmeatent link posted earlier.

In the early days when they just started out MSR did not have wind tunnel facilities, they just pitched the tents on a flat bed truck and hit the highway...

I once saw a videoclip of a tent comparison test, where they tested tree tents and brought in the fire-brigade to blast the tents with a firehose at full throttle and full volume! Spectacular! Has anybody else seen that clip or have a link to it?

I saw a clip recently on Youtube where they tested 4 tents in a car wash with jet sprayers, testing which was the most water- and wind-proof. If I remember the sprayers simulated winds of up to 160 - hmmm was it km/h or mph??? Wasn't an especially useful clip, the tents seem to be American brands that we would struggle to get here. The Black Diamond one came up trumps, and the Valhalla was the dud. the I bet the fire-hose clip would be a lot more entertaining!

Hi Guys

Been out of it for a while, but back in business. Good topic, as in SA we are sometimes short of quality equipment (try good boots, for instance). If you are looking for quality and you've got bucs - Bibler is very good. But if the bucs or lack thereof is a problem, use E3 - well priced and my Summit has took a lot of hammering. Easy to pitch, roomy enough with two doors and lighter than the Isodome (in which I've accomodated 8 people in a storm!). The Isodome is heavy for mountaineering, but the space and stability is worth it. You can even buy a ground sheet for the e3 seperate to save wear and tear on the tent's floor and spares are available from RAM Mountaineering.

I love my Isodome (Spelonk) and we've camped everywhere, from Wimbledon pavements to Fangs Pass, but the ease and weight of the Summit (Langalibalele) makes it my tent of choice. Also compact footprint to enable you to camp in more places.

For anyone interested:
www.mammothoutdoor.co.za/
which is based in CT, is having a 10% off all tents special during Jan.

just to let everyone though that Hilleberg Tents are now available in SA. I have secured the agency and can be contacted on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any queries

regards
Nigel

I bought the e3 echo 2 man tent not so long ago. I have only used it for 3 nights in the lower berg and when i got back home i noticed the seems on the floor had started to split. Drifters sent it in for repairs and i got it back looking like they just siliconed the split seem. I am in two minds at the moment if a want to sell it off and invest in something better or keep it. Lately I have been using my partners Mountain Hardware hammerhead 2 and its stood up pretty well, but weighs in at 3.2 Kgs.

Im planning a few Berg hikes during winter (havent been in winter b4) and I want something a bit lighter and more trustworthy.Id like to do a hike solo as wel hence the weight issue. I was looking at the Northface Tadpole at 1.9 Kgs (R2400) and the guys at Drifters recomend the Bd Mirage at the same weight(R3200).The BD tent has serious mesh just worried about that cold wind What would the more experienced hiker opt for? any advice would be great?

In noticed on most three season tents the rating has been between 1500-2000mm for the fly and the bucket (MSR , NF & Mhardware ) but E3 has a 5000-6000mm rating? how accurate is the E3 Rating? im having my doubts about them

Mike i have the black diamond Mesa,the weight is 2.1kg and it is a two man tent though,so far in the berg we have been in it with a lot of rain and it has been very good,it still has to pass the wind test,as the poles don't slide in sheaths the are fast clip on, which is very nice especially if you are one your own.

Hey there Mike hope you doing well, im new on this site and saw your post about tents, not sure if you have bought one yet, i have a number of tents and included in that number i have the Tadpole and its an amazing tent, you cant go wrong with the north face.
However i needed a new tent a couple of years back and was looking around for one, i had a look at outdoor warehouse at what they have and 360 degree have got a tent called the cool mountain II extreme, very skeptical i decided to try it so i bought it, its a 4 season tent and i tell you what it come up the mountain more than my tadpole, i have it in every kind of weather that the berg can throw at you and its taking everything with a smile.

they go for about R1500, which is a good price for a 4 season, i would say give it a go you will not be disappointed with it

I also own a cool mountaine xtreme 2. Been in some pretty spectacular weather too. Its always done very well, no problems! I've had my ground sheet floating and was still able to stay dry. The side entrances are very useful for storing wet muddy gear.