Tents

Yes, it is also my understanding that 360 degrees is an Outdoor Warehouse brand manufactured in China. I didn't think to ask the Boksburg store manager what will become of the brand, but I guess it may just disappear altogether. Others more in the know on the forum like Captain and Blaker may be able to give more accurate answers on this than me.

The manager did also mention things along the lines of mnt_tiska's remarks on the better availability of parts using a local manufacturer like FA, and also indicated that FA would look at all the 360 degree tents and try to improve on them, although I couldn't notice that this has happened yet.

I am in the market for another tent, but am looking to be around or under 2 kg, hence my intention to verify the weight of the Cool Mountain II. I never owned a Cool Mountain II, but spent a lot of time sharing one with my hiking buddy Ruan who did, and know and hike with others who do, and really can testify that it's a good tent. At the moment I still easily carry a tent weighing 3kg+ alone (and a 20kg+ pack), but feel that I would like my next tent to be a lot lighter than 2.9 kg.

Damn - this is becoming more and more of a nightmare. I have narrowed my list down to 2 discontinued tents!

the cool mountain 2 and the E3 endurance.

I looked at the E3 summit today but its just too heavy at 5kg, and while its spacious for 3 i think I would prefer a 2 man

so drifters have the E3 endurance at 2999 and OW the cool mountain at 2000....but my OW does not. It being completely discontinued makes me nervous so I am leaning towards the E3 endurance (despite it also being discontinued)...anyone got one and comments on that...or should i just find a cool mountain and hope it doesn't have a pole breaking catastrophe

I was in Drifters yesterday, also talking tents, and was told that E3 have no tent stock at all and are no longer making tents, so it's not impossible that they may also be going out of existence.

Which only complicates your decision further Stretch....

tonymarshall wrote: I was in Drifters yesterday, also talking tents, and was told that E3 have no tent stock at all and are no longer making tents, so it's not impossible that they may also be going out of existence.

Which only complicates your decision further Stretch....

E3 are sourcing/providing/selling Vango tents apparently

drifters cape town told me they have the endurance in stock....

Stretch wrote:

Andrew..you say you sleep diagonally - is that by choice? or by the fact that you have to because you wouldn't fit otherwise.

I slept corner to corner because I could, it was more comfortable; I'm pretty sure I could sleep straight if needed, but may then touch the tent inner and would have to be careful in the wet, but with two in the tent that would apply to the sides too.

Sorry that I have added to the confusing info about the weight of the CM II, when I get home on Saturday I will weigh all the parts again and amend my post. In order to 'add lightness' and improve performance in the wind it may be viable to source better/lighter poles and/or pegs. But sub-2kg is probably out of reach.

I bought my CM II at OW Bloemfontein, as I happened to be there when it was on sale. They had a lot in stock (like12-15), not sure what their turnover is like so they may be worth calling. I seem to remember that they also had the 3-person Summit but by then I was set on a 2-person.

Some more feedback on the 360 degree and Cool Mountain II tents, after some further discussion with the Outdoor Warehouse Boksburg Manager, Niki Smit, today:

There are 50 to 60 of the Cool Mountain II tents remaining, with most in the Gauteng Branches, Rustenburg, Witbank and Bloemfontein branches. There are none in KZN or Western Cape, although arrangements could be made to transfer stock to those areas if the buyer is willing to pay a small courier fee. I personally saw these stock figures on the store computer system.

Niki undertook to find out more about the future of 360 degree tents and advise me per email, and I will post any response I receive on this thread. Only the 360 degree tent range is affected, not the 360 degree clothing and accessories ranges.

im almost about to buy a cool mountain or e3 endurance I think...just concerned about what happens if you need poles replaced at some point. I guess you could get an engineering firm to assist you if necessary.

maybe I should put it to a vote.. e3 vs 360 vs neither

Stretch - it is possible to make up your own ali poles from generic spares, as I found out with the 360 replacements I needed. Although 360 was still in comms with OW when I asked last December, my model of tent was older than the new model of tent and the new model didn't have the same poles. That meant spares weren't available, they said. Worse than software updates. So even if 360 were staying alive as a tent brand, its a moot point about the availability of spares. Brands come and go these days at the middle end of the market thanks to globalisation, China, shipping containers and the general inability of most people to make stuff. If North Korea nuked their neighbours by mistake, we'd only survive for a few weeks before everything broke or ran out.

mnt_tiska wrote: Stretch - it is possible to make up your own ali poles from generic spares, as I found out with the 360 replacements I needed. Although 360 was still in comms with OW when I asked last December, my model of tent was older than the new model of tent and the new model didn't have the same poles. That meant spares weren't available, they said. Worse than software updates. So even if 360 were staying alive as a tent brand, its a moot point about the availability of spares. Brands come and go these days at the middle end of the market thanks to globalisation, China, shipping containers and the general inability of most people to make stuff. If North Korea nuked their neighbours by mistake, we'd only survive for a few weeks before everything broke or ran out.

consumerism...my pet hate