Tents

@ Diverian
Thanks for that info. I have just purchased a North Face Storm Break 2 and very happy with its quality considering it cost only R3350.00 from Bush & Bundu, Pietermaritzburg. The First Ascent tent I was looking at was too short for my body length. The only negative was that the Noth Face tent came with 8 steel tent pegs and the tent has 14 peg positions....so I had to borrow 14 lighter aluminium pegs from another tent.

So I have been following different gear reviews on reddit.
Some guy found a copy of the big agnes ul2 on Aliexpress.
The reviews are promising and the tent weighs 1.5kg

www.aliexpress.com/item/New-Fashion-2-Person-Tent-20D-Silicone-Fabric-Tent-Double-layer-Camping-Tent-Lightweight-Only-1/32319955217.html

Hey peeps

Apparently I can't catch any sleep so I am catching up with the forum. This particular thread has been quiet for a few weeks but I would love to add my bit if I may. I see the name First Ascent come up a few times. My opinion based mostly on actual usage.

With regards to the FA gaiters... I agree they are not great but they will offer you just about the R250 value you paid for. Only really good for keeping dirt out your boots. I would not trust the waterproofing on it when the conditions really worsen. Very basic low cost design. In SA people like low-cost. I had a pair which I donated to a grateful porter after a single day's use.

On the tents... the very first FA tent was the Traverse 2 Plus. This tent was started when the Performance Tested Gear was still exactly that, BEFORE going to the market. So it performed really well and was cleverly designed. Was designed by a guy called Ferdi and tested by a few people, including me. Tweaked a few times prior to producing. Yet way overpriced initially hence they had to drop the price.

The original Snow Dog is a seriously good tent and we got some clever unique features added to it. Again tested in the Berg, the Himalayas to some extent, Kilimanjaro etc. Proper 4-season expedition tent but for some obscure reason the final production decided to use really bad zips. At the original price tag of R6000 this seemed silly. It never sold and the price had to be dropped by R2500 I think. I doubt it will be repeated.

The current range of cheaper FA tents I am not a fan of. There is one that seems decent enough (Lunar I think) but I guess at those prices South Africa's "top technical brand" are not that focussed on key technical aspects. Volume is what counts in retail.

I took a group of "tannies" to Mafadi about 3 months ago and they all had their own kit. I was told all the kit was tried and tested over many years of hiking and given some examples during planning. All good and on our pre-hike briefing we checked all the kit as you should and I was impressed. The only kit I didn't open were the two brand new First Ascent Starlight 2 tents. I assumed it will be good as it read First Ascent. BIG MISTAKE!! Supposedly the same tent, they looked different when taken out the bag. The guy rope attachments and stitch lines were different on two tents of the same model. And on both the design is silly. Straight from a standard Chinese production line with what seems like little or no design thought. It cannot handle any wind (as in nothing). Perfect for backyard camping. I have no idea what it costs but is probably worth maybe R800 in my humble opinion.

Lesson learnt... don't trust brands because of past reputations. I have not used the other new tents in the FA range and cannot comment on those. But I really doubt if I will. One tent that has made an impression is the fairly new K-way Nerolight (I think that's the name). Seems proper for the money you pay. Not affected by wind much and a "warm" tent. Good price tag as well and worth exploring. Had one in the Berg with a group in strong wind conditions and cold weather over 5 days and it grafted beautifully.

The MSR Elixir Tents are really nice like most MSR products are. Keep in mind though that the reason the cost is lower on these is because it is a toned down version of the Hubba range. Better value for money is available but these are really cool. I have used an Elixir 2 and for most SA conditions it will be very good. In very high winds on the Berg the Kway Nerolight will do better I believe and at probably about R1k less. And my other concern is the local distributors of MSR who don't really have a great recent reputation for service. Or maybe that was just my experience. I believe Mr Ward is no longer involved?

And at some outdoor shops you can now purchase the Outdoor Elements range. 4 different models for various applications. Reality is if you are incredibly weight conscious these are not for you. If you dig value for money these are a great choice. Very strong and durable fabrics and pole designs (which I prefer to saving 500gr), full footprints included and spacious. And the brand owners are in Stellenbosch so backup is available. Have used all 4 but I must add not in very heavy Berg winds. Worth having a look though...

On the topic of weight... always remember that the weight quoted on the product will always be the minimum packed weight. In other words, the weight combined of everything you need to simply make the tent stand. So the complete tent will always be slightly heavier than what you read on the packaging and this is the same approach regardless of brand name. I noticed that some (more transparent) brands are actually starting to print it that way by quoting the Min Packed Weight.

In closing I am keen to know if anyone on this forum have used the range of Vango tents that are on our market now. Would love some feedback... I think RAM distributes it. The lower cost tents really look lower cost, but the higher spec and more expensive models seem really nice and strong.

I used a MSR Elixir 2 on a trip to Mnweni and I was very impressed by it, but the wind did give some problems and I had to make sure it was well staked and tied down and pitched so that it could cut better into the wind as the sides is not as low as the K-Way Neolite. Very roomy inside and I could get my bag packed inside the tent without a problem due to its clever design and use of the side walls.

I see I'm not the only one who has been disappointed by FA. I will disagree with the statement that you can't trust a brand reputation though. I think that brands are built on reputation in the outdoor industry and over the past 20 years that I have been buying gear I have learned to trust abd return to the brands that prove themselves to me.

Brands that I have learned to trust:
The North Face
Marmot
Mountain Equipment
Patagonia
Black Diamond
MSR
Mountain Hardwear
Bibler (now BD)
Osprey

Having used multiple items from each of these brands over lengthy periods I keep going back. I'm sure people have had their disappointments with them but I have had exceptional performance from each in tough conditions.

I just bought the Vango Helix 100 1 man tent from Drifters. The specs are great, weighs about 1.6kg, 5000mm flysheet... but that is all on the bag, which might mean something else entirely on the 'berg... Taking it on a 3 day Cathedral Peak area trip in two weeks. Will let you know.

What did it set you back and can we get a pic of it set up?

New on the forum... so first post.

With regards to the Vango tents. I have an Omega 350 as a car camping tent.
They appear well made with well thought out features and reasonable quality fabrics.
The groundsheet does seem a bit on the thin side so I have always used a foot print.

The Omega is not really a mountain tent but has taken a beating in the wind and held it's own.

Vango has a more 4 season orientated range marketed under the name of Force Ten www.force-ten.co.uk/gb/13-tents

Of the current local "crop" available I would consider them if I was in the market for a new tent.

Thanks for the link.

I however have my eye on this @ takealot.com.

www.takealot.com/outdoor-elements-sunny-1-man-tent-orange/PLID38439381

Anyone have knowledge or experience with OutdoorElements/Rocvan tents