Tents

Thanks Chris

That 800g dirigo 2 looks interesting, quite expensive when paying with Rands though.

I recently purchased this one  www.snugpak.com/outdoor/scorpion-2   It is a tight fit for two people, great for one and it does tend to blend in with the environment which is great for keeping a low profile.

It's unfortunately time to put my Cadac Isotec into retirement. It has served me well in some harsh berg conditions over the years, but recently the floor has been leaking. I have tried sealing the seams to no avail, hence I'm looking for a replacement. 

Some Requirements:

* 4-Season Double wall -- Concerned with condensation at lower elevations during summer trips in the berg, as with most single wall tents.
* Lightweight -- I'm looking for something below 3kg. I know this is a tall order for 4-season double wall.
* Size -- 2 person assault style, small footprint
* Freestanding and geodesic design-- Not looking for dome tents as the footprint will be to large.
* Vestibule 

The FA Helios fits the criteria, but I'm not all that keen on our local brands, the large unsupported sidewall also has me concerned. I'm basically looking for a BD Eldorado but in double wall as I'm concerned about condensation. The BD Fitzroy, North Face Mountain 25 and Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 are to heavy, although they are bombproof. The MSR Fury 2 would have been perfect but it has been discontinued. Have looked into Vango but I'm not keen on the neutral colors offered. Hillenberg is a bit out of my budget at this stage.

I have come across the Nemo Kunai  which is exactly what I want, although I cannot find reviews on it. At the price its going for I'm not keen to take a gamble.  

I'm looking for advice on what might work for me or someone that has experience with NEMO tents?

Thanks in Advance 

Check out Lightwave tents: www.lightwave.uk.com/products/tents/lightwave-tents

So my 360 degrees lightweight 2 tent finally died after 11 years of use from Bike trips to high berg winds.
Not bad for a cheapy tent.
After a lot of looking around I finally settled on a First Ascent helio2.
Only got it last week so haven't got to use it in anger yet.... hopefully in December.

After a quick test pitch I have to say that it is quite an impressive tent and nicely made.
Slightly heavier than my modified lightweight 2 by ~400g but happy with the weight for solo trips.
Very quick and easy to pitch.

I've been testing the Mountain Laurel Designs Duomid XL pyramid tent, here is a picture of it on the escarpment. Held up very nicely under some extreme force winds, that almost floored another different model of tent.   mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/duomid-xl/

Anyone here tried or heard of the Lanshan 2 Ultralight tents? Reviews on youtube look good, they say its basically a copy of the Zpacks Duplex but at a much better price. It uses your hiking poles instead of having its own poles which saves a lot on weight, is there any reason why it might be an issue that its not freestanding? I hike mostly in the Drakensberg but have mostly overnighted in caves, is there much likelihood of finding the ground too hard to properly stake a tent lke this?
Its very light at about 1.2kg for 2 person (600g each if you split it with a friend) and only $120 with free shipping, so i imagine with import duties its likely to come to about R2000, which is in line with the first ascent 2 person tents locally available but those are significantly heavier.

Review:  www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/8em34m/a_closer_look_at_the_3f_ul_gear_lanshan_2_tent/
  

Buy Link:
www.aliexpress.com/item/32807461103.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.529b1da1sIhKcE&s=p&algo_pvid=b9e59ffd-dad3-4355-9758-800d67ef5d07&algo_expid=b9e59ffd-dad3-4355-9758-800d67ef5d07-2&btsid=22e123be-badc-4bd9-93bf-1d1c0771d752&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_8,searchweb201603_53

Here is a an interesting new ultralight tent, REI Flash Air 2, a hybrid double wall/single wall design.  1kg if you use your trekking poles (instead of the included poles) and currently on sale at a great price of $208, with free international shipping.  buy it here

Great review by Adventure Alan:   here 

I have ordered one, if anyone is interested, I'll post a review, once received, and used after lockdown.

Chris

Have you looked at the MSR Access? It should fit your criteria but may be expensive to get in SA..

oh, I also have an Ahwahnee tent by BD which is similar to the Eldorado in weight but has much better ventilation and works well even a low altitude. It's bomber too (I traded my Fitzroy for it so I know what bomber is!) and with the add on vestibule it's amazingly comfortable. 

The only down side is packing size but your can remedy that with a compression sack..