Tents

With all the caves and huts in the country do we even need a tent 

True story! I'm only using a tent on 1 out of 5 hikes over the last few years. This year I haven't used either of my tents..

I have a Rab Alpine bivy and it's perfect for the berg

I pretty much only use my tent in summer when there is a higher probability of rain. I hate sleeping in the wet. As ASL says, bivvies are mostly fine for the berg. I use them in snow and wind, no problem. Wet, no, won't be fun.

So to answer the question of whether we even need tents with all the caves and shelters available in the berg, my answer is yes, when the available shelters are occupied or full. Or if you can't find them due to seriously inclement weather. The problem is, you don't know when this will be, so I always take some form of shelter along. ALWAYS, just to be safe

@Intrepid,

I've done a bit af tarp camping in the berg, mostly in the lower berg. Not quite convinced my silnylon tarp will survive the big escarpments winds. Maybe I should try it out . I ALWAYS take my bivvy along when I tarp camp, just in case it becomes a kite, but also due to the very real possibility that water can come in below, and it does, as it is open at the bottom. Been in the rain with it and yes, it keeps the water off you quite well. In my opinion the comfort rating in rain is as follows:
- bivvy only, crappy, you are in for a long and uncomfortable night
- bivvy and tarp, the better option. It won't stop water from below, but since you are in the bivvy it doesn't matter as you can operate out of the rain under the tarp. Unless it becomes a kite
- Tent, comfy, dry, the best option in the rain.

For the above reasons I take my tent in rainy weather, and the bivvy only or bivvy and tarp when no rainfall is predicted. Caves are always a good fallback option.

Regarding a large footprint, there are many methods to pitch your tarp and you can increase or decrease the footprint based on the shape you require.

The biggest "problem" for me with tarps is that I don't practice enough how to fold them, so when you are in the berg and the wind picks up and it starts raining, trying to figure out how to pitch the tarp is, to say it nicely, problematic, annoying, frustrating etc- you catch my drift. However, if you've practised how to pitch it (I now have 4 basic go to shapes I use) then the thing goes up quickly and easily.

For me the biggest benefits to taking a tarp rather than a tent is the following:
- weigh saving. My tarp weighs roughly 470g, the tent is 2,6kg
- the tarp packs waaaaaay smaller
- I can configure it in many ways, meaning I can pitch a shelter over my roof over rocks, bushes, rough ground etc, which a normal tent footprint wouldn't work.

The cons are simple - leaky at the bottom and the very real possibility of it becoming a pretty expensive kite. Armed with a 400g bivvy, I'm prepared to risk the cons as the benefits outweigh the cons, for me. For somebody else it might not work (and no, your wife will most likely not approve!) so be aware of what you are getting into with tarps before venturing into the berg with it.

Whichever option you prefer, enjoy the berg!!!

...my 2 cents as I was under that tarp with Riaan and Van in a rainstorm!

I was nervous about using a bivy and or a tarp after mainly camping in the high Berg for years. That said, my experience after being on an exposed slope in an emergency bivy under continuous rain was surprisingly dry and comfy (relative term). I also found that we were dry and comfy under the tarp at the base of Pins with no real negatives compared to a tent except not being able to sit up nicely to dress and pack in the morning. The rain did stop to allow us to do this in the open..

From my perspective the experience of really being 'out there' in the mountains feels a little wilder without a tent and if it's limited to a couple of nights it's well worth it. If the trip were much longer though, I think a tent is more comfortable.

I recommend you try it as it has definitely added to my enjoyment of the mountains!

I’m losing my mind trying to find the right tent.I wanted to buy the MSR Hubba Hubba or the Sea to Summit Telos TR2. But I just don’t feel they will withstand those Berg winds when the time comes.I was looking at those two from a weight and comfort point of view. But there’s no point in that of it collapsing on you in the night.Those are pricy tents. But the idea was a one-off purchase that would buy the best product and last a lifetime.And now I can’t decide. Looking at Vango now as an alternative.

I tend to take a different approach - start off with a reasonable budget option and then upgrade when necessary.

I've been using two Kway Nerolites (a two and three man) in the Berg for ~6 years now. They've seen plenty of wind and torrential rain without much issue - I was lazy and didn't velcro the fly to the pole intersections once at Giant's, during the night the wind started gusting properly and eventually bent one of the poles... but, we only noticed the next morning and it was easy to straighten (I should probably reinforce it with fiberglass tape or something, tho).

I used to think I'd probably upgrade, but at this point I don't have any reason to.

If you know you're going to be out there every weekend and will be expeditioning in more extreme environments then, sure, go for something more high-end. If you just need a hiking tent a couple of times a year for the Berg then I'd probably look at something like the First Ascent Lunar.

Most bomb proof in SA is the Sunseeker and later CADAC Isodome (3man)  or Isotech (2 ma) tents. But these are old and not in production andy more. Tough to get hold off in decent condition - if you get one - jump at it. They are not as light as newer tents but they are bombproof. You can upgrade to carbon poles which shaves off about 15% of the tenst weight from aluminium poles.

Closest international equivalent is a Hilleberg saivo ( hilleberg.com/eng/tent/black-label-tents/saivo/) but at $1675 not an affordable SA option.

From the locally available tents I would but the First Ascent Eclipse. Close to the Isodome design with better weight. Had one in our group recently and I was impressed enough to think that should my supply of Isodomes dry up I woudl go that route.

I own an MSR Huba-huba. Great little tent but when the wind goes shit your up the creek with no paddle. Camped with another MSR tent in the group a while back - brand new and the thing got destroyed in a heavy wind. MSR tents are vey good - for indoor camping.

@Bush,

I know the feeling!!! I've tried various overnighting methods, and here's how I do it and my views (others may differ).

I prefer sleeping in caves to tents. More space, more cozy, better atmosphere and definitely better at handling a gear explosion However, caves aren't always available and your overnight spot is fixed. For this reason I started using bivvies. You can literally fit them nearly anywhere - even in a footpath! They are great in winter, but once it gets cold you tend to go to bed earlier unless you have decent warm gear for spending time outside. Bivvies in caves are my no.1 preferred option, because not all caves offer great wind protection (or protection from driving rain). My bivvy has an event upper so breathability is usually not a problem. However, outside in rain they are miserable, so I rarely take them on summer hikes. I do have a lightweight tarp and have used that numerous times in the Berg - this gives you a bit of protection above the bivvy, mainly around your head. Since my tarp is a 3m x 3m I often wonder if it will withstand strong berg winds. It has once, pulled the tentpegs on us and didn't fly away because I fastened it to my backpack. But this event still lingers in my mind...

Recently I purchased a Vango 4 man storm shelter. This has a number of uses, but my thinking is to use it as a mini tent if it starts to rain, so we can cook and do stuff inside, and when it comes time to sleep we can put our sleeping bags inside our bivvies (our = me and my wife) and not get wet. Then, while still in the storm shelter we simply need to lie backward and we should have ample protection from any rain falling on our upper bodies and getting things wet. Granted, it may not be the most comfortable night, but we'll be out of the rain and wind.

The main reason for the bivvy approach is adaptability and weight. Bivvy = 500g, storm shelter = 610g, with the combined weight being less than half of my Hilleberg Nallo 3. I really like the Nallo 3 and it is absolutely bombproof, but at 2.6kg excl pegs it is still much heavier than the bivvy setup. Also, it is only 220cm tall, my bivvy is 250cm and at 1,97m tall I just simply don't fit properly into any tent.

I also have a Vango tent, can't remember the name of it but it's a 2 man tent. In reality it's really a spacious 1 man tent, so I've never used it in the berg. However, I've lent it out twice to people that joined us on Berg hikes and they were fine in some heavy winds. Vango tents are made in the UK and can withstand their weather, so it should perform pretty well in the Berg. I bought the Nallo 3 as my final tent for the berg. It should outlast me and can cope with any type of berg weather - day in and day out. I didn't want to be in a situation with my wife where our tent got destroyed in bad berg weather. You could take the approach of going for a cheaper tent and hoping it will survive the onslaught from the wind, but it will probably give up the ghost some time or another. It could be 10 years from now, but when it breaks you will be in for a bit of a rough night. As long as you are aware of this fact and are prepared for the possibility of your tent being destroyed, it should be fine. I would probably take this approach if I hiked alone, but I purchased the Nallo 3 when my wife and I were still relatively new Berg hikers and I didn't want to scare her away from the berg. She likes to bivvy these days, so my approach today would be different from when I first started hiking in the berg.

At the end of the day you need to buy whatever shelter meets your needs. Typically bomb-proof isn't the lightest or cheapest, so you need to prioritize what is most important to you. Bivvies is sort of the middle ground for me and suits my hiking style particularly well. However, when I know I'm in for a torrential downpour or heavy snow and there's no caves around, I pack my heavy but reliable Hilleberg.

Whichever option you go for - check the weather and plan so that you have options if things go south.

Enjoy the mountains!!!