Four season tent recommendations

Hi there

I am looking for any recommendations / advice on a 2 person hiking tent suitable for pitching on top of the escarpment in winter.

Been considering the First Ascent Peak tent and the Vango Nemesis 200 but both are a little heavy for backpacking.

I like the MSR Elixir 2 but I am concerned this is a little too lightweight for potentially extreme conditions in the Drakensburg.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
Craig

if you on a budget, the Vango looks like good value but is a kg heavier than my BD Skylite. The 70 denier fabric should last well and deal with most conditions well.

I can recommend BD tents but the single wall design can have condensation quite often. I find I can deal with it easily enough and the weight saving is awesome. I also have a Bibler tent that is bomb proof and uses gore-tex fabric that doesn't lead to much condensation at all but its heavier at 3kg.

The best strength for weight tents are probably Hilleberg tunnel tents but you will pay a lot to import one. My friend Riaan has one and it is very good gear in harsh conditions.

The other recommendation I have is Mountain Hardwear tents. The make a 2 man tent called the Skyledge that is excellent for berg conditions if you can import one. Drifters used to bring in MHW but don't anymore..

Good luck!

Thanks for the insights, I fancy the Vango range as they are made for conditions in the Scottish Highlands so should hold up well in the Berg, trade off is the weight.

I will have a look at the Black Diamond range and would love a Hilleberg but out of my budget unfortunately.

I came across a Mountain Hardwear Optic 2.5 which is a decent size and is 5000mm on the fly and ground sheet, concerned it may be a little lightweight for very windy conditions.

Thanks again for the recommendations.

hi
I have been looking at a First Ascent Peak tent as well what are the pros and cons of this tent and do many people own one.. Im mainly going to use it for camping using a motor bike, so must pack reasonably small but weight not a problem, but if i am in a snow or windy area i would like to stay warm and dry and not torn

biker wrote: hi
I have been looking at a First Ascent Peak tent as well what are the pros and cons of this tent and do many people own one.. Im mainly going to use it for camping using a motor bike, so must pack reasonably small but weight not a problem, but if i am in a snow or windy area i would like to stay warm and dry and not torn

where exactly do you intend to "bike"?

transkei, namibia, botswana, lesotho

as far as I'm concerned, being on a bike means a kilo or 3 extra has no impact whatsoever.
See above and other tent threads for advice.
Any 4 season 2\3man tent will suffice.
You are spoiled for choice as weight is a non issue.

So after much searching and analysis, I have decided to try a Vango tent, and have selected after a very helpful and informative discussion with one of the assistants at Drifters, the Vango Ostro 300 tent.

It is a three season tent but with a proper geodesic design and 5000mm hydrostatic head on the flysheet and 6000mm on the groundsheet, I expect it to be very waterproof and capable of handling the worst of the Berg storms. I will rely on my down sleeping bag and Thermorest pad to keep me warm.

I also decided to rather go for the three man as there will always be at least two of us sharing the load, and the weight difference between the two and three man was marginal.

Anyone interested in the full specs can find them at: www.vango.co.uk/gb/tents/1157-ostro-300.html

I will be using it for the first time in July at the annual KZN Mountain Club camp, at both the camp area and on top of the escarpment, I will provide a review after the camp.

Thanks for this MacD, and for the detailed research on the other thread! I've been doing my own research for a robust, durable 2-man tent which is light enough to carry solo and have also pretty much settled on the Vango range. I'm thinking of the Mirage 200, mainly as weight will be a more important factor for me.

I was initially tempted by the MSR & Black Diamond tents in the <2kg range, but have concerns that the lightweight materials they use won't last very long (have seen a few reviews confirming this). The hefty price tags also don't help! So for R5000 less I'll gladly carry an extra 1.2kg and have a tent that'll last many more years.

I used a new first ascent peak in the berg the other day. It was really warm. The islet for the pole at the base of the tent broke on day 2, which was really annoying.