New Tent wanted

[blw2]

this is off topic I know

But I have wondered about these military issue tents.  I just can't imagine that these little things see much use.

It seems that when the military needs a quick shelter behind the lines, they have all sorts of things, form those big inflatable hanger type things, to prefab buildings and such

but for a soldier up closer to the line on the move, would they really pack a little tent along with them?

[Cambridgeskip]

Really? I wudda thunk them there Brits would know how to  £  on their keyboards. 

 

If they were Yanks they could always # on the keyboard if they wanted to make themselves understood.  

 

They haven't been doing well with English either, can't make out half the words when they talk funny like that.

 

By the way: "Pound symbol £ is a currency sign used in UK. It derives from a capital "L", representing libra, the basic unit of weight in the Roman Empire." so you can see why a fella would be misled.

 

 

There's also the fact that "pound" as in currency derives from "pound" as in weight. The first coins to circulate in what would eventually become the UK were whatever the maker wanted them to be. Then eventually some king or another, I forget who, took a pound (weight) of silver and divided it into 20 pieces that he called shillings. That's why the UK pound is also referred to as "pound sterling" because it derives from sterling silver.

[Cambridgeskip]

Cheers for the pointers, I shall have a rummage round for reviews etc.

[CalicoPenn]

Skip - maybe this is a radical idea but given how much you liked your Vango tent, a brand not really seen much over on this side of the pond, have you considered giving Vango a call and asking them what their new equivalent to the Hydra is?   Seems to me that if they've discontinued the Hydra, there is a good chance they did so because they have a replacement out there for it that was just different enough that they decided to rename it - I know that North Face and Kelty will often make improvements on their tents that may not be really obvious to us but that they think is significant enough to require a name change.

[Eagledad]

Figure out what you want in a tent, then go from there. We use two styles of tents in our troop, car camping and backpacking. The scouts usually bring personal single or two man tents if they want to use a backing tent, as do the adults. The car camping tent hold four scouts. And consider the typical weather you will use the tent. Oklahoma is one of the windiest states in the US. Dome style tents usually hold up better in wind for us. But we typically have treks in the mountains where afternoon showers are common.

 

Lots of choices these days.

 

Barry

[Eagle94-A1]

Nearly every state in the US has a Surplus Property Program.  Scout troops can get military surplus tents, sleeping bags, and all types of gear for next to nothing.  Stuff like this for $20 or so:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EUREKA-TWO-PERSON-COMBAT-TENT-USMC-ISSUE-COMPLETE-EXC-CONDITION-/272101296679?hash=item3f5a804a27:g:CO0AAOSw5dNWks91

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USGI-Modular-Sleep-System-sleeping-bag-military-surplus-/272106080879?hash=item3f5ac94a6f:g:0qkAAOxy0x1TRFYn

 

 

My troop growing up had a saying, I want to attribute to a  dad who was colonel in the army but can't remember:  " Military surplus. If it's designed to survive combat, it may survive Boy Scouts."

[TAHAWK]

In the U.S. and the UK, a tent to be called "waterproof" has to have 1000mm water resistance (1000 mm hydrostatic head).  Trouble is, some tents are sold as "waterproof" which have only that - 1000mm.   Very little wear of the coating is needed before water starts coming through.  The tent I just bought is rated over 3000mm.   A factor to consider in selecting.

 

The Terra Nova Trisar is rated at 4000mm for the fly and 6000 for the floor.  MSRP is 190 GBP.  Rated as 2-man/3-4 season/3.7 KG.

Edited January 17, 2016 by TAHAWK

[qwazse]

This may sound trivial, but at times I've found to be an annoyance.

How many of you like he tent in general, but have found yourself getting replacement stakes (or possibly some other part that came with the tent) an your earliest opportunity?

 

For he Eurekas, the aluminum stakes were a disappointment.

For the Colemans, invariably I'd be replacing the poles or cutting down dining fly poles to use as wind supports.

Edited January 17, 2016 by qwazse

[Stosh]

Both my Kelty tents have rain flies that go all the way to the ground all the way around and have vestibules.  Wind does not get under them as much and the rain doesn't pound on the tent directly.  Two weather issues important to me.

 

Old floor-less canvas tents - get a cot, let the water run through and you'll stay dry very nicely.  I have a low clot that goes well in a 2 man military (WWII) surplus tent.  I've had water run through pretty heavily at times, but always stayed dry.  Same for my Civil War A-Frame tent with full sized cot inside.

[TAHAWK]

This may sound trivial, but at times I've found to be an annoyance.

How many of you like he tent in general, but have found yourself getting replacement stakes (or possibly some other part that came with the tent) an your earliest opportunity?

 

For he Eurekas, the aluminum stakes were a disappointment.

For the Colemans, invariably I'd be replacing the poles or cutting down dining fly poles to use as wind supports.

 

Me.  But after so many years, the "replacements" are at hand: one set for three seasons and another for snow.

[Stosh]

I don't use stakes (or poles) in the winter.  I take the tent and just wrap it around me. 

[Cambridgeskip]

Skip - maybe this is a radical idea but given how much you liked your Vango tent, a brand not really seen much over on this side of the pond, have you considered giving Vango a call and asking them what their new equivalent to the Hydra is?   Seems to me that if they've discontinued the Hydra, there is a good chance they did so because they have a replacement out there for it that was just different enough that they decided to rename it - I know that North Face and Kelty will often make improvements on their tents that may not be really obvious to us but that they think is significant enough to require a name change.

 Been there and done that!

 

Slight problem.... most of the more robust two man tents both from Vango and others are now designed to have 2 separate entrances, one each side, for the two occupants. I'm more after one that has the traditional front door with a single porch section. They do one called the Sirroco that is more what I'm after but before I shell out £180 I'd like to see what others think!

[Ankylus]

Too bad you can't get REI in the UK. They have some great, lightweight tents.

 

Big Agnes, Marmot and Kelty are constantly at the top of gear reviews. Backpacking review here, Gearlab here.

 

 

I am leery of REI tents these days. I bought a 1 one half-dome tent for Philmont and the first day on the trail one of the poles broke as I was setting it up. They give you that little sleeve for temporary repairs, and that got me through the rest of the two weeks.

 

Overall, I liked the tent, though. So when I got back I went to REI and asked for a replacement pole. They told me they don't have separate poles, so they gave me a new tent. That was the good part.

 

But after 4 years, the waterproofing started to come off the fly. I mean, just absolutely peel off in large chunks. So I went back and they told me they wouldn't replace it because that's just wear and as you can only expect 4 to 5 years out of a fly like that.

 

Meanwhile the tent I bought for $50 at Academy 15 years ago is still going strong. It's just not a backpacking tent.

[krikkitbot]

I really like my Eureka Amari pass 2. It has held up in all kinds of weather (when properly staked). My son borrowed it for a backpacking trip and thought it was a 3 person tent because it was so roomy. It is lightweight too, I've been considering going the hammock way but once you add tarp, straps, and hammock, you are at about the same weight as my tent. 

[Hedgehog]

So far, my REI Quarterdome had held up great (except for one spot where it looks like embers from the fire hit the side of the tent - but that is covered in repair tape and is good as new).  

 

I also love my Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 for backpacking.  You can't go wrong with a 2 pound tent.  It has held up well for two years with the exceptions of some small pinholes in the fly (which let through a total of five drops of water during a torrential rain storm) and a rip in the stuff sack (which also is covered with tape).

 

My ENO hammock with Atlas straps and a rainfly weighs about as much as my two person Big Agnes Fly Creek.  However, it makes up for it in comfort and ease to set-up.

 

My Bearpaw Wilderness tarp with flaps is great and lightweight (about a pound) but I haven't used it for sleeping yet (just for gear or a dining fly).

 

I haven't tried out my Eureka Alpine four seasons tent yet because I haven't been winter camping (it was 60 degrees on our December campout, we slept in Adorondak shelters in January and cabins in February).  I tried to convince my son to try it out in the backyard the night we were supposed to get two feet of snow but for some reason he didn't think that sounded like fun.