Tent Advice

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Spinal

Spinal

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 14, 2004
Messages
4,806
Location
between Uxbridge and the Alps
Car
x254, G350, Duster, S320, Mach1, 900ss and a few more
I need a high altitude tent (aka mountain tent, expedition tent, etc)...

Having looked around, the "top 4" which I should be considering are:

Mountain Hardware Trango 2
Terra Nova Quasar
The North Face Mountain 25
Marmot Thor 2P

Does anyone have any experience with any of these? There are tons of reviews online, but I'm looking for a "I've had both, and prefer this one" type opinion...

M.
 
The Terra Nova Quasar is known as the benchmark for high quality durable mountain tents amongst my circle of friends.

One friend has the Mountain Hardware Trango 3. It takes him AGES to put up.

Hope that helps a little.
 
Where/when are you planning on going that needs that type of tent?

All of my winter stuff in the UK has been with a 2/3 tent, which has handled everything thrown at it. High alpine stuff meant the gear was notched up a bit (and not just the tent...).

Remember, it's not just having the kit, it's knowing how to use it most effectively that counts.
 
£600 for a tent that'll last 10+ years (and save your life countless times) isn't that much...

Put it this way, a cheap, nasty "festival" tent is £25-£60... that'll last a few times at the most... £600 over the course of 15 years will work out to £40 a year...

Reason I'm looking at these is I got a chance to try a friends Ferrino tent, and it was spectacular... I quite like Ferrino tents, but I would need to buy it in Italy, and given that I go back home so rarely... (not to mention that I would want to "play" with it extensively in the UK before relying on it... pitching a tent with gloves/mitts on can be a pain!)

Need, not really for the Uk... in the UK I tend to use a double-skin popup tent (usually a Gelert DS2.... they're incredibly cheap, and given their design, very stable. Think of the traditional popup design, then add some more poles giving it a geodesic structure...) If I'm hiking I'll just bring a bivvi bag, depending on the conditions...

But I would be a little concerned bringing this to Mnt Blank, Kili and Toubkhal (the planned summits for the next year)

In London today, so I'll check the local outdoors shops to see what they have "set up" that I can see/feel/touch, etc ;)
M.
 
I am bringing the 124 back from Italy in late november. If you want me to pick something up for you then happy to do so. My route is roughly Pisa, Genova, Alessandria, Torino, Bardonecchia. If you have family/friends near my route then I could bring it to the uk for you.
Nigel
 
Nigel - when are you going/coming? I'm driving to Italy early October and coming back late November!

Funny route - My aunt lives in Alessandria, my grandma & most of my family in Torino and I grew up in Bardonecchia ;)

My issue with buying from Italy is that if I need any repairs to the tent it's a complex process of sending it to family before getting it back... takes ages!

Thanks for the offer though, may see you on the road ;)
M.
 
Small world. We have a small place in Cevoli between Pisa and Volterra. The plan is to drive back on the 24/25th november. There wont be many silver uk registered 124 estates on the road.
 
TBH, spend half that amount. You don't need the performance of any of the tents you listed unless you're considering sustained winter ascents.

My bread-n-butter tent back in the days was similar to the Big Fat Frog that The North Face do at the moment. More than adequate for the summits you're considering.

By all means get one of the other tents - they're all pretty good - but there is no need to over-specify. Any of the the well-known manufacturers make tents that last 10+ years.
 
Mr E: It's more about the time of the ascents... the idea for mnt blanc is to do a winter ascent with some sking down. The others should be easy...

Also need new shoes... my mountain boots just wont cut it... my current shortlist is : La Sportiva Nepal Extreme, Spantik or Olympus Mons EVO...

I just need to find a place that rents shoes so I can test them before buying them...

At the end of the day, I'd rather spend a little more and overspecify than accidentally underspec and end up on a mountain with a collapsed tent :p
M.
 
Spinal said:
Mr E: It's more about the time of the ascents... the idea for mnt blanc is to do a winter ascent with some sking down. The others should be easy...
Click to expand...

Have you done any high-alpine winter work?
 
I grew up in Bardonecchia ;) Summited most of the hills around there; including the Thabor (which in winter was no mean feat...)

M>
 
Spinal said:
Reason I'm looking at these is I got a chance to try a friends Ferrino tent, and it was spectacular... I quite like Ferrino tents, but I would need to buy it in Italy, and given that I go back home so rarely... (not to mention that I would want to "play" with it extensively in the UK before relying on it... pitching a tent with gloves/mitts on can be a pain!)
Click to expand...

Ferrino Tents . Trekkinn.com, buy, offers
 
Like you say Spinal. £600 for 10 years of quality camping isn't such a price to pay.

I've wasted much more on car modifications over the years.

Buy a nice tent and enjoy the experiences it will give you. Much more than any car will give :)
 
1) Lie flat on back

2) Pull sheet or duvet over entire body

3) Think thoughts of Kylie reversing towards you with her hotpants around her ankles

Instant tent. May only last a few minutes but could be erected again later when needed.
 
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