I’ve been trying to photograph a prapott (that’s the collective noun for a group of tents) of tents for ten days with no success, wind, mist, rain, horror, it’s all been a barrier to success.
However, it looked like clearing up a little today, Phil came an’ gie’d me hauners so we got a good few done before we lost the light. I’ll talk about the tents themselves later, once the review’s in the shops, there’s a few real eyebrow-lifters in there. The regular names aren’t getting it all their own way.
There were many cuppas of course, and an appearance by Wheelie (the only way to transport 15 tents up a hill), now with an updated bolt-set to eliminate the troubles I had last year in the Cairngorms.
The sun shot through a shower and gave us a fleeting moment of light and colour and it was gone. All good though, and more of the same tomorrow. Weather is no respecter of deadlines.
I was over in OK today and I’d have gladly joined in that little exercise! The kids spotted that there rainbow as we approcached the Erskine Bridge and asked if we could get to the end of it as it looked enticingly close.
15 tents eh? I made a wee purchase yesterday to take my current tent ownership up to four yesterday, and haven’t test-pitched it yet.
A new tent is stuffsack of possibilities :o)
It was a cracking rainbow, dead bright for 30 seconds then away. Ach!
Petesy!! As you can see, I got my password sorted. Doh! What’s the location in this photo? It looks very familiar.
Lang Craigs above Milton, that bit’s well seen from the A82 bypass at Renton.
I was there all day today as well. I’m so bored of tents.
Hi Pete…Is that a Geler Solo I can see pitched there…?
Well spotted!
Just finished writing all the tents up for the test, I do not want to see another tent for at least a week…
I had three similar bivi-style tents, I had jack Wolfskin and Snugpak too. But the Gelert was the only one that looked like a stealth bomber :o)
Got one…quite like it actually, dead cheap too!
I think it looks like a Ray Manta fish actually but good point about the stealth bomber…
Aye, RRP is £50. I think it’s got some great design points, and that floor material is bomb proof. Too short for me to lie down though, my nose touched the roof :o)
50£…25£ on Amazon with free delivery.
Blame your big nose, not the tent ;-)
More seriously, the groundsheet is indeed bombproof, it takes the wind very well due to the, ahem, aerodynamics. A bit of customisation (adding a couple of pegging points at the front as it tends to flap a bit), changing the pegs and you got a rather decent shelter.
Ahh the Solo… nice little bivvy style tent indeed. As Moonlight Shadow mentions – I modded ours a little, with added pegging points around the fly, and pole points which turns the flap into a neat little awning for cooking. Next plan is to add a zip to the opposite side of the inner for simple access to the void on that side (kit storage).
Debating whether to have this as my tent in the Cairngorms soon (as a backup in case the bothies are full. I’ve wrapped insulation tape around the fibreglass poles for a (little) bit of cold weather protection in readiness.
Oh and I have added a single guyline to the inner too to keep the smaller of the two poles upright which stopping the inner sagging in the middle – adding vital cm’s of room inside!
I might add when I say ours – I mean we both have one!
£25? Can’t argue witn that.
The side opening is different to the other bivi tents I had on test, definitely easier to keep clean inside.
I had trouble with the poles on the sample, but I’m not giving the game away, I’ll talk about all the models when the review is in Trail in a few weeks.
That’s an issue of Trail I’ll be buying then… ;-)
I’ve also bought some guy ropes to sort that sagging pole issue too, coupled with those little carabinier Alpkit sells.
Anyhow, I’ve bored you enough with that ;-)
Sagging pole? Maybe that’s been an issue that they’ve addressed, the pole fit is on the tight side!
Lots of interesting tents in the test, lots of unusual brands too which great fun to do.
Possibly, in both our tents they had a tendency to sag slightly towards the center which meant a less than thight inner. Bellie’s inner guy line solution sorted this out nicely.
Adam and the Ants ,bugged me for days this has.
Pity I missed this, I could have given you the smaller persons point of view….maybe next year.
That’s the tent test submitted, and the comments about the Solo helped sort it out, magic :o)
Pat, I can’t believe you didn’t get the Anst reference right away :o)
Hey, I’ve got test tents all year, get out on a trip with us!
Ants even…
That’s the tent test submitted, and the comments about the Solo helped sort it out, magic :o)
Don’t mention it, pint on you though… ;-)
I’ll stretch to a mini Irn Bru :o)