My latest review is up here and is backpacking rucksacks. I suppose given my predisposition for wanting not-heavy and having pockets the winners were never in doubt but the big beasts in there still had their good points.
More than that is the fact that I am now desperate to get out into the hills for the night after finishing the write up. I missed my chances with the recent fantastic weather and it’s pish out there just now.
Haven’t dropped by for a while, but it is nice to see the site in rude health. As a laser- fuhrer, have you got your hands on a the new laser photon 1 yet? Terra nova appear to have nicked the best bits from the f10 helium carbon 100 and the Hilleberg enan to improve the photon ( external end poles and no sign of a pole cover) It is enough to convert me to the dark side and I have ordered one. The comp 2 has the same upgrades. No sign of the improvements on the laser comp 1 yet, but when they do ( next year?) Terra Nova must surely be able to lay claim to the ‘ Best tent in the World – ever’ title. I’ve currently got 2 tents on eBay in anticipation…
The photon 1 2016 duly arrived. :-)
It has a pole cover :-( Strike that remark about ‘the best tent in the World – ever’….
Ha, good lad. You’ll still have plenty fun.
Doing some tents for a summer review, so I’ll be catching up on the news. I only used a handful of different tents last year so I’m a wee bit behind.
Oops managed to trash the photon second time out!! I fear I might have been ‘aggressive’ in in attempting to get all around tight-as-a-druminess. Woke up to hellish flappery – the flysheet fabric had ripped away from the ‘hood’ on one of the little end poles. It was breezy, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Hmmm – that external mini end pole design seemed to work in the helium carbon, I presume it works in the Enan and it might work well in Laser Competition spec (if Terra Nova go down that route), but it appears not to be suited to the photon. I know I should have returned it when I saw the pole cover…
Ah man, never had a failure as bad as that. My red Comp has many restitched seams but nothing major.
Going to be featuring some tents on here in a few weeks, Walkhighlands is no more for me and my reviews are moving back on here…
I see the Laser Comp is now arriving in the shops in its new 2017 configuration, complete with the de rigour Helium 100/ Enan external end poles.
I presume that materials are a bit stronger and will stand up to a bit of tension and a light gale (unlike my short lived photon).
Despairing to see the tie-on pole cover survives more than a decade after the Laser Comp was launched. You would have thought that Terra Nova would have sorted THAT anomaly out by now.
Do you have one to test before I decide whether or not to part with my hard earned cash? – although I suspect that a new improved Comp will be favourably received by you, even if it is only available in green :-)