Hi All. Need some Tent Advise today. Browsed the forums and there are some posts here and there, but nothing too specific.

So im looking for a 2/3 person hiking tent. Nothing over R3000.00
Looking for something suitable for berg camping. Hiking with climbing gear included.

Currently Im looking at:
e3 Endurance 2 - R2,299.00 | 2.5kg | 1 & 1/2 person (apparently)
Mountain Hard Wear Drifter 2 - R1,899.00 | 2.15 kg | 2 person
360 Degrees Cool Mountain II Extreme hikers Tent - R1,399.95 | 2.9 kg | 2person
Wild Country- Duolite Tent - R2,379.00 | 2.44kg | 2 person
North Face Tadpole 23 - R2,499.00 | 2.1 kg | 2 person
North Face Messo 22 - R2,999.00 | 1.84 kg | 2 person

Which could be the best to withstand harsh weather conditions?

Im new to camping so I dont really know what exactly to look for in a good 3/4 season tent. Do I need a 4 season tent for the berg?

Any other tents I should be looking at? Should I be spending more money? On What?

Thanks!

Hi Ziik. A few months ago I chose the E3 Endurance 1 over the MH Drifter for my trip to South America. I have used it everywhere from desert to 4000m absl and have no complaints, infact I am pretty impressed. It is lightweight so perfect for hiking with, easy to assemble and has withdtood some harsh weather. It is also a stand alone frame so does not require pegs to hold it up as is the case with TNF Tadpole and other tube tents. Amongst my group are quite a few MSR hubbas which are a bit pricier but seem to be doing well in the conditions.

Hope this helps a bit
Chris

Hey ziik

I have the mountain hardwear lightpath 2 and its brilliant. also been checking out the drifter 2 a lot, very nice and light weight, very good brand.
The e3 tents are heavier in the materials used so may get you down if you're into lightweight stuff. I have seen some bad reviews about TNF tadpole tent and others but i can't offer any personal experience on them. All in all as far as car camping and hiking goes the Mountain hardware drifter may be your best bet and the price is really good.

Brandon

I've tried the e3 Endurance 2 and I'm nothing short of impressed. I was lucky to get it for an affordable price. It's pretty simple to assemble, withstands harsh weather coniditions and isn't all too heavy to carry. Good luck with your pick.

I bought a MH drifter 2 while in the berg and used it on many a expedition, from escarpment camping to the lower slopes, extreme wind, rain and snow. the tent held up super well. I have traversed with it and stood up to all expectations. cedeberg camping without the flysheet offers great star gazing! 2 people can sleep comfy inside, gear in vestibules. super light weight, easiest to put up. if possible I'd say get the footprint as well if you can as the ground sheet fabric is a bit thin.

I heard MH are pulling out of SA though. otherwise, awesome tent!! and a good price!

I've got a question regarding the E3 Echo Summit tent. 120cm sounds a bit narrow for two guys to sleep in. The Mountain Hardwear Drifter 2 doesn't sound that much wider at 126cm.
Otherwise it looks like a really nice tent at a decent price. Comments will be appreciated.

Bump

Hi Dirk,

IMHO the E3 Echo is more a spacious 1-man Tent, you really have to like the second person in there with you.

You can fit 2 Thermarest Trail Lite or Thermal Comfort Mountain Std self inflating mattresses in there at 51cm wide
but then there is no space for anything else

It is quite high and the 2 doors zip open 10cm from the top of the tent so it is easy to sit up in the tent and also getting out without crawling on all fours

This Tent is very popular with adventure bikers as the pole sections are shorter than normal and thus fit in the side panier of most bikes

At 3kg it is not the lightest tent to carry when alone but the pack size is compact and if there's no rain forecast you can use it without the fly thus saving a bit on the weight

One bonus is the 2 doors and 2 vestibules so if you have two people in there each has their own door and packing space for gear

There are also very handy pouches at either end inside the tent and in the middle in the roof for stashing your guide books, headlamp and snacks

If you sleep two people head to toe then each person has their own little stash pouches and may give you a bit more comfort and space than sleeping shoulder to shoulder with your partner

The tent is well ventilated which helps to keep it cool in summer

It's very water proof with water heads of 4000 for the flysheet and 5000 for the bathtub groundsheet

Sets up in under 10 minutes and for the price it is great value for money

I've covered most of the frequently asked questions but if you need more technical info give me a shout!

Ciao

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Super Mario

I have a North Face Tadpole & a K-Way Treklite II. Except for the price they are the same. K-Way is much cheaper than NF...but other than that there is no noteworthy diffrence....probrably manufactured by the same Chinese company.

Thanks for the info Mario

Can the E3 Echo be pitched with just the fly and without the inside tent? This comes in handy when you need space for an extra person.

The MH Lightwedge can be pitched with only the fly, but it's a bit more expensive.

Which other 2 person tents can be pitched fly-only which can withstand 'Berg conditions?

Hi there

MH are bailing out of the country after pissing off their SA distributors so you will not be able to get warranties honoured. I have tried to get a tent replaced/fixed by them before they had local agents and had virtually no joy. After 3 months of constant emails without reply they eventually responded that they would repair my tent (with no guarantee on the repairs) if I paid the shipping costs to and fro, which would have come to more than a new tent. So I bought a Bibler instead.

I'm not saying that it would always be like this but do take it into consideration.

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Happy climbing
Nic

hi Nic

I'm with Adventure Inc, we've been the distributors for Mountain Hardwear in South Africa, and yes due to problems we have stop that relationship with them. Having said that ALL products that have been sold in South Africa still has it's warranty and we will honor our responsibility with these, regardless of the fact that we will be switching brands.

From your email it sounds like you bought a tent outside of South Africa and tried to work with Mountain Hardwear directly but did not have any joy!? Just want to make sure because I'm not aware of having received any emails from you. If you did send something to our office and had issues please send me a pm and I will sort it out for you!

Our relationship with Mountain Hardwear has ended (and will be replaced by some exciting products within the next couple of months), but our relationship with our local customers have not. I cannot stress hard enough that any Adventure Inc products or brands bought within South Africa will have it's warranty claims honored.

If you or anyone have concerns or have specific problems please drop me a mail at christo@adventureinc.co.za and will make sure to get back to you asap