Lightweight Tents

When catching up on the TGO Gear pages about the European OutDoor Trade Fare, I also noted Cameron's posting on the lightweight (sub 2kg) and lower-priced tent (approx £120) from Wild Country for 2008. (link)

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The new edition of Trail scrambled through the letter-box this morning included an item about a "reader whose ultra-light tent had collapsed in really wild weather". So some calls were made and a few manufacturers of lightweight tents were asked what speed their tents can cope with.

Golly. I didn't realise that wind speed only affected lightweight tents?

Looking back, to June 2007's Trail, with sub-2kg 2-person tents, wind speed is not rated. However, Trail's Graham Thompson did talk about the stability of the tents in his reviews.

I note that Craigdon Mountain Sports have a tent show advertised this weekend in Duthie park, I wonder if they will have a note of the wind speeds that their tents can stand up to? I think the public should be informed. Oh, they do - they have staff on hand to tell people - how handy is that?

As Mr Thompson rightly says "You need to know what you and your kit are capable of".

Doesn't everyone?

The outdoors can be a dangerous place - get it wrong, and you can die. Much like driving to work.

Be safe, be alert, be turned on to your place in the scheme of things - if you screw up, it's usually you that suffers. The rain doesn't care that you only took a showerproof jacket. The wind doesn't care that your tent can't cope. The sun doesn't care....well, you get the gist.

In a blame-centred society, it is good to have no-one to blame but yourself. Puts things in perspective.

Wild camping? He was bloody furious. Boom tish.