Akto camping - in the snow!

[David Martin]

It isn't proper snow camping till you need to pitch the tent using your skis as the pegs..

 

[nobby]

It isn't proper snow camping till you need to pitch the tent using your skis as the pegs..

 

.... and what sort of cyclist are you that carries skis?

[clarion]

Last year in South Staffs. A view from inside my Akto. It's an excellent tent for cycle camping. imo.

Nice pic.  deserves an award, IMO

That's not an Akto, but it is a Hilleberg.

[nobby]

Last year in South Staffs. A view from inside my Akto. It's an excellent tent for cycle camping. imo.

Nice pic.  deserves an award, IMO

That's not an Akto, but it is a Hilleberg.

Ho, Ho  ...  I'll have to enter it in something  Aren't you at werk?

[Butterfly]

In the end, it stood up to it fine, though it was a bit flumped in the morning, due to snow. I had read things saying the Akto tends to buckle under snow, and then other people saying 'yes, but you just flick it from the inside and the snow falls off'. That might work with fluffy mountain snow but I can report that it doesn't have any effect on heavy, slushy southern Scotland snow.

As you can see in Nobby's photo, our Nallo buckled under the snow, but poinged back up as soon as it had gone . We were lovely and warm inside

[Ariadne]

At the risk of offending Andrew and his lovely tent, I am wondering if it's a bit too wee... I'm going to go and look at a North Face Tadpole this weekend.

I need something that's light and, importantly easy to put up on my own - hence the Akto. But I do want to be able to sit in the tent and read and stuff and... I dunno, it's a bit wee for that.

[clarion]

Nallo.  Srsly.  It's a good space, and the porch is just right (for one person and their kit ).

[Ariadne]

Nallo.  Srsly.  It's a good space, and the porch is just right (for one person and their kit ).

Yeahbut.... £400! I've just been looking at Terra Nova Voyagers, too - so much money, it's scary.

[clarion]

I know

We wanted a Nallo GT for the two of us but can't afford it.  We compromised on a clone: the Blacks Octane 3.

I think you'd find the Octane 2 is similar to the Nallo.

[clarion]

Octane 2

£150 is a bit easier - and it's still only 2.3kg. 

Cycleman has an Octane 1.

[Ariadne]

I have an Octane 2 and an Octane 3 already! We took the Octane 3 to Europe last year, and it's good - but the older version (which we have) has really tight sleeves for the poles and is a bit of a fiend to put up.

And in fact, that's really the reason i'm looking for something new - my wee Octane is great, but I struggle to put it up on my own because of the pesky sleeves. The newer version has wider channels on the outside - obviously they got complaints.

So what's wrong with the Tadpole? All the reviews I see are good. And Josie Dew uses one!

[clarion]

Sorry!  Perhaps I didn't read as carefully as I ought to have.

And, yes, the sleeves on the Octane 3 are tight, especially if your poles are damp. 

Tadpole's a good tent.  Nowt wrong with it, but I'm not sure it's worth £100 more than an Octane, whereas I would be prepared to pay the extra for the Hilleberg.

Mind you, given how many rainy nights Josie's spent under canvas, i can't claim to know more than her!

[Ariadne]

It's ok, i don't think I said anywhere that I had those!

I can get the Tadpole for £180 in Tiso at the moment...

I dunno. I'll go and have a look. I'ma bit unsure about an inner-first tent, in rainy Scotland, and I need to see how much room there is to sit up in it.

Thanks for the advice, I do appreciate it! And glad to discover another Octaner

[nobby]

So what's wrong with the Tadpole? All the reviews I see are good. And Josie Dew uses one!

No chance that Josie Dew gets any special consideration, like price reductions, when choosing atent, is there?

I can sit in the porch of my Akto and read or cook. Bum on my Downmat and legs outside. If its raining too hard for that I lay in the inner tent on my side and read or cook.
The standard Nallo has better space for one, at increased weight, but I do like the side entrance on the Akto. Some of the folk I camp with use Nallo GT's which have a good size porch and side entrances.
If I was staying at a fixed camp for several days I'd want a Nallo GT but for moving on the Akto is hard to beat in weight or quality.
At the end of the day, you pay through the nose for the quality of a Hilleberg. What I'd really, really like is a Nallo Gt outer and footprint with an Akto Inner   

[Oscar's dad]

This debate about tents is interesting and relevant to me.  A couple or three questions:

1. Could you get a 6' 2" adult (me) and a 9 year old kid in a Northface Tadpole?

2. Has anyone got experience of the Mountain Hardware Sprite?  According to the Field & Trek catalogue it is a solo tent but the little diagram shows 2 bodies.  It is £139.99 and 1.29kg

3. Also, any other tent recommendations for me and 9 year old?  I could do with spending less than £180 and would like the weight sub 2kg

[clarion]

1.  It'd be a bit of a squeeze.

um - can't comment on the rest.

[GlasgowDave]

Hi Ariadne

I've just got a Wild Country Duolite, it's 2.4 kg too, has a lot of headroom at the entrance and may be what you're looking for.

It's apparently upgradeable to a Duolite Tourer, but purchasing a flysheet, which adds masses of space.

I should add that inner and outer pitch as one, one of my requirements

GD

[Ariadne]

Hi Ariadne

I've just got a Wild Country Duolite, it's 2.4 kg too, has a lot of headroom at the entrance and may be what you're looking for.

It's apparently upgradeable to a Duolite Tourer, but purchasing a flysheet, which adds masses of space.

GD

Wow, that's an interesting looking tent - especially the tourer! Be interested to hear how you get on. I'm now back to looking at Nallos and Terra Nova LaserLarge 1s. Ma heid hurts! I need to go and have a look at them all...

[GlasgowDave]

It's been on my list of potential tents for a while but the confirmation of the upgrade from the people in Terra Nova swung it for me.

It's just a pity they don't have any of the flysheets in stock.

GD

[nobby]

It's been on my list of potential tents for a while but the confirmation of the upgrade from the people in Terra Nova swung it for me.

It's just a pity they don't have any of the flysheets in stock.

GD

That Duolite Tourer looks interesting.
Do you know if there is an entrance on both sides, or not?

[LEE]

Is there a way of getting in and out of this tent without the outside elements ending up in the 'living room' ?

It looks like it could do with a porch

[Ariadne]

Well - that's the porch that you can see, with my panniers and the blue 'floor'. The inner is the yellow bit you can just see behind them. The inner runs lengthways, and takes up about two thirds of the width.

[nobby]

Is there a way of getting in and out of this tent without the outside elements ending up in the 'living room' ?

It looks like it could do with a porch

It has a porch that is big enough to take a folded Brompton.
The one in that pic isn't terribly well pitched (apologies and no rudeness intended, Ariadne) and the inner is fully unzipped. As with any small tent, you need to think carefully about how you pitch to get the best from it. Camping in Salop and the Welsh Borders I pitch with the door towards the SE which gives me good protection from the prevailing winds and rain.

[Jezza]

I have one of these:



Mountain Equipment Dragonfly. It was half price at £150 from Wiggle a while ago. I've used it in snow in the Southern Alps of Kiwiland, in the jungles of Laos and in the back garden here in Suffolk, and it performs well in all conditions - easy to put up and very stable.

[Ariadne]

The one in that pic isn't terribly well pitched (apologies and no rudeness intended, Ariadne)

It was my first time!!