Since I wasn't geared up to join LeeW and Fards for the HPV Worlds last month, I went to York Marine at the weekend instead to try out my tent and generally get the heck away from work for
not nearly long enough a short time. Although there were quite a few bikes on site, I was the only person who'd actually arrived on one.
Yes, it's bit wrinkled, but it's taut and looked like that every time I've pitched it. Nothing very special, really; it's Decathlon's Quechua T2 Ultralight pro—for small values of 'pro', since it cost about 20% of a Hilleberg Akto. But it weighs 1.8kg including the bag, the pegs and my homemade peg hoiker-outer. The pole fits onto an aluminium prong at each end, which is a worse task than fitting Stelvios onto a Moulton rim.
The venting isn't too much to write home about, but the tail end is permanently open with about half a square foot of mesh on the vertical face. Not brill if the wind turns and blows the rain in horizontally I suppose, but it was 30°C with no wind whatsoever. There's a largeish strip of mesh at the top of the inner tent's door, and a similar strip of mesh under the central pole bit on the flysheet. I noticed some minor condensation on the inside of the flysheet's doors in the morning but that was about all. The roughly shaped groundsheet is half a Wickes dustsheet and might last me another outing. The T2 is just long enough for me, with my head against the inner door; I wasn't bothered about that from a comfort or claustrophobia perspective, but on one occasion I did manage to zip the door shut and catch my hair in the process.
Then a bit of cookery with the Express Spider, which went well until I decided to pour some of my dinner onto my leg instead of onto my plate. The stove makes an encouragingly hearty roar and boils water efficiently.
