Lightwave Sigma S22

Weight: 1750g
Price: £649
Best for: backpacking
Key attributes: Clever single skin design that doesn’t suffer condensation build up

British company Lightwave say they’ve solved the dilemma of condensation build up in single skin tents. It’s a bold claim, so we thought it would be worthwhile to try their latest model… and we were impressed.

First introduced into Lightwave tents in 2016, the Sigma’s main talking point is its unique X-Tex fabric. It’s a waterproof ripstop nylon featuring an activated carbon layer that supposedly draws moisture from the air before spreading it out thinly over a large surface area and then transporting it through the flysheet and into the atmosphere.

Only the fourth or fifth tent in the Sigma collection, the Sigma S22 builds on the previous S20 with the addition of a second large porch.

Terra Nova Laser Compact 2

Weight: 1230g
Price: £500
Best for: Backpacking and fastpacking
Key attributes: Stealthy profile, high spec materials

Terra Nova’s new Laser Compact 2 is a tweaked version of its iconic, much-loved Laser Competition 2 tent. The changes? It has a smaller overall packed size, just 30cm in length (15cm shorter than the Competition 2), making it easier to stow away in your backpack. But that’s about it in terms of changes. ‘If ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ has been Terra Nova’s approach, you could say, and therefore it sticks to the tried and tested design of the Competition. This means the Compact has an excellent space-to-weight ratio, is super-lightweight at just 1,230g, and has a three-season rating that is sturdy enough for wind and rain except in the harshest of storms. And these attributes helped it claim the best tent gong at the Outdoor Industry Association Awards.

The Laser Compact 2’s simple but effective single-pole, hoop design, complemented by two tiny poles at each end, provides just enough space for two, especially when sleeping top-to-tail as recommended, while two doors provide access to porches for kit storage.

Sadly, it isn’t the roomiest of tents, and it can feel a little cramped inside for two, while the porches are pretty small too – one is just about big enough for packs, while the other can only really accommodate a pair of boots. But you can’t have it all at this weight bracket. And, despite being ultra-lightweight, the Laser Compact 2 is very sturdy and weatherproof. The flysheet is made from a 5000mm silicone-coated ripstop nylon while inside there’s a half mesh inner with an impressive 6000mm waterproof rating on the base – they both held up to a battering in the Highlands during our in-field tests.

Other positive features include: the simple set-up, which can be undertaken flysheet first or the whole thing as one; meshes and vents for air flow and to combat condensation; extremely durable Dyneema guylines; and an optional pole sleeve cover with extra guylines for additional stability in the worst of conditions. Our tests did, however, reveal some flaws in an otherwise excellent tent: we found the featherlight, technical fabrics to be quite ‘flappy’ in the wind; the zips were annoyingly prone to snagging on the zip shield; and, overall, we would have been more comfortable with some additional interior space and bigger porches. But that didn’t spoil our overall impression. The Terra Nova Compact 2 is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a lightweight, reliable tent for your backpacking adventures.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2019/20 – check out our full Terra Nova Laser Compact 2 review.

Full Specifications

Watershed Si2 5,000mm flysheet / single porch / single door  / 30x15cm packed size / 8.7mm DAC poles 10 x 11g alloy pegs / 5 minute pitch time.

Get the latest price at:
terra-nova.co.uk

Snugpak Journey Duo

Weight: 3200g
Price: £190
Best for: Backpacking
Key attributes: Good value, very sturdy

The Snugpak Journey Duo is a semi-geodesic tent that has an impressively durable build, but it’s on the heavier end of the scale at 3200g altogether.

The bulk of this weight comes from the rather heavy duty materials that Snugpak have chosen. We imagine they’ve deliberately foregone trying to keep the weight down to instead focus on robust protection, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – if you’re looking for a reliable basecamp tent, this would fit the bill. They’ve also kept the price low enough to make this appeal to a particular target market, which at a guess, we’d say is entry-level and/or award scheme hikers.

It’s another inner pitched first tent, which may put some people off and yes, it’s a little on the heavy side, but we thought this justified inclusion in our Outdoor 100 product guide on the basis of that excellent reliability and the great price.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2019/20 – take a closer look at the Snugpak Journey Duo review.

Full Specifications

75D 4,000mm flysheet / 5,000mm groundsheet / 58cm x 17cm packed size / taped seams / two alloy poles / 18 pegs / single porch / single door.

Get the latest price at:
snugpak.com

Force Ten Arete 2

Weight: 1540g
Price: £320
Best for: Three-season backpacking
Key attributes: High walls, spacious, easy to pitch, high spec materials

Stemming from Scottish-based tent manufacturer, Vango, Force Ten is the side of the company that allows them to flex their R&D muscles a little and go more high-spec than their usual entry-level-ish stuff. The Force Ten range today includes backpacks and down sleeping bags, plus a number of tents including this two person option called the Arête 2.

This has an interesting free-standing design (albeit one that’s been seen before), involving a single pole which forms a spine across the tent, with a fork at the front end to prop itself up.

While inner pitched first tents like this have their downfalls in the moist conditions of the UK, it is at least very quick and easy to erect. It’s certainly a roomy two person tent as well, with plenty of sitting up space, and a good sized porch.

In terms of stability, there are stronger tents, but as our editor Will found out on a windy night in the Aran Hills of Wales, it’s still a very reliable offering, and the materials are all very impressive.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2019/20 – check out our full Force Ten Arete 2 review.

Full Specifications

20D ripstop 5,000mm flysheet / factory taped seams / Alloy poles / inner first pitching / o-shaped inner doors / inner pockets / fast pack tent bag.

Get the latest price at:
force-ten.co.uk

Robens Goldcrest 2

Weight: 1340g
Price: £500
Best for: Backpacking, bikepacking, cycle touring
Key attributes: Stealthy profile, spacious porches and sleeping area

The Robens Goldcrest 2 is part of a lightweight range for backpacking released by the Danish brand in 2018. It’s a kind-of mini tunnel design involving a flysheet that’s held up by one hooped pole and two mini corner poles at the back end, with a mesh inner clipped inside.

The Goldcrest 2, like all of Robens’ other tents, supposedly went through a rigorous testing process in its development to make sure it’s got the beans to cope with strong wind and heavy rainfall. The returned results showed that it’s capable of handling 140 km/h winds and 2000mm of rainfall per 1cm (squared) before the water begins to penetrate. In other words, it’s dependable.

We haven’t quite got out into conditions as stormy as that in this tent, but it’s certainly performed over some moderately wet and windy night for us, the key features here being its low profile and multiple pegging points.

At 1,340g it’s pretty light, especially given the amount of space inside it, and if you put the volume adjustment straps on the stuff sack to use, the final packed size is impressive.

Take a closer look with our full Robens Goldcrest 2 review.

Full Specifications

Hydrotex 2,000mm flysheet / Alloy Yunan 8.6 mm and Carbon 9.5 mm poles / single door / single porch / 48 x 12 cm packed weight  / 140km/h max and 120km/h average wind tunnel test.

Get the latest price at:
robens.de

The lightweight flysheet is supported by three arcing poles of different lengths that run across the width of the tent and they’re each colour coded with the pole sleeves to save pitching headaches. The inner and the flysheet can be pitched all-in-one, or there’s potential to remove the inner and camp without it. This is where the full-length footprint that Nigor make would come in very handy – it needs to be purchased separately, however.

We’ve used this in some very wet and windy Welsh weather and it has performed admirably. It is slightly heavy for backpacking, but we imagine there’ll be plenty of people who’ll find that extra weight worth it for the spacious sleep. As a bikepacking or cycle touring tent it’s ideal.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2018/19 – check out our full Nigor Didis 2 review.

Full Specifications

GorLyn 10 flysheet fabric / 40D nylon ripstop floor with a laminated TPU coating of 10,000mm / DAC poles made from aluminium / single porch / single door / ventilation on front and rear / fly first or all at once pitching 10 lightweight aluminium pegs.

Get the latest price at:
nigor.eu

Vaude Terra Hogan 2P

Weight: 1860g
Price: £280
Best for: Backpacking, bikepacking, cycle touring
Key attributes: Quick and easy to pitch, spacious, high walls, clever porch design

If the thought of forking out a whopping £500+ for some nylon and poles makes you feel queasy, then do not fear – buying a high quality backpacking tent doesn’t have to break the bank or turn the stomach. German brand Vaude sell their Terra Hogan 2P tent for a slightly more reasonable RRP of £280 – and, despite the lower price bracket, you still get a sturdy, spacious, well-designed tent for two.

The Terra Hogan has a rather unique set-up: the flysheet is linked to an external, cross-shaped pole using Vaude’s innovative ‘Mark’ suspension system, which uses shockcord to clip the tent to the exoskeleton pole via hooks. This interlocking, weaving approach is a little fiddly but, once mastered, is quick and easy to do, and it provides excellent tension to the structure. But the main purpose, as Vaude put it, is to reduce the amount of tent material that can catch the wind, eliminating the problem of noisy flapping of the flysheet which plagues other designs. And, if our tests during some Munro-bagging wild camping trips are anything to go by, the Terra Hogan has excellent stability in wind.

Inside, the Terra Hogan is pretty spacious. There is comfortable room for two sleeping side by side, and there is decent headroom for sitting up at the highest point, while two stitched-in poles at the foot end boost internal space and help to combat the tapering of the tent towards that end. At 225cm in length, it is a long tent, which will be ideal for the taller wild campers out there. In terms of weatherproofing, the polyester flysheet has a good 5,000mm rating and the tent certainly kept out the rain during showers in the West Highlands of Scotland.

Other positive features of the Terra Hogan include an integrated washing line for organising your kit, a mesh internal door for improved ventilation, and the potential to pitch it with the inner and outer together. Cons of the Terra Hogan include its ever so slightly heavy weight of 2,200g (far from ultra-lightweight), and a lack of pegs as standard. But, at under £300 for a stable, waterproof, spacious tent, the Terra Hogan is still a great deal.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2018/19 – check out our full Vaude Terra Hogan 2P review.

Full Specifications

40D ripstop 3,000 mm flysheet / single porch / single door / ground ventilation at sides / increased headroom from revised pole construction / inner first construction.

Get the latest price at:
vaude.com

Nordisk Telemark 2 LW

Price: £510
Weight: 950g
Best for: Three season fast packing, backpacking, bikepacking, cycle touring
Key attributes: Very lightweight, suitable as a one person but can cater for two

Danish firm Nordisk claim the Telemark 2 LW is ‘one of the most advanced tents in the world’. That’s a bold statement, but it’s easy to see where the confidence comes from. The Telemark 2 LW is, without doubt, a durable, top quality and ridiculously lightweight tent – and, consequently, its trophy cabinet is bulging with an impressive array of industry awards. If being ultra-lightweight is your number one priority, then this is the tent for you. At 950g, it’s difficult to beat – unless you opt for the Telemark 2 ULW, which is 70g lighter and £160 more expensive, courtesy of its carbon poles.

Like similar tents from rivals Terra Nova and Hilleberg, the Telemark 2 uses a well-established design known for providing space and stability at low weight, with a single hoop central pole with shorter poles at each end. Nordisk say this approach creates a ‘very spacious tent with room enough for two’. This is a slight exaggeration. The Telemark 2 LW does have a spacious interior for one person, but it is definitely a little cramped for two, with not much space for moving around or organising yourselves. Like the Terra Nova Compact 2, it is perhaps best regarded as a comfortable, spacious tent for a solo backpacker, or on the ‘cosy’ side of things for two. There is a decent sized, single porch, however, for kit and cooking.

Features we love about the Telemark 2 include: the four small corner poles which seem to provide greater structure and height to the tent at the foot and head ends (as opposed to using one single centred pole at the end like Terra Nova and Hilleberg); the ease of pitching; the toughness of the flysheet and inner, despite how thin and lightweight they are; its ability to stand up to adverse weather during our tests out in the Highlands; and the magnetic quick-snap door closure is neat. There is all the usual stuff too – adjustable guy ropes, mesh for breathability, and inner pockets for expedition ‘admin’.  We were somewhat nervy about threading the main pole through its sleeve, as it caught a few times and felt like you could rip the thin outer if you weren’t careful, but if you’re careful that shouldn’t be a problem. Nordisk’s Telemark 2 LW is a durable, weatherproof and incredibly lightweight two-person tent.

As of 2020, Nordisk now offer a version of this with a door on either side. Read our Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW review for our verdict on that.

Full Specifications

Ripstop nylon flysheet with silicon coating (2000mm); ripstop nylon inner mesh (15d); ripstop nylon inner tent floor (8000mm)/ wind test: 18 m/s / 220 x 135 x 100 inner tent dimensions / pack size 12 x 41cm / 2mm Dyneema guy ropes / 8.7mm aluminium DAC Featherlite poles / 4 x aluminium pegs.

Get the latest price at:
nordisk.co.uk

Vango Banshee Pro 200

Price: £150
Weight: 2390g
Best for: Three-season backpacking
Key attributes: Great value, sturdy

Ah, the Vango Banshee, a classic, extremely popular tent that seems to polarise opinion. Loved, even adored, by many; ridiculed by others, camping snobs who – from the porches of their £700 tents – label the Banshee a heavy, simplistic tent for beginners only. But we’d certainly side with the former camp.

The Vango Banshee Pro 200 is a great tent at an unbelievable price. For just £150 you get a Duke of Edinburgh approved two-person, tunnel-style tent, with decent space, durable and weatherproof materials, and a host of positive features. Yes, it is a starter tent for those on a budget or those just getting into camping, but its design, quality and build are more advanced than critics will lead you to believe.

The Vango Banshee Pro 200 consists of a robust flysheet, with a ripstop weave and a high-performing hydrostatic head waterproof rating of 5,000mm; a breathable polyester inner and a strong, thick and reliable 70-denier groundsheet; and pre-angled alloy poles that are both light and strong. Setting up the tent, either flysheet first or all as one, is very straightforward, by inserting two poles into sleeves and pegging out. There are two doors, one for each camper, as well as two porches, although one is smaller than the other. Inside space is a little limited, as with other tents on test here, so the Banshee should perhaps be considered a roomy one-person tent or a rather cosy one -person tent. Either way, the six inner pockets are handy for storing your essential items such as a headtorch and snacks, while the internal triangular mesh vents and semi-circle mesh window ensure adequate breathability.

During our tests the Banshee held up well to strong winds, helped by the presence of five guylines, and the durable flysheet safely kept out the rain. We found the side-loading, fast-pack tent bag really easy for packing, unlike others that are annoyingly small, and we also loved the flexibility of being able to separate the outer and inner after a rainy night, thus ensuring the inner stays dry.  Our only gripes were a feeling of being a little cramped inside, as well as the overall weight of the tent. But, that aside, the Banshee is a bona fide bargain, providing a robust, quality shelter for a fraction of the price of others on the market. It’s a classic, popular tent – and rightfully so.

Full Specifications

Inner dimensions: 115cm x 220cm x 100cm / Packed size 46cm x 16cm / Protex ripstop flysheet (5000mm); 70D groundsheet (6000mm); polyester mesh inner / Yunan Eco Alloy poles /  internal Tension Band System / twin flysheet doors / inner pockets / reflective guys.

Get the latest price at:
vango.co.uk

Written by: James Forrest, Nicola Hardy, Jordan Tiernan and Will Renwick

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