Terra Nova’s Record-Breaking New Tents

Its hard to believe, but Derbyshire-based tent specialist Terra Nova has held the Guinness World Record for the world’s lightest tent for the last ten years and for 2015 it’s upping the record stakes with the addition of two new record-breaking models:  the world’s lightest two person tent and lightest freestanding two person tent.

Like the Laser Ultra , which at just 581g landed the brand the Guinness record for the work’s lightest double-wall tent in 2011 – a record it still holds – the new tents are based around Terra Nova’s super-lightweight and semi-transluecent but surprisingly strong, Cuben Fibre-based Ultra fabric, which is used both for the fly and the groundsheet.

Other weight-saving features include lightweight alloy poles and minimal pegs weighing in at just 1 gramme and minimalist design which eschews fripperies like internal storage pockets and so on.

‘Every element of our products is specified and developed to achieve the performance and weight required.’ says Terra Nova MD, Andy Utting.

New Laser Ultra 2

Available from spring 2015, the Laser Ultra 2 is claimed to be ‘ the lightest two person tent commercially available’, that would be ‘double-wall tent’ we’re guessing. It weighs in at just 695g or 347.5g per person, less than some waterproof jackets.

The design uses the Cuben Fibre Ultra fabric again for both fly and floor and packs down, says Terra Nova, to a package measuring  just 40cm x 12 cm. In effect, we’re thinking, it’s a scale-up Ultra, though we suspect as with many ‘two-person’ lightweights, it’ll be closer to a one-and-a-half person tent than a more conventional two-person one.

New Sola Ultra 2

Also due out next spring is the Sola Ultra 2, claimed at 772g (or 386g per person) to be the world’s lightest free-standing two-person tent. And if you’re wondering why the freestanding bit matters, its apparently a factor in the US market ‘where freestanding models are popular. ‘

All interesting stuff, but before you start making ultra-lightwegiht plans for next spring, bear in mind that both the new tents are likely to be eye-wateringly expensive. Cutting edge fabrics, components and design come at a cost. In the case of the record-breaking Laser Ultra 1 – effectively a limited edition special – the price-tag is currently £800 while the Voyager Ultra 2 – a take on the classic Ultra tent but made from Ultra fabric – sells for a cool £1200, though it’s around 50% lighter than the £430- base model tent.

More information

You can find full details of the current Terra Nova product line at www.terra-nova.co.uk.