My JJ loves to camp, he has been so many times that I've lost count and I'm really quite proud that he is a competent camper. When we go to events that involve fire-starting or outdoors work like wood whittling or kayaking JJ is on it and always asked to help set things up or to supervise.
Previously on his camps he has shared a tent with his Dad or with other scouting friends so we haven't needed to get him a tent but this time around he was asked to take his own tent rather than use a Scout group one and Dh's is a bit big for him to take when he needs to carry all his own kit, so we asked Mountain Warehouse if they could help us out with a small but effective tent that JJ could take to this Scout camp.
I have to say, they really came up trumps. JJ was sent the Backpacker Lightweight 2 man tent which is currently an absolute bargain at £49.99, this being half price from its regular price of £99.99. When JJ first showed me this tent online and said he was interested I thought it looked a good model as it is super small when packed and only weighs 1.8kg.
Here are a few of the features -
- Waterproof – tested to 2000mm with fully taped seams
- Fly sheet – detachable waterproof cover
- Groundsheet – Sewn in, prevents insects, cold drafts, animals and water from getting into your tent
- Rooms - 1 compact sleeping area
- Aluminium Poles – Lightweight and strong
- Total weight – 1.8kg Dimensions – 230 x 220 x 85cm
- 100% polyester
- 4 internal pockets to store all your valuables
- Door on both sides for easy access and airing,
- The doors on the inner lining and the outer waterproof sheet can both be operated separately and have toggles to keep them open
When the tent arrived I basically gave it to JJ and said get on with it. This tent says it is suitable for backpackers and thus you might have to put it up alone so give it a go and that is what he did. He moaned that the wind was moving it about after laying it out but in no time at all, he was threading the poles through and he did ask me to help him get the peg into the pole for the lower part of the tent as this took quite a bit of tension to get it in, being the first time it had been made.
I was impressed with how easy it is to build a tent nowadays. I have to confess that I'm not a camper and thus have no idea about these things, so it was nice to see the groundsheet and liner all attached together. We received plenty of good strong metal pegs with the tent and these are needed for the inner layer and also to put the green waterproof cloth over the top. JJ didn't add the guy ropes when he built the tent at home as it was quite a calm day but dh told him he should use them every time as you never know when the weather will change in the UK.
This tent is sold as a 2 man and it looked very cosy to me for two people but JJ and dh, who are the regular campers said that for one or two nights two people of average size (especially a couple) could easily use it and the benefits of the small size and being lightweight far out way the smaller footprint. Whilst my dh was there I got him to go inside and try it out for us and he is a large guy, he is 6ft and very broad and he said he could happily sleep in there for the odd night but probably not longer than that as it would be a bit tight for him.
Whereas JJ opted to spend quite a number of hours in the tent the day he built it as he is only 5ft 6" it was super comfy for him and had plenty of room at the end/ side for all his kit he would take to camp with him. I had a look at the reviews on the Mountain Warehouse site and they are really positive in general but the feedback generally seemed to be the same, that this tent was better for longer stays for people who are not so tall.
After seeing how easy it was to put up, I was chuckling to myself thinking it surely couldn't be half as easy to put away but I was wrong. JJ, supervised by his Dad pulled the poles out and easily folded them up and then Dh placed the top sheet over the ground sheet and folded the otter parts into the middle (so it was like thirds) and JJ rolled the tent around the poles, pegs and guy ropes in the supplied bag. I was gob-smacked with how well it rolled up. They used the two included ties to tie around the tent to keep it secure in a roll and it could then be easily slipped into the carry bag (which comes with very sturdy handles by the way).
Thanks so much, Mountain Warehouse, JJ is over the moon with is new tent and he is sure that his mates at camp will be wanting one too!
Disclosure: We received this tent free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.