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travel / gear / the genuine article
| The Genuine Article |
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In tents (page 2)
A quality tent also has features that can
make a big difference to comfort and utility,
including “shock-corded” poles with thin
bungee cords threaded through them to
keep the poles together, colour-coded poles
and webbing, mesh pockets on the inner
wall for glasses, flashlights and other small
items, mesh panels called gear lofts that
clip to fabric loops on the ceiling, clear plastic
windows on vestibules and roomy sacks
in which you can pack the tent, poles and fly
relatively easily, even when they’re wet.
BEARING ALL THIS in mind, here are
three tents that will keep you dry, comfortable
and sane. All are durable and easy
to set up. In ideal conditions — with two
or more people to help, no wind or rain and
on flat ground with enough soil to drive
stakes into — it shouldn’t take longer than
10 minutes to set up any of these tents. As
for height, when standing below the tallest
part of the tent, a six-foot adult will have to
bend his or her legs or stoop over slightly
in each of these tents.
Popular with paddlers, MEC’s
Wanderer 4 offers generous height and
living space. Large doors on each end
let in plenty of air and light.
The Wanderer 4 ($264) from Mountain
Equipment Co-op is a solid bet for those on
a budget. Set-up is quick, thanks to a frame
of four aluminum main poles radiating
from a hub. At 5.46 square metres, there’s
just enough floor space for two adults and
two children. It also has two doors and a
plastic window on the front vestibule. An
optional vestibule doubles the storage
space. At just under five kilograms, the
Wanderer 4 is light and compact enough
for canoe camping.
www.mec.ca
With its fly removed in clear weather, the
Marmot Halo 4P has a transparent top
that’s great for stargazing. The innovative
pole structure provides ample headroom.
The Marmot Halo 4P ($350) has two
doors and a slightly larger floor than the
Wanderer, a generous fly and vestibule
and an innovative four-pole structure that
maximizes headroom. There are giant
pockets on each side of its two doors and
long, slitlike mesh vents on the canopy
walls that can be zipped open and shut.
The tent has a satisfyingly solid feel once
pitched.
www.marmot.com
Sierra Designs’ Bedouin Annex 4+2
includes a mesh room to thwart bugs
and give kids a sheltered play space.
The Sierra Designs Bedouin Annex 4+2
($500) has the footprint of a small SUV, and
its hefty 8.5-kilogram package would be a
nightmare to portage. But once it’s built, it’s
a palace. The main interior area is comparable
to the Halo and the Wanderer, but the difference
is a mosquito-netted front annex
with a floor — an extra room that is attached
to, but separated from, the main canopy by
a zipped door. Think parents in the main
bedroom, kids in the annex. Beautiful. The
ingenious fly adds a vestibule at the rear
and can be rolled up over the annex to
improve ventilation.
www.sierradesigns.com
Kingston-based writer Alec Ross has solo paddled
a canoe across Canada and hiked extensively
in North America and Asia.
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