10 BEST TENTS - The Independent, 10 June 2004

With the latest high-tech shelters, camping out needn’t mean braving the elements. Mark Harris stakes his claim to ten pitch-perfect tents

Coleman Oasis £250
Pitch this monster six-person tent in the wrong place and you risk getting a Council Tax bill. There are three interior rooms in which to create your home from home, and nearly six feet of headroom should prevent stooped backs. Its innovative semi-geodesic design allows the Oasis to cope well with strong winds, but this 23kg tent isn’t one to haul up a mountain.
Coleman (01275 845024; www.coleman-eur.com)

Eurohike Beach Shelter £9.99
Forget struggling under a sandy towel to get changed or hiding from the sun under a tiny beach umbrella this summer. This lightweight shelter combines wind-break, parasol and beach hut in one, easy to pitch package. It’s fine for one person to sleep off a barbeque or for two to shelter from British rain showers, but isn’t suitable for overnight camping or pan-Saharan expeditions.
Millets (0800 389 5861; www.millets.co.uk)

GoLite Cave £115 and Nest £69
Sometimes you don’t want to carry a full tent around, especially if the weather is hot or you’re packing light. The GoLite Cave is a weather-proof tarpaulin-style shelter that can be pitched from trees or your trekking pole as conditions dictate. Hanging a two-person Nest inside the Cave (for a total weight of just over 1kg) creates an insect-proof sleeping area with a waterproof nylon floor.
Golite (0800 0569870) www.golite.co.uk


Hilleberg Nammatj GT £550 --- BEST LUXURY BUY
The Nammatj is the only tent that’s easier to pitch than it is to pronounce: three poles, four pegs and five minutes are all you need. This GT version has a enlarged porch for storage or cooking, is made from tear-resistant Kerlon 1800 fabric and sleeps two in fully weather-proofed comfort. A clever feature is the adjustable pole holder that can take two poles for extra stability in high winds.
Hilleberg (+46 63 57 15 50; www.hilleberg.com)

Outwell Colorado £220
You don’t want to travel all the way to the countryside only to spend your holiday looking at blue canvas. This four-person tunnel tent has two rooms, a large living area and plenty of mesh windows for bug-free ventilation and panoramic views. Make sure you park near your pitch, though, as its 20kg bulk can turn even the slightest slope into the Matterhorn.
Millets (0800 389 5861; www.millets.co.uk)

Terra Nova Laser £240
This ultra-lightweight, snug two-person tent weighs less than some sleeping bags - just 1.3kg complete with poles and pegs. Its flysheet is constructed from advanced Watershed SL fabric, which mixes silicone coatings and high tenacity nylon to give an unbeatable space to weight ratio. There are no compromises on weather-proofing either, thanks to a tough nylon groundsheet and a reduced number of seams.
Terra Nova (01773 837373; www.terra-nova.co.uk)

Terra Nova Voyager £340 ------- BEST BUY
The Voyager isn’t the cheapest, lightest or newest two-person tent around but it has repeatedly proved its worth as a supremely reliable four-season backpacker. The flysheet is made from high tenacity nylon for improved resistance to sunlight and accidental tears, and it comes with colour-coded, lightweight aluminium alloy poles. Packaged weight is a very reasonable 2.6kg.
Terra Nova (01773 837373; www.terra-nova.co.uk)

The North Face West Wind £325
This mountain tent uses the latest high-tech materials, such as a tough silicone-coated Ripstop flysheet and a highly breathable 40D nylon inner to prevent condensation. The strong aluminium poles are colour-coded for easy pitching, and another nice touch is that all the guy lines and zippers are reflective. There’s plenty of room inside for two to sleep and store their gear.
Blacks (0800 214890; www.blacks.co.uk)

Vango Synchro 300 £170 --- BEST BUDGET BUY
It’s dark, it’s raining and it’s taken you two hours to find the campsite. With most tents, you’re looking at another 30 minutes of untangling guy ropes and sorting through poles before you can crash out. But with the Synchro 300’s self-erect design, consisting of pre-attached poles, inner and flysheet, you can be inside brewing a cuppa in moments. Its only drawback is its weight: a hefty 7.9kg for this three-man version.
Vango (01475 746000; www.vango.co.uk)

Vango TBS Spirit 200 £260
Tunnel tents are light and sturdy, but can suffer in side winds. Vango’s Tension Band System (TBS) makes its tents extremely resistant to lateral gusts, so that the two-man Spirit 200 is suitable for the windiest conditions. Due to its huge vestibule, there’s less sleeping room inside than you might think; consider trading up to the three-person Spirit 300 for an extra £40.
Vango (01475 746000; www.vango.co.uk)

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