Tundra Tents? (Rebel Sports)

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tchart

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Topic # 113341 14-Jan-2013 13:58

Has anyone ever used one of the "Tundra" brand tents from Rebel Sports?

They have 50% off at the moment (not uncommon for this time of year BTW). .

I'm "concerned" based on them not having any display models (been to 2 stores) and lack of outside reviews. The tent we are interested does have 1 review on the site which said it was a great tent. A review on another tent said very poor and gave it one star (so Rebel don't appear to be making up reviews). I have a quick look in the bag of the one we like and the quality seems okay.

So, given the sale ends today I need to make a decision and its a $500 decision!

Alternatively friends of ours are upgrading their Kathmandu tentand have offered theres at a good price.

Thoughts?

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Banana?
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Reply # 744537 14-Jan-2013 14:13

Not sure about the Tundra Tents, but while we were away over the break, friends of ours had one of the Jet Tents : http://jettent.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=47 and they were mightily impressed with it. Solid and sturday and a piece of cake to assemble and disassemble. Expensive though from what I gather, well out of that $500 price range.

mattwnz

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Reply # 744538 14-Jan-2013 14:14

Don't know anything about the brand. But many of the cheap tents seem to be cheap nylon. I did see that Kathmandu had quite a good deal on on display models of tents. If you want a tent to last, a canvas family one maybe the type to go for, as they can be repaired and re waterproofed, and should last for many years. But they are not the type you go hiking with as they weight a lot. The cheaper nylon ones can rip quite easily, and get blown around in the wind. You will note that most give no warranty for wind damage.

mattwnz

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Reply # 744541 14-Jan-2013 14:15

trig42: Not sure about the Tundra Tents, but while we were away over the break, friends of ours had one of the Jet Tents : http://jettent.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=47 and they were mightily impressed with it. Solid and sturday and a piece of cake to assemble and disassemble. Expensive though from what I gather, well out of that $500 price range.

Yeap that is a canvas one. You get what you pay for. Looks to be very solid from the pictures.

sleepy

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Reply # 744543 14-Jan-2013 14:18

We have a
http://www.rrsport.co.nz/product/Freedom-Camping-Invert-4-Dome-Tent?p=71534

from r & R sport smaller than you require but has been great to use and is well thought out
so recomend the brand
still the same price as 2 years ago when we bought it

Alan

mattwnz

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Reply # 744551 14-Jan-2013 14:24

It may help if the OP says what they plan to use the tent for, and how long they want it to last. Also whether they will be taking it by car, or hiking, and they type of conditions it will be installed in. Wind is one of the main killers of tents.

tchart

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Reply # 744555 14-Jan-2013 14:28

Thanks all.

Not that into canvas tents as my neighbor says his takes a few hours to set up!

The R&R ones do look good. In fact I was there earlier (Wellington) and they have a 4 person tent which was really nice and half price to boot. However they are closing down (Wellington only) and don't have any stock of the bigger ones (we are after a multi-room 6-8 person tent).

Our existing canvas tent has lasted over 10 years so happy with that level of investment.

tchart

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Reply # 744559 14-Jan-2013 14:31

Sorry should've mentioned that;

The tent should ideally fit in a boot or roof box. Its for recreational camping only (family with kids) so not for hiking etc.

LOL living in Wellington we are well used to the wind. Our old tent survived the wind over the weekend at Kaitoke. Our friends Dwights tent had a few broken poles so maybe they dont make them like the used to?

Jaxson

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Reply # 744566 14-Jan-2013 14:36

Watch for a sensible fly design. I got one recently on clear-out and the fly was more decorative than practical. Had bits cut out at funny angles to look impressive, but which exposed the tent underneath?!

To be honest, you really do get what you pay for. Depends highly on your expectations, intended use and how often you'll be using it. If it's for a long weekend once a year then you should be right with anything. If it's for regular weekend trips or much longer stays etc, or if you're stuffed if it fails on you locations etc, then you should be looking to step it up a bit.

Those canvas bad boys are the thing for month long summers away. There's a reason they're expensive and a reason you can buy 15 year old ones still in good condition on trademe.

mattwnz

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Reply # 744577 14-Jan-2013 14:48

tchart: Thanks all.

Not that into canvas tents as my neighbor says his takes a few hours to set up!
.

I don't think they are really any harder to put up. Certainly they are doing something wrong if they are taking hours!. 15 -20 minutes max for a couple of people to put up ours, which is a two room canvas one with a sunpourch, and steel poles. Obviously practice makes perfect. The secret is to number all the poles so you know where they go. The good thing is that you can stand up in it, and you don't need a fly over the top. Is about 30 years old too, and was actually made in NZ!. Has had a couple of rips, but repaired.

My brother purchased a new nylon tent a few years ago. Took it on holidays, and the first day a gust blow a branch from a tree above onto it, going straight through it and wrote it off. It wasn't repairable and the retailer didn't want to know.
The nylon ones though do look very flash and pretty, but possibily not as practical and durable as the older styles.

sleepy

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Reply # 744582 14-Jan-2013 14:53

R and r sell online i presume surely the wellington store could order you one

trig42

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Reply # 744586 14-Jan-2013 15:01

Just further on from the JetTent, It is no hassle apparently to setup, and just as easy to take down.

There is a seller on TradeMe (I think the importer/agent) selling them with the extra room free.

I have no affiliation with them, they just look like really good tents.

Jaxson

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Reply # 744588 14-Jan-2013 15:02

mattwnz: practice makes perfect. The secret is to number all the poles so you know where they go.

+1

We did a trial of my parents old canvas one a week or so ago. Found a bit of water coming up through the floor, so will have to lay some tarpaulins down on the site first I think. Also found we needed some more pegs etc too.

When we disassembled it I whipped around and sprayed the joins with 3 colours of spray paint cans I had laying around. They're now very clearly colour coded again so setup should be easy next time.

tchart

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Reply # 744626 14-Jan-2013 15:51

sleepy: R and r sell online i presume surely the wellington store could order you one

You can order online. The Wellington store is closing down so they have 50-70% off everything so if I ordered online it would be full price.

oxnsox

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Reply # 744638 14-Jan-2013 16:05

You can get quick set-up tents in all cloth types...(look at Oz tents for 2min setup canvas units).
Key element to any tent is it's weather proofness(?). Look for good water ratings of the Tent fabric, and the floor.. Also look at cloth strength, for durability. A higher water head usually means a heavier cloth weight (which is generally good) but sometimes coatings are used to increase waterproofing on lighter/chapter cloth types.

How it performs in wind has a lot to do with how it's pitched (orientation to the prevailing wind and weather) and how well it's secured/tethered. Falling branches or debris can damage any tent type.

mattwnz

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Reply # 744642 14-Jan-2013 16:12

oxnsox: You can get quick set-up tents in all cloth types...(look at Oz tents for 2min setup canvas units).
Key element to any tent is it's weather proofness(?). Look for good water ratings of the Tent fabric, and the floor.. Also look at cloth strength, for durability. A higher water head usually means a heavier cloth weight (which is generally good) but sometimes coatings are used to increase waterproofing on lighter/chapter cloth types.

The thing is that waterproofing agents need to be applied quite regularly too, as it is something that wears out. With tents, it is very much a case of getting what you pay for.

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