First pitch
The first pitch was a bit awkward. I pitched it loosely according to the instructions then packed it away with the flysheet still attached. I then timed myself pitching it again but this time 'as one' instead of inner first as the instructions say. With adjusting everything and working out the best places for the pegs etc it took me 12minutes 53seconds. This will obviously get better with practice. On first look the tent is a very good spring/summer tent for the price, though as usual I'll push the tent to it's limits and will use it year round.
I do think that the fly pitches too close to the inner and will touch in even moderate wind and rain. I think the flysheet could have been a bit longer, allowing it to be pulled further away from the inner. We'll see how it goes. The instructions say that the inner tent and fly sheet share a peg, I have found from experience that this is OK on flat pitches i.e. the garden or a campsite, but on the mountain where the ground is uneven this does not usually work, unless the 2 pegging points are attached by long shockcord, which they are not on the Blade. This will mean that the tent will need 16 pegs instead of the 12 supplied, in theory making the tent heavier, but I always change the pegs for better quality stronger and lighter ones anyway. When I packed the tent away, it was a bit of a squeeze getting it back into the stuffsack, but it went in relatively easily.
The tent straight from the shop with the shop tags cut off weighed 2172grams.
As time goes by and I use this tent, more detail will be added to this review.
I do think that the fly pitches too close to the inner and will touch in even moderate wind and rain. I think the flysheet could have been a bit longer, allowing it to be pulled further away from the inner. We'll see how it goes. The instructions say that the inner tent and fly sheet share a peg, I have found from experience that this is OK on flat pitches i.e. the garden or a campsite, but on the mountain where the ground is uneven this does not usually work, unless the 2 pegging points are attached by long shockcord, which they are not on the Blade. This will mean that the tent will need 16 pegs instead of the 12 supplied, in theory making the tent heavier, but I always change the pegs for better quality stronger and lighter ones anyway. When I packed the tent away, it was a bit of a squeeze getting it back into the stuffsack, but it went in relatively easily.
The tent straight from the shop with the shop tags cut off weighed 2172grams.
As time goes by and I use this tent, more detail will be added to this review.
Just a standard pic of the tent pitched in the garden.
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Showing the gap between fly and inner. This image make the gap took bigger than it is. You can also see that I have pegged the inner and fly separately, NOT according to the instructions.
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You can see in this image that the pole has bent out of shape, this was because I pitched the tent too tight as when I adjusted the side guy lines and middle pegs the pole straightened itself.
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2nd Pitch
I had attached extra bungee cord to the flysheet pegging points to try to get the flysheet further away from the inner. Also I replaced the supplied pegs with 16 ALPKIT Y Beam pegs. I weighed the tent again, bearing in mind that this has now been used and is a more realistic trail weight with bits of grass and dried mud on the pegs and my modification. It now weighs 2274g.
Since buying the tent I wasn't happy, always wishing I'd made another choice.
The kind people at the place where I bought it kindly allowed me to exchange it for the tent I wanted.
Unfortunately I could not in all honesty recommend this tent.
It would be good for summer use in good weather on a flat campsite, but I think that any adverse weather, or wind and this tent would greatly suffer.
Also due to the long pole and inner first pitch, the tent is not the easiest to pitch, especially in even a light wind.
I took the tent back and got the Vango Tempest 200, which I am extremely happy with (Review coming soon).
The kind people at the place where I bought it kindly allowed me to exchange it for the tent I wanted.
Unfortunately I could not in all honesty recommend this tent.
It would be good for summer use in good weather on a flat campsite, but I think that any adverse weather, or wind and this tent would greatly suffer.
Also due to the long pole and inner first pitch, the tent is not the easiest to pitch, especially in even a light wind.
I took the tent back and got the Vango Tempest 200, which I am extremely happy with (Review coming soon).