As most of you will have guessed by now, I like to go hiking and climb mountains…but one problem I’ve always experienced is the long distance between home and my favourite hiking spot, Wales…especially when only visiting for the weekend.
To overcome the need to rush a mountain climb in on the Sunday and then rush back home straight afterwards, camping seems to be the perfect solution.
You can hike half way up your planned route, camp and then finish it off the next day…no rushing
Trespass recently got in touch at just the right time to offer me the chance to review their Tarmachan 2 Man Tent along with the Doze 3 season sleeping bag.
TARMACHAN 2 MAN TENT SPECS:
- Fire Retardant to ISO 6940
- Dimension: 285 x 150 x 115 cm
- Poles: 3 x 7.9 mm fibreglass
- Pitch: Inner First
- Weight: 3kg
- Packed size: 56cm
- Waterproof 1500mm
- Taped Seams
How easy was it to pitch?
When it came to pitching the tent (not having practiced it at home) it was easy to erect and pitch, taking approx 10-15 mins…even in high winds!
How did it fare against the Welsh elements?
When I came to pitch the tent it was blustery, overnight the winds grew much much stronger (not sure on actual wind speed) and there was rain / hail pretty much most of the night. The tent coped very well at first, however after some time I noticed that the poles didn’t recover their shape after one gust of wind, upon inspection I found that one of the main poles had come out of its holder and also one of the pegs had become loose so the outer shell at one end had become free and therefore began letting in the rain.
I also discovered in the morning that one of the peg holders had split, again assuming this was down to the wind forcing the tent in many directions and the strain it was under.
Now it’s fair to say that there were probably a few reasons behind this:
- I may have incorrectly pitched the outer shell pegs and thus not securing enough.
- The wind was incredibly strong and gusty and coming at all directions for around 15 hrs straight.
Up until the pole and peg incident though it held its own against the wind and the rain and kept me snug and dry.
What’s the retail price?
£50.99 (current on Trespass website)
Pros?
- Easy to assemble / dissemble
- Plenty of space inside
- Handy porch area to cook and still keep out of the elements
Cons?
- Quite heavy and bulky
DOZE 3 SEASON SLEEPING BAG SPECS:
- 3 season
- 2 way zipper
- Shoulder baffle
- 230 x 85 x 55cm
- Techincal Rating – Upper limit +22°C Comfort +13°C Lower limit +0°C Extreme -3°C
A compact and decent sleeping bag with good amount of leg room. Good for me who suffers with slight claustrophobia.
I did on the safe side also use a sleeping bag liner to help increase the warmth a little as I do get cold generally at night times.
Did it keep me warm?
Yes! Surprisingly I enjoyed a comfortable night (despite the wind and rain!)
It was also very easy to roll back and into its store bag which is a big pro as I’ve struggled in the past with some bags and their resistance to going back into a confined space!
Would I use both these items again?
Absolutely Yes, I can use both in extreme conditions and still come out the other end smiling then I can only imagine the pleasure of using the tent and sleeping bag when the weather is nice! And with a view like this to wake up to bring on the Spring
