Aaron Hoette
2005-01-12 06:11:47 UTC
Owner Review
Macpac Microlight Tent
Biographical Information -
Name : Aaron Joseph Hoette
Age : 28
Gender : Male
Height : 172Cm (5'7")
Weight : 58.0kg (127.9lbs)
Email Address : aaron(dot)hoette(at)gmail(dot)com
City, State, Country : Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Date : 8th January 2005
Backpacking Experience/Background -
My home location is Perth, Western Australia. I have bushwalked for
approximately five years. The Cape to Cape Track
(http://www.capetocapetrack.com.au/), the Bibbulmun Track
(http://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/), the Pilbara region of Western
Australia in the Chichester Ranges, The Coastal Plain Trail within
Yanchep National Park, and some visits to Dryandra woodlands
(http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/tourism/dryandra_woodland_splash.html).
Walks outside of Western Australia are in the Blue Mountains of New
South Wales.
I enjoy isolation from populace, the indepedance, and undisturbed
natural environments encountered while bushwalking. I intend to do
more regular bushwalking close to home, learning traditional
navigation techniques and more about the natural environments close to
home. I have also enjoyed many months bicycle touring within Germany.
Product Information -
Manufacturer : Macpac Wilderness Equipment Limited
Year of Manufacture : ~ 2000 (+/- 1 year)
URL : http://www.macpac.co.nz/
Listed Weight : Microlight Fly 0.6kg (1.32lb)
Inner 0.8kg (1.76lb)
Pole Set 0.2kg (0.44lb)
Pegs 0.2kg
Stuff Sacs etc. 0.1kg (0.22lb)
In use weight 1.7kg (3.74lb)
Total Weight 1.9kg (4.19lb)
My In Use Weight : 2.1kg (4.63lb, Soehnle kitchen scales)
Persons : 1-2
Fly Footprint : 2200mm x 1000mm (86.6" x 39.4")
Inner Footprint : 1800mm x 1300mm (70.9" x 51.2")
Floor Area : 2.0m2 (2.4yd2)
Vestibule Area : 0.8m2 (0.9yd2)
Rolled Size : 40cm x 12cm (15.8" x 4.7")
Product Description -
The Macpac Microlight comes rolled up in its stuff sac. In this are
the Fly, guide lines, pegs in bag, pole in bag, inner/floor,
instructions, seam sealer, repair kit. This is a "three season" and
"multi-pitch" tent. This means the tent can be used without problems
in all but the most extreme weather conditions, and that it can be
erected in many configurations, fly only, inner/floor only, or
combined fly with inner/floor.
Six aluminium hard ground pegs fix the fly to the ground, and two
guide lines may also be used. This tent requires pegs as it will not
stay pitched on its own. The pole is hollow aluminium telescopic type
with elastic line through. The floor is a "tub" polyurethane coated
nylon variety, seam sealed via tape, and sewn on are the tent inner
walls. These consist of white/cream wind resistant nylon mesh. The
entrance consists of "no see um" or "fly wire" ventilation fabric.
Webbing buckles are attached to the floor peg points and the fly peg
points, hoop and loop fabrics are fixed to the fly inside and the
inner/floor outside. The repair kit contains a pole repair sleeve and
patches of each of the tents fabrics ( three pieces ), except the
entrance side ventilation fabric. The seam sealer is water based type
with bottle applicator nozzle.
General pitching of the Microlight may be done in number of
combinations, due to its "multi-pitch" design. You can use the inner
alone, placing the pole through the loops are the top and peging down
each at the strap. With the fly alone the pole slips inside a sleeve
present along the entire top seam of the fly, then pegging the corner
and middle elastic cord loops down. When pitching the combined fly
and inner, you may go about combining either fly first or inner first.
Field Experience -
Cape To Cape Track. It did not rain while I walked this track in
the spring. Coastal heath and beaches with occasional forest walking.
It is also a windy environment when exposed to the ocean, the tent
holds up well with only a minimum of flapping if pitched properly. I
used the pole arc as a fin and aimed it into the wind. I took the
complete tent on this walk, I always needed the inner for protection
from mosquitos, and it could have rained during a night.
Bibbulmun Track, Northcliff to Walpole section. The tent was used
as an backup shelter incase there was a problem at one of the huts
along the way, in the sections walked. I used it the first night in a
designated clearing close to the hut, in forest. It rained
consitantly through the night, I pitched the tent in combined format.
The rain ran off the fly and onto the ground without problems and
drained into the soil, ventilation was fine in the cool conditions 14
Celcius degrees ( fahrenheit ). The extractor vent worked well to
minimise condensation, but some remained. I'm glad the weight of the
tent is low, as its annoying to carry something your unlikely to use.
This tent will also allow 2 persons, but it is a tight squeeze.
Bicycle Touring in Germany. Not backbacking/walking, but I used the
tent most days over a three month period and here is where it was
tested most. Rain was constant for weeks, light usually, and pitching
a taught and properly aligned fly was important. The tub floor was
very useful here, as some much rain on muddy ground caused puddle to
form under the tent. There was no problem of water leaking in either
through the fly or the floor, although condensation did build up, but
not enough to cause any problems. The vestibule offered an excellent
area to accomodate my gear. Once your in the tent by yourself, it is
comfortable for me to remain for the entire night, and possibly
afternoon. Pitching the tent in the rain was a common ritual, first
the fly, then put gear and yourself under and clip in the optional
ground sheet and inner, much better than sorting out things in the
rain. In the morning as much water was wiped off the fly with a
sponge, the fabrics are very quick drying. Packing the tent wet and
drying as soon as possible never presented a problem. This tent was
ideal for the varied weather encountered, both hot and dry, wet and
cool.
I find tents are best used when the weather is adverse to more minimal
setups, as they offer complete shelter, also a measure of privacy in
camping sites. This tent performs very well in these situations.
Product Summary -
This is a low weight, low volume, three season, single person shelter,
for the walker looking for very good quality construction of
application specific materials. The design as a whole is also good,
simple with no complex parts used providing excellent function.
Flexiblility is a key asset of this tent. Easy to erect, with choices
offered by the "multi-pitch" design, allow for both lowering the
weight and volume when certain parts are not required, and also
provide self sustaining shelter as fast as possible, with abilty to be
comfortable for longer periods in adverse weather conditions. Being
able to open the whole entrance panel on the inner/floor and the unzip
the fly is very convenient.
There is a problem with ventilation in hot or even warm conditions,
the extractor vent is only adequate, and will minimise condensation
mostly, I became uncomfortably hot as air flow to too restricted many
times, this occurrs when the door is closed, to restrict mosquitos or
other insects, the ventilation fabric does not cover enough of the
entrance panel with wind resistant fabric impeding air flow. This is
a very important aspect of tent design, so if you are thinking using
this tent in hot/warm conditions that have mosquitos or other insects,
beware you will need to experiment in this case. It must be known
that if this tent is packed away wet, mold will likely form and damage
the fabrics. A possible future improvement? Meanwhile you must wipe
it down and allow it to dry as soon as possible. This problem is
shared by all tents I'm aware of. Getting in pegs can also be a
problem, and adhoc measure may need to be taken.
This is a very good tent for the demanding user, who wants flexibility
to cope with wide range of weather conditions. It is difficult to
criticize, it is a refined product in the advanced stage of evolution.
Most of the improvements to this product are not to fundamental
design, as always performance of materials can improve further. The
statement given that "Great things often come in small packages" is
easy to see here.
Pros :
: Quality of material and construction.
: Weight and volume.
: Performance of materials.
Cons :
: Ventilation is restricted.
: Tall people could find space avaliable too restrictive.
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Macpac Microlight Tent
Biographical Information -
Name : Aaron Joseph Hoette
Age : 28
Gender : Male
Height : 172Cm (5'7")
Weight : 58.0kg (127.9lbs)
Email Address : aaron(dot)hoette(at)gmail(dot)com
City, State, Country : Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Date : 8th January 2005
Backpacking Experience/Background -
My home location is Perth, Western Australia. I have bushwalked for
approximately five years. The Cape to Cape Track
(http://www.capetocapetrack.com.au/), the Bibbulmun Track
(http://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/), the Pilbara region of Western
Australia in the Chichester Ranges, The Coastal Plain Trail within
Yanchep National Park, and some visits to Dryandra woodlands
(http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/tourism/dryandra_woodland_splash.html).
Walks outside of Western Australia are in the Blue Mountains of New
South Wales.
I enjoy isolation from populace, the indepedance, and undisturbed
natural environments encountered while bushwalking. I intend to do
more regular bushwalking close to home, learning traditional
navigation techniques and more about the natural environments close to
home. I have also enjoyed many months bicycle touring within Germany.
Product Information -
Manufacturer : Macpac Wilderness Equipment Limited
Year of Manufacture : ~ 2000 (+/- 1 year)
URL : http://www.macpac.co.nz/
Listed Weight : Microlight Fly 0.6kg (1.32lb)
Inner 0.8kg (1.76lb)
Pole Set 0.2kg (0.44lb)
Pegs 0.2kg
Stuff Sacs etc. 0.1kg (0.22lb)
In use weight 1.7kg (3.74lb)
Total Weight 1.9kg (4.19lb)
My In Use Weight : 2.1kg (4.63lb, Soehnle kitchen scales)
Persons : 1-2
Fly Footprint : 2200mm x 1000mm (86.6" x 39.4")
Inner Footprint : 1800mm x 1300mm (70.9" x 51.2")
Floor Area : 2.0m2 (2.4yd2)
Vestibule Area : 0.8m2 (0.9yd2)
Rolled Size : 40cm x 12cm (15.8" x 4.7")
Product Description -
The Macpac Microlight comes rolled up in its stuff sac. In this are
the Fly, guide lines, pegs in bag, pole in bag, inner/floor,
instructions, seam sealer, repair kit. This is a "three season" and
"multi-pitch" tent. This means the tent can be used without problems
in all but the most extreme weather conditions, and that it can be
erected in many configurations, fly only, inner/floor only, or
combined fly with inner/floor.
Six aluminium hard ground pegs fix the fly to the ground, and two
guide lines may also be used. This tent requires pegs as it will not
stay pitched on its own. The pole is hollow aluminium telescopic type
with elastic line through. The floor is a "tub" polyurethane coated
nylon variety, seam sealed via tape, and sewn on are the tent inner
walls. These consist of white/cream wind resistant nylon mesh. The
entrance consists of "no see um" or "fly wire" ventilation fabric.
Webbing buckles are attached to the floor peg points and the fly peg
points, hoop and loop fabrics are fixed to the fly inside and the
inner/floor outside. The repair kit contains a pole repair sleeve and
patches of each of the tents fabrics ( three pieces ), except the
entrance side ventilation fabric. The seam sealer is water based type
with bottle applicator nozzle.
General pitching of the Microlight may be done in number of
combinations, due to its "multi-pitch" design. You can use the inner
alone, placing the pole through the loops are the top and peging down
each at the strap. With the fly alone the pole slips inside a sleeve
present along the entire top seam of the fly, then pegging the corner
and middle elastic cord loops down. When pitching the combined fly
and inner, you may go about combining either fly first or inner first.
Field Experience -
Cape To Cape Track. It did not rain while I walked this track in
the spring. Coastal heath and beaches with occasional forest walking.
It is also a windy environment when exposed to the ocean, the tent
holds up well with only a minimum of flapping if pitched properly. I
used the pole arc as a fin and aimed it into the wind. I took the
complete tent on this walk, I always needed the inner for protection
from mosquitos, and it could have rained during a night.
Bibbulmun Track, Northcliff to Walpole section. The tent was used
as an backup shelter incase there was a problem at one of the huts
along the way, in the sections walked. I used it the first night in a
designated clearing close to the hut, in forest. It rained
consitantly through the night, I pitched the tent in combined format.
The rain ran off the fly and onto the ground without problems and
drained into the soil, ventilation was fine in the cool conditions 14
Celcius degrees ( fahrenheit ). The extractor vent worked well to
minimise condensation, but some remained. I'm glad the weight of the
tent is low, as its annoying to carry something your unlikely to use.
This tent will also allow 2 persons, but it is a tight squeeze.
Bicycle Touring in Germany. Not backbacking/walking, but I used the
tent most days over a three month period and here is where it was
tested most. Rain was constant for weeks, light usually, and pitching
a taught and properly aligned fly was important. The tub floor was
very useful here, as some much rain on muddy ground caused puddle to
form under the tent. There was no problem of water leaking in either
through the fly or the floor, although condensation did build up, but
not enough to cause any problems. The vestibule offered an excellent
area to accomodate my gear. Once your in the tent by yourself, it is
comfortable for me to remain for the entire night, and possibly
afternoon. Pitching the tent in the rain was a common ritual, first
the fly, then put gear and yourself under and clip in the optional
ground sheet and inner, much better than sorting out things in the
rain. In the morning as much water was wiped off the fly with a
sponge, the fabrics are very quick drying. Packing the tent wet and
drying as soon as possible never presented a problem. This tent was
ideal for the varied weather encountered, both hot and dry, wet and
cool.
I find tents are best used when the weather is adverse to more minimal
setups, as they offer complete shelter, also a measure of privacy in
camping sites. This tent performs very well in these situations.
Product Summary -
This is a low weight, low volume, three season, single person shelter,
for the walker looking for very good quality construction of
application specific materials. The design as a whole is also good,
simple with no complex parts used providing excellent function.
Flexiblility is a key asset of this tent. Easy to erect, with choices
offered by the "multi-pitch" design, allow for both lowering the
weight and volume when certain parts are not required, and also
provide self sustaining shelter as fast as possible, with abilty to be
comfortable for longer periods in adverse weather conditions. Being
able to open the whole entrance panel on the inner/floor and the unzip
the fly is very convenient.
There is a problem with ventilation in hot or even warm conditions,
the extractor vent is only adequate, and will minimise condensation
mostly, I became uncomfortably hot as air flow to too restricted many
times, this occurrs when the door is closed, to restrict mosquitos or
other insects, the ventilation fabric does not cover enough of the
entrance panel with wind resistant fabric impeding air flow. This is
a very important aspect of tent design, so if you are thinking using
this tent in hot/warm conditions that have mosquitos or other insects,
beware you will need to experiment in this case. It must be known
that if this tent is packed away wet, mold will likely form and damage
the fabrics. A possible future improvement? Meanwhile you must wipe
it down and allow it to dry as soon as possible. This problem is
shared by all tents I'm aware of. Getting in pegs can also be a
problem, and adhoc measure may need to be taken.
This is a very good tent for the demanding user, who wants flexibility
to cope with wide range of weather conditions. It is difficult to
criticize, it is a refined product in the advanced stage of evolution.
Most of the improvements to this product are not to fundamental
design, as always performance of materials can improve further. The
statement given that "Great things often come in small packages" is
easy to see here.
Pros :
: Quality of material and construction.
: Weight and volume.
: Performance of materials.
Cons :
: Ventilation is restricted.
: Tall people could find space avaliable too restrictive.
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Help save the life of a child. Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's
'Thanks & Giving.'
http://us.click.yahoo.com/6iY7fA/5WnJAA/Y3ZIAA/V4TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
To read our reviews, please visit http://www.backpackgeartest.org/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BackpackGearTest/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
BackpackGearTest-unsubscribe-***@public.gmane.org
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/