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| Trekkertent pitched on Dartmoor, not entirely blending in. |
As I walked along it occurred to me that I should sing the praises of the Trekkertent Stealth 1.5, a lightweight double wall tent hand made by a small outfit in Perth, Scotland.
I brought the Trekkertent to replace another fine British tent, the Terra Nova Solar Photon. The Solar Photon was ludicrously light for a free standing tent, and incredibly easy to pitch. I was always conscious that the materials were both very expensive and very thin, not that I actually had any problems or damage, even after a sketchy moment when the outer transformed itself into an expensive kite one particularly breezy evening in the Pentland Hills. Primarily I wanted a simple, robust shelter that took advantage of the fact that I was already carrying poles.
The Trekker Tent Stealth uses two walking poles with a fairly conventional catenary cut, the ridge dipping sharply towards a much lower foot end, making it conceptually more like a small mid with an extended foot box. It pitches outer first, or outer and inner together, a couple of duffle toggles enable you to make this choice and easily secure the two layers. The site reports that it weighs 690g in 20d Silpoly guise. Using my kitchen scales I get the fly at 440g with two extra guys and line-locs, and 294g for the net tent bath tub combo. That’s less than the single wall Luna Solo and just 200g heavier than the ubiquitous Alpkit Hunka bivvy bag. All that's for context because comparing gear solely on weight, without consideration for quality, durability and numerous other aspects is of course a bit of a nonsense. I'm not sure what the standard weight for ultralight tents is, particularly those that will last more than one night in the UK, but it must be pretty close.
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| Showing loads of room in tarp mode, note also rear door |
Without the inner it’s capacious, and because the tarp cinches down low it keeps out weather well. Pole heights in 115cm to 125 range work. With the inner attached it’s smaller, and reduced headroom is particularly noticeable at just over a metre at the apex. Assuming I don’t need the net to deter biting beasties I’ll often hook the rear of the inner tent up and put my night gear in the back, enjoy the extra space at the front for camp duties and then fully attach the inner for the night. For some trips I’ll dispense with the inner altogether, although as I’m a untidy camper I do appreciate the gear retaining aspect of a bathtub. The price of lightweight is often resilience, and there’s no back up if gear decides to roll off downhill.
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| The inner (red guy) hooks over the same pegs as the outer. Ram horn for scale. |
It's a simple design, not much to go wrong and therefore easier to repair than some other ultralight contraptions. Another handy aspect of the tent’s tarp heritage is that it can be pitched high with various options like one side open, to provide increased space, ventilation or wind protection. The option to pitch to the ground is a useful backup for cold and windy camps, a kind of just in case feature extending the conditions a lightweight tent can be used in and still be comfortable. Being able to fully tie back the vestibule doors enables you to sit an enjoy panoramic views. The version I have has an extra rear door, which means you can flatten it out like a tarp, good for quick sheltering en-route, occasional flying in trees, and more regularly useful for reaching through to attach or detach the inner tent from the outside.
The tent is quick to put up in a rudimentary way, the way that would probably raise a critical eyebrow from Ray Mears, and that’s exactly what you need if there’s weather. I tend to find it benefits from fettling after pitching, and this is more challenging in the dark, unlike the Solar Photon which was a right first time every time kind of tent. Some folk recommend carrying an appropriate length of string to set distance between the front guy points which works pretty well, although lining up the rear wall and front so they are parallel seems more significant for a tight pitch.
I carry three piece Terra Nova Trail Elite poles which can’t be adjusted low enough for the rear of the tent. My solution is a slick ultralight ‘Glued up Biro’ system, which has held up through some serious winds and is still going strong. For wild camping, the tent is a discrete colour and the small foot print opens up options compared to a mid, allowing it to fit into all sorts of nooks, and those surprisingly rare flat areas on the moors.
If I had the opportunity to improve the tent I’d make the inner taller, there's plenty of adjust-ability in tarp mode, but with the inner attached and air mat inflated there is limited space at the apex of the tent. For lounging around there’s plenty of space either side for kit. The vestibule is big enough a rucksack and high enough for a sneaky cook, if your stove is short, it's unlikely to suit a towering Jet Boil.
Looking online you’ll find comments about the lead time of Trekkertents being both long and unpredictable, having only ordered once and waited an extra couple of weeks I don't have much to add. In my view the tent is worth the wait and forward planning, especially as it supports a UK business. Without the inner it’s large but with the inner it’s livability is reduced due to restricted headroom, a reasonable trade off if you walk all day and largely pitch to sleep. What you get is a light, strong, highly versatile shelter that stands up to, and adjusts to almost all weather.
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| Trekkertent pitched at Bridge of Orchy, Scotland |