The North Face Ion 20 Pack

Advantages: Great wind resistance and great ultralight fly and footprint only pitching
Disadvantages: seamtape on the fly peeled/crumbled and inside of the fly became sticky

...I bought my Tadpole 23 in 2005. I've been camping for more than ten years and owned and used many tents, including the 1999 Tadpole model. For me this tent is emblematic of the decline of The North Face's quality. I used it only one time and one time alone last year. When I inspected it before an upcoming trip I found the inside of the tentfly extremely sticky and the seamtape started to crumble and peel. This didn't happen to the other two tents in my closet. I put it away clean, dry and folded neatly and I can't think of a plausible explanation for it other than that the materials were hi-tech but of inferior quality. I also had problems with two other North Face products i had bought along with this tent: the Patrol Pack Duo and the Venture Hyvent Jacket.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Quite cheap, reliable, c02 can be used, maintanence
Disadvantages: Ugly, heavy, loud, manufacturing, speed, size

...hopper that only feeds 6bps, you set the gun at 6bps and vice verser (for other hoppers). It's quite easy to operate with only one button to push, and the Color Access Mode Display (a screen which shows stuff) lights up actual words and numbers so it's easy to tell which mode and Rate of fire you are in, without needing to wait for combinations of blinking lights (like the average electro marker). Overall the rate of firing is average considering for another £20 or so you could get the smartparts ion which can do 17 bps. Accuracy: The accuracy is quite average compared to the other spyder guns. The barrel suppied with the marker is 12 inches which is the average length of stock barrels. This barrel looks good but dont let it decieve you, the performance lets down the looks. I would highly recommend buying a better barrel for this gun... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Lightweight, robust, colour coded poles, reflective guy ropes
Disadvantages: It's not true 4-season, small cooking area, lack of headroom

...I bought a Tadpole 23 three years ago and use it for wild-country back-packing, rock-climbing and winter mountaineering. It is an ultra-lightweight tent that weighs less than 2kg, designed for two people, in three-season conditions (However, I have used it for winter mountaineering in the UK, which it is fine for if you have a good sleeping bag and air mattress). It does all the standard tent stuff - like keeping the wind and rain off you and your kit whilst allowing you to cook and sleep, but is much more sophisicated than a standard tent. When you first see it up, it looks a bit flimsy, but it is actually very resistant to the wind and The North Face have made every effort to reduce its weight as much as possible without compromising on the strength. It is easy to put up on your own (even in the dark when you're tired) due to the 3... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful