Wild Country Super 8

Advantages: well made
Disadvantages: can be tricky to fly for beginners

...I got my lovely crispy new red Proteam 8 two years ago. It's easy to set up and fly's well in a strong wind. It can be hard for beginners to fly although anyone that has flown a 2-line kite before should pick it up quickly. I was a little disappointed at the power and have thought I might have been better off with a 2.8 Symphony, which might have given me a little more grunt. I have flown a Super 10 and found it a little slow in the air, good pull though. The stacker 6 is very fast in the air but lacks the fight of the Super 10. That's why I got the Proteam 8 best of both worlds. In a good strong wind this kite is lots of fun and really puts up a good fight. In not so strong winds it can be a little dare I say it boring. I believe that you can buy a low wind spar set that will make it fly better in moderate winds. The last I looked I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat 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

Advantages: cost, easy to put up, replaceable poles
Disadvantages: outer rips easily, groundsheet wears easily

...This 3 man tent was bought for wild camping expeditions in lowland areas. I had hoped it would withstand being put up and down by enthusiastic teenagers! It can be purchased from Millets for a cost of £49.99. It weighs 4.9 Kg and has a hydrostatic head of 2000mm (most start from about 1500mm). It comes in a good size carry bag (20cm x 66cm) with great handles. The guy ropes are bright fluorescent yellow so not easy to trip over. Ease of use: The tent is really straight forward to put up and took 2 people about 10 minutes. There are 3 poles which are colour coded so that the right pole goes in the right place. It’s a bit fiddly to attach the inner area to the outer sheet and this took the most time. The poles split for folding and go through the loop areas really easily. Durability: I took three of these tents out on a really dry... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful