The Tent
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Tents
Your tent is one of the top three most important items you will carry. It will keep you warm, dry, and able to withstand windy nights. Read below how to choose lightweight backpacking tents.
Durston X-Mid Pro (1p/2p)
$1,153.00 NZD
Price
Durability
Weight
The Durston X-Mid Pro is considered one of the best on the market for through hikers, with a weight of 595-655 grams (without groundsheet). The Dyneema® composite fabrics (DCF) material makes this tent durable for its weight and able to stand up to New Zealand’s windy and rainy conditions. The DCF also has the added bonus of being quick to dry, which is essential in the moist New Zealand conditions!
Marmot Superalloy (2p)
$999.00 NZD
Price
Durability
Weight
The Marmot Superalloy is one of the lightest 2 person tents on the market that includes polls, with a weight of 1226 grams (without groundsheet). The Ripstop Nylon fabric makes this a highly durable and waterproof tent that is easy to pitch on any terrain. This is also considered to be one of the most spacious tents on the market, and highly recommended for taller hikers.
Orson Indie (1p/2p)
$449.99 NZD
Price
Durability
Weight
The Orson Indie is New Zealand’s premier option for hiking Te Araroa. Designed by kiwis for New Zealand conditions, this tent stands up to local heavy weather conditions. Ripstop Silnylon keeps this tent strong while a polyurethane waterproof coating on the underside with heat taped seams means this tent is extremely waterproof. Needing only two trekking poles to erect, this tent comes in at just 1-1.4kg.
How to Choose a Lightweight Backpacking Tent?
This is a general overview, but it is recommended that you do your own research. Here is one website I have found to be useful.
Weight
Ideal weight: ~1kg
Ideally, you’ll want your tent to weigh around 1kg. At the lighter end, you’ll get tents weighing around 600 grams, but in the $1,200.00 NZD range. At the slightly heavier range, you’ll get tents at 1300 grams (without groundsheet), but costing $449.99 NZD.
Space Capacity
2-person tent recommended
In New Zealand, it rains a lot. For those nonstop days in a row where it won’t stop raining, a two-person tent means you can comfortably sit, store your bag inside, and stay dry even if condensation builds up on the walls (which often happens).
Rain Protection
PU is the most common.
Most fabrics are made highly water resistant with a coating, either polyurethane (PU), or polyethylene (PE). PU and PE are considered the low-end coatings, as they degrade from long water or UV exposure, and can actually weaken fabrics. Ultra Tear Strength (UTS) is actually PU but with a special formula specifically designed to increase the strength of the fabric and be more resistant to water. Overall, though, Silicone will be the strongest.
Your tent may also use a durable water repellant (DWR), but this does degrade over time and will need to be reapplied.
Read more about waterproofing fabric here.
Durability / Denier
~10-20D for inner and outer fly, but often higher for floor
The denier of a tent fabric indicates the thickness and strength of its fibers, which in turn determines the durability of the backpack. A higher denier refers to a thicker thread, but it can also mean more weight. Most tents will use Nylon that also incorporates an additional ripstop pattern or laminate to increase durability. Denier will tend to be lower if Dyneema (DCF) is used, as it is a stronger fiber, albeit less abrasion resistant. Denier is noted by a # and then “D” (e.g 10D).
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