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Orson Indie (1 or 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.
Weight
The tent uses 20D – 40D Ripstop Silnylon fabric for the outer and inner and also works with your own hiking poles, which keeps the overall weight down to 1050 grams (1 person) or 1350 grams (2 person) for the tent, sack, and eight stakes. If you decide to add poles, you’re looking at 2 x 77 grams (carbon fibre) or 2 x 165 grams (aluminum) and an additional 188 grams for a groundsheet. Overall, this is the best lightweight option by a New Zealand owned company.
Durability
The Orson Indie is built to be durable, starting with 20D Ripstop Silnylon fabric used for the outer fly, which keeps it lightweight, yet super durable and waterproof. The higher 40D Ripstop Silnylon for the floor means it can stand up to any New Zealand conditions. Both the inner, outer, and floor have taped seams for added strength and waterproofness.
Rain Protection
The fabrics the outer, inner and floor are waterproof due to a silicone coating on one side and a polyurethane coating on the other. Taped seams add even more protection to ensure water doesn’t leak through the tiny seams. This tent has two vestibules, so you have an added space to store your gear away from the rain. And finally, with two walls, the tent won’t build up condensation in those particularly wet evenings.
Space Capacity
The Orson Indie 1 & 2 are comparable to other one- and two-person lightweight hiking tents. For this reason, the two-person tent is recommended for long thru hikes to ensure plenty of space to store gear and still be comfortable when you are stuck for several days in New Zealand’s rainy conditions.
Comfort
The Orson Indie is the most comfortable New Zealand made tent for its weight class. Coming in at either 1 or 1.4kg depending on which size you get, the tent is durable, spacious, waterproof, and easy to set up.
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