Kathmandu tents
Ben
I was wondering if anyone has a kathmandu tent, and if they could tell me
anything about it (good bad or otherwise). In particular, anything about
the size design, performance under poor weather conditions, size (packed
and internal), weight, quality of workmanship, value for money etc...
anything you can think of. If you don't own a kathmandu tent, but know
someone who does, I'd like to hear about it. Information on the North
Star tent in particular would be nice as well, or if you can provide any
information on it.
2ndly, I understand that they use polyester for their flysheet, this does
not expand when it gets wet and or cold (like nylon) does it?
What's is the quality of the poles, manafacture etc like?
Where are kathmandu tents made.. china or aust?
Thanks in advance,
Ben
Remove NOJUNK if you wish to reply direct.
Kurt Ohlsen
Kathmandu are not particularly good value for money. They are made in
Asia! Therefore quality control is not as good. If you want a good
tent fork out the money and buy the best - Macpac! Kathmandu is for
yuppies who just want to look good but don't actually need real
performance from their gear!
Shawn Foo
>Kathmandu are not particularly good value for money. They are made in
>Asia! Therefore quality control is not as good. If you want a good
>tent fork out the money and buy the best - Macpac! Kathmandu is for
>yuppies who just want to look good but don't actually need real
>performance from their gear!
hrmm.. I thought they were made in NZ, at least thats what the marketing
people have led me to believe.
I bought a Salewa a few years back back when they hadn't quite made a name for
themsleves and they were really good value for money. I nearly died the last
time I walked into a shop and saw how much they cost now...
(For the record, I'm happy with the Salewa... but I don't know if I'd
pay the current asking price!)
Shawn
Roy Jamieson
sh...@tusc.com.au (Shawn Foo) writes:
> In <35174294...@magna.com.au> Kurt Ohlsen <ohl...@magna.com.au> writes:
>
> >Kathmandu are not particularly good value for money. They are made in
> >Asia! Therefore quality control is not as good. If you want a good
> >tent fork out the money and buy the best - Macpac! Kathmandu is for
> >yuppies who just want to look good but don't actually need real
> >performance from their gear!
>
They're good, but there's an Australian brand that's the equal of, if not
better.
The First and Second Arrows by Wilderness Equipment.
The Second Arrow beats the Minaret in my lowly opinion.
Cheers
Roy
Jason Bobbin
Kurt Ohlsen wrote:
>
> Kathmandu are not particularly good value for money. They are made in
> Asia! Therefore quality control is not as good. If you want a good
> tent fork out the money and buy the best - Macpac! Kathmandu is for
> yuppies who just want to look good but don't actually need real
> performance from their gear!
>
Wild recently did a survey on 4-season tents. The Kathmandu Expedition
tent got 4 stars (1 star more than Macpac). The mountain just two stars.
But these ratings were based on retail prices, which you would never
pay anyhow. IMHO kathmandu can be good value for money on some things,
especially at their sales. They are a bit of a boutique store though.
If you don't have the money, the kathmandu tents are probably worth a
thought. I have a backpack from kathmandu which I am very unimpressed
with, however (quite old now), although at the time it was all I could
afford. I guess it took 10 days in NZ to really appreciate it's short
comings .....
Jason.
Daniel Hayes
'Wild' magazine do a lot of surveys on a wide range of subjects - and
rarely get the facts straight. DO NOT RELY ON THE (MIS)INFORMATION IN
THIS MAG.
If you want to find out about a product - go to a store, pick it up, try
it on, crawl inside it, read the brochures, ask the shop staff. Then
make up your own mind. The number of stars given by some writer is no
basis for buying a potentially very expensive product.
The end.
Daniel.
--------------
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My .sig file was brought to you today by the department of MPCE
at Macquarie Child Minding Centre. (aka Macquarie Uni.)
Oh won't you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street!
John McLaine
Every tent is a compromise. All the usual tents have good points but none
are perfect.
Here is my input (with goodwill) to the raging tent controversy.
Macpac: The Olympus and Minaret are well made, but are often hard to pitch
tight (particularly Olymp.), and are therefore not brilliant in high winds
and heavy snowfall and rain. The inners sag, and you get damp from
condensation brushing off. Their best point is their bomproof floors, and
the fact that you can pitch the outer, then jump in and hang the inner.
Worst point is keeping them tight if pegs can't be well placed. They won't
stand up without pegs.
Wilderness Equipment. Like all W.E. stuff, strongly assembled. Quite floppy
in winds. Need to be guyed all over the place. The flopping noise they make
has kept me awake at night (Mt. Picton). Large gap under outer (or am I
thinking of the Adv. Eq?) for horizontal rain and sleet to drive through.
Kathmandu/Wild Country copies. Pitch nice and tight. Crossover pole
arrangement makes them very stable in high winds, and snow slides off
nicely. Tight inner makes for a good sitting environment, and condensation
is not a problem. Rarely need to guy. Negatives: Flimsy floor (you have to
carry a groundsheet), and you can't pitch the outer first.
I have loved my Minaret for years for lightweight trips where I don't expect
much bad weather, but would much rather be in my Kathmandu/Wild Country
tents in seriously bad weather and on XC ski trips, down here in Tassie.
Remember, they're all good tents, but it doesn't matter which one you have
as long as you are out there enjoying the bush.
Cheers, John Mc.
Roy Jamieson wrote in message <6f7raq$bog$1...@toto.tig.com.au>...
>sh...@tusc.com.au (Shawn Foo) writes:
>> In <35174294...@magna.com.au> Kurt Ohlsen <ohl...@magna.com.au>
writes:
>>
>> >Kathmandu are not particularly good value for money. They are made in
>> >Asia! Therefore quality control is not as good.
Rubbish!
>> >tent fork out the money and buy the best - Macpac! Kathmandu is for
>> >yuppies who just want to look good but don't actually need real
>> >performance from their gear!
Nonsense.
>Who says Macpac are the best??
>They're good, but there's an Australian brand that's the equal of, if not
>better.
>The First and Second Arrows by Wilderness Equipment.
>The Second Arrow beats the Minaret in my lowly opinion.
Piffle. Maybe, if they've improved a lot.