I’ve updated the TN Laser Competition review page with a few more notes, including the problem of the slipping tensioner tapes that I experienced on the Western Hirnants & Aran trip and my final simple solution to the pole hood problem. I also added a few notes to the conclusion and my own priority list for fixes.
I decided in the end that the pole hood was a disastrous concept that can only be fixed by a redesign, and I didn’t want to introduce more complexity in the form of adjustable cords and the like. I took the method of least resistance and just extended the tiny loop at one end of the pole with a larger loop of Dyneema cord and I’ll tie the dangling hood cords to that (I couldn’t thread the supplied loop unaided even in the comfort of the house, let alone on the hill). I can live with the other niggles and be satisfied that the LaserComp is the best I can achieve in the current market, content at least in the lack of redundancy and very low weight.
Here we have a company hell bent on setting a weight record and not knowing when to stop, and a good tent overall that could be great.
4 Comments
Geoff,
Thanks for your update on the Laser Comp. It looks like everyone finds their own solutions.
I finally managed to get away for two nights in N Wales in my Laser Comp last week. It is probably a Mark 1 Laser Comp, the same as yours. Each tent peg shaft was super-glued to its yellow cap before leaving home: even so, one cap came off when pulling the peg out.
I use two of the mods suggested on blogpackinglight, namely adding a door threshold cord and using mini linelocks at both ends of the pole hood cords. The threshold cord eliminates all problems with the tent changing shape when the door is unzipped. One should be fitted as standard. I leave the pole hood on all the time. The laces that secure the hood to the pool sleeve do not need to be tight: leaving them slack makes it fairly easy (with practice) to thread the pole through the sleeve past the lace areas.
Here is my way to fold up the tent for packing. First pick up the centre of the pole hood with the left hand. The fly and inner hang free with the black end rods at the bottom. Grasp the rods with the right hand, ensuring they are roughly parallel to each other. Let go with the left hand. Place the pole and peg bags next to the rods, then roll up the fabric around the axis formed by the rods, poles and pegs. It is easy to stuff the resulting sausage into its bag, and the tent should come out again untwisted.
You are right that it is important to check that the strap under the middle of the tent is taut. On my tent, the toggle connecting the inner tent to the strap often comes undone, so that needs to be checked too.
Another lesson was to avoid pitching so that the wind blows on the head end of the tent. If that happens, the door sags in and there is no space left for safe cooking. I always put the rucksack at the other end of the porch, next to my legs, and it then does not matter if the flysheet is blown inwards against the rucksack at that end.
Thanks again for all your reports.
John Green
John,
Thank you for your observations and notes.
I just might adopt the door threshold cord, I’ll see how it goes but I think I’ve now acquired the knack of pegging so that the tension is right, leaving the door nice and taut with no sag, even in a wind.
The pitch orientation relative to the wind direction is an interesting point for single pole tents that I’ve never seen conclusively resolved. I pitch with the wind blowing perpendicular to the plane of the pole, so that when lying in the tent the airflow is from feet to head. Some agree with this, but some say it should be blowing parallel to the pole, each method has its supporters. Maybe it depends on which is perceived as the greater risk: a bent pole or torn material.
Geoff
You had the Akto modified. Have you thought about having the Laser modified? Just as a brief suggestion - guying points could be added to the centre seam or the existing tie on points beefed up. It may then be possible to seal the centre seam with Silnet or possibly modify the cover so that it can be simply velcroed in place (it’s only function then would be to waterproof the seam).
best regards
Steve
Steve,
That is a possibility, Scottish Mountain Gear did great work on the Akto and Voyager. Both of those were mods to the inners, I guess they can handle intrusive mods to waterproof flysheets too.