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Hi Dave

I can highly recommend the Vango TBS Equinox 350. It's probably ideal for what you want... especially if you are intending to camp in exposed sites as it has the tbs system. It's a doddle to put up and has a very roomy storage area. I bought mine on ebay last year for £100.

Quote: Originally posted by ianork on 20/4/2006

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Dave B,

Did it come with the clip on storm guys that Tricky Woo was talking about.

Just that I might me buying one myself as a third tent and I wasn't sure whether the "Storm kit" was an optional extra.

Looking through various online ads it didn't seem clear.

Looks like a great choice

 

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We didn't specify the extra storm guys, it just came complete with them. It's just indicative of the attention to detail that Khyam had in those days - ours was bought in the early days of Khyam about 1994. Incidentally it's still going strong - in fact we are off to Northumberland in just over a week's time & this time it's the Khyam we're taking as can't be bothered with taking the frame tent (got a new toy to play with this time - the new utility tent we've just bought). 

Even if the extra storm guys are no longer provided or offered, all you'd need to do is get 6 "s" shaped hooks to clip over the poles and attach extra guys (never buy  ready-made guys, just buy a length of guy rope cheaply & some sliders/tensioners which cost pennies, & make your own guys). Or, as we had to do after I broke one of the plastic "s" clips, simply tie the guy-line to the pole. Actually whilst I was sitting here typing this I just thought of a better way of attaching the extra guys to the poles - just make a loop on the end you'd attach to the pole, & then thread the guy through itself through that loop. No idea why I hadn't thought of that before!!  Dohh!!!  Mind you, as I said before unless the weather is really rough you don't often need to use the extra guys 'cos the tent has a guy on each wall and 3 on the front porch already.

I do have one problem with the tent that I haven't yet managed to adequately solve - there's a vent in the rear wall above the rear door. It has a cowl which can be velcro'd shut in the wet. Trouble is, it shuts itself when you want it left open - the bottom of the cowl does have a stiffener sewn in but it's not stiff enough to keep it open. I've tried all sorts of remedies Heath-Robinson style, & so far the best (although least elegant & not ideal) solution has been a couple of clothes pegs holding the vent cowl to the nearest pole either side. Have to see if I can find a better solution on our next trip. 

TrickyWoo,

Thanks for that.Khyam tell me that the "storm kit" is available for an extra tenner.

However I've noticed with some sellers that the optional extras( i.e. the groundsheet protector and the storm kit ) are sometimes "thrown in for free".

Just a question of finding the best total deal I guess.

I'm sorely tempted!

Quote: Originally posted by TrickyWoo on 21/4/2006

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I do have one problem with the tent that I haven't yet managed to adequately solve - there's a vent in the rear wall above the rear door. It has a cowl which can be velcro'd shut in the wet. Trouble is, it shuts itself when you want it left open - the bottom of the cowl does have a stiffener sewn in but it's not stiff enough to keep it open. I've tried all sorts of remedies Heath-Robinson style, & so far the best (although least elegant & not ideal) solution has been a couple of clothes pegs holding the vent cowl to the nearest pole either side. Have to see if I can find a better solution on our next trip. 

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Could you sew a wide loop of cloth tape onto the centre of the cowl, then attach a guy rope & peg it out - that should keep the darn thing open

Quote: Originally posted by daveb55 on 21/4/2006

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TrickyWoo,

[quote] there's a vent in the rear wall above the rear door. It has a cowl which can be velcro'd shut in the wet

Believe me I've tried that one!  As for environmentally friendly - not if you believe the effect on greenhouse gases that cows letting rip is reputedly having! And certainly not friendly in terms of one's camping partner.

Seriously though, if it's wind activated, all that happens is that it shuts, the velcro catches and it then just stays shut. The stiffening which is sewn into the cloth to keep it open, just isn't up to the job. The various solutions I've been working on have mainly involved improving that stiffener. I've tried things like a length of curtain wire, that sort of thing, which do work but it's finding a way of getting it to stay in place but still be removable. There are several problems with sewing on a loop to attach a guy rope to - Whilst the tent is up the positioning is a little awkward to get at to stand & sew, (I never seem to get round to doing jobs like that when at home with the tent just unfolded), and I didn't particularly want to make any more holes in the cloth by sewing something to it (I know I could use seam sealer over the needle holes). Besides, trying to come up with a solution without sewing also gives me some tinkering to do on site anyway (and Cheerufl Dragon will tell you I love tinkering....)!

Well I'm going to order the Igloo( my third tent!) on Monday morning.

Best I can do seems to be about £165 including the optional groundsheet footprint, the "storm kit" and delivery to my home in Orkney.

Quote: Originally posted by TrickyWoo on 19/4/2006

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We can thoroughly recommend the Khyam Igloo - ours has stood up to gale force winds and driving rain in Orkney one October camping wild, and coped really well - ours came with clip on storm guys for all the poles & with those on it don't budge! Mind you it's still pretty stable without them so seldom need to use 'em. I suspect that as it has 3 main poles (not counting the porch pole) and is therefor hexagonal, it possibly sheds the wind a little better that the squarer shape of the other small Khyams.

Inside there's room for 2 low 6ft camp beds, with space left either side for gear (advantage of the hexagonal shape) and still space down the middle between the 2 beds. And there's a door either end and an extended porch (suspended by a 4th pole), which has enough space to cook in. Don't know about the porch poles on the other small Khyams, but on the Igloo it's all part of & folds out from the main pole system so doesn't have to be threaded separately, it's already attached. So it's really quick to erect. 

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What kind of camp beds are you talking about? I'm awaiting delivery of an Igloo and the camp bed idea seems good.

Thanks, Ian