Answer

By Trail magazine

The Terra Nova Super Quasar is a three person tent with two entrances and two porches, making it ideal for two people and a big wet dog. The inner is 217cm long, 149cm wide and 110cm high. It weighs 4.5kg full weight but you can strip it down to 3.9kg by leaving out the stuff sacks, repair kit and spares. It is a 4 pole geodesic design, so very stable, while the materials are pretty tough and the quality superb, making it ideal for when fido resists the command of “wipe your feet before you come in!”

To find something bigger and lighter is a tough call. The Terra Nova Hyperspace is wider at 183cm and taller at 122cm, but shorter at 206cm and heavier 5.2kg/4.5kg. The Terra Nova Quasar is lighter at 4.3kg/3.8kg, but much smaller at only 136cm wide. So we need to look at other brands.

The Lightwave T3 Arctic inner is 170cm wide, 230cm long and 110cm height and this weighs 4.14kg. So this is a notch bigger and a notch lighter - could be ideal. It is a 4 pole tunnel, which is where the weight saving comes, and price is around £595. Lightwave are a well proven brand that are good at making lightweight spacious tents.

Mountain Equipment Dragonfly 3XT inner is 230cm long, 165cm wide and 110cm high and weighs 2.84kg, so a lot lighter but only marginally bigger and this tapers down a bit at the back, so not perhaps quite as big as it sounds. Price £400.

Hilleberg Kaitum 3 inner is 220cm long, 185cm wide and 105cm wide. It weighs only 3kg and is a tunnel design, which is where the weight saving comes from. Hilleberg are superb at making spacious yet lightweight tents and this is a classic. Price is around £575.

Vaude Mark II Light inner is 215cm long by 165cm wide and 115cm. Only weighs 2.96kg!! £320 is the price. This is the lighter version of  the classic Vaude Mark II which is the same size but heavier at 4kg and £250.