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Re: Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1

Thanks Gordon, Humphrey . . . . very helpful stuff. One question: Does the laser pitch as one unit, or inner first?

Ken

Re: Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1

My Laser Comp cab be pitched either as one or fly first then the inner is simple to clip in (I have been known to pack the fly and inner seperately if the fly is wet)
I love my little Laser Comp and would highly recommend it :-)

Re: Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1

Yea me too! The old-style double-skins (Laser, Akto, Vaude) are great in severe conditions. In a high wind simply drop yr pack into the base to stabilise, and then pitch. Simples! No faffing. Get inside and snug as a bug in a trice.

Re: Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1

Hi Ken , inanswer to your pitch query . Outer first must be the only usefull pre-resquesite ! . Mine ( which seems oversize ) but still 900 grm and seems akin to the Terra Nova double version . It is said to pitch seperately ,i have never tried . Both together have always worked happily . They are noisy in wind . mine has incurred one bent pole section . TGO Scotland .It still operates .I am undecided as to continue its use ! ( ie i may retire). Info supplied for what it is worth .

Re: Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1

Hi Ken,

I have an old version of the Laser Comp which I used for many years. It is a great tent, now that I have replaced the pegs supplied and made a few guyline alterations - thanks Robin!

There are lots of people who like the Laser Comp, but it is worth bearing in mind that the Laser Ultra 1 has a porch which is half the size and, more importantly, has significantly less headroom. At 5ft 5, my head touches the top of my Laser Comp if I sit up straight on my Neoair mat. Might be worth bearing in mind if you are taller than me, which is likely.

Good luck with your tent search.

Re: Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1

At 5'11" I find the Terra Nova Laser too snug. Every time I sit up my head sweeps the condensation of the roof. And a bit difficult for an untidy person like me to organised stuff in the small porch. I can imagine it is great for a tidy little person though.

There are some recommended mods to improve stability in the wind and increase ventilation which you can find on the internet.

Although I use it occasionally, I mostly favour a MLD Trailstar nowadays.

Paul M

Re: Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1


Thanks to everyone for the helpful advice. I have decided to go for the Terra Nova Voyager Ultra 2 - heavier, but much more space and a front porch, which I prefer. If I could have been certain of delivery in time for the Challenge I might have gone for the Duplex, which I really like the look of.

Ken

Re: Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1

Hi Ken,

I own a Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1 and will be using it on this year's crossing. I've used it for the last three years, having purchased it at a significant discount to the suggested retail price.

The tent does set up as a single unit. The inner is clipped to the outer such that simply inserting the poles and staking out the ends results in the whole tent going up in one step. This is quite a nice feature when setting up in rain as it keeps the inside of the tent dry.

I've used the laser in both heavy rain and strong wind and felt that it performed well. It stays dry and I've never worried that it might blow over. It is a bit small. At 6'0 tall I find that both my head and feet are nearly touching the ends of the tent. This coziness does have an upside: the tent keeps me quite warm compared to other shelters I've used.

Despite the good performance of the laser, a significant caveat:
Terra cut corners to get the weight of the tent so low. Firstly, the included stakes are completely useless. I'd call them "tent needles" rather than stakes. Secondly, the weight of the cuben fibre fabric used in the floor of the tent is insufficient. The material is so thin that after camping on small rocks - not even sharp ones - I've found holes in the tent floor. This necessitates adding proper stakes and a ground sheet. I’ve weighed the tent at 630g. Good stakes will add 30g, more for exceptionally windy conditions. A groundsheet will add another 50-100g.

Hope that helps.

Cheers
Justin