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Mitsubishi 4WD Owners Club of Qld (Inc) |
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Tanami Tourers |
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THE TANAMI TOURER TENT - Review January 2003 Is there a perfect touring tent? Well considering the vast array of tents used by our members the answer would seem to be no! But new technologies and innovation constantly offer ever better products and recently we had the opportunity to test the very latest TANAMI TOURER TENT on a 15 day outback touring trip. We would have to rate the Tanami as the very best tent we have ever used. It is ideal both for touring, where you need a tent that is very quick and easy to erect and pack up, and which takes up minimal room in the vehicle and also for extended stays where a larger tent is needed. When purchasing any tent there are a number of factors members need to consider and before detailing all the very many TANAMI features and benefits we should consider some of these. Firstly will your tent be used for touring, extended stays or both, how many people does it need to accommodate, how much do you want to spend, will it easily fit into your vehicle along with all your other equipment? The shape of the tent will mostly determine the size and weight, ventilation, materials, strength, poles, workmanship, waterproofing, quality and colour all of which are important in considering a new tent. Cabin tents are great for extended stays but not suited to touring, dome tents are light, take up little room and dry quickly, but they are not particularly robust and can be fiddley to erect. The Oz Tent is a popular touring tent as it is quick and easy to erect but does not offer a great deal of room and either takes up a lot of space in the vehicle or needs to be carried on a roof rack where it may be stolen. The single pole touring tents are also popular as they too are quick and easy to erect but they also lack space and headroom and are bulky to carry in a vehicle. So what are the features and benefits of the TANAMI TOURER? Firstly as it is a single pole tent it is very quick and easy to erect by one person. Simply set it out on the ground, put a tent peg in each of the 4 corner rings and raise the centre pole which is the key to the success and versatility of the TANAMI TOURER. Unlike other centre pole tents which simply come to a point and therefore offer very limited head room, the centre pole of the TANAMI TOURER has four arms which fit into pockets in the corners of the roof thus spreading the tent and offering unmatched space, headroom and stability. The ground measurements are 10’ X 10’ which means it is a very big tent (in fact bigger than cabin tents which are mostly 12’ X 8”) and other touring tents. It therefore has ample room for two or more people plus all their equipment inside the tent. There is enough room either side of the pole for a double bed. The roof line is 6’ X 6’ and with a head height under the horizontal arms also of 6 feet it provides plenty of room for people to move about without having to crawl around or become contortionists to get dressed. The corner pockets into which the horizontal arms fit have been designed to be exceptionally strong and they are supported by equally strong webbing straps from the top of the roof. This means that all the weight is supported by the centre pole making the entire structure very strong when erected. The tent is made of 8 ounce canvas which is of more than adequate weight even for severe weather protection and longevity and which also makes the tent quite light and easy to fold up. It comes with an attractive carry bag which measures 28cm X 28cm X 80cm and weighs just 13kg which means it takes up very little vehicle room. The horizontal arms offer an added bonus; they are great for hanging clothes, towels and lights something which no other tent offers. The walls are a pleasant dark green which easily blends in with natural surroundings and which does not let in a lot of light making sleeping in enjoyable. It also affords privacy as it does not cast silhouettes or shadows of the occupants at night as do many light weight tents. The roof is a light beige which lets in ample natural light during the day even with the windows and doors closed. The workmanship, quality of material, mesh, zippers and detail of finish is also of a very high standard. The sides and rear have quite large windows which can only be opened and closed from the outside but which have clear plastic at the bottom allowing for light to enter during the day whilst keeping out wind and rain. The front door is huge to allow maximum ventilation in hot weather and can be closed from top and bottom to reduce airflow and retain internal warmth in cold weather. The insect mesh on all windows and the door is quite fine and should keep out all but the most determined of bugs. The front awning, because of the unique design of the tent, offers quite exceptional cover for a touring tent. The awing comes with poles and a spreader bar and can be lowered in wet and windy conditions. The tent sides come all the way down to the ground with the tent peg rings attaching to the canvass, and this, coupled with a very sturdy floor means that the tent is virtually waterproof. We had been advised that the tent was completely waterproof and so we gave it a thorough hosing for several hours prior to our trip - not that we expected rain - as we have never before had a completely waterproof tent. Well it did not leak one drop of water and whilst we did get some rain at Birdsville, of all places, it was hardly a conclusive wet weather test. We gave the tent another thorough hosing when we got home to get the dust off and although some water did come in through the zippers which could not normally happen, we are confident that the tent is indeed waterproof. The tent comes equipped with four stabilising guy ropes from each corner of the roof. We only used these once at Stonehenge where it was dry and dusty and blowing a gale but we only needed to attach two rear corner guy ropes against the wind and the tent was completely stable. In fact with all 12 tent pegs around the tent, the awning and the four corner guy ropes in place nothing short of a cyclone should ruffle the TANAMI TOURER. The tent itself is quite compact and will fit easily into the cargo area or back seat of a Pajero. The centre pole is around 5 feet long and will fit quite well across the back seat of a Pajero. If you put the rear seats forward it will fit in quite easily in the back and if you have a cargo frame it will fit across the back. We believe the TANAMI TOURER is extremely good value considering its price and versatility both for touring and extended stays. If you are planning a touring trip where you will be putting your tent up and down every day the TANAMI offers space, ease of erecting, great protection from the elements and versatility. The recommended retail price is around $800 but the manufacturer will offer Club members a quite good discount. The Tanami Tourer is featured in full page advertisements in most 4Wd magazines and we have available a video on the tent in action. If you would like to see the TANAMI TOURER or would like to know more about the tent, give Don Williamson a call on 3273 2820 Enjoy your camping. KAMPERS KITCHEN |
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