AliExpress tents an...
 

[Closed] AliExpress tents anyone?

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Namely the lanshan 1 pro?

Seem very popular among YouTube adventurers, summit hike and camp types, look solid, well made and light too, significantly less than a kilo for £125.

Very tempted.

Hatching some plans for some wee 24 hour raids over to Jura, Arran and deep into the rough bounds of the Galloways.

 
Posted : 21/10/2020 11:09 pm
 grum
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I don't know anything about that one but I have a Star River 2 by Naturehike from AliExpress. It's a total rip off of a big Agnes copper spur and they've done a brilliant job. A few friends have ended up getting them too and all are very pleased with them.

 
Posted : 21/10/2020 11:57 pm
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I've a mongar2 and it's a superb tent.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 12:03 am
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I'd be very worried about the lack of a complete inner for midge protection.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 12:46 am
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I've got a naturehike star river 2 also. It's bloomin' brilliant!
Paid 145 for it from Amazon.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 12:52 am
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Got the lanshan 2 (branded as fire something another) in green. Bought some carbon poles to use when I don't have walking poles with me.

Been very impressed with it so far.
Nice quality for price paid. As per some sources I silicone'd some of attachment points. Not leaked yet. Like ability to pitch it higher for more air flow or lower when weather is a bit fiercer. I just about fit in at 191cm with wife, both on thick inflatable mats.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 1:11 am
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What length of poles did you go for dufresnesorama? Mine is stilk sitting unused after a trial run with walking poles. Which fine if walking!

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 2:28 am
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A Nature Hike Taga appears the finished product that my Alpkit Delta wasn't.

The Delta for all it's faults, has been a good tent and lasted well. I've more than had my use, the loose inner being the only real issue.

My only concerns with buying Nature Hike are warranty and spares. Neither of which I can imagine are stellar or in existence. Having returned more than a few tents for warranty and bought a few replacement poles (across the 100+ tents I've probably bought), this would be a concern.

I'm hoping for an F10 Xenon UL for Christmas, on sale they're £10-£60 more than the Nature Hike Opalus equivalent. The Vango is made in Glasgow, proven and well reviews, with full warranty and spares from a company that pays UK tax. I would feel happier with that.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 8:36 am
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There were some savings on Naturehike tents on Amazon Prime Day, Might be worth holding out until Black Friday and see if they have any deals on? Think Amazon might sell the Lanshan too.

Like the OP, I'm planning next year's trips. Only thing keeping me sane now the nights are drawing in!

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 9:19 am
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Good points, tbh I started looking at the AE numbers after seeing them on so many youtube films, and like the idea as a lightweight alternative to bivvy. Vast majority of use would be walking not cycling, so I'd have poles anyway, and the likes of that Vango is double the weight, so veering even further from bivvying.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 9:21 am
 Hoff
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I've had the Flame's Creed Lanshan 1 for a couple of years & it's been faultless, I'd buy another.

I use the Bearbones carbon poles which are in 10cm sections, also have a couple of 5cm sections. Perfect for packing away & carrying a couple of spare sections just in case.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 9:31 am
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like the idea as a lightweight alternative to bivvy.

Just remember that the Nature Hike (and other tent manufacturers) weights are 'optimistic' and you often have to swap pegs for 'real' ones, not knitting needles, add missing guylines etc.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 10:59 am
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I'm going by real world reviews Matt tbh, haven't even checked the weights online.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 11:09 am
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Fair do's.

Tbf, my Alpkit Delta/NatureHikeWhatever still comes in at 1kg with two more guylines and replacement pegs of a beefy nature, plus 100g extra for an undersheet.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 11:43 am
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I understand the attractiveness of economy if it's only for occasional use but I'd recommend the SMD Lunar Solo as an option. 800g including pegs and a pole.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 11:55 am
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So far, and I've not had any issues yet, the customer service contact with my ae tent seller has been spot on

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 12:47 pm
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Carbon poles I got are elastic strung and are 127cm long when extended. Only issue with them is that they are small poles, so dig into the ground a bit too easily (depending on the ground. Could probably stop this with a walking pole mud basket and some sugru.

I swapped out the pegs on the lanshan too as they were very short.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 4:42 pm
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Could probably stop this with a walking pole mud basket and some sugru.

Headset top caps work really well. You don't need them to be as big as a walking pole basket.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 4:51 pm
 hugo
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Good thread. Love a bit of Aliexpress and have my eye on a Naturehike cloud up. Another big Agnes rip off...!

Also looking at a z packs duplex with poles but, my word, the cash, as we'd need two.....

Naturehike looking very appealing. Not much weight penalty over the top brands and actually uses 20D instead of the paper thin 15d. Would definitely be interested if they did a cuben fibre effort.

 
Posted : 22/10/2020 6:41 pm
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MLD Trailstar looking favourite, bivvy/tent halfway house.

 
Posted : 27/10/2020 6:54 pm
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MLD Trailstar looking favourite, bivvy/tent halfway house.

I had a Trailstar alike from Aliexpress.
Everything about it was good except the smell.
Gees what a pen an ink and didn't seem to go with use.

 
Posted : 27/10/2020 10:00 pm
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I’d be very worried about the lack of a complete inner for midge protection.

Summer+Scotland+Midges-Inner = DEATH.

 
Posted : 28/10/2020 2:58 am
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I'd second getting Nature Hike stuff from Amazon. I was a bit worried about the seller so Amazon gives a bit better buyer protection.

I have a cloud-up 2, it's a great little tent, fits two "cosily", palatial with one.

I can also confirm that there will be a bunch of midges in inside of the fly (but crucially outside the inner) after sitting out a thundery Scottish night...

 
Posted : 28/10/2020 10:29 am
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Aye, I'm pretty sure all the Lanshan/naturehike/creed tents have net inners?.

 
Posted : 28/10/2020 10:33 am
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lanshan 1 pro

Got one a month ago for a week bikepacking in the lakes - we had 40mph wind, biblical rain and frosty nights yet it held up well and didn't suffer from condensation apart from when pitched super low when sub zero.

It's single skin but completely bug sealed due to having a mesh join between the bathtub floor and the outer.

Would definitely recommend!

 
Posted : 28/10/2020 11:37 am
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Why no links?
Sad times.

 
Posted : 28/10/2020 12:19 pm
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Just a heads up, Amazon have the Naturehike Mongar Ultralight 2 on offer today for £119.20 down from £150, believe it is a clone of one of the Big Agnes designs?

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 11:04 am
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Just caught up with this thread.

I like the look of the Lanshan pro. Or at least I did till I read this bit:

Note: This product is made of double-coated silicon. The seams cannot be glued. You need to glue the sutures yourself. Glue needs to be purchased separately, no glue is available! ! !
This product does not include support rods and does not provide glue! ! Thank you!

The blue dotted line needs the buyer to buy the glue himself to smear!!

What does it all mean?

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 12:04 pm
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the seams aren't glued, the stitching makes holes. you need to seam seal it yourself using seam sealer. I think they are saying you are given a blue line where sealing is required?

It doesn't come with poles.

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 12:10 pm
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Do none of you feel bad about the fact that they are ripping off Big Agnes' designs?

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 12:15 pm
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What does it all mean?

There's a couple of areas on the Lanshan that need seem sealing done, plenty about it on youtube, IIRC it's the 2 areas that have guy lines onto the outer, no big deal.

Do none of you feel bad about the fact that they are ripping off Big Agnes’ designs?

I'd never heard of Big Agnes until this thread tbh, so no, not really.

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 12:21 pm
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Well no, neither had I, but it seems kind of perverse that people rush out and buy these cheaper versions based on the fact that they don't have to pay for a design team. They just rip off the work of other people.

So when Bagnes goes bust because you're all buying the cheaper versions, who's going to do the design of the next product?

Very short term thinking.

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 12:38 pm
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Are people going to complain about the BA Copper Spur ripping off the MSR Hubba Hubba too?

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 12:42 pm
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We all did the exact same with chinese lights. I started off with those as I wasn't sure how much I'd use them. Once I'd realised the limitations and issues with chinese lights, I moved onto the likes of MTB batteries, and then onto Exposure lights.

I'm at that stage with tents tbh.

Very short term thinking.

Folk have said that for years about all sorts of these situations, but looking at some of the top end tent manufacturers, folk will still pay for the good stuff, they always do. Why would anyone spend 160 quid on a joystick, when a 15 quid chinese number does the same?. Exposure are doing okay.

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 12:45 pm
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As this seems to be the place all the tent-ists are hanging out I've got a North Face Tadpole 2 to sell in a pre-house move clearout. I'm going to post it in the classifieds later but if anyone is interested drop me a pm for more details.

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 1:16 pm
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I got a lanshan 2 pro in the summer from AliExpress, whilst sceptical that it would even turn up it arrived after 20 days.

It’s a good bit of kit and great value for money, spacious and stable in moderate winds.

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 8:23 pm
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I'm tempted with Lanshan Pro 1 or the Naturehike Vik 1 which looks a really good freestanding alternative. Unfortunately that only seems to come in white which doesn't seem a great option if you'll not always be using campsites.

 
Posted : 16/11/2020 9:05 pm