Darche Hybrid One Man Tent
Price: $90AUD (you can probably get it cheaper)
From: Any good camping store, eBay
Rating: 4.5/5
First of all, I’d like to say that I’ve only had this tent 3 months or so now, so I can not really quote on its longevity. Might update it in a few months.
Ease Of Use
This tent really is easy to set up. Put tent pegs through each of the loops and place the two vertically standing poles in the slots they are meant to be in. Took me about 5 minutes the first time, takes 1-2 minutes now. The zips area easily accessible, and you can choose to put the canvas cover and fly screen up and down at will.
Weatherproof
As a single skin tent, you can never truly expect it to be 100% waterproof. However, I stayed out one night in 30km winds and heavy rains and barely got wet. The only time I did get wet was when touching the actual canvas, which is an expected trait among singleskin tents. I have used this tent in temperatures down to -4.8*C and woken up with frost all of it. This is a problem, because when the frost melts off the outside, condensation builds up on the inside, causing small puddles of water throughout it. However, this is, again, a common trait of singleskin tents. It does get extremely hot in hot weater, but who sleeps in a tent during summer anyway? Much better to be under the stars.
Maintainence
Little to none. Seriously, pack the tent up, put it into it’s bag and off you go. It’s easy to roll back up, and surprisingly does fit back into the bag it came in (unlike most other tents you’ll buy nowadays.) The soft canvas floor is surprisingly tough, and has handled nights over sticks and stones without even the slightest tear. That being said, I do generally try to take good care of my camping equipment. You also might want to change the tent pegs that it comes with, as they are pretty flimsy and bend easily in hard ground.
General Use
If you’re 6’6″ and 120kg, this isn’t the tent for you. At 2.35m long and 1.4m wide (according to the specs given by Darche. Good luck actually getting it 1.4m wide) it isn’t a family tent. However, if you’re like me and only use a tent to sleep in (rather than cook, eat, go ‘bump’ in the night) then this is for you. At 1.6kg (including poles and pegs) it’s incredibly light, and takes up barely any room, making it perfect for hiking, or on boat trips where it’s important to have minimal weight and as much room as possible. At 6′ and 80kg, I can comfortably sleep in the tent, along with room for two sleeping bags, a pillow, phone, torch and knife. The canvas flap which cove the opening spreads out and will keep everything under it dry in the rain(provided you don’t set the tent up on an angle and water runs underneath.) There is enough room there for your shoes and a pack, with room to spare. If you’re camping in an area you don’t want to be seen (such as a National Park) then the dark green colour of the tent and it’s compact size will definitely keep you stealthy.
Overall
If you’re looking for a one man tent at a low price, then look no further. When buying this tent, I researched for a few months, and I honestly feel that this is better than many $150+ tents. It will keep you almost 100% dry in rainy nights, has enough room in an around it for all your essential items. If you’re a big guy, or going camping with your missus, looking for something a bit bigger, but for solo trips or trips with a few mates, this tent it perfect.
