Wilderness Equipment Arrow Tent Series

21 October 2009 (Australia) by Kendon Glass

Photo: The Wilderness Equipment First Arrow Tent withstanding severe winds on the world's largest salt pan, Bolivian Altiplano, 4000 metres altitude.

Specs

The Wilderness Equipment Second Arrow Tent (30d siliconised outer tent version)

Tapered Tunnel, 5-season, compact 2-Person tent.
Integral pitch - poles in outer, inner attaches under, outer can be used alone
Min Wt 2.28 kg
Packed Wt 2.57 kg
Floor Dimensions: 2.03m long x 1.3m widest
Outer Tent Fabric: 30d ripstop polyester, silicone elastomer face, tape-sealed, 1500mm PU back coating.
Outer Tent Colour: Eucalyptus, Green OR Gold.
Inner Tent: Grey 40d air-permeable ripstop nylon, Black 20d nylon mesh door screens.
Floor: Deep, unstressed tub, 100d nylon with 8,000mm HH PU coating
Poles: 2 x Scandium Air Hercules FC (floating connectors), fully field-maintainable.
Pegs: 7 x 4-Flute HT Aluminium, with pull cords.

Performance

Before departing on my circumnavigation I researched every Australian and New Zealand tent on the market. I required a sub 3-kilo tent that would perform staunchly in such diverse environments as the infamous winds of the Patagonian Plateau, the baking saltpans of Bolivia and the torrential downpours of the Amazonian jungle. Designed in Perth, Australia, the Wilderness Equipment Second Arrow tent has proven an excellent choice for what is my most indispensable piece of equipment.

The 30d sil-polyester Second Arrow is a high-tech, compact, 2-person, double-skinned expedition tent for ultra-lightweight travel in snow, across exposed country and in severe weather. It's excellent flow-through ventilation also makes it perfect for summer and tropical use. Solo travellers who are looking for a roomier tent with 5-season performance will also find the Second Arrow an attractive solution. The second arrows main aim was to absolutely minimise weight without compromising the tents 2-person status.

+ When pitching the Wilderness Equipment Second Arrow, the outer shell is erected first. The ‘integral pitch’ design feature has the pole strutcture incorporated in the outer layer allowing it to be used independently in hotter climates for increased ventilation or as an emergency shelter during a torrential downpour. If you then want to use the inner tent it can be erected from the confines of the outer. Quickly pitched in such circumstances, we noted that these aspects of design impressed many Europeans hiking through Patagonia.

+ You can also pack the Second Arrow with the outer and inner already fastened which will help for a quick pitch in extreme weather.
 
+ When pitched accounting for wind direction the Second Arrow’s ‘tapered tunnel architecture’ design makes it a robust shelter. During our stay at Torres del Paine NP, Chile, the rain whipped us horizontally from around a glacial mountain. During extreme winds that exceeded 100 km per hour the Wilderness Equipment Second Arrow Tent held a taut line and didn’t even look like budging. 

+ The Second Arrow has twin entrances in both the outer and inner tents that can be fully unzipped from within the inner tent, providing excellent ventilation and views.

+ 100% waterproof. I had an all night deluge in the Brazilian Amazon that swamped the tent by several inches and the tent floor didn’t let in a drop. It is clear that the design has not compromised quality in the tent floor to compete with super-low weight tents. I have never used an extra ground sheet under the Second Arrow and have been very impressed with the hard wearing capacity of its tent floor over several years of consistent use.

+ The FC tube sections have always made the repair and maitenance of the tent poles very quick and straight forward.

+ Vestibule can be made longer for cooking inside by rolling back floor with inner zipped open and out of the way. This has been very handy.

+ Gear stowed under the vestibules does not hinder movement in and out of the tent.

+ Good skin tension enables snow to shed very well.

- When you roll up the front vestibule flap there is no way to fasten it to the top lip of the front of the tent.

Thank you

A big thank you to the Sea to Summit team who have provided Brink Adventures with quality Wilderness Equipment tents that continue to perform under the most extreme of conditions.

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