I decided to take a short walk yesterday evening to test out my new tent and head-torch. I knew that once I got to Iona and tried to set up camp it would inevitably be dark out, raining, and that all my equipment would fail or be broken. A little practice might be good.
It’s barely a thirty minute walk northwards from the centre of Oxford to Port Meadow. I decided to take the route through Jericho and then shortly along the canal on the way there. The sun was low and hiding behind the buildings and clouds as I started my walk. My hiking pack which I hadn’t strapped on for over a two years felt good if a bit awkward, and the tent and groundsheet were light enough that it didn’t feel as if I were carrying anything.
Crossing over the rail bridge to reach the meadow it seemed as if things were going to be busier than I had hoped. With it being cool out, the sun in the process of setting, and with a large number of visiting students and tourists, groups of people were walking towards the meadow. One person listening to music was snacking, watching the trains roll into the station, and throwing scraps of what he was eating off the bridge onto the tracks.
I pitched the tent no more than two minutes from the path on some suitable high ground. No cows or horses were in the meadow this evening, though you could hear the cows talking to one another off in the distance.
I had chosen the Helm Compact 1 largely based on it being an award winning tent that cost half the amount of any of the more expensive premium tents. Some called it a three and a half season tent too, meaning it can even stand up to some harsh winter conditions, which, in the blasting winds and rains of the Hebrides, might come in handy if the weather gets bad while I’m there. It took me about ten minutes to pitch and that was with my clumsiness playing a factor. The two-pole colour coded system made things easy and I was impressed at how fool proof it was to set up.
It was also surprisingly roomy inside, with a good size vestibule and a small sheltered area for any extra equipment. I’m quite impressed with this little tent and would certainly recommend it based on my first impression. That impression might change once it’s up against the elements however. Breaking down the tent and repacking it was also a clumsy affair but was relatively quick. The sun at this point had almost set so I took one more look around and snapped some photos before taking the short walk home.
An Eye on the Sail 