New Macpac Olympus

[Craig Dumesny]

Just purchased the new 'Made in Vietnam' Olympus from Pallins here in
Adelaide (at 20% off the already reduced RRP of $849). The tent
appears to be as well made as before and sets up perfectly indicating
good fabric cutting and sewing. The weight saving of the new model is
quite substantial, however, the tent was supplied with Easton poles
not the new DAC Featherlites - Pallin's said that if I was at any
stage unhappy with the supplied poles then they would be happy to
exchange them for the DACs when they become available.

I am now expert on this subject - just wanted to pass on my humble
first impressions. I have weighed the tent, complete with all stuff
sacks, poles and my own preferred pegs (which are heavier than the
supplied ones) and the tent comes in at exactly 3.1kg. I think this
is pretty good for what is commonly called a 'bomb-proof 4+ season
tent'.

I haven't road tested this new beast yet, but it has just got to
better than the one I just returned to the retailer (not Macpac) - it
had this tendency to create a rainforest environment within the inner
even with all the vents and fly doors open! A long story for another
time.

Craig Dumesny

[Steve Reynolds]

Post by Craig Dumesny
pretty good for what is commonly called a 'bomb-proof 4+ season
tent'.

That was when Macpac made the tents -- the jury is well and truly out
on the new contractor made tents.

Tell us it's bomb-proof after you've sat out your first blizzard.

SR

[Roger Caffin]

Post by Steve Reynolds
That was when Macpac made the tents -- the jury is well and truly out
on the new contractor made tents.
Tell us it's bomb-proof after you've sat out your first blizzard.

The design is pretty good anyhow. Just make sure the end pegs hold. My
ultra-light orange tent looks quite similar, and has sat out a few blizzards
in the snow now. But the funny bit was the last one in the snow. (Sorry:
story follows.)

I woke around 2 am and noticed the tent was moving a little. "Odd", I
thought - "the guy ropes should stop that." So I dressed and went out to see
what had happened. It was raining - WARM rain, and the pegs were now sitting
loosely in holes in the snow. The guy ropes were all slack by now - and yet
the tent was surviving quite OK. So I spent some time stomping the snow down
and putting the pegs back in. And hoped they would last until morning.

In the morning the tent was again shaking a bit - ah well, melted holes
around the pegs again I guess. But that did not seem to answer all the
strange things. The tent was ... low? We checked, and realised the warm rain
was running down the fabric at the poles and melting the snow under the tent
poles. You could see the stream of water disappearing down the holes in the
snow at the edge of the tent. The tent was indeed slowly sinking in the
snow!

The beautiful open white snow-covered valley of last night was now divided
down the middle by a wide wet Geehi river. We were astonished at how much
snow had gone in one night. Getting out of there was an epic - snow bridges
gone, every creek was flooded - while the rivers were even wider (like over
50 metres across the valley floor) and deeper and faster.

Anyhow, if the fabric and stitching hold, and I would be astonished if
Macpac had not checked that, I see no reason for the new ones to be any
worse. It's a good design.

Cheers
Roger Caffin
www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/

[Craig Dumesny]

Post by Steve Reynolds

Post by Craig Dumesny
pretty good for what is commonly called a 'bomb-proof 4+ season
tent'.

That was when Macpac made the tents -- the jury is well and truly out
on the new contractor made tents.
Tell us it's bomb-proof after you've sat out your first blizzard.
SR

I agree Steve that the jury is still well and truly out on the new
tents, but a company such as Macpac would be very aware of its
standing in the manufacturing game in regards to quality, and I don't
think that they would let their standards slip (let's hope not,
anyway). As I said in my original post, I am no expert on tents, just
passing on my thoughts on the new offshore manufactured Macpac gear.

Craig

[Marshall Wilkinson]

Thanks for the first impressions, Craig. I'm opting for a new Minaret and
your views are reassuring.

Marsh.

[David Springthorpe]

Post by Craig Dumesny
I haven't road tested this new beast yet, but it has just got to
better than the one I just returned to the retailer (not Macpac) - it
had this tendency to create a rainforest environment within the inner
even with all the vents and fly doors open! A long story for another
time.

Not saying which manufacturer.....?

DS

[Craig Dumesny]

Post by David Springthorpe

Post by Craig Dumesny
I haven't road tested this new beast yet, but it has just got to
better than the one I just returned to the retailer (not Macpac) - it
had this tendency to create a rainforest environment within the inner
even with all the vents and fly doors open! A long story for another
time.

Not saying which manufacturer.....?
DS

The tent in question was a Snowgum Escarpment. They gave us our money
back with no questions asked after explaining the conditions we were
using the tent in and also its arrangement when in use (including
strong winds blowing through it one night and we still were wet!).

DS - sorry that we haven't had an opportunity to put the new Olympus
through its paces in really rough conditions....

[David Springthorpe]

Post by Craig Dumesny
The tent in question was a Snowgum Escarpment

There was a largissh group of young 'uns at one of the campsites in Wilsons Prom
last week, and they all seemed to have Snowgum tents.....

DS

[Craig Dumesny]

Post by David Springthorpe

Post by Craig Dumesny
The tent in question was a Snowgum Escarpment

There was a largissh group of young 'uns at one of the campsites in Wilsons Prom
last week, and they all seemed to have Snowgum tents.....
DS

I'm glad they did as Snowgum do make good tents, a lot of my friends
have them, but in the case of my particular model we had problems
with it.

[David Springthorpe]

Just purchased the new 'Made in Vietnam' Olympus.....

Someone had one of the new Olympus tents at the weekend and noted the lower
weight and, apprently, lower price.....he also pointed out the increased
transparency of the new fly material (by placing a food packet underneath it,
and you could read the writing on it), although the material did not appear any
thinner (but had a more shiny, slippery appearance compared to that on my 1995
Microlight).....

DS

[Craig Dumesny]

Post by David Springthorpe

Just purchased the new 'Made in Vietnam' Olympus.....

Someone had one of the new Olympus tents at the weekend and noted the lower
weight and, apprently, lower price.....he also pointed out the increased
transparency of the new fly material (by placing a food packet underneath it,
and you could read the writing on it), although the material did not appear any
thinner (but had a more shiny, slippery appearance compared to that on my 1995
Microlight).....
DS

The new fly material is UV30, silicon coated.