PaddleWise Discussion on Tents




A big thanks to Hank Berger for organizing this PaddleWise discussion on tents for this website.


Dan:
    
Check out 
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/, they currently have good deals on several 
Kelty tents, the Cyclone, and the Vortex 2, which is very similar to the 
Cyclone except that it is a 2 pole tent, while the Cyclone has 3. 
    Another on-line outdoor discount place is http://www.outdooroutlet.com/. 
I was so impressed w/ the Cyclone that I just ordered a Vortex 4 ( room for 
the wife and the dog) from them at a great price.


Will Jennings: Check Northern Mountain Supply and Campmor for bargains (NMS has a Killer Deals page well worth your while to check out: http://www.northernmountain.com/index.html
RiDem: Campmor has given me the sale price on an item as late as 14 days after the original purchase. They have also replaced a defective piece of equipment bought in May, for a July-August Arctic Expedition, and mailed back to them in September. They even paid the return postage. They are pretty decent retailers. Because of this, and past experiences with them, I always recommend them to folks who are a bit nervous about shopping by mail/WWW/ etc.
Dave Kruger: MEC is on the web at: www.mec.ca
Ralph Diaz: One of the assets of living in the NYC area is that Campmor is located about a 30 minute drive from mid-town Manhattan. So we not only can get the catalog and web bargains but also odds and ends that don't make it on to either. And New Jersey has no tax on a lot of the stuff. And if you are a member of the NY/NJ Trail Conf and a few other organizations you can get another 10 per cent off.
Fred T: You may wish to check out Northern Mountain Supply via the WWW at: http://www.northernmountain.com/index.html I have purchased tents, clothes, back packs, sleeping bags, etc. with excellent results and super savings from these guys. They are having a special on Garuda Tents, which are usually very expensive and in the same class as Moss, Walrus, and Bibler. I have never had a problem with Northern Mountain Supply and their customer service is beyond reproach! Great quality products by known manufacturers, to include North Face. I have also had good luck with Campmor as some have commented. Your choice, but at least check them both out.
Mel Grindol: For kayaking I use a Mountain Hardwear Light Wedge 2: http://www.mountainhardwear.com/tents/3season/000163.html
Rich Dempsey: Regardless of choice of manufacturer, buying "seconds" (usually cosmetic flaws, or "last years design") can get you a lot for the price. I have seen NF VE series tents which may retail for as much as $495, selling for $320....of course one might be leery of "seconds" on something as vital as a well made tent, but outdoor gear can be rather faddish too... take a look at http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ , it's another online retailer, not as big as Campmor or REI, but they will exchange or replace or refund, anything you buy there, no questions asked. (I have seen Moss and Eureka tents occasionally as well at their site)
Jim Tynan: check out http://www.mountainhardwear.com/tents/3season/000356.html
Joe Federici: Along with the other good outfitter on the web I found Snow Leopard Mountain sports, http://www.shopslms.com/ . There currently have 15% on all of there tents. They also have free shipping over 200.00.