Blackwolf Tanami

 

I needed a tent. My needs were as follows:

• Lightish. Doesn’t have to be too light but 5kg or less.
• Compact. Must fit in kayak.
• Good quality. Remember I’m a brandist.
• Roomy. I thought of bivvies but nah, I like a little bit of luxury. Must fit Samantha as well.
• Plenty of adjustabilty for variable Australian conditions.
• Cost effective. Though I’m not poor, I need cheap.

So what did I come up with?

The Blackwolf Tanami.

This is an Australian company with famous tents such as the Turbo range. I have a bit of Blackwolf gear already and it’s pretty bulletproof so it was high on the list. I looked at Mountain Designs and you should know by now I definitely love this stuff. A similar MD tent to the Tanami is about $400 but has the advantage of being about 3kg and packs smaller. Attractive but I need to gear up on camping stuff so maximising the dollars ruled the MD out.

 

The Tanami is 5kg but only cost me $120. It’s roomy and has a good vestibule. It’s also very adjustable with windows and ground vents, front and back doors and internal storage compartments. They’ve done their homework so I’m happy with all the fittings. It’s a bit bulky compared to the MD but I’ll separate the components into smaller dry bags and make it more packable. My first setup took me only half an hour so this should get down to 10-15 minutes with more practice. I’m pretty happy with it and it should see service in January with a club training session. I’d be curious to hear about other paddlers’ decisions on tents.

 

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