Nordisk Telemark 2 LW Person Tent Review 2017/06/17
As someone who spends a lot of time reading reviews, comparing specs
and inspecting products I usually have pretty high expectations when I
finally pull the trigger and make a purchase. It is exceptionally rare
that I find something that exceeds my expectations as thoroughly as
the Nordisk Telemark 2 LW.
Introduction
After my 2kg Terra Nova was ‘half-inched’ from Okehampton Army camp in
2015 I decided it was time to purchase something really light. I figured
that I could use it on all of my solo trips and buy something else
bigger and stronger for worsened conditions and also when sharing a tent
with others. 18 months on and it's still my only tent. Not only have I
found it large enough for my girlfriend and I to sleep in relative
comfort. I've also tested the wind and waterproofing in some of the
worst conditions I've ever camped in. Add that to the positively
minuscule packsize and featherlight weight, it's hard to want anything
else.
Design
Alright so let's look at the Nordisk Telemark 2 LW . Most importantly it
is exceptionally light. The 2 man LW model I have is 950gr and the is
heaviest in the range, with the 1 man ULW coming in at a scale defying
770g. The pack size is a microscopic 12x41cm and this makes it about the
size of a Jetboil Flash.
Fabrics
The flysheet is 10D sil-nylon, as you would expect of the £480 RRP, and
while it's only got 2000mm hydrostatic head I've found it to reliably
watertight and it has lasted well so far. The funny thing with sil-nylon
fabrics is even though on paper the hydrostatic head is lower than some
polyurethane options it actually outperforms them as the silicon coating
resists saturation so well. In the mornings its so easy to simply shake
off the water drops as it has not been allowed to soak into the fabric.
Another plus side of this is the weight is maintained as it does not
take on extra water and therefore weight. The floor fabric is still
light but a tougher fabric with 8000mm head and even once I remember
pitching it in what was effectively a puddle it didn't seem to let
anything in. I picked the LW model which comes with some rather nice DAC
Featherlite aluminum poles of the hydroformed variety. If you're feeling
flush you can spring for the ULW model with carbon fibre pole, for a
weight saving of around 70g.
Pitching
When it comes to pitching, the Nordisk Telemark 2 LW is a dream.
Pitching as one, you slide in the single pole which fits easily, then
peg four corner guys. The included pegs are aluminium Y pegs, which
seems short but provide excellent holding power. A minor gripe is that
only 4 are included, I recommend at least 6 in case of bad weather. With
these four corners in place they are simple to pull tight with a very
simple adjuster. Between this and a bit of light fettling it is very
easy to get the tent taut. I find this much easier than the single end
pole of the Laser Comp/Zephyros/Vango Zenith type design and slightly
easier but not as strong as the end of an Hilleberg Akto.
The Nordisk Telemark 2 LW is rated for
winds of 17.5m/s which is almost 40mph or a “moderate gale”. I've lay
awake in some of the worst winds I've ever camped in and found this tent
performs well beyond it's light weight would suggest. Pegged into a bare
scrape of dirt over an old miners trail whilst the wind and rain pounded
the tent. My girlfriend and I lay awake for a horrifying night in Brecon
earlier this year and whilst the tent was buffeted plenty it didn't give
an inch.
Conclusion
I added side guylines to mine with some accessory cord. This beefed it
up before the aforementioned trip and I suggest you do the same. It's a
little cheeky of Nordisk not to include these but they were really going
for every weight saving they could manage. Condensation can also be an
issue, but no more than any other well sealed small tent, make sure to
vent well when you can or just suffer the damp in terrible weather, the
seperation between inner and fly is good enough to get by. If you need
to you can adjust the divide between inner and porch, useful if a solo
traveller. Finally, forget the Nordisk spiel about being able to make
the door into a tarp. In theory you can remove the corner poles and use
them to prop the door up. I've never used this feature. It's a pain in
the backside to go round outside and pluck out the corner poles. Messing
up the shape and structure of the tent. I've since used a couple of
spare bits to make a pole for that express purpose. Until fine enough
weather to use it I won't know how much I can be bothered with the extra
weight. All in all it should be pretty clear I love this tent. Aside
from a couple of very minor complaints that I was already aware of it
has performed beyond it's remit. Anyone looking for a lightweight 3-4
season tent would be hard pressed to find something better.
