Gelert Newland 3 Tent Review

A cost effective option for couples car camping

Bought for £70 in sale

There are three typical stages in a campers life and these very much shape tent choice.

Stage 1, encompassing anybody young, skint and possibly using public transport (therefore carrying the tent) encourages a lightweight and cramped choice. Sure you look around the campsite and everyone looks more comfortable. You don't care though, at this stage to be in striking distance of a cheap pub is enough.

Stage 2, happy couples, is represented by a more civilised camping experience. Tired of crawling in and out of your pit, especially in long dewey grass, you yearn a bit more comfort. Ideally a big enough porch to fit a few friends and share a bottle of wine. Sure you. look around the campsite and lots of people look more comfortable. You don't care though, at this stage to be in striking distance of a nice pub is enough.

Stage 3. Think tables chairs and tents with seperate wings for the whole family. Well sod the pub you're in a home away from home.

Stage 2 is where tents like the Gelert Newlands 3 come in. Three person rated although well sized for two with plenty of storage. The Newlands 3 is a three pole tunnel design. Tunnel tents traditionally offer ease of erection and good internal space. The compromise comes from lack of free standing ability and strength in strong winds, depending on solid pegging for structural stability. Neither huge problems for most British style camping. Generous and well thought out guylines on the Gelert ensure well pegged out it will withstand most weather.

Another positive of the design helping you put the Newlands 3 up quickly is an inbuilt fly construction. This means the tent goes up in one piece, better in both wet weather and for speed. Poles are colour coded and simply slide into 3 sleeves on the tent with simple peg connectors at either end.

Poles are probably the most obvious area where the Newlands low cost pricing has a negative influence. These are of fibreglass construction, as befits most cheaper tents, with a penalty of weight and also ease in which the poles can be threaded. The stainless pole connectors occasionally snagging slightly.

The main tent itself is well thought out, with standard features such as a bathtub groundsheet, in sleeping section, and mosquito netting. The well sized porch features a groundsheet which is not sewn in, useful for ventilation although obviously slightly less dry.

All in all over several trips in a variety of places from Cornwall to Wales the Gelert Newlands 3 has aquitted itself well. Keeping the weather at bay and proving low hassle to put up and down. The tent represents a good value choice for budget minded occasional car camper. Those seeking frequent use, on a long trip or considering carrying the tent would be advised to splash out a little more on something with alloy poles. 

Pro's
Good value
Easy to erect
Stable and weatherproof
Roomy for two

Cons
Heavy
Fibreglass poles

Value for money: 8/10
Performance: 7/10

Craghoppers Altitude Soft Shell - Review

The ideal outdoor jacket for urban use?

As an outdoors person who lives in a city, sometimes I come across obvious crossovers where a piece of outdoor clothing is well suited to an urban environment. In terms of jackets and everyday casual use, I was keen to find something hardwearing for the cooler months with a good degree of suitability for a range of conditions. i.e. something that would serve me well for commuting, shopping and pubbing in the city through the autumn/winter, survive the odd rain shower and look ok.

Having been a keen buffalo user for many years I have long been a fan of pile linings. Warmer than fleece, good wicking properties and lightweight I think pile is underused in modern clothing. So I decided that a pile lined jacket would be ideal. Pile lined jackets like Buffalo's belay jacket or the Montane Extreme Jacket (I won smock versions of both), whilst both great pieces of kit, are not ideal for urban use as pertex, although wonderful, is susceptible to things like cigarette burns in busy London pubs, and are also both not really styled for urban use.

Having also used a few softshell jackets over the years, good windproofing, water resistance, breathability, stretch and a hardwearing face have impressed me. However unless being active have not tended to find softshells very warm. QED a softshell face with a pile lining struck me as an ideal jacket for urban needs (and the odd cragging trip and stroll in the country).

Looking at what is available there didn't seem to be a lot available in softshell with a pile lining. However a random trip to Field and Trek for a browse revealed the Craghoppers Altitude soft shell. This is precisely what i was looking for, softshell with a pile lining and a cut suitable for town use (even acceptable in the office).

Having worn this as my main day to day jacket for 6 months here are my thoughts:

What I like

• Hardwearing - The jacket seems well made and have had no issues from this perspective
• Weatherproof - The jacket has coped well with the odd shower, seems windproof and fairly warm.
• Styling - It looks pretty good and certainly not scruffy like an old fleece! Cut is fairly atheltic but not enough so to negate non sporty use.
• Pockets - Pockets are well placed and a good size.
• Cheap - Available for £50 to £60 which is not bad for this type of jacket although not a premium brand.

What I don't like

• A bit stiff - The fabric is fairly stiff for a fabric and not that light. Almost neopeney. This makes it less comfortable than a more flexible jacket, i.e. you can feel you are wearing the jacket in contrast to say a light down jacket which makes you feel warm without you even knowing it is there.
• Not that breathable - This jacket actually has a waterproof membrane. I think the jacket would be better without this as softshell fabric tends not to hold water so could still be showerproof. A waterproof membrane on a jacket with no hood is fairly pointless imo. Breathability is also worse than fully waterproof Gore tex, Conduit and other membrane jackets have used
• Brand - Not that bothered but not really keen on association with a certain Mr Grylls (nothing personal but programs are about entertainment not genuine outdoor ability imo).
• Pile not as warm as comparable types. My Buffalo for instance, which is thinner and lighter, is a warmer beast altogether.

Summary - 6.5/10 - Stylish, well priced and robust, just not quite comfortable enough

Essentially this jacket has performed quite well for my purposes and offers a pretty good choice for an urban softshell IMO.
If it was stolen would I buy it again? Probably not, whilst there is a lot to like about the jacket and will happily use it for coming years it just isn't as comfortable to wear as I would like. You are just a little too conscious you are wearing it and a lack of breathability just detracts from from feeling you are wearing a really great bit of kit.
I think removing the membrane could possibly be enough to fix this and it that case could be a great jacket.