Terra Nova Solar 1

About the lightest 1-2 person tent you will ever get. Two people can squeeze in for cycle touring, but only if you are small. Packs away to nothing and the quality of materials and construction is just what you would expect from the manufacturers of the quasar (which we also have). It, surprisingly, kept us dry during a thunderstorm in the Bavarian Alps. The water was 2cm deep around the groundsheet, but nothing leaked. I was anticipating a hurried evacuation when the wind increased, but my careful pitching with correct tensioning of the flysheet paid off.

It is an excellent tent for two people to use on campsites where you only use the tent to sleep in. The small size would make it uncomfortable for two during long periods of rain. We used it in Italy where we spent most of our time out of the tent. This is a tent for a minimalist single backpacker or cyclist who may occasionally take a close friend and who demands quality and is willing to pay the price. It is a travellers tent. If you want a tent to live in, buy a quaser.

I used this tent in my gap year for a four-month pilgrimage from Wales to San Tiago de Compostella. It kept well through rough weather: rain, wind, gales. It survived pitching on rough ground, not a single leak. When I was weary, Solar 1 would offer me a comfortable home at the end of the day. It is a very comfortable one-man tent. I have used it as a two-man tent, but to be honest, it is too small for two people. You have to be really close to the person to sleep with two in this tent.

After four months of constant (daily) use it is still in good condition. I would definitly recommend this tent to anyone travelling alone for a longer period, because it provides comfortable space for one person. On short trips I can imagine this tent to be a succesful lightweight two-man tent.