see my post
i am thinking of getting this one
I see that First Ascent brought out a tent that is similar to the Naturehike Star River above. The very popular āBig Agnesā design. Thinking this might be the one (maybe a bit more hard-wearing than Naturehike?) https://www.firstascent.co.za/helio-tent
Naturehike is also bringing in the Hiby, which looks bomber. Interested to see what testers say. Naturehike-Make Outdoor a Lifestyle ā Naturehike official store
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Glad to see First Ascent expanding their line, out of all of the SA manufacturers Iāve had the best experience with their gear and support.
Seems like everyone is very fond of the Big Agnes designs 
Iād say that is closer to the new Cloud Up 2, side guylines added to deal with it being a bit of a sail. Brother picked one up the other day and seems very happy with it, I would say it is a two man at a push though. The Helios seems a little wider which could really help, but same length which I struggle with at 6ft.
Have to say I would be happy to pay the 300 bucks more on the Naturehike to carry a kg less. Thatās a lot of snickers 
I donāt think I baby my gear too much, and have yet to have any trouble with the lighter silnylon fabrics. Do tend to throw down a groundsheet anywhere rough though.
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Yes, i feel you. For some reason however i dont trust the Drakensberg-ability of the NH tents. Have mailed them about it, even the semi-geodesic Cirrus was only tested up to 50kph. Thats the windspeed outside my house in Cape Town 
Hence my wonder if FA finally came up with a decent tent that is lightweight AND strong. Also nice to see polyester filtering down to th cheaper tents (apparently a bit better than normal nylon when it gets wet. Nylon expands when wet, leading to sagging tents).
But the NH Hiby looks great, semi/full geodesic design with many pipe crossings. And it pitches outer first. And a porch. And a fast-and-light single wall pitching option. And its made from silnylon, a one-up on polyester. Apparently the silnylon beats polyester at shedding snow.
Fair enough there, most of my hiking is WC so might very well not be up to the Drakensberg. Would love to hear what they say.
That Hiby does look pretty bombproof if you are expecting rough weather, nice way to ride out a storm. Iām never really sure on silnylon versus silpoly, I donāt know a huge amount about it it. Is the idea that silpoly is lighter and has no stretch compared to silnylon, but is less robust? I know poly gets brought up as a better material in therms of not sagging, but I assume there are sacrifices for that?
Found this Hiby unpack on youtube. Looks interesting.
Not sure about silpoly vs silnylon. Dont know much about silpoly - is this the description of all polyester materials? Just in the nylon vs polyester department, what i understand is that nylon is stronger but can stretch when wet, whereas polyester is not as strong but doesnt stretch when wet. That said, the oxford polyester of the FA tentās floor is likely very durable. I have the FA oxford polyester groundsheet and its stronger than any material ive come across (own a polyester tarp and nylon kway camping tents).
The silnylon snow explanation i got from this review: āSilnylon is a slippery fabric, much more so than polyurethane coated polyester, and by having a low drag coefficient, where snow is prone to building up on polyester and collapsing ācheaperā tents, silnylon and a rigid pole structure tend to help tents like this one ride out snow falls far betterā link: NatureHike's Hiby 2-3 person tent - how good is it? ā All Four Outdoors
Geeks for life 
Does anyone here own the new First Ascent HELIO tent, Iām curious as to how it performs? I like the price, 4 season rating and the weight as well but the single pole setup makes me question its strength/durability in rough storms. We got caught in a very rough storm in the mountains once and one of the guys using a different first ascent tent didnāt have a very good nights rest as the structure of the tent was bending in on him. They had to support the roof of the tent in the wild windy conditions, condensation was also a problem.
Hi Neil, I own the Helio. It only arrived this past week and I have only been able to use it once so far. It rained the whole night and there was some wind. This is by no means a thorough test, but I am very happy with it so far. The one pole design seems to be sturdy and it makes setting up the tent a breeze. The big awning is the other stand out feature, its perfect for cooking in while its raining/windy.
The top part of the inner part of the tent is made of a mesh material so condensation would form on and run down on the inside of the flysheet. I didnāt experience any condensation, but I was using it on a balmy summers night, so I canāt say what it would do if it was cold.
I know I havenāt used it much yet, but I am very happy with it so far.
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Sounds great. Condensation isnāt so much of a problem if it stays on the flysheet but as soon as it gets on the tent inner thatās when it becomes a an issue especially on a smaller tent, it usually wets everything touching the side of the tent.
This is the first, First Ascent tent that I actually would like to buy so Iām happy that, so far, youāve had a good experience with it. I have the nerolite 2 and kilimanjaro tents from k-way and so far this tent looks like a nice replacement for both of those, Iāll wait a bit longer to see if anyone posts some Drakensberg reviews on it. Hopefully the price wonāt jump too much 
Paul, how is this tent holding up? What has been your experience so far? Its on my radar, as its well priced and very light. Do you have the XL or the original? My other options are the Vango 100 or Nature Hike Cycling tentā¦
Hlo like all tents without aluminum tent poles the only thing that has gone wrong was one pole broke on it;condensation on all tents is n problem so keep it well vented ;i baught a msr elixir 2 recently;but the previous tent is in good condition.always buy n ground sheet for your tent for added protection. Hope it helped
The tent is standard size ;I baught it from camp and climb centurion Pretoria;they do have a branch in cape aswell
Thanks Paul, Iv checked it out at C&C 
I see Outdoor Warehouse has a sale in the 360degree Moonlomight 2. https://www.outdoorwarehouse.co.za/product/360-degrees-moonlight-2-tent?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4-XlBRDuARIsAK96p3DhorKMQtu7ECXkPnS0ytXPKpUSa59QLxcDbDJdDt4o36ppzwK6J2caAnJNEALw_wcB
Might not be the best qualityā¦ But 1.9 kg!! That can almost make it worth it!!! Anybody with any experience?
Went with the NatureHike Cycling Tent and was super impressed. It is very light, exceptionally easy to setup and take down and offered all the shelter I needed.
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Iāve just bought the First Ascent Helioā¦heavier than i wanted but my MSR 1 man waterproofing has gone sticky(14 years old) so i presume it would not be that waterproof anymore.The 4 season at 2.5kg sold it to meā¦seems pretty versatile.I started looking at Naturehikeā¦purely because of price and weightā¦but decided on the heavier option for more versatility all year all conditions.Will let people know once i have used it in proper conditions.
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Yes please! I really want to purchase this tent but Iāve only found one review on it by the First Ascent representative (so Iām sure heās a little biased) so itāll be great to get a second opinion!
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Found this website recently. They sell quite a few of the international tents, mostly Vango, in South Africa! Go support them if you can, Agear 
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Hello guys and girls.
I donāt pop in that often since play time is extremely limitedā¦
What I find interesting is the lack of K-Way both here and also in the Drakensberg sleeping bag threadā¦
Am I missing something or are my camping needs not extreme enough?
