Golite Shangri-La One Person

Sleeps: 1
Weight:  555g
Dimensions:  Approx 250x75cm
Pack Size: 20x10x10cm without poles
RRP:  £125

Review:  The Golite Shangri-La One Person is cross between a tent and a tarp, in that the tent is essentially a flysheet pegged over a groundsheet recepticle (which bears a passing resemblance to a shallow paddling pool).  As a result the tent is very light at just over 500 grams all in, and (as with Golite products) is of sufficient quality to withstand serious adverse weather conditions.  The tent is suitable for taller people, as with decent length of the groundsheet, although the width at one end is getting towards the 'snug' end of the spectrum.  It has a fairly unique shape amongst one-person tents with a ridged pitch, rather than the usual arc-shaped structure, which means that whilst the absolute height is greater the risk of touching the fly-sheet also increases.  The flysheet and groundsheet structure means that the tent can let in the cold, so should be paired with a high-quality sleeping bag in bad weather. The only real negative is the price, at over £100 for a quality flysheet and groundsheet, but for real lightweight camping with quality materials, the Shangri-La should not be overlooked.

Best bits:  Very lightweight, good length, quality product
Worst bits:  Expensive for what is essentially a flysheet, a bit narrow at one end
Alternatives:  The Golite Eden is heavier, but an actual tent with bags of room; the Gelert Solo is a lot cheaper and does the job.

RRP: £125
Where to get it cheaper?:  Click here: £100

Golite Eden One Person

Sleeps: 1
Weight: 1.5kgs
Dimensions: Internal and External 96x254cm
Pack size: 50x10x10cm
RRP: £250

Review:  The Golite Eden One Person is a top-end lightweight tent that oozes quality in all respects.  The materials used for the inner, flysheet and groundsheet are all best-in-class, with excellent finishing on seams and webbing. Little touches like colour-coded poles and easy-to-push-in pegs speed up the time taken for assembly.  However, the best feature of this tent is the roominess and accessibility.  Whilst only a few cms wider, longer and higher than other one-man tents, the close alignment of the flysheet and the inner means that the Eden feels bigger and less claustrophobic than competitors, and users get to experience pretty much all of the 114cm of height.  As you'd expect for this price range, the tent is stable (especially with guys) even in pretty horrendous weather, and can serve as more than just a place to sleep, which is more than can be said for most one-man tents.  The biggest downside is the weight, which at 1.5kg is not going to break any backs, but is a lot heavier than the other top end options.  In short, an excellent roomy versatile one-man tent, but if lightweight is your thing, then you could save the best part of a kilogram with a less advanced tent.

Best bits: Roomiest one-man tent on the market, easy to assemble, quality product

Worst bits:  Heavier than the best one-mans, pricey

Alternatives?:  If you don't need the room, you could save a bit of money with a lighter tent such as the Force 10 Helium 100.

RRP: £250
Where to get it cheaper: Click here: £199