Re: [Paddlewise] good tent deals

If you're an REI member, you can sometimes find screaming deals on
tents.  Very often, they'll have one on clearance (usually at a monthly
clearance sale) that may be a cosmetic blem, missing a pole (cheap to
replace!), or be missing a strategic snap, buckle, or snap (also cheap
fixes).  They'll usually let you erect the tent in the store, and you
can find out what is missing or needs fixin'.

I bought a $200+ Jansport Rongbuk Hotel 3+ person tent at the REI in
Spokane, WA for $88.  It had all "male" snaps on the tabs where the
vestibule of the fly attached to the tent, and was missing one of two
upper vent panels (I can live with that)  A drill, 5 minutes, and 2
snaps later, and it was as good as new.  This tent also has a very
strange "sphincter" door on one end--can anybody tell me what this is
for?! (yes, their own marketing literature calls it the sphincter.)

The Kifaru Tipi or BD Megamid both look very intriguing, too.  The
thought of a tiny woodstove in the tent (fed with small sticks and
twigs) rather than a big fire outside (logs) is also appealing.  I grew
up in a family where camping meant packing-in on horseback.  The
standard wood stove in a wall tent is just about unbeatable for
comfort, but hard to pack in a kayak!

Shawn

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