Gear Review - Ode to my Tent- Black Wolf Mantis I

    What to do when you find you're not in the mood to write, run or in general do something actually productive? Make a film about my tent and how much I love it. Here is the results, accompanied my Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band's song 'Tent'- which I have a horrible suspicion is referring to a different type of tent than my own. Either way it makes me smile and has a good beat.

  Here is my review of the Blackwolf's 'Mantis I' tent I've been using the last three years to walk over 2000 miles through Australia and Britain. I might be far from an expert in my field but I can say that this review comes from a thorough testing.

Tent in the middle of the Australian Outback, along the Sunshine Hinterland 2012

The Lizard, Cornwall, England 2013

RRP $269.00

Sleeps: 1
Dimensions: 255 x 220 x 80cm
Weight: 1.9kg
Floor: Polyester 5000 PU coating
Fly: Ripstop polyester 3000mm water column
Poles: (2) 8.5mm premium T6 alloy 

Features:

• 2-pole tapered rectangular design
• Spacious & lightweight
• Dual side entry
• Dual side vestibules
• Gear hammock
• Head & foot vents
• 4 guy rope points
• Ring ‘n’ pin colour-coded flexi poles
• Heat taped seams
• Waterproofpacked size 40cm x Φ15 cm  

Bought: November 2012

Miles Covered: 2000 Miles
Height: 5 foot 5 

Tan Hill, Along the Pennine Way, England 2013

I bought this as my first hiking tent while I was in Australia - since then its sheltered me along the Sunshine Hinterland Great walk (four night- 60 odd kms), Great Ocean Road (six days 100kms), Six Foot Track (3 days 40 odd kms) and god knows how many weekend exertions- one during floods. Now I'm back from Australia it has braved the considerably less mild weather of rainy England where I've walked the Pennine Way, a 450 plus kilometer hike over 15 days along the spine of England into Scotland. This summer I used it for a ten week expedition from Land's End to John o'Groats on foot covering 1200 miles (1940 Km) in one of the wettest summers for years. I've bought a few sets of new tent pegs but other than that it is barely marked. It has been put up and taken down every day; stuffed wet back into the rucksack; rolled quickly and badly in winds; all in all this tent has been treated quite roughly. The fact that it's in such good order is a testament to just how high quality this tent is. Other basic points- the porch space is very spacious, ventilation is great and although condensation collects on the inside of the tent the material dries very quickly. It is strong in high winds, no problems with the zips, packs up into a great size, and has WONDERFUL tent poles that seem to magnetically connect together. They can be flicked into place with your wrist in a matter of seconds. No sign of the string joining the tent poles snapping. Its quick to assemble if slightly tricky to put up in rain, not high enough to sit up in but material does give a little so that you can move around easily. Be aware that I am a medium to short woman and a tall man might find this tent somewhat short: my feet do touch the roof but that's because I like plenty of space above my head. This does mean that if there is a lot of condensation, and your feet touch the tent that your sleeping bag can get a little damp over a cold night.
  As I stated earlier this is my first hiking tent so I'm no expert but I can say its been superb every time I've put it up. Black Wolf Mantis I is durable and has survived me which is something that few other things have managed.  When my friend asked to borrow it I felt she'd asked for my child. I have absolutely no qualms in recommending this tent, its worth every penny been charged. The only down side is that its made by an Australian company and postage costs a bomb over the asking price. 

Devil's Kitchen Campsite along the Great Ocean Walk, Victoria 2013

Flaxton Camp Ground, Queensland

Bridge of Orchy, Land's End to John o'Groats, Scotland 2015