If you ever decide to make your way over to Europe for a bit of backpacking and camping, the Quechua brand sold through the Decathlon chain of stores can be a surprisingly cheap alternative. A case in point is the Arpenaz 2. This budget 2-person tent turns out to be a lot better than one would expect for the price of £ 25 GBP.
Falling into the category of a standalone tent with collapsing fiberglass poles that cross and fit onto corner metal rings for setup, the first thing you notice is that the material does not feel skimped on. The resilient plastic bottom is topped with a standard mesh top with one zip entranceway, but the cover flysheet that easily fits over the top does a pretty good job at keeping out the condensation of the morning and fairly heavy rainfall.
Being a simple construction, the tent packs up quickly, and the storage case is of a size that lets you get it back in after the first unpacking, unlike some other brands that never seem to squeeze back in unless factory folded.
120 cm wide by 205 cm in length. Max. headroom: 110 cm.
2.4 kg
16 cm diameter / 57 cm long
Green or Blue
2 years
£ 25 GBP
The only gripe could really be that the flysheet does not go out too far from the entranceway, meaning you have to bring all your gear in with you and can’t leave those smelly backpacker boots sheltered outside to air out overnight. As for the space inside, there is more than enough room for yourself and all you carry, though two people inside will get crowded, especially, as mentioned before, that you have no extended external fly to keep your kit protected outside the tent on a rainy night.
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Though it may be a fraction of a centimeter too long and just a hair heavier than you would care to haul around for an extended time, the low price, ruggedness, and quality sure make up for it.
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