Thread: Expedition tents

Used the opalus 3 in the west coast which is basically the tribulus. Didn’t get any knarly weather but it went great in rain, light snow and ice. It’s a legit 3 person as the awning can stow all the gear.

Also used the bush buck 2 person. Same trip but on the tops for a night. Handled a few” of snow fine but would never consider sharing it with a second person.

As far as macpac tents go, they are very bombproof, and they have just dropped the latest new and improved version of the olympus and minaret (named v2).

I would say Minaret is great if you are by yourself, or with a smaller person, but the vestibule lacks the size to comfortably store two full hunting packs, boots, and rifles etc. Good if you are on the go and don't want the weight, but not so much if you are a taller person or plan on using the tent more like base camp. My mate and I are both around the 6 foot mark and 100kg and it was very very snug, but do-able in the shitty weather, just not comfortable per se.

I have stayed in the Olympus (the old one not v2) also in a base camp style set up and it was great. More room for getting in and out of wet gear, and more space to store gear and spread out if you get stuck in the tent during a spell of bad weather. Heavier though, and has a far larger footprint which can make finding pitching sites harder.

Hope this helps.