UKC

Hello!

First time poster here, please let me know if I'm messing up somehow, and I'll try to rectify.

To my problem: I just purchased a Terra Nova Laser compact 2 (all season) at a bargain price from an official (Swedish) retailer. The shop is quite generous, allowing customers to test-pitch the tents outdoors while keeping the right to return, so off I went to try it out. It pitched nicely, but when I measured the headroom I got 85-86cm rather than the stated 95! As a 6'4-6'5 camper, that's not quite good enough.

The tent I bought was last in stock and I can't find a replacement at a similar cost, so I was rather hoping to get it replaced under Terra Nova warranty and avoid a clean refund. When reaching out, both manufacturer and retailer seem properly confounded but unwilling to help in any concrete way. 

So my question to you Laser Compact owners out there: do you also have less head room than promised, or is my tent the result of a one-off manufacturing error? Or, do you know of some peculiar pitching faux pas that I may have committed to get these measurements (I cannot imagine what that would be)? If it helps, I think I've pinpointed the manufacturing year to 2022.

Thanks in advance!

I can't see how a manufacturing fault would create lower than advertised headroom without it being really obvious that something was wrong as the rest of the tent wouldn't pitch right. I would guess that they have just been very optimistic about the head height when writing up the tent specs. If it really is too low for you your best option would be to return it for a refund and look for something else. 

Tents with a gothic arch construction tend to give a bit more head room but aren't made by that many manufacturers. The only ones I can think of is Lightwave or Vango/Force Ten. 

The terra nova tents website illustration indicates the overall height of the compact 2 to be 88cm. Allowing for the gap between inner & outer, 84cm would be about right. 

The all season version is meant to be  bigger than the regular 

Indeed it is sir.... I missed the 'all season' variant. It claims a total height of 98cm. With the pole in an external sleeve & the inner suspended within, real headroom isn't going to be great/anywhere near 95cm. I use an early Laser Comp model which I love for its lightness, but it certainly isn't roomy...... where would I put an extra 8 inches of height if I was 6'4"?? 

It's another example of descriptions not quite matching real world impressions..... after soaking inside 'breathable' clothing, being crammed into a 'spacious 2 man' tent & shivering in a '-5° comfort' sleeping bag with no frost to be seen...... one can become a little cynical/disbelieving of the manufacturers claims.

And we haven't even begun with the advertised 'good first E1's!!

Whilst I'm sorry aron finds his tent doesn't match what was offered/expected, I'm not entirely surprised. 

Many thanks for your replies! It indeed seems like I should return it and look for a different model.

In response to buxtoncoffeelover: I suspect you are looking at the 2023 version. The previous All Season models' measurements are slightly different, and I can only interpret the drawings as  claiming a 95cm headroom. See, for instance, this drawing: https://www.outdooraction.co.nz/cdn/shop/products/f2_5000x.jpg?v=1637013838. 

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll likely go for a refund, and I should really look into the tents you mentioned. In particular some of Lightwave's models look like they could be great options

Fyi it wasn't a recommendation from personal experience. I've never actually used one so can't say if they are any good. I did look at buying one but they seem very difficult to get hold of. 

At 6ft (some 4 or 5 inches shorter than you) I've never found a backpacking tent I can sit up straight in. I've just come to accept I'll have to be hunched over.