Review: Helm 2 Compact Tent by Wild Country (Terra Nova)

Helm 2 Compact Tent review best wild camping tents

The Helm 2 Compact tent is one of the best value wild camping tents out there and for someone like me who is budget conscious then that is vital

Helm 2 Compact Tent - independent review:

I'm always looking for great value products and the Helm 2 Compact tent by Wild Country certainly fits the bill. I prefer to use 2 person tents for solo wild camping to give more internal space for myself & my kit - and I don't mind the relatively small increase in weight for the space benefit compared to the 1 person tents (The Helm 1 compact is available but I'd recommend the Helm 2 over this).

Below is a summary of the many things I like about the Helm 2 Compact tent:

Helm 2 Compact Tent - Pro's

It's a roomy 2 person tent that is actually fine for 2 people or 1 with plenty of room
The Helm 2 Compact is relatively great value - you can pick one up for about £250-ish (you’ll be able to find cheaper tents but not to this quality, and I always say you might think you are saving money by going for cheap tents in the £100 mark but you will soon realise their limitations and quickly upgrade)
It has a relatively low weight of 2.35kg for a 2 person tent
The Helm 2 Compact has a small packed size of 30 x 21cm - The latest ‘Compact’ version has shorter pole sections so the tent can be packed down into a smaller size - which means it's easy to put inside a backpack (If purchasing make sure you do get the Helm 2 Compact)
There are 2 doors/entrances and 2 decent sized porches for stashing kit (useful for 2 people)
Its easy to put up (inner tent & flysheet pitch together) and only takes 2 mins once you’ve done it once (I love tents like this - especially when putting up tents when its raining - I don't like pitching them separately) It has 2 poles which are clearly colour coded and you won't even need to read the instructions to put it up!
The Helm 2 Compact is a free standing, stable dome design (although requires pegging out to stretch the tent base)
The distinctive pole structure gives plenty of headroom inside the tent and give's it strength in windy weather
It's really good at dealing with harsh windy conditions as well as heavy rain
The Helm 2 Compact is a 3-season tent (fine for spring, summer & autumn use) and will also take a light dusting of snow in the not too harsh UK winter conditions
Length of bedroom 225cm (7ft 4") - width 118cm, height 105cm
Good internal ventilation inside

The Helm 2 Compact by Wild Country is a 3-season, free-stranding dome tent that is reasonably light-weight and great for wild camping.

Helm 2 Compact Tent - Con's

It's not the lightest tent out there for wild camping & backpacking and there are lighter tents available. However I think for the space it gives you and the money saving, the slight extra weight is worth it.
Its not a 4 season tent - so not suitable for harsh winters and alpine conditions - but for me and I guess a lot of wild camping enthusiasts that is not a problem

Helm 2 Compact Tent - Materials:

Flysheet: Stormex P4000 FR
Floor: Aqua Stop P5000
Poles: 8.5mm Superflex Alloy
Pegs: 10 x Alloy 'V' Angle
Guylines: 4 x Reflective
Inner Door: Half Mesh

There is ample space inside the Helm 2 Compact - with 2 doors/entrances and 2 porches, ideal for when 2 people use the tent.

I'm 6ft and the length of the interior of the tent is 225cm (7ft 4") which gives plenty of room for me. The width of 118 cm makes it very roomy for 1 and a decent size for 2. The headroom is 115cm and again that is more than enough to sit up comfortably and get changed inside the tent.

Being a lightweight tent suitable for backpacking and wild camping means you can wake up to views like this :-)

Here are the exact dimensions

Helm 2 Compact tent summary:

If your looking for a good value, roomy, sturdy wild camping tent - then this is the one to get and I've recommended it to quite a few people. You may well think £250 is a bit much, but I'll guarantee that if you go for budget options you'll soon want to upgrade when you experience first-hand their limitations and I know a few who have quickly upgraded and happily settled on this tent. I do think a decent tent that will stand the test of time is a good investment - especially if you think of how many ‘free’ nights away wild-camping you can have in it.

I also think this tent is as good as the likes of the MSR Hubba Hubba which comes in over the £300 mark and weighs around 700g less (I don't like how the MSR Hubba Hubba doesn't pitch in 1 go and only has 1 door and 700g is not much in the relative scheme of things for me). The wild camping connoisseurs will go for the Hillebergs, but I can't justify spending the amount of money and I don't do much winter camping. So for me all things considered the Helm 2 Compact tent is my current tent of choice that I would recommend to those wanting to get into wild camping

I wouldn't recommend any old thing on my blog - but I'm happy to recommend the Helm 2 Compact tent and can't wait for the adventures I'll have in it.

Buy the Helm 2 Compact tent

You can find out more and buy the Helm 2 Compact tent over at www.terra-nova.co.uk

You can get 20% off the price by using this code: HIKING20

Click here to buy the Helm 2 Compact Tent direct from the supplier at the best price over at www.Terra-Nova.co.uk

Use the coupon code: HIKING15 for 15% discount at www.terra-nova.co.uk

Happy camping!

Post by Stuart Hodgson
'The Hiking Photographer'

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