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December 2019 Issue
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Kiwi Camping Weka 3

Kiwi Camping Weka 3 $349
Used by:
George Driver
Used for: Two years

I was looking for a tent that would be light enough to take tramping, but large enough to be comfortable on an extended summer camping trip. I had already bought a lightweight tramping tent with a claustrophobic 65cm ceiling height and wanted something with more headroom and space for rainy days. The Weka 3 ticked all the boxes and came at an affordable price.

With a floor area of 3.8m2, it comfortably sleeps two people and feels relatively roomy with a 115cm pitch height – I’ve spent many hours waiting out storms inside and never felt claustrophobic. It also features two vestibules with zip doors, either side of which can let a breeze through and means I don’t wake up my partner if I have to get up during the night.

The vestibules – a combined 3m2 – are also useful for keeping equipment dry outside and give the tent a low-profile appearance, which helps deflect wind compared with a standard dome tent.

It’s easy to pitch with fly clips and magnetised tent poles.

At 2900g it’s certainly no lightweight – MSR’s Hubba Hubba NX two-person tent is more than a kilo lighter – but the Weka 3 is also nearly a third of the price. I’d take the MSR on a solo tramp, but if the Weka is split between two people, it’s not too much of a burden.

Verdict: A comfortable and well-designed tent for the budget-conscious tramper.