Shelter from the storm
Reviewed by NZ Rod&Rifle Editor, Simon Gibson
Stoney Creek produces an extensive range of clothing and accessories for hunters and outdoor users alike but one thing that has always been missing from their line-up is shelters.
Well that is all about to change with the arrival of their tent fly and shelter product range. It is made up of three models of tent fly and a bivvy type shelter with optional floor. The design of these products has been refined during an extensive period of field testing in both South and North Island conditions by some pretty serious hunters. Their feedback has been incorporated into the designs.
When I received Stoney Creek’s Stealth tent fly for evaluation the first thing I looked at were the reinforcement points where the guy ropes are attached. I wasn’t disappointed, plenty of reinforcing there and a substantial webbing loop to hold the tie down ring which the guy rope attaches to.
A great feature is the use of an elastic hoop at these points to hold the coiled up guy rope to help prevent all the cords getting tangled together when the tarp is packed in its cram bag. The guy ropes were a good length at 3.5m and had a reflective strip woven in which really stood out when my headlight shone on them. Reflective guy ropes are a great feature to help avoid tripping in the dark and also to help you find camp in the dark. The stuff bag which comes with the fly is attached to it so you never have to search for it when you pack up camp.
The material used in the fly is high strength Nylon 6 with a Denier rating of 40D. The Denier rating relates to the weight of thread used in the make-up of the fabric. As a comparison a backpack would be about 450-600D. The Stealth fly uses a silicone treatment; the whole fabric is soaked in silicone. It is a permanent application that cannot peel off like polyurethane coatings always do over time. This coating stops the nylon holding water and allows it to dry super-fast. The material has a waterproof rating of 3000mm.
In the field I enjoyed the light weight and compact size of the Stealth fly. At 300 x 280cm it provided plenty of shelter from the elements and pitching it was a breeze. Although the centre guy ropes were 3.5m long it would pay to carry some extra cord to give more flexibility to where you can pitch it.
Well that is all about to change with the arrival of their tent fly and shelter product range. It is made up of three models of tent fly and a bivvy type shelter with optional floor. The design of these products has been refined during an extensive period of field testing in both South and North Island conditions by some pretty serious hunters. Their feedback has been incorporated into the designs.
When I received Stoney Creek’s Stealth tent fly for evaluation the first thing I looked at were the reinforcement points where the guy ropes are attached. I wasn’t disappointed, plenty of reinforcing there and a substantial webbing loop to hold the tie down ring which the guy rope attaches to.
A great feature is the use of an elastic hoop at these points to hold the coiled up guy rope to help prevent all the cords getting tangled together when the tarp is packed in its cram bag. The guy ropes were a good length at 3.5m and had a reflective strip woven in which really stood out when my headlight shone on them. Reflective guy ropes are a great feature to help avoid tripping in the dark and also to help you find camp in the dark. The stuff bag which comes with the fly is attached to it so you never have to search for it when you pack up camp.
The material used in the fly is high strength Nylon 6 with a Denier rating of 40D. The Denier rating relates to the weight of thread used in the make-up of the fabric. As a comparison a backpack would be about 450-600D. The Stealth fly uses a silicone treatment; the whole fabric is soaked in silicone. It is a permanent application that cannot peel off like polyurethane coatings always do over time. This coating stops the nylon holding water and allows it to dry super-fast. The material has a waterproof rating of 3000mm.
In the field I enjoyed the light weight and compact size of the Stealth fly. At 300 x 280cm it provided plenty of shelter from the elements and pitching it was a breeze. Although the centre guy ropes were 3.5m long it would pay to carry some extra cord to give more flexibility to where you can pitch it.
When I received Stoney Creeks Stealth tent fly for evaluation the first thing I looked at were the reinforcement points where the guy ropes are attached. I wasn’t disappointed, plenty of reinforcing there and a substantial webbing loop to hold the tie down ring which the guy rope attaches to.
Specifications:
Material Nylon 6
Weight 485 grams
Size 300 x 280cm
Packed Size 25 x 11cm
RRP $199
www.stoneycreek.co.nz
Material Nylon 6
Weight 485 grams
Size 300 x 280cm
Packed Size 25 x 11cm
RRP $199
www.stoneycreek.co.nz
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