u/intensejohn

I’m currently eyeing up the new southern cross 2 and the new 3S Vern 2.

Both tents are coming in at similar prices and weight’s.
(£700 ish at a light set up of around 2.5kg).

In my opinion both tents look absolutely stunning!

I’m after a two-person tent that can accommodate two wide mats (so needs to be 130cm wide). I want a tent that can push into four-season camping. I understand that both these tents are fairly new, so not sure how much experience anyone has with them, but they both have older versions that I’m sure a few of you have been out and about in.

My likes and dislikes:

Southern Cross 2:
I prefer an inner that isn’t yellow; yellow is the ultimate bug magnet, so I like the white/grey inner.
The bathtub floor is extremely robust, so I won’t have to worry about a footprint even in the worst flooded bogs.
Lots of ventilation options accommodating multiple weather situations. Can partially open the inner for ventilation or fully lock it up for warmth or any combination.

Dislikes, sounds petty but the non-symmetrical design, having a smaller vestibule on one side and one door on one side as opposed to two on both sides.
Interconnected pole design, I’ve never had a failure on interconnected poles, but it always worries me, and generally, I prefer separate poles; this also makes upgrades or replacements easier.

Vern 2:
Pretty much the reverse of what I’ve said about the Southern Cross; all the things I dislike about the Southern Cross are solved here, but all the things I like aren’t present.
I wish they would have kept the design of the 4s version for the inner, in particular, the ability to close the head and toe inside vents. My worry is the winds in Scotland where I live are very cold for about half the year; even on a warm autumn/spring day, you can have freezing cold winds, and this will just constantly flow across my face when I’m sleeping. You could probably add a Velcro cover but I would rather not have to mod a tent.

Any thoughts to share? Any suggestions?
Thank you, happy camping!

This concludes my Saga journey. I’ve decided to return the tent because the poles are bent after minimal use. I know this is normal after a few uses and common with bad a pitch but in my personal opinion they are to weak for solid 4 season use and over kill for a light 2-3 season tent.

While I’ve used many tents over the years, I’m relatively new to wild camping.

Final thoughts on the TFS saga: it’s an excellent all-season tent, highly customisable from weight to setup and capable of handling a wide range of conditions, more than most at its price point. It’s a jack of all trades but a master of none. Personally I feel 10.25mm feather-light DACs felt like a mistake.
They could have gone lighter, they could have gone heavier.
I personally feel the feather light DAC poles and tent design makes it neither a 4 season tent nor a light summer tent but maybe that was the intention.

I think it’s been over-engineered and under-tested. It’s not a bad tent at all.

For around £400, this is a very solid tent suitable for UK conditions. It can be fully opened in warmer weather by converting the solid sections to mesh and fully closed in colder conditions. Trekking poles like the X-Dome can also be used to strengthen it against bad winds or snow though it’s far sturdier than the X-Dome.

Unlike many other tents, it offers plenty of room for taller people.

The tension strap system is somewhat pointless but it’s an option. Alternatively, if you don’t want to seam-seal it or do it yourself, the optional top flap cap is included for free and will keep it water tight.

Considering the price, it’s a decent tent. I really want one tent to rule them all and easily change my tent season rating on the fly but personally, I’m still searching.

In conclusion, this is a good autumn/spring tent. It’s also an acceptable summer/winter tent. It has a low weight of 2.4kg and a heavyweight of 3+kg without needing any modifications. (Change pegs, leave ground sheet out so on).

The customer service for the “Chinese” tent is excellent. It’s really responsive and helpful. I’ve had issues or questions with 3FUL and Naturehike before and their responses have been completely absent. While the tents are good and cheap, I find I get more help asking someone here for advice than I do from the manufacturers, owners or sellers. TFS have been very helpful with assistance including returning the tent after use.

Anyway, hope this is useful for anyone looking into this tent, happy camping everyone!

After a few days of seam sealing my tent (TFS Saga), I’m finally happy with it. I started with minimal inside seam sealing, tested them and it let water through. Then I went more aggressive inside but still let water in. Finally, I applied seam sealant everywhere and it worked – it’s finally watertight! I was trying to preserve the ascetics but eventually bowed down to the tent gods and accepted it’s a tent, tents get messy.
Didn’t have enough time for my planned trip to the hills so I stayed locally, this is me tonight.

Not hungry, but I have a pack of paprika Cheetos and a two-year-old expired meal.

Apparently, this is a nude beach; maybe I should go for a swim???? Happy camping, guys.

Just received my TFS saga and pitched it to seam seal, I’m hoping I only need to seal the inside but will give it a good test later with the hose once fully dry.
Fingers crossed I can get out this weekend!
Let the Saga begin!

Hi all, hope all is well and everyone is neatly snuggled at home or in a tent.

New account from me. I have previously been a member here for the last year but decided to make a new “tenting” only account.

Old man (42) living in Scotland, I head out every week or every other week. Love this sub, love the people, love the camping.

I’m sure some of you will recognise my gear or picks. As always, happy camping!