What is the Telos TR3 Plus?
The Telos is a hugely spacious, comfortable tent suitable for three users and plenty of kit. Despite its large living space, it weighs just 2.2kg and can be stripped back to just over a kilo for fast and light excursions.
What is it made of?
The key to the Telos's lightweight design is its lightweight 15D siliconised ripstop nylon flysheet. This flysheet is fully waterproof, fully seam-taped and will pack down to almost nothing. The groundsheet uses a tougher 30D siliconised ripstop nylon and the inner uses a 20D siliconised ripstop nylon but without all the water repellent coatings.
High-quality DAC Featherlite poles are supplied to keep the weight to an absolute minimum and the tent can even be shared amongst a few users, but more about that later.
How is the tent constructed?
Setting the tent up is incredibly easy and can be done in just a few minutes with a bit of practice. Simply attach the poles to the inner tent, peg out, pop the flysheet over the top and guy-out the vestibules. Thanks to the clever pitching design, you could use the inner on its own on warm, dry nights, or on the other hand you could use the flysheet on its own if you wanted waterproof protection but fewer creature comforts.
Construction-wise, the Telos is a semi-freestanding tent, meaning the main sleeping area of the tent will stand up on its own without the need to tension guylines. The large vestibules will require guying out and can be used to store your kit to avoid bringing mud/debris into the sleeping area.
What are its features?
The top of the tent features what Sea to Summit call an 'Oversized Apex Vent' — this is a large vent that can be opened and closed depending on the conditions. Even if it's absolutely tipping it down, you're still able to have the vent open thanks to its clever design. There's also a vent lower down on the tent to reduce condensation build-up in warmer conditions. While we're on the topic of ventilation, the doors have dual-zippers to allow you to leave the door open a little (or a lot) with the insect-proof mesh still across.
The tent can be distributed amongst a few people with Sea To Summit's FairShare Storage System. The storage sack can be split and given to a few users to reduce the carrying weight to just 1kg(ish) per person.
The tent pole bag can be used as a ceiling-mounted light diffuser in combination with your headtorch. A clever way to utilise something that would otherwise just stay in your tent bag!
The doors and vestibules are both designed with extra height in mind so you've got enough room to enjoy your view after a day of moving. The total height of the tent is just over a metre, so even taller users will be able to cook and get changed (not at the same time) fairly easily.
- Oversized Apex Vent
- FairShare Storage System
- Pole bag doubles as light diffuser
- Can be pitched flysheet only or inner only
- Two large vestibules
- Siliconised flysheet
- High-quality DAC poles
- No-See-Um mesh inner
How to Care for Your Tent
We know that purchasing a tent is a big investment, that’s why we have such a wide range of options to suit different activities, weather conditions and people, allowing you to choose the perfect one for you. Taking care of your brand new tent can be the difference between heading out for an adventure in the mountains, or having to fork out for a hefty repair bill, or even worse, another replacement tent. Below are our best tips to care for your tent.
Footprint
Before even leaving the shop (or online basket) with your tent, consider a footprint. A footprint is a large water-resistant piece of material which sits underneath your tent to protect it from sharp rocks and wet ground; if this footprint gets damaged, it’s easy to replace and doesn’t cost a fortune; if your tent groundsheet gets damaged, you’ll have to spend at least twice the amount for a repair or replacement.
Don’t Abuse the Poles
The chances are your poles are made from individual aluminium sections connected by elastic; when you come to remove the poles from the tent, don’t pull them out. The best way to remove poles from their sleeve is to place the pole end against your hip and pull the fabric towards you. If you simply attempt to pull the pole out, they’ll disconnect inside, the elastic will stretch and then spring back, potentially trapping the fabric of your tent between the pole sections.
You might also be tempted to flick the poles out so that the elastic snaps them into place in a quickfire fashion. However, this is far from ideal, as if the poles don’t align when they meet, you can easily damage or weaken the end of the pole, leading to future failure which is usually on the wettest and windiest nights!
Collapse Poles From the Centre
When your poles are safely removed from the sleeve, collapse them from the centre to avoid stretching the elastic.
Stuff, Don’t Fold
You were probably told when you were in the Scouts or doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award that the best way to pack your tent away is to neatly fold it into a rectangle, the width of your storage bag, roll it around the poles and pegs and then put it all in the stuffsack. However, whilst very neat and tidy, this method of packing can create permanent creases in the fabric, weaken the waterproofing and eventually split the fabric of your tent. The best solution is to simply stuff the tent fabric into the storage bag, just like you would a sleeping bag, and pack the poles separately. Make sure to leave and end or corner at the top, so that you can easily peg it out if your next campsite is windy. The poles normally have their own stuffsack so they can be packed separately, strapped to the outside of your pack or stored inside, allowing the tent fabric to be compressed for efficient packing.
Store it Dry
Let’s assume you’ve been out with your tent and the weather has been a little on the damp side. You’ve packed your tent away when wet and now you’re back home in the warm and dry with a nice of cup of tea reflecting on your latest adventure. But what about your poor soggy tent? The worst thing you can do is to leave it packed away wet, mildew will grow and eventually rot the tent, rendering it useless. As soon as you’ve finished that cup of tea, wipe off any excess dirt and moisture with a towel, then hang the tent somewhere where it can fully air out; a nice warm spare room or a garage is perfect. Alternatively, when it stops raining, pitch the tent outside in the sunshine to dry off. Let it air for at least 24 hours and once you are sure that it is bone dry it can be packed away for storage. Note - don’t tumble dry or hang the tent over a radiator or other direct heat source.
Don’t Store in the Stuffsack
Like your sleeping bag, it’s best not to store your sleeping bag in its stuffsack unless it has to be compressed for an activity. Leave it in a large duffel bag or supermarket ‘bag for life’ in a cool, well ventilated area so it can breathe.
Avoid Tree Sap
If you’ve ever had sap on your hands, you’ll know how horrible and sticky the stuff is; it’s even harder to remove from your tent flysheet. Pitch away from trees if possible.
Don’t Leave in the Sun
The majority of tents we stock are made from nylon. Nylon is incredibly tough, lightweight and easy to care for, however it will naturally degrade if left out in harsh sunlight for extended periods of time. Try to pitch your tent in the shade or strike the tent (pack it away) during the day. Polyester tents don’t suffer from this quite as badly, but it’s still a good habit to get into.
Leave Sharp Objects Outside
Boots, cooking equipment and other sharp/abrasive objects can all be stored in the vestibule, where there is less chance of it ripping a hole in your fly or groundsheet. You may not want to pop your pet in there, but at least carry a small blanket to avoid their claws damaging your groundsheet.