A review of the Nortent Vern 1 Tent
When I first saw the Nortent Vern 1 I was immediately intrigued, low and sleek, it just looked different. I’ve long been a fan of tents in which one sleeps side to the door. This design allows a bigger door and a better view of the outdoors beyond the tent. The Vern 1 takes this design a step further by allowing the two doors on either side of the central pole to be opened right out allowing a panoramic perspective of the landscape.
The design is somewhat similar to well established designs such as the Terra Nova Laser or the Hilleberg Enan. A one person tent with a sideways pole across the middle and two short poles at the ends. The obvious difference with the Vern 1 is the ability to add a 4th pole end to end which tensions the fly and adds strength in windy conditions.
Nortent Vern 1
The tent pitches outer first and the inner can stay attached while pitching. The centre pole goes in first and then the two ends are pegged and the end guy lines tensioned, These guy lines extend quite a way out from the tent and can be a bit fiddly until you get used to the system. The optional pole Velcros and clips onto the outside of the flysheet. The ends of this pole attach to clips on the end guy lines.
This video shows the set up and gives a good demonstration how the tent looks when pitched.
Inside there is plenty of floor space. Unusally the length of the tent is very long and easily accommodates my 6,4 frame with plenty of room to spare. There is an offset area in the inner opposite the door that allow some gear storage. The inner hangs quite low and initially this was quite annoying as the fabric would brush against my face. However the advantage of the long inner allowed me to slide down nearer the end giving me a bit more headroom. There are adjustable vents at the two ends and there are plenty of pockets. The inner door has a mesh midge/mosquito net. The inner tent nearest the door can be clipped back to allow more head room when sitting up.
The stand out feature with this tent is the vestibule and the outer doors. There is plenty of room for storing your pack and boots. The vestibule also has enough space to enable safe cooking. The clever design of the doors and vents allow you to fine tune the entrance to provide shelter from wind and rain and still have a view.
Nortent Vern 1
The flysheet fabric is a 20d silnylon, a very strong and lightweight fabric. One disadvantage of silnylon is that it doesn’t allow taped seams so these have to be sealed after purchase. Nortent provide the seam sealant with the tent. The ground sheet is a thicker 40d ripstop nylon. The weight without the extra pole is 1,49 kg. With the extra pole the Vern 1 weighs 1,7 kg. Unless I was going ultra lightweight in very calm conditions I would be tempted to always take the extra pole. It does tension up the outer tent quite nicely and make the tent stronger in any wind.
Conclusion
I really like this tent. It’s a great space to spend the night in. The huge outer door and the various configurations allow for a experience that is much more immersive with the outdoors than with most other tents. The end guy lines are a bit fiddly at first but you get used it fairly quickly. The Vern 1 is light enough for one person to carry for Mountain Leader expeditions, wild camping and back packing.
Another interesting feature of the vern 1 is the ability to pair it with the Nortent Helleren Tarp. This tarp matches the tent and can be pitched over the tent to extend the living space. You can see this demonstrated at the end of the video above.
The UK shop Valley and Peak import some of the Nortent designs https://valleyandpeak.co.uk/collections/nortent
Alex
Beyond the Edge Ltd is based in the Peak District, easily reached by train from London and within easy travelling distance from Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and other Northern towns and cities.
We are one of the UKs most experienced providers of climbing, walking, scrambling, mountaineering and navigation training courses.
Most of our courses are run in the Peak District National Park which has some of the finest rock climbing, bouldering, walking and hiking in the world.
