User Review: GoLite Shangri-La 4+ Shelter

GoLite Shangri-La 4+ Shelter
Above: The current Shangri-La 4+ Shelter, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed July 2, 2009 by John Richardson

Rating:
Design: 4 season
Sleeps: 4
Ease of Setup: v easy
Price Paid: £168

I bought the shangrila4+ because it has a very low weight. The central pole means you can stand up in the tent to change trousers etc.

I have recently tested it in a field full of campers at glasonbury festival in three hours of english down pour. I awoke with a wet patch on two on my sleeping bag which was disappointing. The water was leaking from the seams which run from the centre pole to the corners. As it was still raining I patched the seams with a rubber sealant, it worked and the drips stopped, if you have the same problem dont use rubber solution use sillicone based sealant.

This tent would get a 5 if this hadn't happened. It says in the blurb that the seams are sewn with self sealing threads. This evidently doesn't work, and if I was the manufacturer I would make sure the tent was taped /seam sealed and totally waterproof before it left the factory.

Any way I am going to give it one more chance and remove the rubber solution and re seal all the seams with silicone at the next camp.

On the plus side I was camping with no groundsheet or nest and no water came in it all ran outside. There was some condensation on the inside but just a fine layer and it seemed just run to the outer edges and disappear. The tent fabric itself was very waterresistant and light. I have the green version In strong sunlight the sun turns it into an oven and I was hot even with the vents and the canopy raised to full height to increase ventilation, perhaps the bamboo colour would reflect the suns heat better. I am now considering buying the nest as perhaps the extra black netting will offer more shade though I don't know this for certain yet.

Once I get the seams sorted I believe this could be a keeper, great space height lightweight and versatile very good price.

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