About Me

My photo
Now retired but busy still living..

Friday 15 May 2009

Trying to buy a tent.

Over the last year I dug out from my garage a tent that I have had for about eighteen years. The tent in question is a Robert Saunders Galaxy. This is a great tent for static meets or even for cyclepacking. It is a tunnel style unit with a large porch area on both sides, both of which have two entrance zips. The porch areas are large enough to accomodate a bike each side (if you wished to) and the main tent area is what I suppose you would describe as a three man size. I used this tent at Graffham last weekend and I also used it at the recent BPC Dorset Group static meet. I WOULD LIKE TO BUY ANOTHER ONE. The newer ones that I have seen (at last years AGM) are made from lighter materials although the tent design is unchanged. I thought that this would be an ideal tent for my cyclepacking trips as well as my weekends away with my car and sportive bike when I attend sportives.
Robert Saunders still advertise on the back of the BPC magazine (Backpack) and I have been told that although the man himself is getting on a bit in years now (aren't we all) the business still operates in it's own way. Well I have emailed and left messages all to no avail-no reply!! Stourvale Walker gave me the details of a company called ALPENSTOCK who stock Robert Saunders tents and they have been very helpful but they are out of stock of the Galaxy but were able to confirm to me that it does seem to be difficult to make contact with Robert Saunders.
The Galaxy is a great tent at a great price but that is of no account if I cannot get hold of one. The lady I spoke to at Alpenstock -Josie- has been really good answering all my queries even measuring tent panels for me and phoning me back with all the information that I required. It now looks very much as if I will be buying a Hilleberg NALLO 3GT and not a new Galaxy with which to replace my 18 years old one. Yes I know the Nallo is more than twice the price of the Galaxy and it also only has one porch, but then there is nothing to beat good old fashioned customer service and ALPENSTOCK certainly seem to offer that and they do answer my calls and emails.......!! Try them http://www.alpenstock.co.uk/

No comments:

Six weeks off.

 The visit to see the Consultant went quite well really ...   My ' numbers' have started to creep up again so I am going to be given...