Lightweight but sturdy tent for teenager to carry?

[ElviraCondomine]

Last 2 D of E expeditions, DD1 was dry but the tent (borrowed from scouting friend) was so heavy to carry all day.

She's going away again in a couple of weeks. I'm really tempted to get her an ultra light weight pop up tent but they're just not as robust for bad weather and the thought of her damp on a hill for 3 days is too much for me (she is my PFB after all)

Is there a compromise solution? Something that is isn't too heavy/bulky to carry but will be enough protection for a weekend on a hill in Wales in what passes for Summer in these parts?

Sorry for stray 'is'

We got my ds a Vango 2 man tent from Go Outdoors a few years ago.
It's lasted many outings.
Wasn't very expensive iirc.

go to an outdoor store and have a look at the options.
try to carry some and also to put the up/down before buying.

What about this: www.decathlon.co.uk/t-lite-1-hiking-tent-1-man-green-id_8211278.html?

It is pretty titchy but it is light and compact. No reviews unfortunately but Decathlon tents are usually pretty waterproof.

Or, if she wants a bit more space, maybe this? www.outdoorgear.co.uk/Zephyros-2-Wild-Country-Tent-sku51122401.asp?gclid=CLyGzM2-qsYCFUzKtAodTAACJw

Frozen's second link is made by an offshoot of Terra Nova. DH used to have Terra Nova tents - they are the bees knees of backpacker tents.

Don't know anything about Wild Country but TN wouldn't put their name to anything that wasn't good.

stops perusing small tents now.

Also I second looking in Go Outdoors. they have quite a few reasonable looking backpacking tents including a couple by Hi Gear - Soloista - for £29.99 each. They get mixed reviews but the worst ones mainly seem to be down to size where people are a bit too tall for them and the awkwardness of getting in and out. A few reviews rave about them. Much easier to judge though if the tents are actually up in the showroom to look at.

Surely she shouldn't be carrying the tent alone? In my D of E days we'd have maybe 2 or 3 tents per group, with 3 people per tent and the load split between us. So one person would have poles, another the flysheet and another the inner.
Depending on where the expedition is, I wouldn't buy a cheap tent. Assuming she'll be in proper wild country (e.g moorland), an inferior tent is not only going to be a bit uncomfortable if it rains, it could be downright dangerous. Hypothermia is a possibility even in the summer months. I very much doubt a £30 tent from Go Outdoors would cut it.

Look at expedition quality tents from the likes of Vango, Vaude, The North Face. D of E recommend tents with a minimum hydrostatic head of 5000mm (that's how waterproof they are; the higher the number, the better). Go Outdoors sell some Vango tents that are DofE approved - shown by the DofE logo on their website. Prices start at about £110.

Thank you everyone for the advice.
As it transpires, after much negotiation, they are now sharing a tent between 3 rather than two due to a couple of injured friends dropping out, so have arranged to split it between them - still heavier than a lightweight but has decent hydrostatic head in case of sudden turn in the weather. I am now more worried about her facing a heatwave!