NovaTour Ai Petri 2 v2: Tent Review

Nova Tour Ay Petri 2 v2 Tent Review

The tent is no longer in production.

However, the review will be interesting from the point of view of considering similar and still relevant models Normal Zero 2, Vega 2 Gear, Bask SharFinFlap 2.

I used the Nova Tour Ay Petri 2 v2 tent for 4 years, with a total of more than 200 overnight stays in various conditions from the tundra, the Caucasus at an altitude of 3,500 m, to the beaches of Turkey.

The tent is primarily attractive due to its design with a double overlap of arcs, known as the 'fish' design. It seems to be a wind-resistant design, but in fact, there is a big BUT, which I will discuss later.

Technical specifications

Wind resistance

The frame with a double overlap, combined with a crossbar, creates 4 intersection points, which creates high structural strength. The height of the tent is only 95 cm, which is lower than many аналогов. The windproof skirt, together with the correct installation against the wind, provides good stability. But in practice, too much tension on the arcs due to the double overlap leads to stress on the arcs, which often bend and break. This problem can be solved with high-quality Yanan or DAC arcs, but domestic manufacturers do not indulge in such luxury. It turns out that the tent seems to be wind-resistant, and I have been in winds up to 20 m/s, but problems with the arcs are guaranteed.

Purpose of the Novatur tent

The inner layer is completely made of fabric, 2 doors are duplicated with mesh, and this is an ideal option for an all-season tent. It's not hot in summer, not cold in winter. The crossbar increases only the volume of the vestibules, not the inner one, which reduces the comfort of living inside, and in winter it is only possible to live alone.

I slept in the heat of +25 on the coast of Georgia and the Lycian Trail in Turkey, due to the fact that the skirt rises and the doors are duplicated with mesh, sufficient ventilation is created for comfort.

Unlike the similarly designed MSR Elixir, the vestibule arc in Ay Petri does not stretch the inner tent. Therefore, it will be comfortable inside for a влюблённой couple of small dimensions. I often went solo, this is maximum comfort. All things inside, cooking and entrance in one vestibule, but the second one is inactive, so for singles, the Normal Zero 2 and Vega Equipment models with one entrance are more preferable.

Weight

The weight is standard for a 2-person tent with cheap polyester fabrics and cheap PU impregnation of 7,000 mm flysheet, 10,000 mm.

The advantages of the windproof skirt are wind resistance, does not blow away heat on the pass in the wind, gear in the vestibule is dry, does not blow, rises if necessary.

Arcs pockets

The arcs are stored in long fabric pockets, which gives overall stability to the tent, the load is distributed evenly, and in case of breakdown, which happened more than once, the arc does not tear the flysheet, but remains broken in the closed pocket.

Pegs

The set includes aluminum, round pegs. They work, I went on many hikes with them, but in comparison with two or three-sided pegs, they are terrible. They bend, spin in the ground, and are heavy. I replaced them with lighter and more convenient ones. I additionally tied 2 mm ropes to all fixing points, as in most regions where I went, there are enough stones not to take stakes. These are the Kola Peninsula, the Caucasus, the Lycian Trail, the Zailiyskiy Alatau.

Quality

Excellent for the money, the seams are even, without flaws. When buying, almost everyone has protruding threads, I cut them off and the appearance is good. For 4 years, no complaints have appeared.

Thoughtful details

The pleasure of using comes from the little things. The fact that the tent is stable and does not leak quickly becomes familiar, and it is perceived as должное.

• The luminous zipper pulls manage to collect sunlight, even when setting up camp at sunset. At night, it's easy to find the door zipper and open it for ventilation or go out without a flashlight.
• There is a mesh on the ventilation windows on the outer flysheet. Together with the lowered skirt, it significantly reduces the influx of new mosquitoes and midges into the vestibule. Naturally, snow and sand in strong wind will not blow inside. In bad weather, the window can be closed from the inside, the mesh overlaps elegantly.
• There are many pockets: I arrange all the equipment and small items.
• Inner tent guy lines at the entrance. It would seem a simple thing, but rarely found. I tied ropes to all the guy lines, just hook them to a small stone or peg, and it's more spacious inside. The width here is large, up to 130 cm, but the walls are sloping, so there are corners, I put the gear in them.
• The waterproof bag in the set is very convenient. You can put a wet tent in a backpack without worrying about getting the things wet. The tent packs up compactly and takes up minimal space

Hitchhiking

Having traveled more than 3,000 km by hitchhiking in Russia, Georgia, and Turkey, I can conclude that the tent is not for hitchhiking)))

It's only bad in one way - the bright color attracts a lot of attention. But since hitchhiking in my case is just an authentic way to get to the hiking destination, the tent should perform exactly the hiking tasks, and brightness is one of them.

Disadvantages

I broke the knee of the arc 4 times. The first time I leaned on the backpack from the inside and pressed on the door. Night, it was raining, I decided to wait until morning and replace it with a spare knee. The second time, during assembly, dirt probably got on the joint, and the pressure bowed the knee. And the third one, I don't know how it happened, it just broke))

Unfortunately, as in many domestic tents, there is nameless aluminum 8.5 mm here, so I take a splint and one spare knee with me. You can tighten the elastic band inside the arcs more to better align the knees, otherwise, the gap at the joint can crack.

Recently, rare drops appeared near the crossbar support in the vestibule (after 4 years, about 200 overnight stays). Apparently, under pressure, it seeps through the seams, I treated it with impregnation, and there are no more problems.

I carried out maintenance on the NovaTour Ay Petri and found 40 small holes on the bottom. Mostly 1-2 mm, some are visible only in the light. They didn't interfere with use, it was always dry under the tent in the rain. The bottom inevitably wears out from stones, branches, and earth, which is why thick materials with a high impregnation rate are used for it. I have no complaints about the material, I sealed it with waterproof patches. To extend the service life, I now use a reusable thermal blanket on the footprint principle. I cut the edges to the size of the bottom and lay it under the tent with the foil side facing me. In 30 overnight stays, it didn't break, it protects well, costs only 400 rubles in Decathlon, weighs 150 g, thickness – 38 microns. In an emergency, you can use it for its intended purpose - to keep warm or signal 'SOS' on the sun with the foil side))

What to improve

• Make double runners on the vestibule so that you can open the top slit for ventilation or just look around.
• Add wind guy lines on the vestibule and crossbar. Ay Petri stands confidently, but in the wind, a large section of the vestibule fabric sways, I decided to make it myself, but it turned out badly.
• Replace the arcs with Yanan.

Conclusion

The tent is good for its time, universal, thoughtful, wind-resistant. For the money, it was one of the best options, not taking into account less wind-resistant Naturehike.