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 New Posts  Aqua Pioneer 2019 & Wrap
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KnickerSniffer
Posts: 206
   Old Thread  #5 7 Jun 2020 at 6.58pm  0  Login    Register
I'm a real fan of the new Pioneer. Really quick to put up and break down. There's enough room for two large dogs and all of my tatt. The only thing that it could do with is more headheight on the 100 version. I've been tempted to buy the 150 version that's out now, but for the meantime, I'll crack on with what I've got and give it a big thumbs up.

As for the Tempest. Ha, looks like they made it out of Rizla material. What's that all about? No chance. I'll stick with the Pioneer thanks 👍
Wayne
Posts: 18686
Wayne
   Old Thread  #4 24 May 2020 at 1.43pm  0  Login    Register
In reply to Post #3
I have owed both albeit the original 2004 version released by aqua and the pioneer is a lot more hard work to put up especially with a bit of wind trying to hold the damn thing and attaching the storm poles!
DiesilVan
Posts: 1487
   Old Thread  #3 24 May 2020 at 11.31am  0  Login    Register
In reply to Post #2
Disagree. The Tempest goes up no quicker or easier than the Pioneer, in fact it is actually slower if you assemble it fully as got to assemble the legs before everything else.

The only thing the Tempest has over the Pioneer is a little more headroom.

The comparable Aquatexx Tempest (Advanced 100) costs the same as the Pioneer, so the price is irrelevant.

This is a review (as the Forum section it is in says) & a comparison between the two shelters directly from someone that actually owns both types & has owned the previous incarnations of both shelters also.
Wayne
Posts: 18686
Wayne
   Old Thread  #2 24 May 2020 at 11.10am  0  Login    Register
If you have the money and like the design, buy one!

If you want a newer, easier to erect bivvy with better bivvy design then buy a tempest!
DiesilVan
Posts: 1487
   Old Thread  #1 23 May 2020 at 3.32pm  0  Login    Register
I have owned the previous Trakker Pioneer's (both standard & Ultralight versions along with the Specimen version of the full size) as well as several models of the Tempest shelters to use as comparison.

The 2019 Pioneer I have just bought today & upon first impressions on erecting it outside the front of my house on the green there, these are my findings.

As you would expect from a £700 bivvy, it is solid as a rock when fully erected with the 4 x Quick Sticks. Even in the steady 25MPH wind which gusted to 40MPH+ during the time, it did not move at all. The green Aquatexx material is as you would expect, of the right thickness to make it feel dark inside the bivvy but not so dark as you need a head lamp in the daylight hours.

Erecting the shelter took all of 90 seconds to use the erection poles to join the centre boss together, before swinging the S clip into place locking the two halves together. 4 pegs to keep it from flying away pushed into the hard ground quite easily by foot. Attaching the two shorter Quick Sticks took 30 seconds a side to slide into the sleeve, tension & peg out the material before extending the sticks to fully tension the "wings".

Zipping on the front panel, again took another 30 seconds to do and another 60 seconds or so to attach the 2 longer Quick Sticks in place and pegging then tensioning everything. In all, it took around 4 minutes to erect fully without the SkullCap/Wrap. No slower than my other shelter - Tempest V2 Brolly with one of the front infill panels.

This is where things started to go a little astray. On fitting the Skull Cap/Wrap to the Pioneer, the right hand front pole (as looking at it) would only insert about half way into the hole on the front of the pole. The other 2 poles slid into place no problem at all. I remember having the exact same problem with my V1 Tempest Brolly & Wrap as well as with the V2 Brolly & Wrap, so instead of waiting until Tuesday to call Aqua to be told that I would have to either wait for replacement boss to be sent out, I unscrewed it from the frame and used a needle file to remove anything that was fouling the inside and stopping the pole from pushing all the way in. I was hoping that I wouldn't have needed to do this on a £700 bivvy & £150+ wrap, but if you are thinking of buying one or a Tempest, keep this in mind should you find it difficult to insert the Skull cap/Wrap front poles. On placing the Velcro straps through the fitted "D rings" around the Pioneer specifically for the Wrap, I discovered that no matter how loose/tight/not stuck together I had the Velcro strips, the strips would not line up perfectly with the frame ribs of the Pioneer. Regardless of tensioning, one of the tabs would be approx 15mm out of line with the frame where the rest would be inline perfectly. I went back inside to double check that I had been given the correct wrap for the Pioneer and not been given a Pioneer 150 & a 100 Wrap, but both were for the standard Pioneer shelter. Again nothing that stops it from being used, but again not something I would expect from a £850 combination bivvy!!!

On the rear of the Pioneer itself, there are two mesh vents as well as 3 mesh panels on the infill panel itself - 1 on each wing and the door panel itself which is also supplied with a clear plastic window (something I never use so leave this at home with every shelter to save on weight on the barrow). I would prefer the option of a full zip in Mossi Mesh panel. The Wrap also has vents at the rear to match up with the ones on the bivvy itself although I would keep these closed on the wrap in all but the hottest of days and just have the vents on the Pioneer itself open to allow ventilation.

The Pioneer bivvy itself is (Aqua's stated dimensions & approx weights)

Supplied with:-

Ground sheet
Heavy Duty Carry Bag (Their words as it is far from that!)
Green Twin Shot Moulded T-Pegs (the T sections are not moulded onto the ends so will rotate around the peg making the T section next to useless other than pulling out!)
4 x Quick Sticks (2 x 18" & 2 x 36" with the X thumbscrews instead of the horrid older round "Monkey Metal" type that would cross thread or shear off)
2 x Erection poles
Clear window

Technical Specifications

Material: Aquatexx / Aluminium
Weight: Approx 14.5kg Total
Individually:
Groundsheet 2.7kg - Pegs 1.2kg - Bivvy 6.2kg - Infill Panel 1.8kg - Quick Sticks & Outer Bag 2.6kg - Erection Poles approx 750g each!
Dimensions: Approx 127H x 220D x 260W CM
Transport size: 175L x 30W x 30H CM (if you either have a Sherpa or a machine to package it back into the factory dimensions else your mileage may vary!)

In comparison with the Tempest V2 Brolly with Skull Cap. Groundsheet, infill panel, etc.

Pioneer Bivvy - 6.2KG Tempest Brolly V2 - 5KG
Pioneer G'Sheet - 2.7KG Tempest Brolly V2 G'Sheet - 2KG
Pioneer Infill Panel - 1.8KG Tempest Brolly Infill Panel -1.2KG
Pioneer Wrap - 2.25KG Tempest Brolly V2 Skull Cap - 1KG V2 Wrap - 2KG
Pioneer Pegs (12) - 1.2KG Tempest Brolly V2 Pegs (12) - 1.2KG (add another 1KG for Wrap pegs)
Pioneer 4 x Quicksticks - 2kg Tempest Brolly V2 36" Quicksticks x 2 - 1KG
Total: 16.15KG 11.4 KGwith Skull Cap / 13.4KG with Wrap

When you look at the weights between the two shelters above, the Pioneer weighs in a few KG more than the Tempest V2 Brolly, but what you need to remember is the Pioneer is constructed of the much heavier Aquatexx material compared to the V2 Brolly's nylon (which lets a lot
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