G'day Chris,

I would fold and roll whilst on the trail, as it make for easier packing and a neater overall pack size, but for storage stuffing the fly in a larger mesh sack is the best practice for prolonging the life & quality of your tent fly.
The stuff vs roll and fold argument for higher-end tents is due to the kind of ultralight and highly technical materials being used, where the ldurability and life of those tents can be significantly affected by these small differences.  Fortunately, this isn't a factor with the Pro Hiker, and general care practices will allow this tent to last a lifetime.
Hope that helps.

G'day Ryan,

Probably not going to be much help here sorry, Ryan - it's hard to pick between the two!|
They both have pretty great feedback from customers, the Companion being the slightly more popular option.
The Spartan gives you a bit better Waterhead rating and a touch more headroom, but the pole system can be a turn-off for some, but it gives you the advantage of a larger roof space.
The Companion has higher grade materials, and a classic dome-style pole structure.
Both are quite heavy when it comes to hiking, so if that's your primary activity you may want to upgrade down the track to something abit lighter.  They make great bike packing/motorcycle touring tents, or are great for compact car camping.
Hope that helps somewhat!

G'day Simon,

Companion is manufactured overseas, primarily in China.

G'day Nicola,

The Vango Nevis is a popular option for Tassie hikes as it has an almost fully fabric inner, and a great waterhead rating.
It's definitely not a great option for normal mainland hikes, with the exception of very cold winter trips, as the sacrifice is very little ventilation.  The downsides are that there can be more condensation then other tent options because of this, so being aware of that is important, and its also not freestanding - meaning it has to be pegged out to be set up, tent platforms, etc can be challenging.
The only other options in our range lighter than the Pro Hiker in the 2 person size and without being on the $$$ end is the Mantis UL, which will have the same challenges on platforms, or the Grasshopper UL which is freestanding, but has a full mesh inner.  If you have a great sleep system this wont be much of an issue.

G'day Nicola,

This is really up to personal preference and the conditions you're headed into. We've not heard of anyone having trouble with the fly using the method in the video, however, if you'd prefer you can pop a peg through the eyelet, you'll just need to carry more pegs. Using the guy ropes on the fly will help lift it away from the frame and inner in wet weather, and provide stability in variable conditions.

G'day Vanessa,

Sorry for the confusion, the owner manual states 110cm which is the external head height, internally the head height is 100cm. Unfortunately once a video has been made we're not easily able to re-edit it, so apologies that the indication in the video says 115cm. 

G'day Karina,

Sorry to hear you got a bit of a damp floor in heavy rain. The Zempire Zeus Footprint, and MSR Universal 2P Footprint are both good options that will help to add some extra waterhead rating, while protecting your tent floor. Neither option will be an exact fit, but the Zeus will be the closest fit of the options.

G'day Cara,

You could fit two x 10cm thick mattresses in the pro hiker tent, however, you'd be limited by the width of the mattresses. Generallyhike style mattresses will be approximately 65-70cm wide so two should fit, but you won't be able to fit two camp-style 10cm mattresses in the tent.

G'day Gavin,

This tent is held up by the two tent poles crossed over each other and the fly hooks onto the ground tabs. It should work as a freestanding tent but bear in mind it is very light so any wind would easily pick the tent up. 

G'day Andrew,

We're pretty sure this will fit with no worries, but we don't currently have a display model to check it. I've had a chat with Lauren (in the video) and she's very confident it will fit without a problem as they're really low to the ground.

G'day Tania,

The Pro Hiker 2 is a great entry-level hiking tent, we can certainly vouch for it being great value for money, and is packed with great features (fairly high waterproof rating, dual doors, roof vents and pockets). It's on the slightly heavy end for a hiking tent for one person, so you might consider looking at the Zempire Mono or Atom tent, which are also good options but a little smaller and lighter. 

G'day Ellie,

The Pro Hiker 2 Tent doesn't require a footprint but it can be handy to help protect the floor of the tent. There is a Pro Hiker specific footprint, but the Zempire Zeus footprint is the same size as the Pro Hiker.

G'day Nat,

The Companion Pro Hiker 2 Tent comes in a dry bag, so it has tape sealed seams and a roll-top with a side release buckle closure so it should be safe attaching it to the back of your bike or backpack. 

G'day Jess,

Sorry to hear you've got a hole in your tent. It won't be a good idea to stitch a piece on to the outer fly material as this will render the fly not waterproof as the tiny stitch holes might allow water in. We'd generally recommend using the self-adhesive patches on the outside of the fly, but potentially popping one on the opposite side and sandwiching it depending on the size of the hole.

G'day Deepak,

The Pro Hiker 2 Tent will be suitable for use mid-year in the Halls Gap area. The inner is partially mesh so you should be warm enough as long as you're sleeping on an insulated mat, with a nice warm sleeping bag.

G'day Kellie,

The Companion Pro Hiker 2 and EPE Spartan 2 are both great entry level hiking tents that should suit Duke of Ed trips. If you've got $300 in the budget I would also consider the Zempire Aeus Hiking Tent. It will give you a little more sleeping space, and vestibule space, and a higher Waterhead rating. It weighs in a 2.8kg, so marginally heavier than the other two you're considering. Feel free to give us a buzz on 1300 914 007 if you've got any other questions.

G'day Tim,

The floor on the Companion Pro Hiker 2 is 140cm x 215cm, so you're going to want to grab something that's just a bit smaller than these dimensions. You don't want it hanging out the sides or the rain will run in between the footprint and the floor. Comp[anion don't make a specific footprint for the Pro Hiker series but if you're after a cheap and effective option I've used plastic sheeting from a hardware store and just cut it to size. 

G'day Pat,

I've just had a chat with a member of our customer service team, Tim, who is a really keen bicycle tourer. He said that the Companion Pro Hiker 2 Tent would make for an excellent touring tent. His only small reservation was the mesh inner, he said that if it got really cold then you might feel it a little more. He said just to play devil's advocate, he'd recommend another tent too but he acknowledged that this one is a fair bit more pricey. The Marmot Limelight 2P Hiking Tent packs down to a similar size but feels a lot bigger inside. If you lost a day or two to bad weather and spent it inside the tent, he said this one would feel a bit bigger inside. 

G'day Mario,

You put the pegs through the flexible loops on the Companion Pro Hiker 2 Tent.

G'day Bron, 

Unfortunately, we don't have anything in the same price range as the Companion Pro Hiker 2 Tent that is rated at 4 seasons. The closest we can get is the Marmot Fortress 2P Hiking Tent.

G'day Steve,

You should be able to fit a double air mattress into the Companion Pro Hiker 2 depending on the brand you have. There is 140cm W x 215cm L sleeping space so it will fit some double mattresses. Just double check the size of the mattress you're after. Obviously as the sides of the tent taper, the higher the mattress is the more likely it will touch the sides. You would be best off with a self-inflating mattress of no more than 10cm thickness.  

G'day Laura,

No one in our office here has used the Companion Pro Hiker 2 Tent up at the Border Ranges National Park before. I've had a bit of a look at the weather conditions you should expect in May and I'm pretty confident that you'll have no issues at all using the Pro Hiker for your trip!

Get in touch with us Travis, either via 1300 914 007 or service@snowys.com.au. We'll grab some details and follow this up for you.

G'day Lynn,

We can sometimes get spare parts for different tents, including the Companion Pro Hiker 2. The best thing would be to give us a call on 1300 914 007 and our customer service team will be able to help you out. 

G'day John,

You're right, the Companion Pro Hiker 2 is a great tent! The lightest 2 person, 2 vestibule tent we stock is the MSR Carbon Reflex 2 Hiking Tent.

G'day Teleah,

I've just double checked this with our warranties manager and purchasing office and can confirm that you can get replacement poles for the Companion Pro Hiker 2 Tent. 

G'day Sue,

Unfortunately, the Companion Pro Hiker 2 Tent doesn't use 'No See Um' Mesh. However, it is quite a fine mesh and combined with the fly, would protect you against most little critters.

G'day Sue,

Thanks for pointing that listing out on the box - we'll look to update our website listings accordingly. That's a positive sign though if it's listed on the box.

Unfortunately, there are no criteria for what No See Um mesh actually is, in the sense that each manufacturer can claim it, but they may also be completely different to each other. So while we hope there is a base standard as such to keep most little critters at bay, it can also vary a little between brands.

G'day Anne, 

The Companion Pro Hiker 2 Tent is considered an entry level tent, so while it is great value and gets good feedback it’s better suited to shorter trips so for that reason we wouldn’t recommend it for the Bibbulman.

A step up in quality would be the Zempire Zeus Hiking Tent, so this one has slightly better materials and construction though it isn’t lighter.

A lighter 2-person option is the Black Wolf Mantis UL II which weighs 1.8kg. There is also the option of 2 people carrying half the tent each which will make it a little easier.

If you have the budget for it - go as lightweight as possible with your tent. Ultra-lightweight tents like those from MSR can be really pricey, but they are a good investment for such a long trek where you're carrying a lot of weight. 

G'day Phil, 

The Pro Hiker is one of the easiest to pitch hiking tents that we have in our range. If you're a beginner it might take you 10-15mins, but with practise, you could get that down to 5-10. You can view the instructions here, which will give you a more step by step of how this tent comes together. 

G'day Phil,

I'm not sure why Emily's link didn't work but hopefully this does! Click here and it should download directly from the Companion website. 

G’day Walter,

There isn’t a perfectly sized groundsheet or footprint for the Pro Hiker 2. Something like a mesh tarp will let moisture through, while still offering some protection from the abrasive ground.

If you want a close fit, the Oztrail ultramesh in the 2.44 x 2.44 size looks to be the closest in size from what we have available in our range. These mesh tarps aren’t lightweight, so that’s something to keep in mind as that size weighs 1.3 kg. 

Also, the fly of the Companion Pro Hiker 2 isn’t available to purchase as a separate item. 

G'day Henry,

The Companion Pro Hiker 2 comes with alloy pegs. Upgrading to stakes may not improve the weight a great deal, but would definitely increase the strength and pack-down size.

G'day Lou,

Wow the Overland track! That trail will give a tent a good testing!  The Pro hiker is a simple entry level tent and whilst it does have good specs, the design and materials aren't generally what we'd recommend for such harsh conditions.

With hiking tents, you really get what you pay for.  The design and construction play a big role in how the tent handles harsh wind and rain which are common occurrences in that area. Probably the safest bet is the amazing waterproofing of the Zempire Zeus tent, however, this means that the materials are slightly heavier so you would be carrying 100g more. The Explore Planet Earth Spartan offers the next best proofing with 200g less weight. However, if you are weight conscious doing the hike unassisted, I'd recommend looking at some other options, like the MSR Hubba Hubba.

Given this choice, I guess you need to consider how often you plan to use your tent, in what conditions and how heavy you can accommodate in your pack.  There's always a trade off, so doing your homework to ensure it meets your specifications can't be stressed enough, especially when setting out on tracks that can be so challenging.

Feel free to give us a call if you'd like some further tent coaching. We wish you all the best on your hike!

G'day J, 

I'm so sorry but I think the answer that was posted to you the other day may have been deleted so sorry if this is a double up. 

The Pro Hiker 2 isn't primarily an alpine tent, so you wouldn't want to use it in heavy snow. It will offer 3000mm of water protection, and the frame is going to be quite sturdy. However, it isn't the lightest in the range, and if it is definitely going to snow then you might want to consider choosing a tent that is built for colder climates. 

You might want to look at the Isopod from Black Wolf - it's not that much of a step up in price, and it's rated for 3-4 seasons, so the structure will be more suited to some snowfall, and it's going to be a bit warmer. I hope this helps, but if you have any other questions feel free to give us a call and we'll be happy to help! 

G'day Jonathan,

Great question. It is best to put the seam sealer on while the tent is brand new and clean, thus allowing it to bond well to the fabric and stitching. This is a great product that will really help increase the waterproofing of your tent.

If you have the time, you can put it on all of the seams on the tent, but if not concentrate mainly on the areas where the seams are under any sort of stresses, like where it may be pegged down or pushed against by poles etc.

G'day Tony, 

Just to clarify - the fly on the Pro Hiker 2 has heat taped seams, and has a waterhead rating of 3000mm. The sealant that comes with this tent is just for repair, so you won't need to apply it to the tent before you use it. 

G'day Shawn, 

The Companion Pro Hiker 2 Tent is freestanding, and so is the inner - but not the fly on its own. 

G'day Andrew,

A footprint or 'groundsheet' is something you put under the tent floor to add protection against rocks, sticks, and moisture. Some tents have specially designed footprints that are made to the size of the tent so the poles clip into the corners (see products: #43289 and #33861).

The Pro Hiker 2 doesn't have its own footprint but you can use all sorts of things - a lightweight tarp, picnic blanket, even your emergency blanket. How lightweight you want to go will determine what footprint you use. Hope that helps. Cheers, Paul