G'day Martin,

The Zempire team continue to be on the ground in China each year, working with trusted manufacturing partners and quality-checking every single production run. At the moment that's where manufacturing is done.

My recommendations would be in the same order you have written them, Leish. Zempire Zeus is an affordable and reliable all-rounder to which Black Wolf's lightweight offerings are pretty much on par. The EPE Spartan is also great value but probaby made more to a price point whilst the OZtrail Hiker 2 is really an entry level hike tent. Hope that helps.

I don't have this specific information sorry, Penny, and it's not something the supplier has either. I can make some assumptions though, and I reckon the weight of the tent without the fly would be about half the total. The flysheet being a solid fabric will weight more than the mesh inner, add the poles and pegs to this and you'd be looking at about 1.3-1.4kg. 

G'day Dan,

The Zeus is freestanding, would be great to have a rock or somewhere to anchor off the fly for the vestibules to work, but other than that, no pegs are required to put this one up.

G'day Rod,

Looks like we've got a few Sea to Summit mats there, I'd say in the regular size as that's usually what we have on display:
Comfort Light Insulated
Comfort Plus Insulated

G'day Allan,

Generally tents do not provide insulation, regardless of the inner design.
The only ones that could be considered to have any insulative properties would be canvas, but again, there's no claim to that.
Essentially when it comes to keeping warm the elements to have nailed down are your sleeping mat and sleeping bag.
Aside from that this tent has an excellent water head rating and is suitable for Aussie Winter conditions.

G'day Josh,

Yes, a 3 season tent is suitable for use from Spring through to Autumn.
If you need more info check out our blog, Guide to Understanding Tent Seasons & Ratings

G'day Minako,

The specifications we have listed on our website for the Zempire Zeus are the real-life measurements that we have weighed ourselves here at head office.
There may be very slight discrepancies between weights depending on the scales used and when they were last calibrated.  Ours are accurate to the closest 2 grams.
Hope that helps!

G'day Steve,

Technically the Zeus Tent Mesh isn't classified as sandfly proof. It will do a good job of keeping most things out, but sandflies can sometimes chew through the fine mesh Zempire use in their hike tents. Best bet will be to use the tent in combination with some insect repellant.

G'day Steve,

We're pretty happy with the attachment clips and haven't had any reported issues with this style. If you do have issues due to breakage you can always carry some field repair buckles in case you have any damage, or you can al3ways peg the fly directly into the ground using the webbing strap if needed. The Exped Megamat 10LXW will fit well, and you'll be super toasty in your nice -20'C sleeping bag.

G'day Michael,

The MSR Hook Tent Stakes are generally a popular option for harder ground, they're super dooper lightweight, so if you carry them instead of the supplied pegs you'll keep your weight about the same and won't sneak over 3kg.

G'day Royce,

We're generally able to source spare parts for Zempire tents from their head office in New Zealand, so shouldn't be a problem if you need parts down the track.

Any of these tents will be suitable, Brooke. The Pro Hiker and Black Wolf Mantis will be slightly warmer as they have more solid nylon panels in the inner tent, making them better for winter but warm in summer. The Mantis also has limited headroom.

I like to have ventilation in my tent, so a full mesh inner suits me. I find it easier to manage condensation if the tent does not get too warm, and it is so much more comfortable in the warmer months. For use in the cooler months, I make sure I have adequate sleeping gear and enjoy the crisp air on my face in the morning.

The catalyst is a desirable choice here, it is well priced and weighs less than the Zeus, but both tents will suit your purpose.

G'day Kellie,

To be honest I'm not too sure why there are a few negative reviews about those pegs. I personally have a set of those pegs, and they've been great, it might come down to the ground texture where people are pitching their tents. If you're after some lightweight pegs that might be a little more robust, then we can recommend the Sea to Summit Ground Control Pegs.

The fabric itself is waterproof, Craig, but the seams are not sealed. I'd say that if it is in an exposed spot on a motorbike on a wet ride you'd get a bit of water inside the bag through the seams and the top closure. If you carefully roll your inner inside your fly then the surfaces you sleep on should stay pretty dry, but if you want to be sure you might be best placing it inside an alternative or second dry bag.

G'day Ian,

Yes, the Zeus tent is seam-sealed if you check out Ben's video he goes through the features and even shows the seam tape on the fly.

G'day Tony,

Much like your current tent, the Zempire Zeus Hiking Tent's inner is mostly mesh, which allows it to be so light. This does mean it can get a little chilly if you don't have a super warm bag too. 

G'day Bluey,

I've just grabbed our display model of the Exped Megamat LXW Camp Mat and taken it over to the display Zempire Zeus Hiking Tent. Width wise, you've not got a worry in the world. The length is close but as long as you don't hang over the ends of your mat at all, you won't have any worries in the world. 

Hey Neil, there's no industry standard for minimum weights, and Zempire don't specify anywhere exactly what is included in this weight. As a general rule, the minimum, or sometimes called trail weight includes the tent inner, flysheet, poles and enough stakes to keep the tent in place, which in the case of the Zeus is likely to be just two pegs.

The weight of what ends up in your pack generally lies somewhere between the packed and minimum weights, and is dependant on what weather you are preparing for.

Hope this helps.

G'day Billy,

We don't currently have a Zeus tent on hand to try this one out, but they do taper towards the foot end of the tent, down to 125cm, so even if you're able to force a Megamat into the tent it's not really something we'd recommend as you may end up damaging the tent and/or mattress. It's not that it is impossible, but the size is very close, and therefore not something we'd be comfortable receommending.

Hi Bev, This tent doesn't currently come with a footprint and I'm unaware if they are planning to make one for it in the future. The closest fit for this tent would be the Mont Moondance 2 Footprint being 2.2 x 1.32m. The Zeus floor dimensions are 2.3 x 1.4-1.3m. This is currently the closest fit for the Zues tent. I hope this has helped!

Hi Jeff, the fabrics and features are the same between the Zeus and Atmos, the difference being the actual configuration of the tent. The Zeus has a free-standing wishbone hub frame with two vestibules and entrances, whilst the Atmos is a tunnel tent with two hoop poles and a single vestibule and entrance. The Zeus is a little more live able, whilst the Atmos is a performer in strong winds.

I don’t have any first-hand experience with the three tents you have mentioned Dave, but by looking at them and considering your height I would think seriously about the space offered at the tent ends. The Mountainsmith Morrison and REI Half Dome have quite angled ends, impeding the usable space inside the tent. The Zeus, at 230 cm and with relatively upright tent ends will give you plenty of foot space and 10 – 15 cm grace at each end. The Marmot Tungsten looks to offer better space at each end also. We are suitably impressed with the Zempire range, the Zeus in particular is walking out the door and is really well priced.

Hi David, the Zeus is amazing value, they are new to our range but we have sold plenty and have nothing but good feedback so far. They are made with heavier fabrics than the Elixir which means the trail weights are a little more, you also get more space and a higher waterhead. As you can see in the images the Elixir has a higher percentage of solid fabric making up the inner tent, so it will be a warmer shelter, but the waterhead ratings, although adequate for most Aussie conditions are less than that of the Zeus. I don't have a separate weight for the footprint, but generally they weigh around 200 g. My recommendation is that if weight is a concern and you want more fabric than mesh, then the Elixir is a good choice. If you are camping in areas of consistently heavy rain and can compromise with a little more mesh on the tent inner, and a little more weight then the Zeus will serve you well and save you a few more $$.

As part of Zempire's adventure range, the Zeus is suitable for at least three seasons. The only reason it's not the best option for four seasons is simply due to the lack of snow flaps and a PU coating which makes a tent stronger for snow loading but also adds weight. With a super high waterproof rating for both the tub floor and the fly, you can confidently use this tent in all but the harshest Tasmanian conditions.