Endurance Refuge Tent

Outstanding kit. The refuge series tent is the perfect DofE shelter. We bought 3 summits too and never use them. The refuge is the bomb. I’ve got great pics from DofE gold last year in Pembroke with a student’s own Marmot £500 tent bending all over the place in 30-40 wind…my access refuge is in a different pic right beside it…like a rock. Great service. Great company.

We have now used your equipment for six expeditions, Two bronze, two silver two gold. I thought you might like some feedback. The endurance refuge tents 300 and 400 have been excellent. On the gold expeditions they stood up well to prolonged heavy rain and did not let water in at all. Despite the ground being boggy, the groundsheet let no water through either. What surprised us most was how well they stood up to winds of about 40 mph. We knew this was coming so ensured they were well pegged out. Only one of the 18 tents needed some small adjustment in the night despite the strength of the winds. These have proved ideal for our D of E group. Cheers, Colin Archer

These tents are great for groups and we have eight tents. They sleep three comfortably and there is room for kit. They can easily be divide between a group and are robust and easy to put up. It is easy to get spares which make them ideal as the design does not change each year.

Three years ago we bought our first set of Access Expedition’s Refuge tents and immediately they were put to good use withstanding a storm on Arran which wiped out nearly all other tents in the campsite. Three years later almost to the day the same tents were out on Arran battling another storm and I received a call from an instructor the following morning. After a tough night in which another DofE group’s tents were battered to destruction necessitating a 2am evacuation, our groups were able to unzip their tents relatively unscathed and set off to complete the final day of their expedition. I originally bought the tents with longevity in mind, having been frustrated by the lack of wet-weather protection afforded by other tents and the need to replace them on an annual basis. The environmental waste of flimsy tents felt like a crime and participants were, at best, not having a good night’s sleep and, at worst, were endangered by having inadequate shelter from the elements. We now have over 100 refuge tents which are all in very regular use and are currently still in good condition. The extra initial cost has been well worth it, for peace of mind when we’re looking at the weather forecast and to help us do our bit for the environment.

The introduction of Endurance range of equipment has made my DofE Equipment choices a whole world easier, and I am now using the Endurance Refuge. Tents that are easy to pitch with same size poles, zips that rarely snag, light robust materials and oversize stuff bags, have all cut down the ‘faff factor’ So that our teams are now pitched minutes after arriving. The tents always attract attention from other groups who ask me ‘they’re nice, who made your tents?’ which I’m always happy to show them the features that make these tents so good.

We have been using the Endurance tents for a season now. Although slightly heavier than some competitors tents, the easy pitching with identical pole, the space and the robustness more than makes up for it. We will definitely be purchasing these tents again in the future. The only criticism we have, as already mentioned is that care must be taken, and two people used to insert the poles into the pole sleeves, as we have had a couple damaged by the end of the pole (one was by a leader who is very particular about kit and taking care, but working on his own).

As a busy Approved Activity Provider turning our tents around most weekends I cannot speak highly enough of the Refuge tents and the service from Access Expeditions. We have been using these tents now for three seasons and the originals purchased in 2015 are still fresh and generally wear free. Strong poles, strong pegs, Great groundsheets, and an easy identification system on the oversize bags I just wish I had bought these tents and that my whole tent inventory consisted of the Endurance range. Spares easy to get and reasonably priced as well Five stars indeed.

We purchased these tents as they were simple to put up and spacious. Our groups have enjoyed using them, they are easy to pitch and look smart (they don’t rely on Bronze groups being masters at pitching a tent!). They have stood up to heavy rain and strong winds. The only criticism we have is care needs to be taken when putting the pole into the end of the pole sleeve as if not supported by a second person the end of the pole can damage the sleeve.

We purchased a number of Refuge tents for our groups to use and I can’t recommend them highly enough! They are easy for the groups to use and are made to the highest quality. I would highly recommend these and will be placing an order for some more before next expedition season!

Easy to put up, can be done by one person, lightweight but spacious. Replacement poles are available at a reasonable price. They look good on a campsite!!

We’ve been using the Endurance Refuge 300 tents for the past two years. We were attracted to the simple design of the three same-length poles and the fact they are free standing so dry easily. The zip is also a bonus feature – participants can only open the zip from the bottom so the door has to be fully open before you can get in. The large bags with simple opening mean the tents are easily put away at the end of the expeditions. The tents fit perfectly into our budget and for the price I’m sure they’re the best tents on offer for groups.

We purchased 4 new refuge tents, 2 x 2 person and 2 x 3 person, with a view to using these as our Gold group tents rather than using our ageing tents used at bronze, silver and gold. We have yet to put them to a severe test but they do what they say. Quick to pitch, no fighting with pole sleeves, east to locate pole fixings, simple door entry, adequate room and storage and quick to decamp. Relatively light, a no nonsense tent that is fit for purpose.

I’m a mountaineering instructor who runs an outdoor activities business. We recently upgraded our fleet of tents to the refuge 300 and 200 and myself and all the instructors who work for us have been really impressed with the design. They are slightly heavier than some competitors tents but they make up for that in build quality, inner space, and simple, group-focussed design combined with robust materials. We paid slightly more for these than a competitors 3 person tent but I can see straight away they will last twice as long. Genuinely very impressed – the occupants of these tents on a recent expedition to Arran thank you – pinned down by storm force winds they we safe and dry inside these – the previous fleet of tents would have been in the Irish Sea! Good service too – Thanks Iain!