3 reviews for Helm Compact 3
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Nigel Vardy
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September 26, 2024
A lightweight and extremely robust tent which has two huge porches. I was recently sea kayaking and found the porches extremely useful when storing wet kit, whilst keeping the inside dry. It’s a very easy tent to pitch, with three poles all the same length, can be used free standing and was the envy of everyone other paddler. It would also be ideal for bike packing, mountaineering and wild camping.
Richard Mansfield
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April 6, 2024
Purchased after much research and I have not been disappointed. Very easy to pitch and quick to pack away. I have used it in all four seasons in the UK, including high winds, driving rain and well below zero and it has held up flawlessly. I am 5ft 9" and can sit up in the middle, can easily get changed and store my kit - the storage area accessed by the small zipped door is brilliant!
I would highly recommend this tent.
Mike Bayless
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February 23, 2025
Used the tent for 6 mountain camps and have not had a single issue.
Absolutely love this tent, it's quick and easy to pitch, so much space for one, has withstood some serious uk winter weather with gusty 40mph winds and torrential rain.
Packs up reasonably small, even with the ground sheet.
All the original moans have been sorted, which means terra nova listen to their customers.
Really good bang for the buck.
Paul Reiffer
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September 6, 2024
Can't fault this tent - lasted perfectly in 50+ mph winds and 12-14" of rain in 24 hours in the Icelandic Highlands. While other tents were flapping and struggling, this stayed as solid as a rock and comfortable inside.
Paul Reiffer
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September 6, 2024
Can’t fault this tent – lasted perfectly in 50+ mph winds and 12-14″ of rain in 24 hours in the Icelandic Highlands. While other tents were flapping and struggling, this stayed as solid as a rock and comfortable inside.
Michal
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September 12, 2023
The tent is not only small and super light, but you can pitch it in around 5-6 minutes. It’s also simple to fold back as well. Nice front porch and loads of room for one person. Perfect for wild camping and backpacking. Highly recommend.
Jack
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August 27, 2024
I have owned this tent for over a year and is my go to for multi-day hikes. It's easy to setup and packdown; the inner and outer can be setup at the same time to prevent the inner getting wet; and, it's durable and feels sturdy in windy conditions. My only jipe is that the regulators on the flysheet come loose pretty quickly. I don't know if I have misinterpreted the way they should be used, but I have resorted to a temporary fix as I can't get them to hold and will likely replace them with third party ones that have a better friction grip.
Paul
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November 28, 2024
I have used this tent about 6 times this year. The latest being 3 nights in the lake district during storm Bret . The tent endured freezing temperatures, snow ,rain and 60mph winds without any problems at all . It is a great tent for just myself with bags of room, great ventilation and very sturdy.
Barnsley block outdoors
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January 27, 2024
It was love at first pitch. So fast and easy to pitch with its single pole design. Ones you add the trekking poles it becomes a tank of a tent. There is plenty of space inside and the two vestibules gives you so much flexibility. I have used it several times now out in the Peak District it all sorts of conditions and it’s taken it all in its stride. Can’t wait to get out in it again.
J
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March 17, 2025
Used this tent for the first time over two nights during freezing temperatures. A good tent with a couple of issues. Firstly the doors system for holding them open involves a clip on the inner part of the tent which when the doors are wet is a bit of an issue socking the inside of the tent. I solved this ridiculous issue with a bulldog clip, tents costing £20 don't have this issue! The second is the absolutely wasted area between the outer and inner parts of the tent which is huge causing the inner to be tiny and definitely not a 2man tent unlike the picture above, you can't lay two tapered roll mats down so it's definitely a one man making the second door irrelevant. Oh I would add that it has the smallest bathtub on the inner making the footprint a must along with it seems definitely handicapping this tent towards the terra nova ones..... shame really 😕
Owen Higgins
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March 13, 2024
I've had this tent for just over 2 years, possible three. and use it every time i go camping.
It packs away small, is 2.3 kgs and i love it.
Cooking in the porch is the best feature.
Tom
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March 24, 2025
Brilliant product. I cannot understand why these aren’t used more by winter climbers and mountaineers.
I’ve had them years and they are an essential part of my winter layering system. I would not be without them during a winter accent. When my current pair finally give up, I’ll buy the same again.
Abbie W
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February 8, 2024
As someone who is regularly cold and has to wear several pairs of socks, I can honestly say these are the warmest socks I've ever owned! No need to layer up as they're super warm on their own and so soft and cosy on the skin! 
Three months ago we purchased the helm compact 3 While we initially chose this model because it was marketed as robust, waterproof, freestanding and well-ventilated—qualities essential for our needs. we have encountered several significant issues that have made the tent unsuitable for its purpose. First the lack of adequate ventilation: The poor ventilation has resulted in severe condensation inside the tent every night. Despite trying every possible solution—such as adjusting the setup, optimizing airflow, and using the ventilation openings—the problem persists. The condensation is so excessive that our sleeping bags and other gear become soaked nightly, leading to discomfort and potential damage to our materials due to prolonged exposure to moisture. As travelers relying on durable and functional equipment for long-term use, this situation is deeply disappointing. We did not prioritize the tent’s compact or lightweight features but specifically chose it for its promised durability and ventilation, which it has failed to deliver. Secondly the tent is not freestanding: The tent is sold as a freestanding tent. But it is not freestanding at all. If you can’t pitch the tent you can’t sleep in it. We’re really disappointed and angry of the false information provided about the tent by the brand. We don’t understand how such a brand is able to lie ,to their customers about such an important factor!!! I would not advise this tent!!
Nice strong solid tent that lasted my girlfriend and I well during a year long cycle tour from the USA to Colombia. It is fine for UK climate in the great outdoors where you can peg it out. When touring we found it is absolutely not free-standing and I feel pretty mislead by the description. If you don’t peg out the corners then you can’t really sleep inside, so it does stand up but is not useful until pegged out as the inner is loose all around you. You will be getting wet if you don’t peg it. When pitching on concrete where you can’t you need to tie out the corners some other way, we used our bikes and panniers sometimes. It’s very warm and waterproof and it held up well in some big storms. In the heat and humidity of Central America it was just too hot, and because you can’t pitch it with the inner only it meant we couldn’t use the tent at all for 4 months as it was too hot to sleep inside. We bought the footprint which has lots of holes now and has protected the main tent floor well from thorns and spikes in the desert. Strangely the footprint is a slightly different shape to the tent so the pegging out points don’t quite line up. This means if you don’t get it perfect, rain will run off the outer, land directly on the footprint and then pool between the tent floor and the footprint so that was another frustration having paid extra for it. All in all it did the job for us as we had no other choice having blown our budget on this. It’s much too late to return, but I wouldn’t recommend this tent for a similar trip. If you are staying in the Uk, and will always camp on grass then it is ideal. We will keep it for car camping and I’m sure it will last us a few more years.
Excellent tent for 2 people. The 2 person version (Helm Compact 2) is a bit snug for two people but this is a good size for two with gear. Easy to pitch, well constructed and sturdy once up. Points for improvement - (1) If you could lighten the weight it would be great. (2) Have a option of being able to upgrade the poles to 9 or 9.5mm as an purchasing choice.