Thread: A Sorry Day in the world of camping

It is indeed a sorry day in camping and touring.

Freedom Tents is closing.

Two canvas companies in Australia produced the ultimate in tents - Southern Cross and Freedom. The competition between these two companies kept each other competitive in regard to price and most importantly, quality. Both companies produce the best. Yes, the best.

In this day of disposable goods and cheaply produced look-alikes Southern Cross and Freedom Tents have maintained a non-comprising standard.

It is this adherance to the highest standards that has seen Freedom shut its doors.

The general population now opt for the cheaper option. The option that is justified by "the after sales warranty is fantastic - they fixed the tent no questions asked". Warranty? Both these companies offer warranty but rarely does a purchaser need to "test' the warranty. Ask an owner.

Ask an owner if he/she would sell their Freedom/Southern Cross tent. Not a hope in hell!!

But the public continue to opt for - "I'm not going to use it in bad weather". And the option justified by price. And the option of a tent that wears out because of knuckle-joints or broken fibre-glass poles.

The quality of Freedom and Southern Cross is not comprised by condensation, water ingress or ripped stitching. The quality is second to none.

Let me say again - condensation! No Freedom or Southern Cross tent would be seen dead with a tent fly because of condensation. It just does not occur in these tents.

We have now lost an icon. Freedom tents. Their tents don't wear out, the owners simply grow old and don't use them anymore. Their tents are not fashionable anymore. The owners of their tents don't worry about fashion as they sit in their tents during a violent storm for they don't have to worry. The tent won't blow down and it won't leak.

As we enter an age where we may no longer have the option of buying a Defender, a true four-wheel-drive, we witness this erosion of quality. Equipment built to do it tough. To last.

The cheapest tent is the tent you need to purchase once.

We have now lost one option.

Lucky for all who recognise quality, Ian Dix of Southern Cross is not the type of bloke who will let his standards stall just because his direct competition has surrendered to the wolves and gnomes of camping.

I am saddened to type this post because it is an end of an era and unfortunately it is a "brick" in the new era. An era which I fear.

I saw the notice on their website last month and wondered what was happening.

I will have to admit that since purchasing mine and paying approx $1000, I have seen many of similar design for about a quarter of the price. They look great and until I did a direct comparison, I wondered at first whether I had been ripped off. I guess it would be difficult to market the more expensive choice to the average consumer.

It'd be sad if in 20 years all you could buy was Coleman.