I’ve brought one early 22, primarily for use cycle touring, having decided that I was happy to carry a little more weight for a shelter I could hide out in comfortably if the weather came in. Have spent around 8 nights in in so far and concluded that: - Good head clearance. I can comfortably sit up on a thermarest mat and cook. I’m 6ft. - spacious XY dimensions as described. - Easy to pitch. Comfortably under 5 mins in the dark. - Discrete colour. I taped over the reflective 3M strips to aid stealth as I tend to camp in random hedgerows with the bike hidden nearby. I should change the yellow guys as well… - If fly is soaked, you can pack up inside, then pack away the inner and groundsheets separately keeping everything dry. Reverse operation at the end of the day and your bedroom remains cosy. - If you need to pop to A&E you can hide an adult road bike inside if you release the inner clips from the frame and chuck the bike on top of the inner. (Obviously not with a person sleeping inside, it’s not a tardis) - Storage at the back is handy, although if I’m honest I’d prefer another full door. Posting stuff in and out of the hatch thingy gets tedious! - Groundsheet folded up makes a handy sit pad for the rest of the day, or if you want a quick lie down. - or if so inclined you can tie the footprint permanently to the tent for a single pitch approach, but I found this saved no time and obviously less flexible use of the groundsheet through the day. I’m delighted with it. It’s a beast! Thanks for your earlier reviews which I’m pretty sure I watched before buying.

thanks for a comprehensive review

Just bought one... can't wait to use it.. great review.

Great review mate. Thanks 👍

Fantastic review! Thank you very much! Choosing a tent is so hard!

Great review video. I also have this tent and love it 😁👍

Got one and love it superb for the money

Just got the 2 man version, only used it once, in a storm it was solid. I absolutely love it.

Great review and thanks for sharing🙂...

Great thorough review Ben. Big respect as I know you actually use it, so many channels just jumping on the bandwagon. Hardy

Good and detailed review Ben 👍 I bought this tent partly based on seeing you use it and your feedback on it via a private message. I've only slept in it twice so far but I'm very happy with it 👌 Paul Messner showed it recently too and I was shocked to see the trick with the inner mesh door going into the pocket, more shocked really that I'd missed that completely on both times I used it 🤣

Very enjoyable 👍

Great review Ben, been listening to your Podcast too and good like with the walk, mate regards Andy

Thank you for the review

Great review!! Thx

Nice review. Served you well, like all good tents do. They become dependable friends whilst out in the wild. Long may it be your favourite. 😀

Nice review, looks like a great tent 👍

Just got myself one of these to go alongside my Helm 3 so looking forward to using it by myself for a 1 night trip away on my bike. Also just picked up (at the other end of the scale) a Wild Country Homestead 5+2 berth which sounds like a beast of a tent complete with steel poles (that won’t be going on my bike!)

Great review Ben. I love mine used it on sat on the south downs windy rainy was spot on. Your very right about the seasons. I use it from now till spring to warm in the summer. If your ever fancy a camp on the south down give me a shout ! Atb Graham

Brilliant video thank you. I’m convinced and will be ordering the compact 1 asap.👍

Nice review, Ben. It’s hard to find ones like this by someone who has owned and used an item for a few years. I’ve got a tent and yet I still watched this to the end as I love a good gear review 🙂 price fluctuations really shocked me for some items when we came out of lockdown in 2021 some items. Osprey Atmos and Thermarest XTherm went up, if I’m right, £100!

Great review Ben, nice to have a good idea of how it has performed over time x price fluctuations are extreme! 🙈 looks a solid option though x

Great review, cheers mate! Ive been torn between this and the 2 Man version, just cant make up my mind!..lol

A good review Ben, we also have the two person version of this tent and also like it. We tend to only use it as a two or three season on the SWCP and revert to our Wild Country Trisar 2D in colder and stormier weather and seasons. We haven't experienced it being too warm but all of our camping with it has been coastal with good breezes, but agree it does get warm. I was thinking of getting the Nature Hike Cloud Peak for very warm weather (I was initially going to buy this instead of the Helm).

I just ordered mine 🙂

Totally agree 👍

We would love to get the two person version of this tent, it looks really well made. It's a little disappointing that the foot print has to be ordered separately and isn't included, but that seems to be the way of the tent supply industry. Really nice detailed review Ben, we enjoyed that😊👍👌. Hope you are well and have a great week ahead, Shell and Pete

Great review Ben looks like a really good tent especially for the money. It’s the dilemma do I get a fell winter tent or muddle through with what I have. I think this is a good compromise in the south of England

Nice video! Crow✌️

Camped in the Compact 1 high up on Blencathra recently. Really heavy winds and rain, which were not expected but this sturdy little trooper more than lived up to the task. Had a really comfortably if noisy night. Before I forget, what a dream to set up and pack away, have the ground sheet pre-installed for a quicker erection! Fantastic piece of kit

Fantastic review - thank you Ben. It's currently £250 via the link in Sept '23; not sure if prices will come down over the Winter, but that's a heck of an increase. I'll keep an eye out - ATB

I recently bought this tent late Aug for £135 a week later it was £125 today it’s £188.98 so yes the price fluctuates. Only used it once as I was waiting for a footprint which I got yesterday but it’s a really well made tent and I’m looking forward to using it. Thanks for your review Ben 👍🏼

Great review everything explain down to a T. I like that fleece you’re wearing in the video what brand is it? Cheers

It is a good unit mate 100% i opted for the helm 2 though as its only 2cm difference pack size and about 300grams heavier

Great honest review Ben. They can brag on their website as indorced by Londoner outdoors! Do they allow you to leave feedback on their website? Could mention about the door tie points. Looking forward to your next wild camp Ben.

Excellent review 👏 I tried to buy this tent, but it was out of stock everywhere I looked. I've ended up buying a Naturehike cloud peak 2 for £150... not what I really wanted, but I'm going to Galloway very soon and needed a tent... worst thing is my tent arrived 2 days ago and now wild country have the helm 1 in stock with express delivery 😢 will have to wait now.

I have the older version of the Helm 1 with the fuller mesh inner I keep the footprint attached to the tent outer and inner with o-rings So the pitch is very fast And dismantling the tent, it all gets folded into the footprint, to the tent stays dry I used it for a full month in the Lake District in terrible weather Excellent tent

Great review - I've just bought one with the footprint as the retailers were recently replenished. Can't wait to try it out. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙂👍🏼

Great review Ben. Totally agree with you 👍

👍 thx

Thanks for the video, great review. I'm considering getting this tent, it's what I'm looking for. Have you ever use it with strong winds conditions?

I use mine as a winter tent with no probs.

I just ordered it with the footprint :}

Great video ! I'm 6'1. Would I have enough room do you think? Don't want my feet/head forcing the inner to touch the outer

Hi. I bought this tent from TN Oct 2022 for £151 and chose it based upon KZfaq reviews. I replaced a Geertop (Chinese) pyramid 1 man tent which used trekking poles and was happy with it for 5/6 years. Walked the SWCP with it and others. The reason I replaced it was that I felt I needed something more robust in bad weather although it had never let me down. I have just finished Offa’s Dyke with the Compact Helm 1 and along the way had two full nights of strong winds, thunderstorms & torrential rain, the result of a yellow weather warning coming up from the SW. My Geertop would definitely not have survived and me with it, but this tent didn’t flinch and I was very happy with it. As a hiker, my only issue is the weight (2.4kg without the footprint) but what can you expect for £150?

I need a tent for all seasons yet light weight. Heres the kicker, I need one as light weight as possible as well that has a vestibule large enough I can put a buddy heater in. So it is 3 to 4 feet away from the walls. And the canopy can tighten enough to stop cold air from seeping in from the outside at the bottom. Any suggestions?

what a great video:) Where could I get the footprint from? Terra Nova store is out of stock for months now

I got some money for my 50th Birthday yesterday and want to order a new tent, I’m trying to decide between the Hem 2 and the Panacea 2,if I got the Panacea I would need to get some trekking poles to make it stronger in windy conditions, the Panacea is only £10 more than the Helm at the moment,any advice would be great

That's the problem with small tents, they get roasting in the sun. As much as I would like one of these, and it does tick a lot of boxes, I couldn't cope with how hot and stuffy they can get.

Are you filming in Epping Forest? It looks very familiar . I’m going to get one of these Helms. I have a Kelty Late Start but this looks superior.

Great review. My brother very kindly got be 1/2 helm compact 2 for Christmas on Black Friday weekend 30% off. Do you ever leave the footprint attached? I went for the 2 for the extra space and in case I get lucky 😂😂 Only compromise I’ve seen is the weight and maybe the white inner. I can’t justify over £600 for a southern cross.

Really great video. Been considering an Upgrade and I have been looking at the Helm 1 & 2. I have a Banshee 300 ATM and as great as it is for a starter tent, the 2.8kg (plus water weight when wet camping) is too much. Have you tried or looked at the Helm 2 in comparison to the 1?

I would not worry about it being hot in summer. Last smer was very hot for a few days, but UK summets come around in an approximate 30 year cycle, onl ocassipmally broken, as in tje mid 1970s when two consecutive years produced summers which were blazingly hot, and seemed to go on for ever.. Tent looks a good'n tho, and is gaining a good reputation. Im wondering if their Southern Cross is Terra Nova"s "dreadnought" version of this tent?

I am looking for a 4 season budget tent for camping in snowy conditions because I don't want to invest in a Hilleberg etc.! Do you think I should give this a try?

Guessing that you're going to say it's still awesome, but I will watch to the end...

You never considered the two man version to get some additional space? Also that might not get as warm inside when it is hot outside having two doors.

Hi Ben, I'm trying to find out if in the helm series 1,2,3, the inner can be detached from the outer? Cheers for the video

Hi! Which tent would you recommend for spring, summer and autumn?...Similar price if possible? thanks.

Does it need extra legs for the guy lines?

Hello sir i am getting help compact 3 do you recommend to get the footprint or not? With your experience

Just managed to order a helm1 and footprint for £173 do you need extra pegs for the footprint? Thanks

Just use the inner in the hot summer days .

Is this tent freestanding Ben?

Is it made in a BRICS Nation?

Mesh so its 2-3@season tops

Nice* :-)

Gruß Jürgen 🤠

I bought this tent following all the rave reviews. I can't say I'm impressed. It is advertised as "free-standing". However, unless the tent is pegged out the inner is shapeless and caves in on you. A tent that needs to be pegged out is not free-standing in my book! I finally received the footprint from TN - having waited 5 months for it to arrive, and in the meantime damaged the flimsy ground sheet (on leaves from a holly bush - poor pitch choice I know, but still..). There is no way to pitch the footprint and tent together - so extra stakes are needed for pegging out the footprint. The red pole is a total nightmare to put in - so fiddly. There you go, that's why I don't like this tent!

Its £250 now lol

Looks like you get a lot for your money.