Wholehog, just before Christmas last our daughter, hubby & g/son were planning to get into tenting. The had their eye on a tent round the $600 mark new. It was a generic sort of brand, can't remember what but it wasn't a brand I though would last to well.
I talked them out of that one and we found a S/H Black Wolf Turbo tent (the 3M x 3M one) with a fly proof extension. They are super solid, quick erect and very well made & cost round $900....S/Hand.
Off they headed to Narooma and experienced some of the strongest winds for years, daughter quotes 95KPH but who knows, it was strong w/o doubt.
Their tent remained erected and weather proof. The next morning the skip bin at the C/P was full of smashed poles and ripped tents that could not handle the weather.
To say they were then full of confidence in the tent is an understatement.
The other spin off is that had they gone with a cheapie and it got flattened/smashed then they may well have been put off camping for life.
The Black Wolf tents also come in a lite-weight material model, I would stay with the heavier(dearer) one.
The old saying buy once, cry once is so true.
