Guilty!! Vaude Power Lizard UL

I’ve been patiently sitting on the sidelines watching the developments on the 1+ man tent front, the thought of lugging my trusty old TNF Tadpole (2.3kg) through another year weighing on my mind.  Last autumn I was set to jump on the Laser Comp bandwagon, complete with Robin’s mod’s, but with winter approaching I held off and found a host of young pretenders gaining airtime. New(ish) boys on the block included the Scarp 1 with its latest iteration of longer flysheet.  Henry over at Tarptents has a loyal and growing following, the tent gets grand reviews and the option of the extra cross-over poles offer more security for 4-season outings, though at around 1.5kg its not the lightest.. I’ve watched and listened as others have received their new Scarp – Robin is already fettling with his – when along comes the Vaude Power Lizard UL, replete with ridiculous name….guess its better than Scutum!

Looks like a Laser Comp without the fiddly pole cover, and bit of extra room (for 2 if you’re very good friends). The good bits…

  • Lightweight at 1 Kg
  • Small packed size (35cm x 10cm)
  • Power frame should aid stability
  • More space than Laser Comp
  • No fiddly pole cover
  • Space for two (at a push!)

The main con at the moment is that it’s unproven in the field (though Vaude do have a good reputation)….. and that RRP of £350(!!)….oh, and a 2-way zip would have been handy.  There was a quick review in last months Trail magazine, an interesting thread over at Outdoors Magic with the usual pro’s and con’s and some more  feedback from Bob over at backpackinglight who has used it overnight in the wild.

A quick Google (can I use it as a verb?) showed that you could find it for £300 (still expensive) though all were awaiting stock.  Just as I was about to close the search window I saw Amazon’s name on the screen..  Strange, I didn’t expect them to be stocking this type of gear but a quick click showed them selling  it at £256.  It was out of stock but you could place an order at that price….and with another click on impulse…..I did…..with a slight guilty feeling….which somewhat lessened when a few days later Amazon increased the price back to £300 and I still have the safety net of Amazons no-hassle returns policy.  I also feel a wee guilty for not ordering from Bob at backbackinglight but I promise to atone by spending the money I saved, and more, with him over the coming months.

So have I bagged a bargain or a turkey?  Time will tell – there’s no right or wrong answer – if it works for me and I nabbed it cheap then great. The basics are there and I’ll find its limitations (or mine) with experience, just as others did with the Laser Comp and who will no doubt with the Scarp.  Some lived with the Laser, some changed it, some have moved on.  We’re each at on our own personal learning curve and thats no bad thing.

9 Replies to “Guilty!! Vaude Power Lizard UL”

  1. Cheers Martin. Mountain time will tell whether it'll work for me. Interesting how things evolve – not just technology (lighter/stronger) but peoples own needs change/evolve through experience. Weight is but a number but function you appreciate from experience.

  2. If I had to choose between the Comp and the Power Lizard afresh, I suspect I would go with the PL as you get a lot more room and a better pole system. I suspect it will be as flappy in a strong wind though (you might want to try two end guys to stabilise the end pole). For me, the Scarp just seems a lot more stable and has the flexibility of being a true mountain tent. As I already have a Comp, an upgrade to a PL wouldn't make a huge difference, whereas the Scarp is a very different tent. To my mind, it's more of a development of the Akto. I'm very tempted to get a Duomid at some stage, as it's a lot lighter than the PL, although it's avery different tent. Have fun with the PL, I'm sure you will be pleased with it.

  3. Thanks Robin, for me the PL is an extension of the Comp which was the original plan. I'll definitely look again at your Laser mods to see if they can be adapted PL, since some of them address limitations of the single-hoop design. I was sorely tempted by the Scarp but maybe I need to go through that learning curve and see whether I need to 'upgrade' in the future. For now I'll enjoy the weight saving and smaller pack size. I'll let you know how I get on…when it arrives!

  4. The Power Lizard does look attractive in some ways, but like many others I already have a LaserComp and the PL offers no advantage worth that amount of money (or any significant amount of money really).
    I'd still like to see one in the flesh though to judge the true available space. From the description I suspect that it's neither here nor there:- too big for one but not really big enough for two. There is just a slight chance that it might be big enough for two and give us an incredibly light tent for joint trips.

  5. Hi Geoff, I agree with your comments, especially if I already had a Laser Comp I would see little merit in the VPL. However, I had been looking to get an LC but now have more choice. I like the idea of a bit of extra space and the potential for squeezing in two as well as no pole-hood to faff with, so the VPL is a viable (though expensive) option, as is the Scarp1. I would like to see one in the flesh though.

  6. For my stiff and ageing back ease of entry and interior height are vitally important. How does the Power Lizard compare to other offerings inthis respect?

  7. Hi Willem, I'd imagine the VPL should be similar its peers. Its height at 95cm is on par though there is more interior room (length and width) than the Laser Comp, which might aid entry/exit contortions! Bob over at backpackinglight.co.uk is 6'2" and was happy with the space.

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