If you love Terra Nova’s approach but can’t afford its prices, then its sub-brand Wild Country – which offers simple, good value products utilising Terra Nova’s own design and quality standards – is exactly what you’re looking for.
New for 2025, the Wild Country Norte Compact 1 is a great addition to the Wild Country line-up. I tested it as part of a group test of bikepacking tents and, while it’s not a bikepacking-specific tent, per say, it works perfectly well for the activity. This is because the tent’s short pole length and compact storage bag are well-shaped for on-bike stowage.
And the good news is – unlike most bikepacking-specific tents - the Norte Compact 1 is affordable. It costs just £300, which is a massive saving compared to many others.
That’s £260, £150 and £220 cheaper than the MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack One-Person (£560), Sea to Summit Alto TR1 Bikepack (£450) and Nemo Dragonfly Bikepack Osmo (£520) respectively.
Pros
- Bargain price
- Superb hydrostatic head ratings
- Robust materials
- Good wind resistance
Cons
- Heavy and not the most packable
- No bikepacking-specific features
- Not the roomiest
- Internal comfort isn’t the best
| Price: | £300 |
| Internal peak height: | 95cm |
| Internal dimensions (LxW): | 220x110 |
| Weight: | 2,117g / 4lb 10.6oz |
| Packed size: | 38x19cm |
Another boost you get with the Wild Country Norte Compact 1 is its weather protection. As a UK brand tailored towards wet and wild weather, Wild Country has engineered the Norte from thick, sturdy, high-denier materials with excellent hydrostatic head ratings.
The 70-denier groundsheet has a 5,000mm rating and the 68-denier flysheet is 4,000mm – which are much higher and better grades than you see in far pricier tents from American brands like MSR and Big Agnes. The low-profile, tunnel shape delivers enhanced wind resistance as well.
The downsides are obvious, however. For a one-person tent, the Norte Compact 1 is very heavy, clocking in at 2,117g on my scales including the carry bag.
Its packed-away size is a little chunkier than ideal (38x19cm) and you don’t get any bikepacking-specific features.
The tent outer, meanwhile, is potentially prone to sagging in wet conditions, while the internal space is far less roomy than offerings from Sea to Summit, Big Agnes, Nemo and MSR. Headroom isn’t particularly great and the walls aren’t as vertical as you’d wish, so all-round liveability is compromised.
All in all, however, this tent is ideal for budget-conscious bikepackers looking for a bargain. Even though it’s heavy, you get excellent weather protection and a comfy enough shelter – and all at a budget price point.
Bikepacking features and on-bike stowage
The Wild Country Norte Compact 1 is not a bikepacking-specific tent. It's a regular backpacking tent for the hiking market – but it works well enough for bikepacking.
This is because the poles segment down compactly (hence the 'compact' in the name) to a short length of just 33cm, by our measurements. This makes the tent well-suited and shaped for on-bike stowage.
The storage bag doesn't have any straps or attachment point specifically designed for use with a bike frame. You could use the bag’s compression straps for this purpose, but it feels a little bit like a botch-job.
A better approach is, probably, to ditch the storage bag and instead add the short poles, flysheet, inner and pegs to your existing bikepacking bags, such as a frame pack, saddle bag, handlebar bag or cockpit bag. That way you’ll be using bespoke, specialised bikepacking bags, rather than a makeshift one.
There are no other bikepacking-specific features with the Wild Country Norte Compact 1.
Shape, structure, pitching and internal liveability
Wild Country says this tent’s shape and structure take inspiration from the Terra Nova Laser Compact AS.
The shape of the Norte Compact 1 is a tunnel style, with a low-to-the-ground, wind-streamlined profile. This is created via a classic central hoop with small strut poles at both ends.
This is a proven design for good weatherproofing and wind protection, but inevitably creates an aggressively tapered interior with less headroom and a more cramped feel.
All in all, however, the internal space is decent. Headroom is okay, but not great, yet the width is pretty good.
Liveability is far inferior to dome-style, vertically-walled tents like the MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack, but it’s comfy enough for basic camping nonetheless. The porch is quite long and thin, which is a little awkward, yet there’s enough room for shoes, a backpack and some small items of gear.
Pitching the tent is quite simple, with an all-in-one process. You have three poles – a long blue one and two short black strut poles. The blue pole slides into a sleeve and is secured in eyelets, thus forming the central hooped arch for the tent. This is what gives the tent its height.
At each end a small strut pole is attached (the base is secured in an eyelet with an adjustable tension strap, and the tip is secured in a tiny sleeve pocket). The tent is then pegged out and you’re done, because the inner and fly remain attached during the pitching process.
Waterproofing, wind resistance and breathability
For the price, this tent delivers excellent weather protection. Despite being far cheaper than more premium bikepacking-specific tents, the Wild Country Norte Compact 1 has far superior hydrostatic head ratings.
While the MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack Two-Person, Sea to Summit Alto TR2 Bikepack and Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1 Bikepack Solution Dye all have 1,200mm ratings, the Wild Country offers much higher grades – which means it's more durably waterproof and better able to withstand heavy rain.
The 70-denier groundsheet has a 5,000mm rating and the 68-denier flysheet is 4,000mm ratings. These are impressive. The materials feel thick and strong, and all the seams are taped. The groundsheet has a bathtub-style lip of protection as well.
Wind resistance is far better than what you get with high-walled, dome-shaped tents, too. Instead, the Wild Country Norte Compact 1 has a low-to-the-ground profile, over which winds flows easily. This shape sheds wind better and delivers a stable, secure structure.
Breathability is the metric which isn’t quite as strong. It’s decent, but not amazing. You get a big flysheet vent above the door and mesh windows on the inner, which both help to increase airflow and ventilation.
There’s also decent clearance between the inner and flysheet, which encourages air movement and helps to avoid the two touching. All of this minimises the risk of condensation, although in Britain’s wet and humid climate this style of tent can still be prone to it.
Weight and packed size
On my scales, the Wild Country Norte Compact 1 clocks in at 2,117g including the storage bag, which is broken down as follows: flysheet and inner (1,586g), poles (281g), pole bag (13g), 11 pegs (133g), peg bag (10g), two spare guylines (12g) and main carry bag (82g).
As mentioned above, this is heavy for a one-person tent. For weight-conscious bikepackers this will probably be a deal-breaker; for bargain hunters it might not matter at all.
Once packed away the storage bag is sized 38x19cm, which is a little bulkier than some others, but still small enough for on-bike stowage.
The bag has an excellent, top-loading, burrito-style shape that is very easy to pack without the usual perfectionist rolling and “will-it-fit?” faffing around. Two compression straps and a drawstring help close the bag up neatly.
Features and sustainability
The sustainability credentials of this tent are pretty good. The flysheet is solution-dyed and PFC-free, while the groundsheet and inner are also PFC-free. The groundsheet and inner are also 100% recycled.
There are a few other features to note too. The tent comes with 11 alloy V-angle pegs. The inner has three mesh pockets for gear organisation and one hanging loop on the ceiling.
If so desired, the strut poles at each end can be replaced with a collapsed-down trekking pole – a move which will help save some weight.
Verdict
A robust, strong tent with excellent hydrostatic head ratings and a low-profile shape, all at an affordable price – but internal liveability and comfort are compromised.
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About the author
James Forest writes regular features and route guides for Trail and has been one of our main gear testers for the last few years. James is based on the edge of the Lake District so when he isn’t off on his latest crazy adventure or challenge, he’s walking in his local fells.