Wild campingRobensTent

Robens Chaser 1 review: lightweight, tough, and built for British weather

Weighing just 1.25 kg and wind-tested to 192 km/h, the Robens Chaser 1 is a brilliantly engineered solo shelter that handles wild British conditions with ease — and barely notices when you stuff it in your pack.

✓  Top PickRobens Chaser 1RRP£334.99Weight1.25 kgSeasons3-seasonThe good ✓  Outstanding in wind and rain
✓  Fast and intuitive to pitch
✓  Ultralight at 1.25 kg
✓  Tiny pack size
✓  Multiple pitching options The not-so-good ✗  Mesh inner — 3-season only
✗  Needs firm ground for pegs Check price at Outdoor Action →

At a glance

Buy the Robens Chaser 1 at Outdoor Action →

Overview

The Robens Chaser 1 is a lightweight one-person tunnel tent from the same stable that produced the Starlight 1 and the Elk River 1 — both well-regarded shelters in the GBAC kit cupboard. Designed to be lightweight and easy to carry but sturdy enough to handle truly savage British wind, the Chaser 1 is a shelter that delivers far more than its compact dimensions suggest.

Weighing just 1.25 kg, it sits firmly in the ultralight category for a tent that offers this level of protection. Robens themselves wind-test the Chaser 1 in gusts of up to 200 km/h, with first signs of failure at an average of 192 km/h. For context: the average wind speed on top of Cairn Gorm, the windiest summit in the UK, is 53 km/h. This tent can make easy work of conditions most shelters at this weight simply couldn't survive.

At £334.99 from Outdoor Action, it's a premium price point — but it earns it. For three-season solo adventures where weight is at a premium, whether hiking, bikepacking or fastpacking, the Chaser 1 is one of the best lightweight camping tents for the UK on the market.

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How we tested

We put the Robens Chaser 1 through its paces over several months of serious British adventuring. We took it on multi-day hikes across Dartmoor National Park, covering big miles over multiple days, and wild camped in the eastern fringes of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park after climbing several summits. We even took it on a multi-day fastpacking trip and compared it directly against a lightweight bivvy bag — a shelter generally considered more appropriate for that kind of activity.

Each time, it performed beyond expectations. It continually impressed us with its ability to withstand truly atrocious British weather, all while being so small and light that we barely noticed it in the pack — even after running over 40 km with it on board.

Tested across Dartmoor and Bannau Brycheiniog in conditions that sort good tents from great ones.

Features and performance

Build quality and weather resistance

The Chaser 1's build quality is immediately apparent. The materials feel robust and well-considered for the weight, and the tensioners throughout are high quality and easy to use even with cold hands. You can lash the guy lines around the poles — a standard Robens design feature — to create a genuinely bombproof structure in the windiest conditions.

Ventilation is managed via ports at both the head and foot of the tent, controlled by a simple latch-and-loop system that works well in the dark or in poor conditions. The full mesh inner keeps weight and pack size impressively low, though it does mean the Chaser 1 loses heat more readily than a solid inner — a reasonable trade-off for a three-season shelter.

"Each time it performed amazingly — continually impressing us due to its ability to withstand truly atrocious British weather, all while being so small we barely even noticed it in our packs."

Tensioners, guy lines and ventilation ports — the details that make the difference when conditions turn ugly.

Pitching and pack size

Pitching the Chaser 1 is simple and fast. Peg out one corner, slide through the single centre pole, peg out the remaining three corners, then pull the tensioners tight. The whole process takes a matter of minutes on the right ground. The one caveat: the tunnel design relies on tension at all four corners, so on rocky terrain like Dartmoor's high tors, finding ground deep enough to hold pegs can occasionally require moving the tent a few times.

Packing away is just as straightforward. Remove the pole and pegs, fold the tent, roll it around the four corner poles and return it to its stuff sack. We could do it in the dark, in freezing temperatures with gloves on — and we were consistently first to have everything packed and ready to move.

The single-pole tunnel design pitches fast — even in freezing conditions with gloves on.

Quick tipLash your guy lines to the poles in windEven on days with minimal wind forecast, lashing the guy lines around the poles as per Robens' standard design is worth doing. It adds significant structural integrity at no extra effort.

Space and pitching options

Inside, there's enough room for one person, a wide sleeping pad, a full sleep set-up, and extra kit. At 215 cm long and 90 cm high, you can comfortably sit up and stretch out. The vestibule gives you a dry space for a wet pack, spare kit, or cooking out of the wind. This tent is intentionally compact — but for its intended purpose, it's exactly right.

The Chaser 1 also offers genuine versatility: fly over inner (standard), inner only on dry nights, fly half-open in summer, or fly-only for maximum weight savings. For UK conditions you'll use the standard setup most of the time — but having options is never a bad thing.

Compact but well-considered — enough space for one person and a full three-season kit.

Buy the Robens Chaser 1 at Outdoor Action →

Comparison with rivals

In the lightweight solo shelter space, the Chaser 1's closest rival is its own sibling, the Robens Starlight 1 — a cheaper option at a similar weight worth considering for those who want four-season capability. For those who want to go even lighter, tarp-based systems shave further grams but demand considerably more experience to pitch effectively in British weather. The Chaser 1 hits a compelling middle ground: genuinely lightweight, genuinely weatherproof, and far more user-friendly than a tarp in atrocious conditions.

Packed down to barely bigger than a bivvy bag — this is what 1.25 kg of serious shelter looks like.

Our verdict Light enough to take anywhere. Tough enough for anything Britain throws at it. The Robens Chaser 1 is a phenomenally designed shelter. It's light enough for multi-day fastpacking trips, tough enough to withstand savage wind and rain that would flatten many tents in this weight class, and fast to pitch in any conditions — even freezing ones, even with gloves on. It's not the most spacious tent in the world — but that's exactly the point. It delivers just enough room for one person to ride out rough conditions in comfort, with smart design touches throughout. If you're after a lightweight solo shelter that doesn't compromise on weather performance or build quality, the Chaser 1 deserves a place at the top of your shortlist. Buy the Robens Chaser 1 at Outdoor Action →

FAQs

How easy is the Robens Chaser 1 to pitch?Very easy. Peg out one corner, insert the single centre pole, peg out the remaining three corners, and pull the tensioners tight. The whole process takes a matter of minutes. The one caveat: you need firm ground for all four pegs — on rocky terrain like Dartmoor's high tors, finding deep enough soil can occasionally slow things down.

How does the Robens Chaser 1 perform in the wind?Exceptionally well. Robens wind-tests the Chaser 1 in gusts of up to 200 km/h, with the first signs of failure at around 192 km/h. For context, the windiest summit in the UK — Cairn Gorm in Scotland — averages 53 km/h. We tested it in seriously unpleasant British conditions and it never moved.

How does the Robens Chaser 1 perform in heavy rain?Brilliantly. The fly sheds water effectively and the vestibule gives you a dry zone for kit and cooking. We tested it in driving rain across Dartmoor and Bannau Brycheiniog and stayed dry throughout. The only note: the full mesh inner means heat retention is limited — this is a three-season shelter, not four-season.

How packable is the Robens Chaser 1?Extremely. At 1.25 kg and barely bigger than a bivvy bag when stuffed away, this tent disappears into a pack. We ran over 40 km with it on a fastpacking trip and barely noticed it was there. The pack-away process takes two minutes even in freezing conditions with gloves on.

Is the Robens Chaser 1 worth the money?Yes. At £334.99 from Outdoor Action, it's genuinely hard to find a solo shelter that performs as well in UK weather at this weight without spending significantly more. Wind-tested to 192 km/h, light enough for fastpacking, and fast to pitch in any conditions — it earns every penny.

The Robens Chaser 1 in its element — light enough to take anywhere, tough enough to handle whatever Britain throws at it.