Darche Solar vs Femkes Alu Khosi Family

The Darche Solar and the Femkes Alu Khosi Family are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Darche and Femkes take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.

By the numbers, the Darche Solar brings 88 kg, 2.4 m² of floor and sleeps 2. The Femkes Alu Khosi Family counters with 82 kg, 3.87 m² of floor, 129 cm of headroom and sleeps 3.

The Alu Khosi Family is 6 kg lighter at 82 kg against 88 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Inside, the Alu Khosi Family gives 3.87 m² of sleeping floor against 2.4 m², about 61 percent more, and it sleeps 3 to the Solar's 2. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.

They open differently: the Solar is a clamshell and the Alu Khosi Family a fold-out. That is not cosmetic — it decides whether headroom is even across the tent or tapers towards one end, and how much of the roof the tent occupies when closed. The Solar uses 2mm 6-Series Aluminium Alloy; Heavy-Duty 15mm Aluminium Honeycomb Insulation base; the Alu Khosi Family uses aerodynamic ABS, waterproof. Canvas differs too: 380gsm polycotton canvas with Darche Darkness (3000mm); 420D Polyester Oxford Ripstop fly (2000mm) against oxford 210D with silver coating, 300% waterproof.