2 Person + Gear Tent
 

I'm in the process of sorting out a trip from Scotland to Australia via Eastern Europe, India and SE Asia which will include some camping and was looking for some help!

It will be me and my girlfriend (I'm 6' 4") so we were thinking of either a large 2 man or average 3 man tent (geodesic rather than tunnel). I have searched and searched but still can't find any clear winner.

We were thinking of the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 (we were thinking of getting it from the US for about £250 rather than the £400 over here!) but is a full on expedition tent really necessary? I am a bit concerned about weight but not overly bothered about the size of the poles (at present we are planning to strap the tent to the top of one of our panniers). Oh yeah and the last thing is because we are in Europe there isn't the huge variety that there is in the US so if it could be a tent that is available over on this side of the pond that would be even better :biggrin3:

So any hints or pointers would be great.

We bought a Robert Saunders tent. Ours is the mountain trek. Too small for you, but it looked almost identical in design as brands like North Face and Trango, Terra Nova, etc, but was at least £50 cheaper, in some cases more. Packs light, made to order and served us well. we must have slept about 25-30 nights int now.

Have a look on their website at some of the bigger designs. Start on this page and scroll down to suitablility listings.

Suitability

Still looks good, to me!

I would simply invest in hardy footprint (I made mine using PVC rubble bags and a steam iron!!)

Hi,
I would go for a 3 man tent for the extra space, bikers tend to have a lot of gear, helmets, boots and such.

I just got a ex demo tent on ebay, 2007 Vango Hydro 3+ looks OK for £80.

Have a look at the Vango Equinox 250 or 350

Vango Tent Information

Take a look at Terra nova or Wild country tents
Terra Nova Lightweight backpacking tents - Mountain Tents - Family Tents - family camping - Gloves, Hats and Socks

Before that we used a Wild Country 2 man tent which had a great specification and lasted 14 years, bit tight for space. Although it was expencive it was excellent value.
Wild country have some end of line sales at the moment.
Terra Nova - Factory Seconds and Clearance

Hope this helps, do a search on here and you will find loads of info, like me, many people can only recommend what we have or tried.

Steve

No tent is "perfect" for long people like us. (Nobody makes an 8 foot tent, unless it is for 18 friggin people and weighs in at 45 Kg's.)

Being 6'4" you will have a hard time finding a decent tent. I am almost 6'5" and can relate to this.

I used a 2 man for myself and found it was merely adequate, I now have a 3-4 person and it is great. I have lots of room and I keep allot of gear inside too. I use the following:

Check out the Mutha Hubba by MSR

MSR Mountain Safety Research : Tents : Mutha Hubba™ Fast & Light ® Tent

It's got 2 big doors, which is nice. You can set it up in the dark, while drunk, without a flashlight in 6-8 minutes. My experience with MSR has been good so far. I think it is available in Europe.

Good Luck,

J

I found this product intriguing, particularly when you may get stuck for awhile in some bad weather. I haven't seen it in person, but maybe someone else has.

Biker Tent | Motorcycle Tent | Tent for Bikes | Tent for Motorcycles | Outdoor Camping

Eueka K2 - perfect for me, the missus and room to move . . .:thumbup1:

Big Agnes
 

The Biker Tent posted by Bruce is interesting, but you indicated that weight is a concern, so at 26 pounds the Biker Tent is quite heavy. Typically, if you are looking for a lightweight, small-packing, high-quality tent, you need to go with one of the well-regarded backpacking equipment companies.

For a tall guy who is a little concerned about packed weight, isn't overly concerned about packed size, doesn't need a four-season or expedition grade tent and is sharing floor space with a second person, a great option is the Pine Island 4, a new tent from Big Agnes (Big Agnes). It weighs under 10 pounds, floor dimensions are 100 inches by 90 inches, it has double doors and vestibules for easy in-and-out, 51 inches of head height, packs in a briefcase style soft bag (4"x13"x24") that can be doubled over to fit on panniers, and is priced at $339 (173 GBP or 195 with optional footprint/ground cloth).

Set up is easy - one pole goes to all four corners (segments and sections are shock-corded through two hubs) and a side-to-side mid pole pulls out the walls to create lots of interior volume. The tent proper clips to and hangs from the exoskeleton, and the rain-fly drapes over the whole thing and clips to the corners and sides.

Material is rip-stop polyester rather than nylon, which accounts for the tent's relatively high weight and relatively low price.

Another great tent would be the Parkview 3 (PV3), also by Big Agnes. It is the larger version of the PV2 which came out atop Backpacker Magazine's 2007 search for the best two-person, three-season, double-wall tent in the industry. The PV3 has the same design as the Pine Island 4, with double doors and vestibules, but is smaller (50 vs 62 sq. ft. floor area), lighter (7.5 vs 9.5 pounds), has slightly less headroom (48" vs 51") and is nylon rather than polyester. Packed size with standard pole set is 9"x20", but a 15" pole set, manufactured by Big Agnes exclusively for my company, is available from Full Throttle Camping (Full Throttle Camping).

The standard PV3 is $329. Add the optional footprint/ground-cloth and it is $380 (193 GBP). The PV3-15 (short pole option) is $389 and with footprint would be $439 (223 GBP).

The UK Big Agnes website (Big Agnes UK) does not yet include the Pine Island 4, and the PV3 is priced at 280 GBP without the footprint. The Dealer Locater is helpful - you might not find many Big Agnes products but you can check out a lot of other tents.

Buying imported goods in the UK is costly. Do you have a friend touring the States right now, or a friend from the U.S. heading your way before long? Maybe they could pick something up for you?

Tent options...
 

I bought a tent from this company a couple of years ago - they even had direct sale at that time. Mine was a 2-person tent - at a special discounted price - because of very minor deficiencies ( nothing I had to worry about). I used the tent for almost 6 years so far and it is just GREAT - small to pack, not that heavy, easy to set-up, 4-season design, 2 entrances, with lots of space ( it is the "Olanka" tent). URL is: Rejka Outgear.

Sorry that it's all in German, but at least you should get an idea. In case of questions, please get with me!

Absolutely no need to buy a mountain tent at huge needless expense. You can get a tent in Millets for 30 -40- pounds, or get the wonderful Khyam fast erect tents for 70 -100 pounds. Happy camping!

Have a look at the Khyam range(check spelling). These are quick erect and the one designed for biking is pretty roomy. At first I thought they might be gimmicky and a bit nasty, but they're better than that. I've just got one last year - I only did one trip with it (in the car as it happened) and it was good. Good big porch for bad weather cooking and storing kit. I've had other high spec' tents - but the spec you need for carrying something up a mountain leads to a light, compact, expensive tent. You don't need to save the odd couple of pounds on a bike and a bit of space in bad weather is great.
For the mountain tents it seems that - for one person buy a two person tent, for two people buy a three person tent. There's tents you can squeeze into, and there's tents you can be comfortable in!

Exped Orion.. 2 man with plenty of space..
 

I use an Exped Orion tent, two man and more importantly two vestibules, large enough to take TT panniers and your gear.

I sell them, but am awaiting the new 2008 stock which should be here any day now. A great, self standing semi geodysic shape, pitched fly and inner togather, so great when wet.

See the details at www.exped.com

I am 6'3" and its fine, I bought it as it was tall enough inside for me to sit up and don, a back protector and bike jackout whilst keeping dry.

Certainly one to add to the list. If you think the orion is a bit small possibley, and do want to go larger then the 3 man tents by Exped share many of the same features and I do those too.

Some of the previously mentioned tents are well rated too, but the devil is in the details and so do check internal dimensions and hights. I bought my orion well before I started stocking them, and it was having owned one they drove me to sell them. I rate the tents highly.

Other options, to consider are Vaude.. they do some great 2 & 3 man tents, and they benfit again in many cases from fly and inner pitching togather too. I will be having some vaude tents in shortly too all being well.

tents for bikers
 

Hi after looking everywhere i came across this place{link below} at a motorcycle show in atlanta.they have great gear made for bikers,esp like the
Hydroseal drycomp airx sacs.and the sleeping bags and mats.Everything packs really small and is great quality.There tents are also great.light and durable and most important pack real small and assemble easy.hope this gives you more choice.
Full Throttle Camping


visit my site 2GEEZERS2GO

Could you tell me what weather conditions you expect to encounter. For warm climates, being well ventilated and still be insect proof is very important. I am a fair to good weather camper and mine is suitable for both of these. It is not suitable for cold climes though, which is fine as I would not knowing camp in the cold, although last September I had ice on teh tent and grass around me. I bought it from a local supermarket. it is quick erect, no need of pegs although they do make it more stable. It cost £10. four or five years ago. It paid for itself the first night I used it. Chines manufacture has aluminised fabric and fiberglass poles to make its s elf supporting dome shape. Weights very little. 2-3 Kilos perhaps?

There you go
 

You don't want to get a tent with fiberglass poles! They are just too cheap and will break with very little wind only. Then again - I don't know when or where you are planning to use your tent. As for me - yes, 12 months a year, any time I did my motorcycle touring and camping (of course not continuously!!). I experienced temperatures from around -10 degrees Celsius upto high 30's. Besides I am a person who prefers to invest a little more, get something decent and a product that will last for quite some years.

Cheap, easy and do everything!!
 

Thanks for all the replies so far, they have thrown up a few interesting looking alternatives. For a little more info, the tent will be used as often as we can on our trip to the land down under so will be used in hot and cold climates, mainly through Europe and the mountain areas of India. The tent will also be used if we decide to do any winter trekking when we are in Australia/New Zealand and on our return trip through South America (if we decide to make a return trip :cool4:) So basically it has to be a cheap, large, light do everything tent ..... easy eh!!? :clap:

Hi
You want to check out the BigAgnes website.Their selection of tents cover all you need (the seedhouse range is superb)What you need to remember when camping esp in Iran Pak,India and SE Asia is that a tent you would use in Europe will be like a mini portable sauna in these countries.You need an inner tent made entirely of mesh to allow air flow and a fly sheet that does not go all the way to the ground for the same reason .Otherwise camping wont be much fun.A lightweight (2 season) bag from say snugfit with a silk liner and an inflatable mat (foam no good) make it better.You can get all this gear ,for two, coming in at under 5 kilos.
Have a good,and restful,trip.

Hi
One of the things i would say is.....durability! even the top names make rubbish tents.

My wife & i come from a background of long distance backpacking & wild camping & have learnt from bitter experience that the best tents:

• have 2 openings
• have 2 porches/ stores, 1 for gear & 1 for cook.
• Easton aluminium poles (they kink instead of breaking ( can be splinted)
• Have high ceiling enough to have a mesh 'loft' for drying kit.
• big enough to chill out in if it rains alot.
• strong waterproof base.
• high entrance for getting in & out after a night on the cold ground.
• Quick & easy to pitch in rain.
• Sub 3kg.

I know this is probably just for dodgy climates (wet) but we have tried at least 15 tents in the last few years! & have found we use either the tried & tested Terranova Quasar (the tent of legends) or the VauDe Mark 2 (3 man my favourite). The other 'top name' tents such as North Face just seem too flimsy after a year of use (we have tried 3).

I personally would avoid any non-geodesic type as the tunnel types are a bit like sleeping with a flappy sheet overhead by comparison & are a sod to put up on anything but a croquet lawn. I would also carry a big US or german army rainsheet in case you have to do any bike maintenance, these have kept me dry a few nights fettling & weigh virtually nothing when rolled up with the tent. The latest thing in tents seems to be to use large mesh side panels in the inner to save weight which is fine in the day but cool down drastically at night in anything but the hottest climates & therefore recommend a fully sealable inner for those super-cold nights, you can then carry a lighter sleeping bag.

Good luck with the shopping & remember....if it leaks....its trash & take it back no matter what the shop says!

Regards

Tim

Mountain 'softwear' tents
 

Ps...The mountain hardwear tents are famous for leaking due to super flimsy fly sheet & no/ high storm flaps, baggy when wet & are generally lightweight (flimsy)TerraNova copies. They gave some to the volunteer Mountain Rescue service in yorkshire to test a few years ago, the report never materianised.....

We spent 2 nights on Skye (sligachan) & were utterly miserable, wet & cold, dumped the tent for £60 to a climber in fort William & got the Vaude.

Wish i could be more positive......

PS the Quasars come in an 'extended' version due to there being alot of 6ft+ pro mountaineers

Regards

Tim

You want Hilleberg: http://www.hilleberg.com/

Light, strong, four-season, durable, spacious. Somewhat finicky to set up by American standards (especially if drunk, cold, hurried, late or otherwise incapacitated), and not cheap.

Hope that helps.

Mark

I got to agree...
 

...with "tordway"!

As I mentioned in a previous comment - you get what you pay for. Sure, if you want to buy a new tent every year (because the old one is just shi...., go for it. If you want to have quality, you will have to pay a little more. That's what makes the difference between driving a Mercedes, RR, etc and a small Suzuki, Hyundai or whatever. Quality has it's price and I prefer to spend a little more and stay dry inside the tent for several years.

Vaude, Rejka - those are the tents I would go for. Esecially the Rejka tents with a floor of 10.000mm rain protection (??) and the fly sheet with 5.000mm are a guarantee to stay dry! And the price - it is hard to find something similar in this category!!

For more information (sorry - all in German) check here Rejka Outgear

Happy shopping and safe riding as well as camping!!

PS: Again - I am NOT connected to this company and don't receive any benefits at all - of course - they're in Germany me in the land-of-the-not-always-rising-sun = Japan!!

The Nomad Tent
 

Keeping my eyes out for these guys at the Nomad Tent CompanyThe Adventure Motorcycle Tent. Designed for global traveller , spotted them on Advrider, last seen testing the tent up the Dalton highway in Alaska, supposed to fit a full size adventure tourer into the tent, space for two and all the gear and roll up the same size as a regular tent.. If it's as good as they say it is i'll have one. Did anyone get and pics before they changed the site?

Through the years we have owned many tents, all of them in the mid to lower price bracket. I would advise the 3 man Coleman Cobra, for the following reasons:
* its long, very long, the width is adequate for two
* It has two doors and two mossy nets, which is good for hot countries, and you don't have to climb over each other to get in and out
* It has two porches so each of you can store your own wet gear
* Its small and light enough to fit on your pannier

We travelled for six months in Oz with one in 2001 and its still going strong, so its durable and hard wearing, if you google it I'm sure you'll get an up to date price, and remember it's the 3 man not the two man you will need.

Enjoy your trip

Joyce
UK now in Thai

looks like they are updating at the moment. pretty neat if they can get a GS inside, I'm planning a RTW trip again, sounds like the ticket for trip.

why on earth would you want to bring your bike into a tent with you??!

Ditto

and if you park our bike in, or anywhere near your tent, make sure if it falls over (as they invariably do) it can only fall away from you.

I've witnessed a KTM 400 fall over (they always do) and break a crash helmet so I imagine any bike could cause substantial damage to a sleeping human.

Even if it doesn't hurt you, imagine being wrapped up in a sleeping bag and trying to get out from under a loaded GS. I struggle to get out of my maggot at the best of times.

It's more like a mini garage, I rode up to Deadhorse top of Alaska in the summer, torrential rain, the guys that had them just parked the bikes, tent went up over it, then they got undressed and set up the inner from inside the tent. Same gig the next morning, they were all packed up out of the rain, packed up their fly sheet and were off.

I always found hiding the bike is the best way to go too, everyone wants what they can see. Nothing worse than a toss night sleep hearing noises around your bike at night when you are in the tent.

If you're over 6" tall, why not lie diagonally..... (corner to corner).

The missus/bird will just have to lay on top !!!!

+1 for the MSR Mutha Hubba. Brillant tent, loads of space at either end, goes up very quickly and is very light and compact when in the sack.

My wife and myself are currently using a 3-man Mountain Hardwear Hammerhead 3. Ample space for 2 people and gear. Two vestibules. I love this tent.

http://nomadtent.com/Images/Gallery/...omadTent09.jpg

http://nomadtent.com/Images/Gallery/...omadTent11.jpg

Nobody mentioned Salewa, have a look at

http://www.salewa.com/tents

I like the tunnel tents, because more space for all the gear and stuff

We just bought an Ontario III Base and so far it`s working fine and about half the price of a Hilleberg.

If you go camping in the southern hemisphere, no tent will last very long .... too much UV !!!

Good luck
Thomas & Andrea
Miles-to-ride

I have camped in sub freezing temps, torrential downpours, snow, and 45mph wind in my Mountain Hardware Hammerhead 3 Tent. 86'' (7.5 feet)

I'm 6'6'' and my girlfriend (who regularly camps with me) is 5'9''

The tent is 24" long and 7'' wide when rolled (more like 26" x9" unless your a pro packer) and straps to the top of my BMW K75 original Pannier

It has two vestibules (porches/pack areas what have you) and is durable as hell.

I love it. You can find it on sale in the states for $240 online, and could probable ship it to yourself in the UK.

Amazon.com: Hammerhead 3 Tent - 3 Person by Mountain Hardwear: Sports & Outdoors

*_*
 

I don't remember whether or not I already posted it here, but just in case:

Rejka Outgear this company makes great tents for an outstanding price. I have owned one (similar to the Vanua) for the past 12 years and it is still going strong.

Just an idea. Sorry that their homepage is all in German, but it should give you at least a general idea.

Mutta Hubba for warmer climates or a Coleman Phad x2 (3 person tent)
Thats my 2 cents worth.

Paul:thumbup1: