|
Million Dollar Question - The tent for 1
Folks
ok, I have searched searched and searched but there are so many possibilities that I can see. Most are always showing as 2/3 person tents. I am looking for a 1 man tent, for my trip to Russia and Mongolia. I have looked at the Vango Banshee 200, but feel it is too small. The Vango Omega 350, maybe a bit big for 1 person. Or maybe the Mirage 200. Gven that I am travelling alone, wondering what others make of these |
banshee 300?
vango hurricane 300 marmot limelight3 i have used all 3 tents as a solo traveler,i always need the extra room for the biking gear + the comfort |
If I goto the Banshee 300 would it be easier to get the Omega?
|
I had an Omega but found it too big and droughty even for 2 people. Much happier now, on my own or with another sharing, with the Banshee 300. Far better in a strong wind.
|
most tents for two are only for two if both are skinny midgets and have no luggage.
Helix 200 That 2 man tent will only just work for a solo biker with larger bulky jacket, pants and boots that have to be out of the weather as well as himself and his tankbag etc. Nice n light (sub 2 kgs) and sub 5 mins to put up. Thats what I would be looking for |
Ok thanks for that. Plenty to think about.
|
Quote:
i was considering buying one of those, other then the size would you recommend one? |
Have a look at this, i am travelling on my own next year and defiantly going for a 2 man, it gives you somewhere to put your kit, panniers etc if you take them off your bike
MSR Hubba Hubba HP |
hubba hubba 360 sterling!!
big money wouldnt you say,the specs look good though |
|
For what it is worth I use one of these when I am travelling solo Vango Halo 200 Lightweight Tent I use the halo 300 for two up. Two entrances so you can open up both sides and air your tent out and two porches to store gear in. I should also mention I use a tarp over the tent which my bike fits under and means I can unpack and cook and pack away when it is raining. I think the extra weight of the tarp justifies being able to pack stuff away in relative dry conditions and ensure it is dry. A wet tent and wet clothes weigh more than a tarp!
Each to his own and only repeated practise and experience will get you the set up that is just right for you. What works well for one may be useless for some one else but after lots and lots of tents (read money just wasted) this is what works for me. Hope this helps. GM |
2 Attachment(s)
This is what I use for both Motorcycling and Back Country backpacking. It is from Black Diamond. It is three tents in one set. You can use the Tarp by itself, the bug tent by itself, or by using them together, and tying it down well, it can be used in very severe weather. I have winter hiked and used this tent and it stood up to snow and wind. You have to have a set of hiking poles to go with it as that is how the Center is held up. What is nice about it is that by offsetting the bottom of the poles a bit, it gives more room for one person, and lots of room for gear on the other side of the tent. Excellent quality and has never let me down. It is the only tent I have now. Not cheap, about $375 US, but worth every penny, especially if you plan on a long distance trip.
The best part of the tent is that in a rain storm, the fly goes all the way to the ground so it will keep the inside dry. The height of the wall of the fly can be increased to give ventilation to keep dampness out if it is humid. |
The perfect tent for 1 is actually a small tent for 2! Absolutely. And make sure it's self-standing.
Eureka and REI offer some really nice versions. |
Quote:
also get a bed, a 4 leg camp bed. that way you are off the floor so can sleep well anywhere. |
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
|
1 Attachment(s)
This is my choice, sturdy lightweight & expensive LOL
Cot One - sturdy, lightweight camp stretcher | Helinox Australia Review on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3tQids996Q |
I have many different tents, all very different.
The tent I prefer for motorcycling is also the cheapest that money can buy... It is a one layer, two pole, festival tent, without a vestibule but with mosquitonetting in the door and in the airvent in the top. It sets up in very quick and takes up very little space. It is self standing so can even be used indoors if you need protection from mosquitoes/bugs. Waterproofness is "so-so", so you will need to drench all the fabric and all its seams in waterpoofener - but after that these types of tents do quite good. Tip for buying a tent is to get a tent equal to the number of people using it plus one person. So for one person you need a two person tent, for two people a three person tent, etc. You need room for luggage, to dry out boots and clothes, change clothing, cook, etc. |
Quote:
|
Like riding gear, it sometimes takes years to get everything right to your own satisfaction, it's the same with camping gear. After a few duff starts, I've got it right for me as a solo traveller.
Tent:- Khyam Biker 2 person, lots of room for one and well put together. I tested mine in very wet weather last year and it didn't leak once. was also stable in high winds. When you've got used to it, it takes less than 10 mins to pitch as the main poles are built in and hinged. It packs down quite small, and I use an exped down mat ( inflatable and really warm) and a vango venom down bag. The mat and bag were expensive, but essential for keeping healthy. It's much easier to take things off to cool down than it is to find things to keep you warm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N0ocT48PE4 |
The MSR Hubba's are very good. I bought a North Face Rock 22 as I saw it cheap on EBay and it ticked the boxes;
freestanding, relatively light, two door, ...and according to Nick over at talesfromthesaddle.com was good enough for long-distance touring. I was going to buy the Hubba but in the end rainy days alone in tent or general downtime put me off, as they would be a bit pokey. Great for cyclists and Trekkers though. |
I have a Marmot Limelight 2 and it has enough room for me and my gear. The vestibule is only any good to leave a pair of boots in but the tent pitches quick, is very stable in wind and shows no signs of leaking.
I like it because the poles are fitted then the inner clips to them (no fiddly feeding poles through seams) then chuck the fly over. The inner is totally freestanding but the fly needs four pegs to tighten it up. It's an airy tent so I wouldn't want to spend too many silly-cold nights in it. Most of my camping is Summer so all is good. Packs pretty small, is reasonably lightweight and I can pitch it less than 10 mins. |
Quote:
and does it look like it would take abuse?? |
1 Attachment(s)
|
Looks great, choose comfort over weight.
A small 1-2 person tent makes you nuts after two nights in it. When you have a day with rain and you have to put all your wet gear in the tent, then your live becomes missery. I started out with a Terranova Zephyros2, it is a great tent for hiking. But for motorcycle camping it sucks, no space for your gear, you can´t sit up in it (I´m 185cm). Most manufactors make tent´s that looks great in the specs regarding weight. Most of these tents needs a second heavy duty ground sheet, because the one incoperated in the tent is paper thin to save weight, and won´t last a week. Then what´s the point ? I now use a Jack Wolfskin Tundra III, yes it is big and heavy. But it makes the end my day such a joy. There is space for all my gear plus space for coocking when it rains. And I can dry my close on a line under the celling. My advice, save weight on all the crap you don´t need anyway: food for 2 month, 5 sets of close, fire extinguisher, waterfilter, axes, hamags, etc. And buy a good comfy tent, you wont regret it. |
Hi,
When traveling 4 months around Southeast Asia, I bought the same 10 dollars single person tent as all the dmonstration people in Bangkok and used if every day. It was light waight to carry, easy to pitch, able to stand without any pegs on hard ground and protected me from rain and/or mosquitos: http://schoene-motorradreisen.de/sma...ng_mai_092.jpg http://schoene-motorradreisen.de/?re...and_chiang_mai Why should you spend more then 10 dollars? cu on the road, Tobi |
I camp on average 5 nights a month on my RTW trip. That means I carry camping gear for 25 nights a month without use so I opted for an ultralight Z-Packs tent
http://www.zpacks.com/large_image.sh...ue_front_l.jpg At 500 grams or 1lb including pole, pegs and ground sheet I'll never be sending it home because of weight. Not self supporting is the only setback. PN |
Similar to the MSR Hubba is the Big Agnes Flycreek I, only 2 lbs and relatively short pack length. Very popular with ultra-light backpackers. I used one for a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail and it held up well. A little $$$.
|
Purchased yet ?
I would recommend this (strong/light/small pack size): MSR Hubba Hubba
http://www.cascadedesigns.com/images...a_Hubba_NX.jpg And if you need extra space in this Gear Shed is an option: http://images.mec.ca/fluid/customers...w1_720x720.jpg |
Have been reading with some interest. I've spent (and wasted) a fortune on tents over the years. My problem- I'm too tall for the tents. I look at the dimensions, then figure I'll fit. Buy it for a few hundred $$, spend one sleepless night in it, and off to the next one.
So which ones out there are loooong. I know from experience that I need at least 2.2m to stretch out in- that's open room, not the sides pitching in at 45 degrees and you can't sleep on your back because your feet and head are pressing against the flysheet 2.2m. Last couple of years I've been using a swag on a blackwolf self-inflating ontop of a AT Gear stretcher. Works great, easy to setup, but when traveling in the rain, it tends to get and stay damp and this can be a problem after a few days. Some might say its too big and bulky- maybe, but it does contain everything (sleeping bag, cot, tarp etc.) http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/v...psc90f9897.jpg http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/v...psf5dd9de2.jpg Oh, and it's got to be windproof. Anyone have something to recommend? |
Quote:
For everyday use I prefere a tent wich is able to stand without pegs even on hard ground and is easy and quick to pitch: Tents - Which are the best tents to travel? |
I've used a number of different tents over the years (I cycle tour) and the MSR Hubba Hubba has been the most versatile. Freestanding, spacious, well built, twin porches. Don't like the new colour but the older green option is great for wild camping.
Travelling to The Gambia last year, we pitched the MSR in skanky hotel rooms, on tarmac, in the desert and of course on grass. Superb investnent. Sent from my GT-S5830 using Tapatalk 2 |
+1 for the Hubba Hubba, Ive owned lots of tents over the years and currently have a 4 season VauDe, Hilleberg Nallo 2GT, Mutha Hubba, Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 and several others, the Hubba Hubba is my "go to" tent that gets the most use. I do prefer the older green fly over the new white NX model for discreet bush camping, (mine is the burnt orange colour) the new ones are a bit lighter in weight and look ok, but they are expensive in the UK.
|
Series II Expedition
Does anyone have any good input on the Series II Expedition? It is a tent large enough to part your bike in and then more than enough room for one or two people plus gear. I live in Kyrgyzstan and while in the mountains it would be a good thing to keep the bike close and under cover. The bad, this puppy weighs in at 13 something pounds!
Tents - Series II Expedition Tent - Redverz Gear Mac |
I have and am constantly impressed with Declathon's Quickhiker Ultralight II
QuickHiker Ultralight II Hiking Tent, Grey QUECHUA - All Tents Camping - On... It plays the same game as Vango's Banshee, but side by side seemed a better bet to me as it's a little lighter, packs a little smaller, and with some cunning little bits of wire in the corners allows 1m95 me to lie flat because you can use space right up to the edge. Also, the way you pitch it, you can lay out and peg down the inner and outer before you put the pole in to give it shape. Handy when it's rainy and windy and you don't have any friends to hold things down for you. If it's not stormy, both sides can be unzipped for maximum ventilation. Quality pegs too, plus a pole repair kit in the bag that has decent compression straps to cram it in when the fabric's wet. Downsides? It's not a free-standing geodesic type, so you need pegs/rocks/bits of tree handy. |
If you're looking for something really light with a compact pack size but don't want to drop mega money, I'd recommend the 'Zephyros 2 Lite' by wild country. Only 1.4kg (thats 3.2lbs for you weird foreigners). 40cm x 17cm pack size. Pitches in about 2 minutes. There's enough room in the porch and interior for two 25lt soft panniers and a 30lt rollbag, plus you and your riding gear, I can vouch for this.
If you shop around you can find them online for under £200. If you want to spend even less there's the standard zephyros 2, which is still only 1.6kg, but pack size is almost 10cm longer (i'm not sure why because they are both the same dimensions when pitched.) and slightly wider. It's a rip-off of the Hillberg atko design but at a fraction of the cost. I done a lot of research before buying it and it was the best bang for buck i could find, if like me you're conscious about reducing weight. |
I've used the Hubba, and it's good. Big Agnes has similar (less $$$) tents with the exact same design. The hubba is a small 2p tent that can't really fit 2 exped mats. The BA is slightly larger. I got rid of it because I got sick of that spider style pole system. Used to prefer free standing (doesn't need pegs) but moved to shelters (ultralight tents often single wall) to avoid tent poles altogether. You can use the bike (if you have 2) or use trees, or hiking poles (when hiking obviously). If you must use poles, some shelters are offered with lightweight/ low bulk poles and are also available by 3rd parties (I'll probably go that route; something I can use as a trail stand for changing tires etc as well). Most tent poles fold up too long, and they're bulky. None of that is good for bike packing. Low bulk and weight is everything.
There are plenty of shelter brands. I needed a 2 man for 2 people and settled on the Nemo Meta 2 which has almost vertical side walls (a big plus on tents) and can be used without poles. Sadly they've changed it to the Veda which "requires" (always depends on your resourcefulness) 4 hiking poles assuming that a 2 person tent is always used by 2 people. |
My input:
Set-up time: How many nights do you camp on a trip? For me, camping every single night for months at a time means that I want something that is extremely quick to set up. A good, simple "dome" tent takes two minutes to set up in nice weather, 5 minutes in bad weather (after selecting your spot). Some tents looks fantastic but quite complicated to stake out and set-up properly. Length: If you are tall, find a long tent. Mosquitoes can bite through a tent so it can be cramped if you can't stretch out 100% (197cm here) and you are in mosquito country.. Height/Color: If you're doing a lot of stealth camping, a lower tent will fit more easily behind roadside bushes. A darker color will be less visible at night. I use an old REI dome tent. It's 2 person, it works comfortably for solo and passable with two people (on intimate terms). It was $45 used 5 years ago. |
i lived in a cheap 1 man tent for 3 months, it treated me well packed down real small on the bike, it never leaked. It had the cheaper style ground sheeted floor which seems to prove more durable and waterproof than the lighterweight alternatives on more exspensive tents!!!
you could squuze 2 in at a push no problem but it was ideal for 1 and all the kit. there are plenty of tents out there that pack small and weigh less than 2kg. try yellowstone matterhorn 1 (£19 delivered) or highlander blackthorn 1(£30). The plus with buying so cheap is that you don't worry about it and at the worst you buy a new one. Most cheap tents come with very heavy pegs so just replave these with something much lighter to save weight. I normally use the bike as an anchor point and wind break to set up camp.:scooter: |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:18. |