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Poleless tent, any ideas?
Hey, I have been trying to find a tent without poles. One that uses the bike or a tree to give it its shape.
Anyone owned/know where to buy one and got an oppinion on how good they are? |
I would look for a "tipi" style tent. You know, with one pole in the middel or just a piece of string tied to a branch.
Personally I dont think it is a really good choice since the tents versatility is severely dented. You will never be able to get it up in the desert (the tent I mean) and in very dense woods it might be a problem too. Do you have a specific use for it since you want this setup or is it just an idea? |
perhaps a little backpackers tent, that you could tie to a tree or your bike? pretty tiny though. how about an inflatable dome tent? ive seen them about but they seem expensive and heavy and im not sure i would trust it. or look on the quechua website at their pop up tents, they do one now that folds down to 55cm diameter, but its not strictly poleless.
must it not have any poles at all? because you can make poles that break down to any length you need, you dont have to be stuck with what comes with the tent. |
Couple of thoughts off the top of my head....
A simple basha - tied one side to your bike and then peg the other down. NATO Aproved Jungle Basha (one place to buy one but there are many) Another idea would be one of the smaller 2" tents - not what I'd take - but Stace is taking one with us to Russia - he's found a good way to put it on the bike. No poles - just 'pops' up. Quechua : 2 Seconds Tents Otherwise you could go with a simple bivi / swag bag Biker Swag from the Aussie Shop (scroll down) The AussieShop Or a simple bivi bag Bivi Bag (TracPac) For total cut down no pole solution I'd suggest a bivi bag combined with a basha would be adequate - simple and fast to put up each night too - and if you use the bike as one side of the shelter - perfect suitable. I just put together a simple video on tents - but funnily enough didn't include any without poles! If you're interested in the swag option this video is about the Coolabah - but probably not suitable for your needs Hope that helps :-) m |
Khyam sell a "pocket tent" would pitch with two walking poles or fence/tree/bike.
Khyam Dome Tents01 |
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m |
Matt,
I said "fence/tree/bike" I have seen the Duo pitched between two road bikes with the entrance between the front wheels and a basha set up infront from the handlebars to the ground. It's what made me decide on my "little tent / basha combo". It was a bit of a squeeze for space for two but would be ideal for one man & gear. I went for a tent that has poles though because I figured if I was working on my bike under a basha, I would want the tent to be free-standing. I'll get some pickies next time I set up (no video though I'm afraid) Bending and welding; making a luggage system for my Dr. Zed at the moment then I'll be off on some short trips to iron out issues. Still got to learn to loose some stuff. I'm used to packing solo on a road bike so space and weight have never been an issue. I need to get away from the "everything including the kitchen sink" mentality. Laters |
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I need to learn to read to the end of a sentence. |
Hennessy Hammock
We have two Hennessy Hammocks and they are great fun. I have heard stories of people using them as their main abode on a trip, but I presume you will need to be te right sort of person. We are in 4x4 and hence have a roof tent as our main bedroom.
Search the HUBB as there are at leasttwo other threads about them. Also lots of info here HENNESSY HAMMOCKS: ultra-light line of jungle hammocks, ultra-comfortable camping hammock /chair/ tent combo |
Those Kyam pocket tents look great and very affordable, I have been after something thats roomier than a bivvy but light for a while and these could be a good option.
has anyone got one or tried these tents ? The only downside is the weight at 2.2kgs they are as heavy as some tents with poles and obviously much heavier than the ultra lightweight stuff. I also think the camo option is worth the extra as I have often needed to blend in with my surroundings when rough camping especially here in the UK. I think these style would sit perfectly out back of my hatchback using the car hatch as a covered cooking area/entrance. While on the subject of lightwieght check out Winwood outdoor uk, they have some silly light weight stuff, well under 1kg. They also sell the spinikar sheet material so you could make whatever you wanted. Also Go outdoors have a terra nova tent at under 1 kg for £120 its double skin and looks pretty good. In my quest for lightweight I always end up looking at longevity over pure weight saving. I have started shaving of weight here and there but some of the ultra light stuff doesnt seem like its up to much. |
ive seen a golite hex 3 which is a small wigwam type tent thing. 2-3 person, the base is optional, hook in round the perimeter if you dont just want to sit on a sleeping mat. a mossy net i believe is also an optional hook in type thing.
pole wise it only needs one, or tied up to a tree. obviously a stick would suffice, or an extension to a walking pole is available to cut down further on stuff carried. as well as hennessy, clark hammocks look good too. i just ordered one! the entry hole for a hennessy looked a bit claustrophobic for me. i know certain variants of both have a suitable bottom layer to be used as a small tent with a pair of sticks/walking poles if u have no trees. not partner friendly tho!!! all are light and quick to stow and erect, and durable? |
Make your own - well sort of
There is a way to make any "old-fashioned" ridge tent like this:
into a pole-less tent. I was forced to come up with the idea when a pole got run over with mine, and all you need is a couple of bits of string. Here's how it works. Take your string - nylon paracord is ideal, and firstly cut off two lengths about 6 inches long. The precise length will depend on the usual gap between inner tent and flysheet. You're going to make a loop of these with a nice big knot on the bottom so I'd suggest starting the first one long and working it out from there. ONce you've got two you're happy with crawl inside the inner and poke them up through the eyelets front and rear that the poles would normally go through. Now take another long length of string, it'll need to be three or even four times the length of your tent. Again start extra long and cut down after. Starting outside the flysheet feed this string in through one of the pole eyelets, then through the loop you've just made for your inner tent. Continue the string along the inside of the fly's ridge, through the next loop of your inner and then out the other pole eyelet. Now lay your tent out on the ground and peg it down round the outside of the groundsheet and flysheet as normal. Starting at the front lift the "ridge-string" up to the right height and tie it onto something convenient (handlebars, trees, wing mirror, riding buddy). Going to the rear of the tent pull the "ridge-string" taut at ground level and then move backwards away from the tent. As you do so you'll notice the tent lifts up. When it's reached the right height, simply make a loop in the string and peg this down. Of course if you can tie it to something else (see list above) you won't need to move so far away, but pegging down works very well even for the solo camper. That's the absolute basic version which worked well for me for a few weeks, but there's plenty of ways to improve it for your specific tent with extra loops, toggles, etc. if you wish. If anyone's feeling a bit confused I could get the tent out and do a picture guide as soon as it stops pouring with rain. |
Airzone Tent
I have one and it's great, not as light as a Hennesy Hammock but a bit bigger. |
tarp you mean?
it got the design of a animal skin shape, and can be tied down without poles. |
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Anyone know if the biker swag (from theaussieshop) is waterproof? It doesn't say so on the site (while it does for the other two), so I'm guessing it isn't... :confused1: |
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Here's a pic of our tent outside of Salamanca Spain:
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Highlander Adventure hooded Poncho
For warm areas:
Buy 2 "Highlander" Adventure hooded Poncho's and four lengths of string about 4 meters long. And a Mosquito net if necessary. They have popper studs on the sides which allow two Poncho's to be connected together, making a shelter surface area of 2meters by 3meters. You will also need at least four lengths of string/cable/rope about 3 meters long and 4 tent pegs. All of this will easily fit into a pack 8 inches long by 5 inches in diameter, easily fitting anywhere on a bike You can either: Drape it over the bike and peg it down on the other side. creating a bivi shelter on the side of the bike. Or: Attach the middle of one end to the bike handlebars, the other end to a stick to use as a tent pole, or pegged to the ground. then use the string to spread out (Instead of pegs you can use tyre irons or rocks) Or: Hang it underneath trees as a rain shetler. I have even used them above my hammock (diagonally, but not as rain proof as I would like) Or: Above you cooking area alongside your regular tent to keep rain off the cooking area. I have had a lot of joy with this under trees. It makes cooking so much more pleasant something often forgotten whilst camping on a bike. Or: You can use it with two sticks as tent poles to create a groundsheet-less A frame tent. As an aside they can also be used as a very effective rain coat for two people too! All in all these are an unbelievable useful accessory that will always find a place to be useful. Cheers G |
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Depending upon what you're looking for this might work. AirZone Recreation |
Take a look at Exped tents. They've got a poleless tarp-tent:
http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped...E?openframeset A proper 2-person tent which can be erected with walking sticks or suspended somewhere: http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped...E?openframeset Exped offers excelent quality, but the prices are pretty stiff :( |
I've used a Henessey hammock for years. That plus a good sleeping bag and a foam camping mat inside will keep you very comfortable and warm down to about 30 degrees F in my experience.
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The Nemo Morpho tent uses air bladders for poles. I just bought one but have not used it. It sets up very easy and looks like it will work great!
I posted a picture on the other tent thread. |
Sounds like a tarp.
http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/s/0964...f950e8bc1f.jpg Comes with poles (maybe you don't need them), guys, and pegs (pegs too thin). This pic was also using a guy to the orange bike to hold it up. Unless you're obsessive with weight, the two poles don't make packing the tarp any bulkier as they break down into 5 sections per pole for the tarp to wrap around. Short enough to fit lying down into a Touratech pannier easily. And only £19.95!: Decathlon - hiking tents QUECHUA - TARP, khaki QUECHUA - hikers looking for a shelter or wanting to extend a tent. |
The Robens summer wind seems to hit the nail on the head.
Its 1/2 person and designed for use with or without walking poles, decent weight quhttp://www.simplyhike.co.uk/products/Robens/SummerWindTent.aspxality and price if you search. Just need to convince the missus to let me spend the money but I found one cheap here see link above it was recently reviewed in TRAIL magazine and got a good write up:scooter: |
+1 Airzone pole tent: AirZone Inflatable (No Rigid Poles) Goldfinch 2 Person Tent
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Hornet, no one seems to have asked the question: Why do you want a tent without poles?
If it's to save weight, there are roomy and sturdy poled tents on the market that weigh three pounds (Stephenson, Black Diamond Firstlight, etc.). If you're worried about pole breakage, buy a high-quality tent and the chances are scant you'll ever break one. If it's for versatility, as someone already pointed out, you'll be losing versatility, not gaining it. Always being forced to camp right next to your bike will limit your options severely. If you just want something without poles that is still weatherproof and bugproof, with a real floor and venting options, I can highly recommend the air-supported Nemo Morpho someone mentioned. We tested one last year and gave it a value award, and it's been in constant use since then as a motorcycle camping tent. It's held up admirably. Very roomy and lightweight. |
backpackinglight in the uk are selling the go-lite shangri-la 3 or 4.
Shangri-La 3 - Nest you buy the outer, and then the floor/inner/poles if you want. nice and light, very few pegs, easy to pitch, versatile :)= |
Warning To All. Be Careful With Your Tents!
If you use your bike to attach part of the tent to, be very careful to keep a good distance from it just in case the bike tips over at night, ( stand sinks in soil or some asshole sits on it ), etc. and it falls on to where you are sleeping.
After lots of you have had a laugh, I hope you remember this post and it saves someone a lot of grief one day...cheers. |
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You want to use your bike as the structure to your tent... My friend Alex did this whilst camping this summer using a tarp he got from a building site. using rocks/logs and luggage to weigh it down around the bike he had a nice little shelter he did this for about 2 months, he also carried a hammock and used the tarp overhead for that using para-cord. http://photos.neils.in/main.php?g2_v...serialNumber=1 http://photos.neils.in/main.php?g2_v...serialNumber=1 It's ok for summer usage, but frankly it's not that good if you're thinking RTW, I'm by no means a naysayer when it comes to inexpensive solutions. He did have some problems at high altitude and near water due to lower temperatures and mozzies. Your call pal, it's a good idea but still quite limiting. I hope this gave you some insight, and helped you make a decision. As for an off-the-peg solution, No there isn't one to my knowledge. |
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