Which tent , C Scott vs BCF?
 

No seriously which tent,for the crossing Russia vis Kazakh and Mongolia trip I am leaving in 15 days with.

In that I was reading Chris Scott's adventure motorcycling hand book and he says a £30 cross over type dome tent will suffice while the BCF state that this type of tent will utterly fall apart and be worthless and that I should be looking at the £150-£250 tent range.

Who has done a transEurasian trip and what tent did they need?.

I'm thinking compromise something like a vango spirit 200 lite (3 season)for £99, or maybe an Aztec Equina tent which is a 4 season tent for £90.

Oh and there will be many nights spent camping rather than just occassional use city hotels in Russia maybe cheap but camping is cheaper and you can go out to the back and beyond.

The final decision on the tent you take has many factors but look very much at the use/climate etc - its going to be hot a lot if your in kaz and Russia in summer so you need a lot of ventilation, you need a lot of insect and mosie protection, and you need enough room to Live in the tent if its your main living space for the trip, and a very strong floor to save punctures and good resistance to the weather hatever that brings, so really a micro or super light mountain tent is not best suited for your needs, nylon tents although lighter will sweat you up and leave gear damp and uncomfortable if it were me I would go for a more breathable quality canvas type a bit heavier but a lot less sweaty and damp your budget limits choice but look at something maybe like the force 10 classic mk4 - 3 man ridge its fairly roomy, solid, good strong floor and very breathable canvas also easier to repair if damages having straight alu poles and sewable canvas - I think with some barganing they may be about £250/300. Problem is its down to your priority - for me when camping I like space for drying wet gear, protection from the elements and comfort to get a good rest during a trip not a complete compromise and complicated uncomfortable living conditions. While your there I would cable lock your tent tightly onto the bike so it does not go walkies when your in a Kafe or garage
just checked on e bay there are 2 brand new force 10 mk 3s classic 2 man at £239 this is the smallest of this range but still a very good tent.And a mk4 3 man for £249.
Bye the way I aint connected with the seller in any way just looked them up out of interest nor do I own or use a force 10 just think they have some good points for the money. As do many others mind you.

Khyam Highlander Khyam - Quick Erect Tents and Camping Equipment is already being used by Walter en route, approaching the Russian Caucuses

Erects in under 20 seconds. Packs 0.8m wide (well within most seat/pannier width). Weighs 4.7Kg. Could sleep 3, so for 1 or 2 there is plenty of space.

I will be using the same when I join the central and eastern Russia sections.

Chris S joins at the Pacific for the BAM rail track ride back and on through Kazakhstan, China and Tibet. Not sure what he is using.

Sibirsky Extreme » Sibirsky Extreme Project

I love my Kyham. When it's raining you can be inside it in seconds. However, on a recent visit to Tan Hill it was impossible to put it up in the gale force winds up there. Two of us tried but it was impossible to snap the legs together and hang onto it. At one point it blew away down the field! Other tents, Hillerberg tunnels, geodesic domes and even a tipee managed to get erected. It's just worth thinking about if your expecting strong winds on the Russian steps.

Interesting to hear about those Khyams being unerectable in very strong winds. In principle they're a great idea. I suspect many tents would be difficult to get up in those conditions, especially alone.

I looked at those two tents you mentioned Ken and they both look very small to me, especially if you plan to be camping most nights. I'd pick the Aztec. 950 made some good points about space too, tho I was using Force 10s 30 years ago. Too many miserable, orange-tinted memories in the Llanberis Pass waiting for the weather to clear. They will last of course but you can't pitch on sand or rock - and try packing and drying a wet Force 10 (cotton btw, not canvas).
IMO tent design has much improved in that time and the cost has come right down. The cross-pole geodesic arrangement gives much more space than F 10 ridge pole (if less rigidity in high winds in which case use guy lines). And it stands peg free on concrete and be moved around and erected easily. That's the best thing about it. I never bother with guy lines with these types of tents.
I just gave away my £45/7kg! Vango Delta 300 to the neighbours for their summer hols. Much more room for similar weight and quarter price of a Vango. But just as bulky for a bike. The price of tents starts to rocket as lightness is added (along with strength for high winds). Not so critical for bikers as mountaineers and i think many people over estimate how often they will camp.
I also recently provided Quechua '2-second' flip-out tents. Very nice tent for £12 (reduced), but not much porch and too awkward packed for a bike (or anything else TBH). A tent like that owes you nothing - all it has to do is survive.

A couple of years ago I rented an REI tent that had many great features:
REI Half Dome 2 HC Tent at REI.com
Use inner only against insects, use outer only for space - use both for warmth. A bit of porch space for wet bike gear. Outer erects first - handy in rain (and it hammered it down where I was for days). A very clever 2.6kg tent for 160 bucks - not that it's much good knowing that in the UK.

Have a look at what Les at Travel Dri Plus sells. My book says from £30 which is off the mark these days; between £100-150 ought to get you a decent RTW tent if you look after it. Using a bit of tarp under the sewn-in ground sheet is a good idea as they are usually very thin these days and get a lot of wear and tear. Let us know.

Ch

I have to say my personal view of the Khyam tents is not great, the idea is good and in moderate circumstances they seem fine but I have seen the joints fail - just too complicated for being something to rely on more so in an extreme environment where you are relying on your gear, keep it simple and decent quality as chris says the ability to put a freestanding geodisic type up on harder ground is a big plus. Shame you have left it so late to look into your tent and what best suits to just a few weeks before you go. Good luck with it and have a great trip.

flexi poles
 

If you decide to go for a tent with flexible poles, it is better to get one with alloy poles. The cheaper tents have fibreglass poles which break easily and are less stable in wind. Alloy poles can also be repaired in the field more easily. I would alos have a look at how the tent pitches. I have a Terra Nova which pitches inner first. In hot, dry conditions you can just use the inner and stay much cooler, but in the rain it means the inner gets wet as you pitch the tent. I also have a Vaude which goes up fly and inner together, which is good in the rain, and also allows the inner to be unclipped to give more living space. With this tent I also have a "footprint", basically an extra groundsheet to go under the tent. It protects the lightweight groundsheet on the inner and gives coverage in the storage area under the fly.

Hi

Thanks everybody for the advice , in the end I went for a 4 season Aztec equina plus tent which seemed a good compromise ie alloy poles 5000mm hydrostatic head but =1Kilo which I will just have to live with. For rock and sand I'm going to use weight to keep the tent upright and wedge the poles , in Spain I encountered a camp site that had flat solid concrete tent pitches and managed to put two poles on the bike , and two pole ends against a wall and fire extinguishers , I think I'll bring along some canvas bags to fill with rocks or sand if I need to keep the poles upright.

Space isn't too bad as I'm going to be using by myself.

Say Chris I saw you on a repeat of Scrap heap challenge the other day you appear on TV to be completely different from my preconceptions I got from your books.:oops2:

Was chris the thing they needed to repair and make usable again ?

.. I'll bring along some canvas bags to fill with rocks or sand if I need to keep the poles upright.

Don't be a pikey (like me), get some proper Touratech Rock & Sand Tent Pole Support Bags - they're only 39.95 each (#5675667025-9).

Ch

Meh touratech , stick touratech or BMW on anything and the price increases massively.