Tents
 

Hi there all!Any suggestion on a suitable tent for a RTW starting next year?I'm 6ft tall and would really like one that would enable me to stand upright. to remove wet clothing ???? TED

trand, have you had a look at khyams tents? I dont know about one tall enough to stand up in and yet still be ok in size to pack on a bike but they make lots of different sizes. I bought their "pop up" igloo tent years ago and love it as they go up so quick, actually in seconds, which to me is one of the most important things after a long days ride and you are tired etc. and especially if it is also raining. The last thing one wants is to p**ss around putting a tent up in the rain!

I use a Eureka Timberline 2 - Outfitter, a 2 person self supporting A frame tent.

The Outfitter portion of it means that it has heavy duty zippers and a 4 oz. oxford nylon floor.

This tent is also available as a Timberline 4 and 6.

As far as I'm concerned a 2 person tent is a one person tent, by the time you store your gear. Like wise, a 4 person is a 2 person tent.

Check them out at: http://www.jwa.com/camping/eureka/eureka.html




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Alex

Alex's BMW Motorcycle & Global Touring Page http://www.ott.igs.net/~ace

Check out http://www.fjallraven.se/en/products.htm

http://www.fjallraven.se/autumn/bild/medium/52240.jpg

This isn't what you were asking for, since it certainly doesn't have any standing room. But it's still a great, strong, lightweight, and compact tent for two persons at 2900g. It'll stand up to a LOT of wind, and is plenty long enough for me to sleep in (6'2"). I've still got space in both ends for putting stuff. We've had this tent for years, and now that we've got two kids we're considering buying one more instead of carrying a single large tent to sleep all four.

I'd think a tent which gives you standing headroom would be a bit large for packing on a bike, though.


[This message has been edited by OyvindSn (edited 30 July 2001).]

Forget standing up in it, way too heavy. What's more important is good ventilation for hot nights.

We use a sierra Designs Sphinx 3, a 3 man tent with almost the entire top half mosquito netting instead of solid nylon. Excellent venting. There is of course a fly on top of that. Still too hot when it's really bad, but a lot better than most tents. We've never had a problem with warm enough - can always toss riding gear on top of sleeping bags, and we wear silk longs for riding anway when it's cold, and that's good enough.

I know mosquito net top sounds silly when you're in Britain, but when you're in the Sahara or SE Asia or Australia or.... you'll be very thankful!

And if it's nice out, and reasonably private, you can leave the fly off. Great view!

Main thing is lightweight and simplicity to set it up. The fewer pegs the better, free-standing is ideal, with a few to hold it on the ground when needed. Ours will free stand, but the fly should be pegged out for best results. Ventilation is next most important.


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Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Agree with Grants comments. simple pegless set is important when you just want to crawl in and crash out - and for RTW you will want a quality brand.
I just used a spacious 30 pound tent bought from Macro cash and carry, Cheap and bulky - a zip bust straight away, sewed in a new one and it did the job fine and was a pleasure to sit in while the other guys used ultralight 1 mans. Could not stand in mine though and floppy in high wind without guys. Also condensation was really bad - I slept with it open when possible (mozzie screen up) but with the dew or rain + cond', it was soaking to pack - who cares for 30 quid but as G says - good ventialtion would minimise this.


Chris S

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Author of Sahara Overland and the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, among other things

http://www.sahara-overland.com

After intense research here in California (I did not look at European brands), I finally settled on the REI Taj 3 tent for a 2-persons RTW trip. The Taj is the tallest, largest, and almost the lightest of the 3 persons tents I saw. Besides it looks like it is the cheapest too ($240). Excellent reviews on outdoorreview.com.

http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce...rfnbr=11278416

I'll tell you in a couple of years what I really think about it.

Hi, buy a Khyam one touch tent, these are absolutly the dogs gonads, after a long days ride it only takes the missus a minute or two to have the tent up and the beds made, we used one on an 18 month trip from UK to Australia and slept in it for 7 months altogether, that was '93-95, I have since used it on holidays and rallies and finally replaced it with a new Khyam this year for a trans Africa trip, Honest, Buy one you will not be disapointed in it, it's stood up to major golf ball sized hail, gale forced winds, snow, and lots of heat, the zips finally gave out last year and it turned out only £40.00 more for a new tent so that's why I replaced it after 9 years hard use. Sorry to ramble but all other tents are pants compared to Khyam.