Hi Craig, I've got a Vango Tempest 200 ( the two person one )and have used it regularly for the last 2 years in the UK and abroard. I think it's a great choice for a one person motorcycle touring tent. It's very waterproof, holds up well in strong winds, it's a doddle to put up ( 3-4 minutes max) it's light ( weighs 6lb dry), it's proved to be great in cold weather ( i've slept in mine down to -6 degrees C ) it's small ( fits in Touratech aluminium panniers / any soft luggage ) it's robust (we've used ours for countless short trips and there's no sign of wear etc) it's got really handy pockets running along the inside along the length of the tent to keep stuff organised. The front part of the tent is ideal for leaving wet gear in to save bringing it into the tent and is also big enough to use to cook in. Here's a picture of my wife ( doing a Ninja impression ) in the P***ng rain on Exmoor earlier this month.
Hope this is of some help - if you would like anymore pics PM me and I'll email them over, have fun on your trip.
Mike

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I've had a Wild Country Ilanos for several years now and it's proved to be an excellent cheap (ish) solo biking tent. It's a 'two' person tent but you'd want to be pretty friendly with whoever you were sharing it with, which makes it a good size for one without being overly heavy. It packs nice and small and has proved nicely weather proof until recently (it's getting a bit long in the tooth now and needs replaced). Mine cost circa £100. It also has aluminium poles, which is definately a good thing. Fibre glass poles are rubbish and should be avoided.
Not absolutely sure they still make it but it would be worth doing a google search for.

Matt

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

They do still make it, and for a bargain price here too:

Wild Country New Ilanos - SS06 - Massive Discounts at www.Gear-Zone.co.uk

By the way, it's an inner pitch first tent, but like others here I have never found this to be a problem. The tent goes up so quick you've got the outer on before it can get seriously wet.

Other good points are that it is free standing so can be pitched easily on sand and can be moved very easily. It can also be pitched with just the inner on hot dry nights.

Matt

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Thanks for that. The reason the Vango Tempest appealed was because of it's low price and that it does have aluminium poles. Also, I can actually see one at a dealer near me before I buy. Regarding extra space, I think if I was to go for this tent, I'd go for the 3-man bearing in mind the advice given in previous posts and there seems to be only a minor size/weight penalty.

Hi:

Bit of an old thread I know but I though I'd chip in. I agree with motorbike mike. I've just purchased a Vango Tempest 200. It's a good little tent ideal for solo touring.

I had originally purchased the Vango Beta 250 because of the big porch area but it is very big when it's up - more than sufficient for a solo rider - but it has quite a large pack size. Conversely the Tempest has a much smaller pack size so it's ideal for solo touring! In the end I sold my unused and brand new Vango Beta 250 to the neighbour for car camping.

Although the Tempest 200 claims to be 2 man in practicality it would be a struggle. It's perfect for one, with more than enough room for the solo tourer. One man tents/bivvys are just too small, the beta 250 was too big but the Tempest 200 sits nicely in the goldilocks zone. The porch area, whilst not huge, is big enough to stow packed up gear.

The Banshee is not bad but You lose even more vestibule space and I've heard it can leak when the fly bows in the rain to touch the inner, which is a recipe for a wet night. Of course efficient pitching can eliminate this but the pack size is bigger than the Tempest.

I would advise making a footprint though as the ground sheet is quite thin. It'll be fine for campsites with nice turf but in the woods caution needs to be taken. The cheapest place I found for the Tempest was at Best-Buys at £80 they even do free postage!

I'll be using mine for stealth camping too so the colour is ideal, I will be changing out the bright orange ropes for OD para cord though. Hope this is helpful to someone.

xXx

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I have just bought a tempest 300.I have only used it twice but so far it seems fine.Having used very small tents for too many years I went with a bit larger one this time and think that I made the right choice.I would agree about using a footprint as the groundsheet is quite thin.Next on the shopping list is a tarp I reckon

Hey TD:

I've had a good look for ready made footprints for the Tempest range with no luck, so if you find one let me know.

Have ordered a tarp, webbing and grommet kit off ebay - all in for about £15 - so I'm gonna make one when it all arrives, hopefully the weather will hold off so I can make it before the HU meet in 10 days.

xXx

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