Adventure Cycling Association Forum
Bicycle Travel => Gear Talk => Topic started by: BikingBrian on January 01, 2014, 12:45:36 am
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I'm in the market for a new tent. The primary consideration is that it's for one person (I don't want it too big/heavy) and freestanding (for camping opportunities which would preclude stakes). Most other considerations are secondary. Any suggestions?
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i know you said freestanding, but you might give this a look at: www.moosejaw.com
the terra nova zephyros 1; incredible price, additional 5% off with code: RMN5
i bought one mostly to use the fly as a tarp.
cheers!
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I have used a Hilleberg Allak for several years, but they have more compact models with the Soulo and the Unna - vestibule and no vestibule, respectively. They have more recently offering the same designs in a more light weight material too. Don'T go on their web site because you'll fall in love and be ruined for other tents that are all mere compromises for quality, features, durability etc.
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I went to REI this afternoon and I was intrigued by their Quarter Dome T1. It's called "semi-freestanding" which from what I can tell means that the tent is freestanding, but the fly would have to be staked. That's OK by me because if I need to be freestanding, it's probably on a concrete pad with a canopy above it. Or if I had to put the fly up, I could tie it to something rather than stake it. It was too close to closing time for me to ask someone at REI to set it up in the store, I may do so later.
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I've been pleased with my MSR Hubba for my solo tent. I also have an REI Half Dome as my two-fer, and like that, too. (Same tent as the Quarter Dome, mostly.)
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I normally recommend you get a tent advertised for one more person than you plan to have sleeping in it; for one person, get a two-man tent. It gives you room to wiggle, some extra room for "dump the load inside the tent when it's raining and then spread it out while keeping everything dry," and some room for gear. Do you really want to leave your camera in the bar bag, and risk it being stolen, when you might have room to keep it beside you?
Others may have different opinions, of course.
Two other recommendations: (1) Decide what you want, but try to stay flexible. Are you willing to spend $200, $300, $800? Can you carry an extra pound to save some of that? Two pounds? Do you want the lightest possible weight (probably a bivy sack), or are you hard over on stand-alone?
Once you've got initial answers to those questions, (2) go to an REI or similar store. Try to do it during a weekday, or early on a rainy weekend. Go through their selection, and try putting up the tents that match your criteria. You'll find some take an architecture degree to set up (how will you get that done in a rainy dusk?) and may be very light, and some are no-brainers but weigh more. If you're over 5'8" or so, crawl inside the erected tent. Ask yourself some questions: how do you fit (the REI tents usually have an "extra" version that'll fit taller people), how much room you have to sit up, and stretch out your arms (like you would putting warm clothes on in a cold morning). How easy is it to get out of the tent and fly in the dark when your bladder is really, really full; or to get back in without soaking everything in the tent when it's raining and blowing?
Pick out the tent you like best and buy it.
Once you've bought your tent, don't look at any tent sites or discussions -- especially this one! -- until you've toured with it for a week or two. By then you'll think more about the owl hooting over your head at 2:00 in the morning than about how you might have saved 2.75 ounces for only $55 more. There's always another choice you could have made. After you've built up a few memories with new gear, you won't care anymore. You'll end up happy and content, which was really your goal to begin with!
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I also like the N+1 approach. But if you're set on getting a one-person tent, I'd recommend getting one of the larger ones. Note that the larger tents are not necessarily the heavier ones, but the lighter tents are usually the more expensive ones.
REI lists 17 one-person tents, 14 of which are freestanding. They range in price from $130 to $400. They range in square footage from 16 to 28, with vestibules from 4 to 10 square feet, and weight from 1 pound 10 ounces to 3 pounds 10 ounces. Pay more attention to the "packaged weight" rather than the "minimum weight". What you carry will be somewhere in between, but probably closer to the packaged weight.
I think a good overall compromise is the Marmot Eos 1 at $250, 2 pounds 7 ounces (minimum) or 2 pounds 13 ounces (packaged), 21 square feet with 7.85 square feet of vestibule.
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In addition to a bivy sack, my current tents are the Sierra Designs Lookout CD (which I've used for 2 people) and a Kelty Zen (which I've used solo, but it's not freestanding). Looking back at the specs, their advertised capacities are really N+1. So I'll expand my search to 2 person tents. BTW, I'm also tall at 6'2", so that may play into tent selection. It also needs to be able to fit my long version of the NeoAir XLite sleeping pad, which is 77" in length.
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First, understand that "free standing" does not mean no stakes. My tent, which I like,
https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Tent/SeedhouseSL1,
needs stakes to be usuable, while meeting the industry definition of free standing.
As to two person tent for one, I have had a number of two person tents for mostly solo use; I am more happy with the one person tent above.
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another vote for the Hubba Hubba
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"Big Agnes" or "Hubba Hubba" are both popular tents. Do you suppose the very cool names have something to do with it? Mine is the Hubba Hubba, and it has served me well. Their customer service is great. I packed my fly wet and left it too long. When I finally unpacked it, there were ugly dots of mold all over the fly. The company was very helpful in getting me a new fly without buying the whole tent.
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BTW, I'm also tall at 6'2", so that may play into tent selection. It also needs to be able to fit my long version of the NeoAir XLite sleeping pad, which is 77" in length.
Definitely try the tents. In several tents I was brushing the head and foot when I lay down. Just like the time in the Tetons when the mosquitos were chewing my feet because they were up against the side walls.
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A little more info would help. What's your budget? How many consecutive nights are you looking at sleeping in the tent? What part of the country will it be used? Stuff like that.
So, with that said, if you're planning on spending more than a couple weeks on the road, then like others have said, a 2-person would be the way to go. Having a place to spread out at the end of the day or when the weather turns is worth the weight penalty. Big Agnes is a quality company and you can get a 2P that weighs less than some 1Ps, but they are spendy.
If you're going to be using the tent in a humid or wet environment, check reviews to make sure it's well ventilated and dry.
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PDLamb gave great advice. My wife and I exclusively use 3-person tents (REI or Big Agnes) for bike touring. For the extra pound (or less over a 2-person tent) we have much more moving about space and headroom. However I am just under 5'6" and my wife is a bit shorter so I use the length of the tent for storing gear. At 6'2" you will need the length to be comfortable. I would look at the head room and length of the tent and not worry so much about weight. I doubt if you will find this in a one-person tent. Perhaps you will.
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For comfort I've always taken the N+1 advice a bit further and recommend 2*N as a size to get. For 2 people I want a 4-person tent. That can get either heavy or expensive or both but it assures you aren't continually bumping into each other and gives space for your needed gear inside with you. I've camped with two of us in what was advertised as a 3-person tent and three of us in a 4-person tent and it was really crowded.
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I'm in the market for a new tent. The primary consideration is that it's for one person (I don't want it too big/heavy) and freestanding (for camping opportunities which would preclude stakes). Most other considerations are secondary. Any suggestions?
Bivvy.
Super light.
Not free-standing, it just lies there.
No room for your stuff, just you.
Expensive.
Maybe add a sil-nylon tarp to the kit for extended canopy and to cover the gear you're not going to get into your bivvy.
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Bivvy.
Super light.
Not free-standing, it just lies there.
No room for your stuff, just you.
Expensive.
Maybe add a sil-nylon tarp to the kit for extended canopy and to cover the gear you're not going to get into your bivvy.
Also claustrophobic as all get out. The joy of light weight goes away fast the first time you have two days of non-stop rain.
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I have been pretty happy with a bivy and tarp or bug bivy and tarp depending on the expected conditions. Either combination can pretty easily be at about a pound even with stakes and cords. Since I sleep in a mummy bag whether in a tent, bivy, or out in the open, I don't really see the bivy as claustrophobic. In many locales I sleep on top of the bivy 80% or more of the time anyway.
I might take a tent if going somewhere that it is very likely to be wet day after day, but a couple days of rain a few times on a long tour is not that big of an issue. Worst case getting a room once in a while is an option on most tours. On multi-week or multi-month tours a room once in a while is nice anyway.
I have never regretted choosing the bivy tarp combination. I don't use the tarp that often, but at 7 ounces I usually carry it just in case.
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I have travelled with a two person tent, freestanding, for the extra room but on my last trip I opted for a single person tent that would pack smaller and lighter. I went with Big Agnes' Copper Spur UL1. Packs small, less than three pounds with footprint, and while not as spacious as the two person tent, it was okay (I am 6 feet tall). Easy to set up and I was comfortable during those times when nature decided to become rowdy, but I did stake the tent when there was any hint of inclement weather. Okay vestibule.
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Since my latest tour plans include the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, my thoughts have swung towards a bigger tent, in case I'm in there for a while due to rain. I'm considering the Sierra Designs Vapor Light series, last year's models are on closeout at REI Outlet. They meet my desire to be freestanding, yet the weight isn't too bad. Since I'm 6'2", the 2 XL seems attractive for tall people. Any experience with these series of tents?
http://www.rei.com/product/866521/sierra-designs-vapor-light-2-xl-tent-2013-closeout
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I wouldn't wait too long. A couple of years ago, I got my tent at a great price by buying an older models on clearance at LL Bean. I put it in my basket, but didn't buy it that day. The next day, I came back to find it was no longer available. I called them. Because it was already in my basket, they sent me the last one. I conclude that the quantities are limited and this is a very popular way to buy equipment.
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MSR's Hubba Hubba 2-person lightweight tent was just re-released as the Hubba Hubba NX. Similar to the Big Anges Jackrabbit SL2, slightly lighter but slightly more expensive.
I haven't had the chance to actually use it yet, except for a test setup in the basement, but I did carry it home from the store on my bike and you can't beat the packed size and weight. The stuff sack it comes with has compression straps built right in, too, so especially if you take the poles out to carry elsewhere (strapped to your bike's top tube or elsewhere on the frame or rack, perhaps) the tent, fly and groundsheet can be compressed down to an impressively small volume. The Jackrabbit has a more conventional stuff sack, so the extra expense of a third-party compression sack pretty much covers the price difference between the two tents.
As a bonus, MSR's footprints (groundsheets) are about half the price of their BA equivalent.
I'll also add to the "go with N+1" when purchasing a tent; even the two-person jobs like the NX or Jackrabbit really aren't that big, especially if you have gear you want to store under cover as well.
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Bivvy.
Super light.
Not free-standing, it just lies there.
No room for your stuff, just you.
Expensive.
Maybe add a sil-nylon tarp to the kit for extended canopy and to cover the gear you're not going to get into your bivvy.
Also claustrophobic as all get out. The joy of light weight goes away fast the first time you have two days of non-stop rain.
Of course. That's why you have the tarp. Getting stuck in a two- or three-day storm is a risk we all face when touring completely self-supported. If you're gong to go nuts in bivvy with a surround of tarp-protected space,you will probably still go nuts in a tent, even a large tent. Have you ever read the journals of Everest and K2 climbers who share a tent with two to ten other people for five or six days, completely socked in by raging storms? Compared to that situation, a solo bivvy in a thunderstorm is paradise. It's all relative.
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Since my latest tour plans include the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, my thoughts have swung towards a bigger tent, in case I'm in there for a while due to rain. I'm considering the Sierra Designs Vapor Light series, last year's models are on closeout at REI Outlet. They meet my desire to be freestanding, yet the weight isn't too bad. Since I'm 6'2", the 2 XL seems attractive for tall people. Any experience with these series of tents?
http://www.rei.com/product/866521/sierra-designs-vapor-light-2-xl-tent-2013-closeout
If you haven't pulled the trigger on your purchase, and you appear to be an REI member, check the REI Outlet Deal o' the Day. Just today they had a killer deal on a Kelty tent. But they only have tents on this super discount about four times a year.
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I already pulled the trigger on that tent, but thanks for the tip, since I needed to get another tent for family camping too..... ;D