Tent - One Person and Freestanding?

[bogiesan]

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.

[DaveB]

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.

[staehpj1]

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.

[Patco]

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.

[BikingBrian]

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

[Old Guy New Hobby]

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.

[Wirelizard]

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.

[bogiesan]

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.

[bogiesan]

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.

[BikingBrian]

I already pulled the trigger on that tent, but thanks for the tip, since I needed to get another tent for family camping too.....