Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => Camping It Up => Topic started by: eck on 04 November, 2015, 08:18:52 am
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Hi, I'm considering some cycle camping next summer and need a one-person tent, of which my knowledge is scant!
This is for sale "elsewhere", and I wondered if, at £80 posted including the footprint is a reasonable prospect. The seller says it has only been used for a couple of weeks
http://www.eurekaeurope.com/p/spitfire-solo (http://www.eurekaeurope.com/p/spitfire-solo)
Any other suggestions for a suitable not-too expensive tent would be welcome.
Thanks.
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Not a brand I know. Personally, I prefer a two man tent for solo camping, so all the luggage can be safely and comfortably stowed.
I note that Blacks have the Octane 2 in their sale, as well as the Vango Mirage, Banshee & Tempest, Robens Lodge & Wild Country Zephyros all at, or just above, the £100 mark.
http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/tents-camping/tents/2-person-tents/
http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/tents-camping/tents/1-person-tents/
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Hi, I'm considering some cycle camping next summer and need a one-person tent, of which my knowledge is scant!
This is for sale "elsewhere", and I wondered if, at £80 posted including the footprint is a reasonable prospect. The seller says it has only been used for a couple of weeks
http://www.eurekaeurope.com/p/spitfire-solo (http://www.eurekaeurope.com/p/spitfire-solo)
Any other suggestions for a suitable not-too expensive tent would be welcome.
Thanks.
I'm replacing my cycle camping tent too eck!
I'd agree with the two-person tent for solo cycle camping, it doesn't have to add much weight or pack size and it's worth it to store your gear comfortably. Actually, lots of people have offered to lend me their tents to try out, so I haven't spent any money yet - but now is a good time to buy, lots of end of season tent sales.
mcshroom and I both took Coleman tents on our Scottish tour recently, and were very pleased with how they performed. Mine has died of old age now, but I had it for four years and it wasn't expensive, so I think I got good value from it, including camping in the snow in Northumberland in February.
Enjoy surfing all the tent porn!
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The Rolls Royce of tents for your purpose is, in my view the Hilleberg Nallo 2. it will cost you though. Having said that, I have seen some allegedly hardly used ones on Ebay for £450.
Terra Nova do some damned good tents and if you can find an old Terra Nova tent to send back to them, you can get a very significant discount. Can't remember the details but a few minutes exploring their website will be well rewarded.
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http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tents-and-spares/all-tents/zephyros-1-tent-grade-a/
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Hi eek,
I have the Wild Country Zephros 1. I slightly think I should have bought the Zephros 2, as it is the same footprint (outer) but has a slightly bigger (wider) inner. You are very welcome to borrow mine for a while if you want to try it out a few times. I think I have camped out in it 3 - 4 times and it stands up very well under high winds. Its big enough for me to lye out fully in, has space at head and foot for pannier storage outside the inner, and room (mine is the 1 person remember) for cooking stuff at the side of the inner. The inner has enouhg room for me to sit up, in the centre, in for dressing it she midge storm is looming outside. I bought after market tent pegs as those supplied are a bit rubbish.
Let me know if you want to take me up on the offer, and I can have it ready for you when you are passing - to visit your family in the Burgh, next.
Dave C
p.s. I watched a very interesting online video of the cheep tent Aldi sold in the summer for £19.00. It looked good though the guy said the sewing was rubbish and suggested a few ways of improving it with the use of a sewing machine etc...
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I cycle-camp happily in a Hilleberg Akto (with the critical disclaimer that it's tall enough for me to sit up on a Downmat in). It's a single-person tent with enough porch and inner space for all your stuff, though it helps to keep things organised in panniers/stuffsacks - if you're inclined to scatter all your stuff around you randomly and ferret through it, a larger tent is probably worthwhile.
One of the key advantages of the Akto is that it's fast to pitch and laughs in the face of Weather.
Terra Nova make some very competent Akto clones...
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I'm also in the market for a new 2-person light bikepacking tent after my faithful old tent died a death on my last trip. I'd had it since I was 16, and today is my 51st birthday so I reckon we'd had our money's worth. It was High Country by Ultimate Equipment (anybody else remember them?), a transverse ridge in the mould of a Robert Saunders design.
Fabrics have moved on a lot since then and there are some tasty offerings out there. My current top candidate is the Luxe Minipeak, which had lots of thumbs up when this topic was last aired here.
See: http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/shelters-1/WF126.html
and: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyICxrkuaCI for the previous siliconised model
Review comments from real live actual users very welcome.
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The Rolls Royce of tents for your purpose is, in my view the Hilleberg Nallo 2. it will cost you though. Having said that, I have seen some allegedly hardly used ones on Ebay for £450.
Terra Nova do some damned good tents and if you can find an old Terra Nova tent to send back to them, you can get a very significant discount. Can't remember the details but a few minutes exploring their website will be well rewarded.
At the other end of the spectrum, how cheap can you go before the VFM equation tends to zero?
I'm also in the market for a cycle-camping tent that will serve both me solo and me and Mrs P.
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At the other end of the spectrum, how cheap can you go before the VFM equation tends to zero?
The now legendary ProAction 1-person tents that Argos were selling for a little over 20 quid a few years back. Packs small and properly lightweight, admirably waterproof, fiddly to pitch, a bit small (porch is enough for your shoes), bright orange and freezing in the wind.
Hard to beat in VFM terms.
Any lower than that and you're into 'festival' tents, whose main feature is that you won't be too concerned when they're trampled into the mud by drunk people.
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The Rolls Royce of tents for your purpose is, in my view the Hilleberg Nallo 2. it will cost you though. Having said that, I have seen some allegedly hardly used ones on Ebay for £450.
Terra Nova do some damned good tents and if you can find an old Terra Nova tent to send back to them, you can get a very significant discount. Can't remember the details but a few minutes exploring their website will be well rewarded.
At the other end of the spectrum, how cheap can you go before the VFM equation tends to zero?
I'm also in the market for a cycle-camping tent that will serve both me solo and me and Mrs P.
My Coleman tent cost me £80 and as I said above I got very good value out of it. Their current equivalent is on sale at Milletts at the moment for £79.00
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Hi, I'm considering some cycle camping next summer and need a one-person tent, of which my knowledge is scant!
This is for sale "elsewhere", and I wondered if, at £80 posted including the footprint is a reasonable prospect. The seller says it has only been used for a couple of weeks
http://www.eurekaeurope.com/p/spitfire-solo (http://www.eurekaeurope.com/p/spitfire-solo)
Any other suggestions for a suitable not-too expensive tent would be welcome.
Thanks.
I would ask the seller for a picture of the tent in its current condition, or inspect it yourself. If it was pitched in strong sunlight for a couple weeks (as on a vacation to southern Europe or the southwestern US), the UV light could well have caused substantial deterioration of the tent fabric. If it was pitched in a shadier environment, or taken down most mornings and pitched again at night, it should be in much better condition. That tent retails for ~ £130 new with the footprint, so £80 is definitely as much as I would spend for a used one.
Eureka is a US brand with a long history of providing good entry level, value for money tents. I wouldn't use one for extreme conditions or a round the world cycle tour, but for someone just trying camping/trekking/cycle camping for the first time Eureka tents are a good choice.
Joining the chorus at the upper end of the price spectrum, Hilleberg will be introducing a solo 3 season tent called the Niak 1.5 in early 2016. The main tent is free standing, which is nice for wild camping, and the vestibule is staked out. Hilleberg also makes a 3 season solo tent called the Enan, which is lighter but not freestanding.
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Last year was my first attempt at cycle touring. I bought a small one man tent for the holiday. Go Outdoors are still selling them.
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/north-ridge-col-lite-backpacking-tent-p287260 (http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/north-ridge-col-lite-backpacking-tent-p287260)
Cannot fault the tent itself, but it was just far too small. The bedroom was just about sleeping bag size and the porch was not big enough for all of my luggage. I sold it after the holiday.
For this year's I bought a Coleman Caucasus 2, two man tent. It is quite a bit heavier than I would have ideally liked but not much more than others I considered. The big benefits are that there is a lot more room in the bedroom and it has a big porch area for cooking and storage. Very pleased with it, quick and easy to pitch, waterproof.
http://www.coleman.eu/uk/p-26291-caucasus-2.aspx (http://www.coleman.eu/uk/p-26291-caucasus-2.aspx)
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That North Ridge (I think that's Gelert's current trade name) is very like my old Coleman Viper, which was a great little tent, but let down by a leaky groundsheet after a few years. Blacks have a similar design to that in the Octane one for a similar price.
I've happened to end up with two colement tents in a row for cycle touring. My current tent is a Coleman Cobra 2, which is very similar in design to the Vango Banshee 200. It, like Ruthie's X2 survived some pretty rough winds and a heavy overnight storm while riding round Scotland. It's a little flappy in the wind but stable enough.
I'll add another voice to the '2 person tent for single rider' brigade. It's useful to have the extra space. I'd also recommend scaling up at least a person if you share a tent, as neither my, nor Ruthie's tent would have fitted two downmats in at the foot end.
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I've got a TerraNova Laser Competition 2, which I really like. I think the Zephyros 2 is the same, but a bit heavier and more robust and seems to be available at really low prices currently. With a footprint you can leave the inner behind and use it like an enclosed tarp. All good stuff.
I was a bit disappointed when I realised that they don't make them (these anyway) in Alfreton anymore.
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I have a Eureka Moonshaddow. I'm very happy with the quality of it, less so the minimalist design - its known as The Coffin for a very good reason.
Looking at the Spitfire, I'm impressed that there appears to be sitting height, and @ 110 cm its not that narrow for a solo tent. I like small tents that have the side opening.
Less good, its pitched inner first without the possibility of leaving inner and outer connected. It means that the inner will get wet if pitching in the rain.
Have you looked at the Vango Banshee 200 or 300? We have these for the Explorers and they are reasonable price and have survived 3 years so far.
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At the other end of the spectrum, how cheap can you go before the VFM equation tends to zero?
The now legendary ProAction 1-person tents that Argos were selling for a little over 20 quid a few years back. Packs small and properly lightweight, admirably waterproof, fiddly to pitch, a bit small (porch is enough for your shoes), bright orange and freezing in the wind.
I have 2. Green, not orange and only cost me £15 each. Main flaw is the fly zip is weak and prone to damage if you zip up when the fly is tight.
They have the best-quality poles I've ever seen on any tent, pitch very easily and quickly once you know how and will stand up to a raging hurricane. The porch is big enough for several pairs of shoes and the tent is really quite long so lots of storage space inside.
Not sure why you say they are freezing in the wind, cause mine are as well sealed as any tent I've ever seen. I'd think we were talking about different tents except mine are definitely Pro-action-1 from Argos.
Did they have two different designs? I think I'm going to have to erect mine and take pictures.
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At the other end of the spectrum, how cheap can you go before the VFM equation tends to zero?
The now legendary ProAction 1-person tents that Argos were selling for a little over 20 quid a few years back. Packs small and properly lightweight, admirably waterproof, fiddly to pitch, a bit small (porch is enough for your shoes), bright orange and freezing in the wind.
Hard to beat in VFM terms.
I bought one of those for about £15 (new) for my first cycle camping trip. It is incredibly light, partly because it's single skin, which means it suffers from condensation. When I got back I stuck it on ebay and got £20 for it, so I guess the VFM ratio tends to infinity.
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There are some great tent offers on the web at the moment. Yeoman's are doing the Coleman Caucasus 3 for £99 less £25 if you type in their code. http://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/camping.aspx/tents/2-4-man-tents/green/coleman/caucasus-300-tent/53017205015#.Vjsr15BFDcs
That is half the normal price for a tent that is pretty good.
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At the other end of the spectrum, how cheap can you go before the VFM equation tends to zero?
The now legendary ProAction 1-person tents that Argos were selling for a little over 20 quid a few years back. Packs small and properly lightweight, admirably waterproof, fiddly to pitch, a bit small (porch is enough for your shoes), bright orange and freezing in the wind.
Hard to beat in VFM terms.
I bought one of those for about £15 (new) for my first cycle camping trip. It is incredibly light, partly because it's single skin, which means it suffers from condensation. When I got back I stuck it on ebay and got £20 for it, so I guess the VFM ratio tends to infinity.
OK, that is definitely nothing like my pro-action-1 tent! (which is double-skin, inner-pitch first)
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At the other end of the spectrum, how cheap can you go before the VFM equation tends to zero?
The now legendary ProAction 1-person tents that Argos were selling for a little over 20 quid a few years back. Packs small and properly lightweight, admirably waterproof, fiddly to pitch, a bit small (porch is enough for your shoes), bright orange and freezing in the wind.
Hard to beat in VFM terms.
I bought one of those for about £15 (new) for my first cycle camping trip. It is incredibly light, partly because it's single skin, which means it suffers from condensation. When I got back I stuck it on ebay and got £20 for it, so I guess the VFM ratio tends to infinity.
OK, that is definitely nothing like my pro-action-1 tent! (which is double-skin, inner-pitch first)
Mine is also double-skin and pitches inner first... Ah, found a photo[1]:
(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/YACFcamping09/IMG_1864.sized.jpg)
Perhaps I'm unfairly comparing it to the Akto wrt space and warmth (the warmth issue is mostly about the fly not reaching the ground).
The porch is indeed big enough for several pairs of shoes, but you only generally have the one. What it isn't really big enough for is panniers of stuff.
Agreed about the quality of the poles. It is in general admirably sturdy.
[1] The 2009 Andover weekend. Properly vintage, as I have a silly bike and crap panniers.
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similar but not identical to mine. The fly pitches to the ground in mine. I'll dig it out and put it up someday.
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It's bigger than a one-man tent, but someone on another forum I use is selling a Vaude Taurus 2 with footprint for £50. That is a stonking bargain. I've toured with mine and although it's advertised as a 3-man tent, you'd be very close buddies. It has loads of space, especially under the awning and I love the way mine can be pitched so quickly. I have no relationship to the seller.
http://www.c90club.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26820
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At the other end of the spectrum, how cheap can you go before the VFM equation tends to zero?
The now legendary ProAction 1-person tents that Argos were selling for a little over 20 quid a few years back. Packs small and properly lightweight, admirably waterproof, fiddly to pitch, a bit small (porch is enough for your shoes), bright orange and freezing in the wind.
Hard to beat in VFM terms.
I bought one of those for about £15 (new) for my first cycle camping trip. It is incredibly light, partly because it's single skin, which means it suffers from condensation. When I got back I stuck it on ebay and got £20 for it, so I guess the VFM ratio tends to infinity.
OK, that is definitely nothing like my pro-action-1 tent! (which is double-skin, inner-pitch first)
Mine is also double-skin and pitches inner first... Ah, found a photo[1]:
(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/YACFcamping09/IMG_1864.sized.jpg)
Perhaps I'm unfairly comparing it to the Akto wrt space and warmth (the warmth issue is mostly about the fly not reaching the ground).
The porch is indeed big enough for several pairs of shoes, but you only generally have the one. What it isn't really big enough for is panniers of stuff.
Agreed about the quality of the poles. It is in general admirably sturdy.
[1] The 2009 Andover weekend. Properly vintage, as I have a silly bike and crap panniers.
And just look at that stool - pre Helinox era! :D
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And just look at that stool - pre Helinox era! :D
It's a Coleman Exponent, and I used it as recently as Dufton, because I'd crammed my panniers with spare clothes (in anticipation of Weather) and didn't have room for the Helinox.
It's half the weight and a fraction of the packed volume of a Helinox, easier to get out of, more practical for cooking, but nowhere near as comfy for long-term lounging around. I prefer it if I'm going to be doing more cycling than hanging around on campsites, on the right tool for the job principle.
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Don't its feet^ sink into the ground too?
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Don't its feet^ sink into the ground too?
On soft ground, but the end plugs (not really ferrules) do at least stay firmly attached when you pull it out again.
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Hi, I'm considering some cycle camping next summer and need a one-person tent, of which my knowledge is scant!
This is for sale "elsewhere", and I wondered if, at £80 posted including the footprint is a reasonable prospect. The seller says it has only been used for a couple of weeks
http://www.eurekaeurope.com/p/spitfire-solo (http://www.eurekaeurope.com/p/spitfire-solo)
Any other suggestions for a suitable not-too expensive tent would be welcome.
Thanks.
I'm replacing my cycle camping tent too eck!
I'd agree with the two-person tent for solo cycle camping, it doesn't have to add much weight or pack size and it's worth it to store your gear comfortably. Actually, lots of people have offered to lend me their tents to try out, so I haven't spent any money yet - but now is a good time to buy, lots of end of season tent sales.
mcshroom and I both took Coleman tents on our Scottish tour recently, and were very pleased with how they performed. Mine has died of old age now, but I had it for four years and it wasn't expensive, so I think I got good value from it, including camping in the snow in Northumberland in February.
Enjoy surfing all the tent porn!
I have a Coleman tent which is excellent for dry summer use. The inner is mostly mesh of the "noseeum" variety but allows far too much ventilation if it's cold. In addition, it pitches inner first. The first time I pitched it, in the garden, it absolutely threw it down wth rain and it was more of a paddling pool than a tent. I think it was designed or the US summer market, where in some areas rain is not at all common.
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Yes, I would always go for pitch-in-one or fly-first pitching. Always.
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That^
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I'm also in the market for my first touring tent. Mostly will be using it for lightweight over nighters and weekends all year round.
My main question really is what is a reasonable weight for a lightweight tent?
The tents I've been looking at go up to about 2.3kg. I'm looking at the budget end of the market at the moment and current favourites includes Coleman Cobra 2 at £65, Wild Country Hoolie 2 £135, Vango Helix 200 £90 and Luxe Minipeak. Any others I should be looking at in that price range?
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I like my vango mirage 200 .freestanding and outer/both together pitching ☺
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Forget about the Cobra. It pitches inner first and the inner is mostly mesh. It's a great tent for summer use when you are sure the weather is going to be dry, but that's not much help in this country, especially when you are looking fora n all-year-round tent.
IN fact, a review I wrote is still available on line!
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/coleman/cobra/ I am Anonymous Hiker 22nd July 2004!
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Forget about the Cobra. It pitches inner first and the inner is mostly mesh. It's a great tent for summer use when you are sure the weather is going to be dry, but that's not much help in this country, especially when you are looking fora n all-year-round tent.
IN fact, a review I wrote is still available on line!
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/coleman/cobra/ I am Anonymous Hiker 22nd July 2004!
I don't think it does now. My cobra (c. 2011 vintage) pitches all in one
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I have the Vangoo Banshee 200 2014 model
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I have the Vangoo Banshee 200 2014 model
Me too. So far I've used it on a couple of Long Itch weekends.
It's pretty good. Room enough for me, the Brommy and bags (or just panniers if I use the big bike). The porch is big enough for the large Trangia, water bottle and bits and pieces and a pair of shoes. Lengthwise the tent is a bit tight so those over 6' need not apply. That it opens on both long sides is pretty useful for accessing bits and bobs. It can be pitched all-in-one or fly only which could be useful for lightweight bivvy-bag type camping. Pack size and weight is OK for solo cycle-camping.
I find the main drawback is not being able to sit upright in it at 5'9". Makes getting dressed a bit of a struggle!
Otherwise it's pretty good.
Having said that I found a cheap and basic Eurohike festival tent in the loft of my daughters that is fly + inner, 2 flexy poles and plastic groundsheet that weighs about the same, packs the same and offers more space .... and I can sit upright in it. Cost approx £25!
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I've got a Banshee 300 and while I've no problem sitting up in it, I do find it a bit tight lengthwise - with a thick mat it's really easy for your feet to push the inner and outer together and get your sleeping bag wet with condensation. If I'm using it solo, I sleep diagonally to avoid the issue, but not so good when there are two of you.
The 300 is ostensibly a 3-person tent, which means it's just big enough for two with some gear, and generous for one. While there are doors on both sides, only one has a porch (about the same as that on the 200), which means the other is out of bounds if it's wet (opening it will expose bedding to the sky). Again, not an issue if used solo.
The Banshees occasionally get heavily discounted in sales, which makes them very good value.
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Are there any suggestions for tents suitable for tall folks? At well over 6' most of the models I've looked at look like they'll be a tight squeeze; am I best off looking for nominal 3-person designs and sleeping diagonally?
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Sleeping diagonally doesn't fix the not-being-able-to-sit-upright problem. Ideally you want to be able to do that, sitting on your mat. Preferably with enough headroom that you won't unleash the condensation while getting undressed, but certainly enough to be able to sit and cook/eat/drink when it's wet without neck contortion.
Headroom seems to be at a premium in small tunnel tents, so you're either looking at the larger ones or non-tunnel designs.
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Are there any suggestions for tents suitable for tall folks? At well over 6' most of the models I've looked at look like they'll be a tight squeeze; am I best off looking for nominal 3-person designs and sleeping diagonally?
I've got a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2. I'm also a short-arse, but Phil had this to say about his in the review he wrote (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=84480.0):
However, for one person it's excellently roomy. One of the features that made me buy it was the high arch which provides extra head room. I'm 6', which isn't unusually tall, but I do struggle to find a tent in which I can sit up to drink water or kneel up to blow up an airbed. It's also wide enough for me to sleep without my toes touching the end, and someone taller than me could sleep diagonally across it for another few inches of room.
Not sure if that makes it long/high enough for "well over 6'", but, if it turns out American brands cater well for talls, then I suppose this weekend would be a good one to be looking for bargains to compensate for the shipping charges!
http://www.backcountry.com/rc/shelters-on-sale?p=category%3A2.bcs.Hike%5C+%5C%26%5C+Camp.Tents
http://www.backcountry.com/alps-mountaineering-tasmanian-2-tent-2-person-4-season?skid=ALM000F-COP-ONESIZ&ti=UExQIFJ1bGUgQmFzZWQ64oCcU2hlbHRlcnM6IE9uIFNhbGXigJ06MTo4Og== perhaps?
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I have an MSR Hubba HP which I rate as a pretty good tent, I'm 6ft tall with a "long back" (according to a physio) I can sit upright on a thick Exped sleeping mat.
Pyramid style tents are also worth a look if you are tall, I also have a Golite Shangri La 3 which is excellent, no longer available in the UK, but clones are available, checkout the backpackinglight.co.uk site. Bob the owner is 6'4" so he sells tents he can fit inside.
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I got my new tent! And it was delivered by cycle courier, which was marvellous 8) Naturally the tent needed a test erection, and I have no outside space to do this, so the kitchen it was.
Now, according to Vango, this tent can be erected in 15-20 minutes. So mcshroom and I devised a method to test this.
Our Sainsbury's Taste The Difference nut cutlets are supposed to cook in 20 minutes. So the tea went in the oven, and erecting commenced.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1640/25582091634_178a984461_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/EYAUzq)2016-04-02_01-20-55 (https://flic.kr/p/EYAUzq) by Ruth Irving (https://www.flickr.com/photos/106826773@N02/), on Flickr
20 minutes, on the dot. Working round the erection to put the nut cutlets, veg, and Yorkshire puddings together on plates was, er, entertaining, but it got done. It was a pretty good dinner!
Vango Nemesis 200. It's enormous. And 3.9kg. Erected size-to-weight ratio I think that's pretty good, because it's a 2-man tent that could actually be big enough for two people to go cycle camping in. I got a footprint too, hoping to make this tent last and last and last. And let's face it, I need to lose a lot more than 3.9kg off my fat arse, and if I can manage that, the weight of the load on the bike is cancelled out forthwith. The picture shows the porch folded right back, there's a good space for storage at each end of the tent, and doors at both ends of the tent in case of changes in wind direction.It's got a little hook to hang your light from, lots of internal pockets, and a mesh panel on the inner door. There are windows on the fly but I wasn't too bothered. It ticks all my boxes, and will bungee on the rack in my preferred fashion. A lovely touch is the oversized stuff bag. You can get the tent in its bag without too much difficulty. The joy of this is worth many camels.
Sorry for the over-use of the word 'erection'. It's been a long time, okay? ;)
eta: Here's a picture of the re-packed tent, with my hand on it for scale, though it's significantly foreshortened.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1708/25584464953_1b0667fff2_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/EYP55H)2016-04-02_01-39-39 (https://flic.kr/p/EYP55H) by Ruth Irving (https://www.flickr.com/photos/106826773@N02/), on Flickr
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Splendid - looks a great tent. Did you eat the nut cutlets off plastic plates sitting in the tent pretending it was raining outside but smug in the knowledge that you weren't going to get wet?
I've just had an erection in the back garden,but lacked your foresight to take pictures.....of the tent.
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I've been using a Banshee 200 but find it too short, I'd also like to be able to sit up so have just bought a Mirage 200 which looks the biz and comes in under 3kg, which is a tad heavier than I'd like but I prefer the comfort! Its also free standing, which can be useful at times, be able to pitch under shelter then move to a spot. the Banshee might be up for sale soon.
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I have a mirage 200 as well and am very pleased with it. It's next appearance should be at long Itchington in May and :)
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I have yet to use my new Octane in anger however the Banshee has served me well.
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I have yet to use my new Octane in anger however the Banshee has served me well.
Isn't yours a Banshee 300 like mine? That's a bit roomier than the 200, though I agree that the design is a bit lacking in length for tall people (or short people with thick mats). When I use it solo, I tend to sleep diagonally inside it so my feet don't get wet.
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Aye a 300 and agree with limited height issues which for me provide a challenge.* :-D ::-) But as a shelter in which to be dry and warm, very good. Anyone that recalls the tempest at Mildenhall last year will know that a tent that kept you dry and warm is of value. You will recall Kim that you pointed me at a somewhat bargainous purchase some few years ago. I think I paid £69 or £79. The only thing missing from the Banshee is a decent lobby.
*OK try changing your underwear in a limited space whilst suffering megga cramp with your legs in the air!
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Splendid - looks a great tent. Did you eat the nut cutlets off plastic plates sitting in the tent pretending it was raining outside but smug in the knowledge that you weren't going to get wet?
I've just had an erection in the back garden,but lacked your foresight to take pictures.....of the tent.
Mcshroom thought I'd want to spend the night on the kitchen floor to play in the new tent, but with a memory foam mattress and 400 thread count egyptian cotton sheets upstairs ... that's a no-brainer.
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Have gone for a MSR Hubba-Hubba. Very light (1720g) and has 2 small porch(es) for boots/bags. Nice features inside as pockets and gear hanger on top (well a few light bits)
But the real bonus is that you can buy a gear shed that doubles the footprint so if there are 2 of you with need of being tidy...
Personally I rather carry the extra weight (880gr - total 2600gr) so I can sit indoors and cook (well sticking out but with some shelter as no flame indoors) The Shed is not tall enough for sitting in if you are above 1.70 mt I guess but for the shorter people is an extra indoor area. Also have slept in the shed when 3 of us went backpacking in the hills, it is then only a single skin tent out there but as used to bivvy it is a luxury. Not cheap but the tent and shed can be purchased at different time to spread the cost.
It is rated 3 season, has took some rain but not foul weather yet but feels sturdy. Not in the same league of the top touring tents but a nice one.
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Splendid - looks a great tent. Did you eat the nut cutlets off plastic plates sitting in the tent pretending it was raining outside but smug in the knowledge that you weren't going to get wet?
I've just had an erection in the back garden,but lacked your foresight to take pictures.....of the tent.
Mcshroom thought I'd want to spend the night on the kitchen floor to play in the new tent, but with a memory foam mattress and 400 thread count egyptian cotton sheets upstairs ... that's a no-brainer.
Too right!
I'd have been severely tempted to sleep in the tent in the kitchen just for the slight surreality of it; like hiding under the table making believe it's a boat, castle or something, when you're a toddler. Or even to have taken the 400 thread count egyptian cotton sheets (and memory foam mattress, if only it would fit) into the domestically erectible space capsule, to enhance both the luxury and the surreality. And I'd have made sure to take a good book in there, which I'd have read by the light of a head torch or a candle, and if I'd needed anything in the night (like a sandwich or a cup of tea) then I'd have made sure to get it all by the light of the head torch or candle and eaten it in the tent (though I do try not to eat in a tent, cos crumbs, just like shoes off in the porchy bit, cos mud).
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lh76P4mbTCk/UdwemgKpSUI/AAAAAAAADM4/5CtilYJi5VY/s320/Maurice+Sendak+-+Where+The+Wild+Things+Are_Page_33.jpg)
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I'm after a new tent also and the Vango range is looking good.
Dithering between a Mirage 200, Halo 200 or Nemesis 200 for solo use.The Mirage is the smallest and lightest but sitting up will be a problem.
It's a shame my old tent is no longer in production - an Ultimate Tramp. I had this for close on 30 years before UV finally killed it off :(. The Mirage is closest in size to this I think.
I had a Eurohike 3 man tent for car camping which I thought would be rubbish. It was actually very good. After 20 years of faithful service I let my daughter borrow it for a DoE Exped - she wrecked it by packing it away wet (and not telling me until I got it out a couple of months later - the smell of mildrew was 'orrible).
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Another Coleman user here - mine's an Epsilon 2. As above, a 2-man tent to have space for kit.
It fits with a sleeping bag and an inflatable mat into one rear pannier.
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The Alpkit Ordos 2 looks interesting. Very lightweight (1.3kg) for a proper 2 person tent. I would use it on my own, so plenty of space for stuff. Apparently the latest version has improved waterproofing, and less mesh etc.
Anyone tried one?
https://www.alpkit.com/products/ordos-2
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The Alpkit Ordos 2 looks interesting. Very lightweight (1.3kg) for a proper 2 person tent. I would use it on my own, so plenty of space for stuff. Apparently the latest version has improved waterproofing, and less mesh etc.
Anyone tried one?
https://www.alpkit.com/products/ordos-2
Looks good, but inner pitch first :(
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I've just got a Vango Soul 200 (or something) for £30 from Millets (after discounts).
(http://i.imgur.com/Z8U6a1y.jpg)
Looks OK for something from the bargain basement end of camping. Certainly a lot lighter than last time I went camping (do you remember those orange Vangos?).
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Can't argue at that price. Usual rule of subtracting 1 from the number of persons applies, pitching inner first is annoying when it's wet and it's got that porch design that drips water on your head when you open the outer door, but it's at least a couple of steps up from the festival rubbish. :thumbsup:
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I'm not too bothered about inner pitch first or not.
I have camped in a variety of weather around Scotland, sometimes it is a bit wet. But if you wait a while, it will probably stop raining (mostly), before you put up the tent.
Or even if it is raining, with practice you can get the tent up in a couple of minutes, so it won't get too wet. Or set up the inner, while using the fly as a loose cover.
Yes, sometimes it is nice to have outer first pitching. But I wouldn't rule out a tent just because its inner first.
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I have the Vango banshee 200 and think it brilliant
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Hello,
New to the forum so this is my first post.
I use a Helium 100 as a one-man tent and like it very much but there are lots of very good one-person tents in this class at a variety of prices on the market.
More interesting perhaps, I use a Wild Country Duolite Tourer as a two person tent which is semi-geodesic so very stable, light but very sound and has an extraordinarily large porch which is ideal for cycle touring. A great two-person tent. I have hauled my bike inside the porch when I felt I was being cased by some dodgy looking lads one night. The interesting bit is that Terra Nova/Wild Country sell the flysheet for the standard Duolite tent which fits over the poles of the Tourer with an ordinary sizes porch thus giving you two options and cutting the weight a bit and the pack size a fair bit. The Tourer version does have a largish pack size if using it for one but less so if carrying it between two. This is a good tent in my view. You might need to check that they still sell the smaller length flysheet separately.
John
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did anyone ever end up buying a Hex mini peak 2 in the end. Been looking at the Coleman Aravis 2, 2.4kg vs Decathlon ultra light hiker 2 ,1.9kg, then the Hex Peak V4a, ( but apparantly even the latest incarnation is a bit tight for 6'2" according to Bob at BPL) So started looking at the hex mini peak 2, about 1.7kg with pole, one person nest, or, prob 3 person bivvy, Acres of space even with the nest up, compared to tunnel type tents. So did anyone get one / have one.?
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did anyone ever end up buying a Hex mini peak 2 in the end. Been looking at the Coleman Aravis 2, 2.4kg vs Decathlon ultra light hiker 2 ,1.9kg, then the Hex Peak V4a, ( but apparantly even the latest incarnation is a bit tight for 6'2" according to Bob at BPL) So started looking at the hex mini peak 2, about 1.7kg with pole, one person nest, or, prob 3 person bivvy, Acres of space even with the nest up, compared to tunnel type tents. So did anyone get one / have one.?
I did. Except I didn't as I bought a Trail Peak instead on the grounds that 2 X 6'4'' sons will fit in it. And they do. But it breaks one of my rules as it's inner pitch first, which I don't like. I may buy the single inner backpackinglight.co.uk do for the peak tents, when there's enough in the piggybank, as that will allow fly first pitching. Given that need dictated a tent big enough for strapping lads, it should have been no surprise that it's absolutely huge! On it's first outing three lads slept in it, but I'm not quite sure in what configuration of bodies and sleeping bags. For one it looks like overkill and although light for its size at 2,6-ish kg its a shade on the hefty side. No photo since photobucket asked me to mortgage my Granny to pay for 3rd party hosting, so here's a link to the sellers:
http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/shelters-1/WF123.html
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did anyone ever end up buying a Hex mini peak 2 in the end. Been looking at the Coleman Aravis 2, 2.4kg vs Decathlon ultra light hiker 2 ,1.9kg, then the Hex Peak V4a, ( but apparantly even the latest incarnation is a bit tight for 6'2" according to Bob at BPL) So started looking at the hex mini peak 2, about 1.7kg with pole, one person nest, or, prob 3 person bivvy, Acres of space even with the nest up, compared to tunnel type tents. So did anyone get one / have one.?
I have the hex peak v4a. I like it. Condensation is a bit of a sod if you have to pitch it low due to wind, but it has withstood some substantial storms when I've been camping. How good it is for a tall person tho is largely based on how thick you sleep mat is, and how high you're pitching it. I'm 1.7m so can't really comment for someone who's *does maths* 180mm taller than me...
J
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I have the Eureka Spitfire Solo 1. Cheap as chips and the quality is ok in that price range. No condensation issues but you need to wrap up warm in cold weather. At that price I would have been happy if it lasted a year. I am on year 3.
You can sit u and get changed easily. My daughter has the Banshee 200 which is much lower.
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No condensation issues
I think what you mean is "No condensation issues yet"