tent advice

a blanket and a copy of Razzle.

[Jayneflakes]

Ms Flakes, Mountaineer extraordinair here.

I bought a Coleman Cobra II in 2000 and have used it for back packing around Europe, my MLA training in Snowdonia in winter and even beach camping in Sardinia in August.

For a budget tent it is pretty awesome, having survived a major storm that flattened many others in my group. Pack size is small enough to fit in a back pack for walking, so strapping to the bike should be easy. The mosquito net is so fine, nothing can get through, but ventilation is good and you do not wake up in a sweat box. It cost me about a hundred pounds and has never let me down. I would recommend a foot print or using a thick survival bag under it though if you are pitching on stony ground, the ground sheet although totally water proof, is a little thin.

One other tip, no matter what the cost of your tent, seam sealing is well worth the effort. Those little needle holes where the fabric is sown together can let a little water through, seam sealing stops this and protects the join a little too. You can get seam sealer from any tent shop and it is a simple rubber solution that you run down the joins. I have done every tent I have owned up to and including the Cobra.

after taking a long had look at tents recently (and picking up a wicked suncamp 400, a little big for the bike) i shall be getting a vango alpha 200. its very basic but will take one plus a little bit of kit. and its under 30 quid so isnt going to break the bank

[timwilky]

Cannot remember what make mine is, need to go/look

2/3 man. Minimum required for one person to have reasonable comfort

Important for me were the waterproofing head (3m I think mine is) and the size stowed. I did not want it to hang over the side of the bike etc.

I use straps to stow it.

David got out of bed the wrong side this morning, hit his head on the sloping ceiling, trod on the cat which promptly scratched him, then fell over his wife's slippers landing in aforementioned cat's used litter tray...

What he really meant was that this is an H post

Vango 300. Great tent. It's a wincy bit heavier than I would like on the back of the bike but it's no wider than the bars so it doesn't stop filtering heroics. And I discovered that if I cram it in hard enough I can fit my kip bag in the tent bag and the mat in the bag handles which you can then tighten down around the mat, so there's only one bag on the back.

[embee]

Last year I got myself a new tent, replacing a dome type with a tunnel type. Definitely go for a tunnel type preferably with a vestibule extension for the gear, so much more practical than the dome versions for biking use.

I nearly went for the Vango Nitro 200+ but then got a brilliant deal on a Hilleberg (oooh, quality, but at a price!).

There's even a website just for folks searching for tents, Findmeatent

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

Blacks Octane 1

Very happy with it, from 3ft of snow to the Sahara desert it's done me proud - basic single pole one man tent, packs extremely small , ~12-18" long and 2-3" in diameter including pole and pegs:

I have used one of those while out walking. Nice tent but IMO too small, loads comfier in big tent so you can spread your kit out rather than being squashed in with it. Not like you care about weight on bike.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

vango omega 250.

Light, easy to pitch, sturdy in wind, very good and waterproof, big porch for gear with groundsheet.

+1



LOADS of room for bike kit, so you can sleep completely clutter free. Packs down small, is good for us that are 6'+

Pretty cheap on ebay too

Weight not an issue? The number of bikes that I see in these parts two up, loaded with everything and dragging the rear with topped forks makes me shudder. BMW riders are the worst but it is not an exclusive club. It is easy to get caught up in the 'it's only a little bit more' mentality especially when riding with a pillion to become an unwitting member of that club.

[yorkie_chris]

I'd rather turn preload up another notch on bike than add 5kg to my pack when out walking