Best one man tent anyone??

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

Well first let me say hello...newbie post etc...anyway I am going on a small tour of Norfolk this summer and narrowed my tent choice down to these. I am a big bloke, new to touring travelling on my own. Need minimal weight and do not want bright colours as I'll wild camp if I fail to make a hostel etc...I do not want to spend more than œ100 absolute tops. Easy up/down is a plus and I suppose it will need to survive the coastal winds on the beaches etc.

I want th etent to last as next year all being well it will be called into action in France.

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/isho ... r2259.html

http://www.simplyhike.co.uk/ProductDeta ... =Shopzilla

http://www.outdoorgear.co.uk/outdoorgea ... GHT1PERSON

http://www.millets.co.uk/millets.storef ... %20Camping

oh yes that last one is a sleeping bag I was thinking of getting...

any thoughts? Tips?

Thanks in advance for any help offered.
Cheerz.

MartDavis · June 2007

You don't say how tall you are, but as a 6'4" camper, perhaps I can help a bit. I've had a few tents, some good(Jack Wolfskin Dragon), some bad(Mountain Equipment Dragonfly XT), the biggest issue being size. I find the minimum inside length needs to be 2.2 metres (Wolfskin is 2.4m) and 1 metre inside height. It's worth a little extra weight for the extra room, especially as you can store bags in the tent. A roomy porch would be nice as well. Unfortunately, the ideal tent doesn't exist yet. Some say the Hillebergs are as close as you can get, but they require a mortgage. I still use my Wolfskin.
Ideal tent:
2.4 m long
1m high
pitches outer 1st (or both together)
large vestibule for changing and cooking in
free standing
under 2kg
poles under 50cm packed length
less than œ200
Ah well! I can dream.

vernonlevy · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bigtallfatbloke

Well first let me say hello...newbie post etc...anyway I am going on a small tour of Norfolk this summer and narrowed my tent choice down to these. I am a big bloke, new to touring travelling on my own. Need minimal weight and do not want bright colours as I'll wild camp if I fail to make a hostel etc...I do not want to spend more than œ100 absolute tops. Easy up/down is a plus and I suppose it will need to survive the coastal winds on the beaches etc.

I want th etent to last as next year all being well it will be called into action in France.

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/isho ... r2259.html

http://www.simplyhike.co.uk/ProductDeta ... =Shopzilla

http://www.outdoorgear.co.uk/outdoorgea ... GHT1PERSON

http://www.millets.co.uk/millets.storef ... %20Camping

oh yes that last one is a sleeping bag I was thinking of getting...

any thoughts? Tips?

Thanks in advance for any help offered.
Cheerz.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm a tall-ish fat bloke at 5' 11" and 21 stones and I'd recommend that you look at getting a 2 man tent for the luxury of space that they offer. Yes a one man tent will do the job but things are tight when the weather's bad and you want everything off the bike inside the tent with you.

A couple of the tents have side openings - not so good in wet weather where it's difficult to get in and out of the tent without getting the contents wet.

I've used a one man tent successfully in the past but will only use it now for one or two night mini tours. I've used a Vango 2 man tent for the past two years on 1000 mile End to End tours. I will be taking it with me for a Channel to the Med tourthis summer. The weight gain going from one man to two man tents is minimal.The space bonus is invaluable.

Don't worry too much about the colour apart from fluorescents for stealth camping. It's easy enough to find concealed spots in the UK at least.

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

Many thanks chaps..I'll go and take a look at some two man tents....although I'd prefer to look at one man one woman tents!
I am 6'4" and weigh in at around 19 stone...most of which is belly....I was born heavy it has nothing to do with stupid amounts of beer I swear lol!

...ok maybe this one?
http://www.gear-zone.co.uk/eshop/Vango-Ultralite-200---Ss07.html
..It looks good to me, is this the one you have?
I think it actually weighs the same as some of the one man tents I've seen. I may just go for this...more room for the beer...erm I mean orange juice[:D]

vernonlevy · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bigtallfatbloke

Many thanks chaps..I'll go and take a look at some two man tents....although I'd prefer to look at one man one woman tents!
I am 6'4" and weigh in at around 19 stone...most of which is belly....I was born heavy it has nothing to do with stupid amounts of beer I swear lol!

...ok maybe this one?
http://www.gear-zone.co.uk/eshop/Vango-Ultralite-200---Ss07.html
..It looks good to me, is this the one you have?
I think it actually weighs the same as some of the one man tents I've seen. I may just go for this...more room for the beer...erm I mean orange juice[:D]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

M<y Vango tents are no longer made. However, I thouroughly recommend them based on the after sales service that the company offers. One of the tent poles split at one end and, despite the fact that I was not the original purchaser or owner of the tent, the technical support department managed to source some obscure diameter high performance alloy tube sections and made me a set of sections to make a complete preplacement pole. Sent free of charge - can't ask for more!

my tents look more like this:

http://www.cheaptents.com/acatalog/Prod ... 2.html#Voy

or this:

http://www.cheaptents.com/acatalog/Prod ... tml#Taurus

Don't get a single skin tent. You will be plagued with condensation.

HTH

Vernon

Harve · June 2007

Hi.....I dont know if you have heard of a shop called Decathalon (they have a web site)they have some good,large,light and cheap back packing tents (in black too)made by Quechua....I have one of there pop up tents and they are good quality....the back pack tents will fit easy on a rack........my nearest store is Manchester...check them out, they also have a large area at the front for storage which i reckon you could get your bike in side on with bags...a bargin believe me...œ69

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/Product_arborescence/mountain/hiking/hiking-tents/packing-tents/product_6539976/index.html

you mean this one?...looks good...wouldnt black get hot in the sun?...but thta could be a good thing I suppose in the UK....so many to choose from....2 skins...easy up...2kg two person...this might just do it at the price...thanks for the tip.

vernonlevy · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bigtallfatbloke

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/Product_arborescence/mountain/hiking/hiking-tents/packing-tents/product_6539976/index.html

you mean this one?...looks good...wouldnt black get hot in the sun?...but thta could be a good thing I suppose in the UK....so many to choose from....2 skins...easy up...2kg two person...this might just do it at the price...thanks for the tip.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It looks the biz...I have a one man tent that looks very similar and it cost all of œ15 from Argos. Shame that they dropped it in favour of the tosh that they now sell.

nun · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bigtallfatbloke

Well first let me say hello...newbie post etc...anyway I am going on a small tour of Norfolk this summer and narrowed my tent choice down to these. I am a big bloke, new to touring travelling on my own. Need minimal weight and do not want bright colours as I'll wild camp if I fail to make a hostel etc...I do not want to spend more than ? absolute tops. Easy up/down is a plus and I suppose it will need to survive the coastal winds on the beaches etc.

I want th etent to last as next year all being well it will be called into action in France.

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/isho ... r2259.html

http://www.simplyhike.co.uk/ProductDeta ... =Shopzilla

http://www.outdoorgear.co.uk/outdoorgea ... GHT1PERSON

http://www.millets.co.uk/millets.storef ... %20Camping

oh yes that last one is a sleeping bag I was thinking of getting...

any thoughts? Tips?

Thanks in advance for any help offered.
Cheerz.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Lots of posts on here about tents and bags. You mention weight and cost as criteria, and while the stuff I'm going to recommend might be light its a bit expensive, but it will be good to see your options.

For tents check here

www.tarptent.com

http://www.winwood-outdoor.co.uk/acatal ... Tents.html

most of the tents are under 1kg

The bag you've chosen looks ok, but I don't see a weight and going by its large packed volume I expect it to be a few pounds. For the best in bags check out

www.westernmountaineering.com
http://www.rab.uk.com/products_sleep_qseries.html

Personally I use a sleeping quilt most of the year

www.jacksrbetter.com

Harve · June 2007

Yep...thats the one (decathlon tent that is) go and have a look if you can, if there is a place near you......they are better in the flesh....trust me !!!

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

Ok I am off to Lakeside to take a butchers at the T2 Ultra light tent. I have narrowed things down to a toss up between the T2 and the coleman Avior x1. The T2 is slightly bigger (wider & slightly taller inside). The coleman is 1/2 a gram lighter...hmm...but the coleman is in a fetching green which might make it less visable for wild camps. However the T2 is 3cm shorter in the pack size (no mention of the width though).
Reading the blurb it seems to me that the coleman would be easier to assemble.

I just got a tape measure out and 'plotted' out the tent in the bedroom....I am big guy so I am veering towards the T2....besides if I get lucky in the pub (oh yeah like!) it might be useful lol!

Oh yeah and the T2 is a couple of quid cheaper to...it all adds up.

PHcp · June 2007

I've got a Coleman Epsilon, the predessessor to the Avior, mine is the 3 man version. I've been very impressed, in 30+ nights use it's done everything required of it. It's a good idea to see a tent up before buying, I bought a tent that sounded a good size only to find it's far too small. The groundsheet dimensions are pretty meaningless, it's not till you get inside that you can judge how much space there is.
To see the Coleman range and others, try and get to one of the Yeomans Camping Shows. I went there expecting to buy a two man Epsilon and and decided the three man version was worth the extra half a kilo. Though I'd still be tempted by a lighter tent, it it offered the same...
http://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/main.a ... xhibitions

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

Here is another one i am tempted by

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/ishop/877/shopscr2853.html

I like the camoflage thing especially as I dont like angry farmers[:D]

...any thoughts on this one?

vernonlevy · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bigtallfatbloke

Here is another one i am tempted by

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/ishop/877/shopscr2853.html

I like the camoflage thing especially as I dont like angry farmers[:D]

...any thoughts on this one?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Seems to be a tad heavy for the amount of space it offers. I wouldn't get too hung up on being spotted by farmers and make detection evasion the driving force behind your purchasing decision. I've wild camped with my tents one which is blue and the other is purple. There's plenty of secluded spots out of the lines of sight to camp in.

There's also the impromptu camp sites that are offered by total strangers - I've done a few back gardess and pub beer gardens with the owners' permission, infact they asked me if I'd like to use their property as a pitch.

Get a 'proper' tent and use it wisely [;)]

Tourist Tony · June 2007

Try this one. A bit more expensive, but I find it good in wind.
http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/vaude_taurus ... torm_tent/

If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick

vernonlevy · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tourist Tony

Try this one. A bit more expensive, but I find it good in wind.
http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/vaude_taurus ... torm_tent/

If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
For œ77 less but 0.5 kg more you could have the nearly identical:
http://www.cheaptents.com/acatalog/Prod ... tml#Taurus

Tourist Tony · June 2007

Yep, saw that one when I got mine, but I had a deal on it.

If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick

Unknown · June 2007

I searched for a tent too.
Went into a local outdoor shop to get some other stuff, and saw the one I have now in a closing down sale, they had just been bought out by Blacks.
Single hoop, wedge shape , 4000 HH flysheet, 7000hh groundsheet, 1.3 kg for œ35.
The only thing wrong is it pitches inner first
Bought it on the spot and its been brilliant.

good luck in the search, sometimes gear finds us.

george

_________________________________
Trip
www.pedalpatagonia.co.uk

2 Bikes
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/imjibi/Bikes

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

ok so I finally bought this one:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/Product_arborescence/mountain/hiking/hiking-tents/packing-tents/product_6539976/index.html

it won out over the others because it was lighter and more spacious inside than the other so called 2 man backpacker tents I looked at. Being 6'4" I found out that the one man tents are designed for dwarfs ...so I went with a 2 man which gave me a bit more space...if there wewre two in there we's be sure to get to know each other PDQ though!

At 2kg it was pretty light and packs down into a very small bag which will easily fit in the bottom of a pannier. It also has a small area under the flysheet to fit my panniers.

It is black which is cool for being inconspicious but I reckon I'd fry in there on a hot summers day....but then again what would I be doing in there on a hot day anyway?

I have just tried to erect it, it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how...but I think now I know it will be quicker. I think the challenge could be when I try to re pack it into that small bag...especially if it's wet at the time.

At œ64 it's alos cheaper than the other 2 man tents.

I also took a very good look at the coleman 2 man
http://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/products.asp?recnumber=2324

it looks nice...but for some reason I didnt feel i had as much space in there. It is also a little bit heavier and for my mind the fabric seemed more likely to rip than the T2. I also found the coleman harder to get in and out of.

I am going to do a test sleep out in the garden soon, but I am sure this will do the job I need.

Harve · June 2007

Nice one !! I thought you would like them.....they go back in the bag ok ish...I have got a bigger bag and I stuff it in in no particular way, best way i find....good luck with it, let me know how you go on

Tourist Tony · June 2007

I was just about to say that the worst thing about many cheap tents is the tight fit in the bag.

If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

well I have thta pleasure to come . I slept out in the Garden last night in it and have to report that all was well, except for the lump of earth under it making me very uncomfortable and meaning I had to re locate it in the dark[:I]

It's warm in there, but undoing the inner door got a draft going ok.
There are some well positioned little hooks and elsatic loops on the inside ideal for attaching my cycle lamps as torches. It has plenty of room for me and my gear...so it does what it said on the tin (except on the tin it said it would sleep two which is carp...unless they are 2 dwarfs[:D])

I will take it down tomorrow and see how I get on re packing it.

Harve · June 2007

Just one more thing to mention, make sure you pull the guide lines to the front as shown on the little diagram in the bag, this has the effect of pulling the outer skin tight and avoids the inner touching the outer.....if not you get a bit wet if its raining !!

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

..well packing the new tent up was ok, no trouble getting it back into the bag, in fact the bag took my tarp ground sheet protector as well...I also learn't not to walk away from the pitch site before counting my tent pegs[:D]

Gravity sucks

Best one man tent anyone??

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