One Man Tents.

Stoo61

Looking to buy a one man tent for touring, mainly in the wilderness of Scotland.

Tents really are a thing I have no knowledge of so was wondering if people here use them and which ones.

At a quick glance the Aztec Rapido looks like decent value on Amazon but I wouldnt really know.

Cheers in advance for any help.

peter_andrew

I use this one
http://www.outdoorworlddirect.co.uk/aca ... t_200.html
No problems with it. Used in heavy rain, easy to put up/down.
It is a 2 man but by the time i have gear in it it is full, porch area handy for keeping panniers in etc
Peter

jimmcdonnell

There are many, many options for one-person touring tents.

Before that though, have you thought about two more 'alternative' ideas - a good hooped bivvy bag, or a hammock? In terms of mnimal pack size and weight you won't find better. I'll post links to both for you later (at work, not enough time). I've camped with both and they're fantastic alternatives once you get your head round them. The hammock needs trees obviously, or a tree + a wall/fence etc.

One-person tents - try MSR, Mountain Hardwear - here's a link to a couple

http://www.tiso.com/shop/mountain-hardwear/sprite-1-tent/
http://www.penroseoutdoors.co.uk/acatalog/One_Person_Tents.html

or this strange cycle-specific beast from Wiggle

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Topeak_Bikamper_(One_Person_Tent)/5360019086/

this Hilleberg is superb, I can personally vouch -

http://www.tiso.com/shop/hilleberg/akto/

And yes, I'm afraid the more you pay, then generally the better it will be (Hilleberg!)

jimmcdonnell

Hammock link

http://www.junglehammock.com/models/northamerican/index.php

amaferanga

I have a Big Agnes SL2. It's a relatively spacious 2-man tent, but only weighs ~1.5kg (real weight, not manufacturer claimed). There's also a 1-man option, but given how light the 2-man is I wouldn't bother with the SL1. You'll probably find most bivvy bags weigh just about as much as the SL2.

surreyxc

everything is a compromise. But a hammock can be pretty sweet, not feeling coped up. no worries with rain, see link below, though can be cold unless you have an under cover. It takes a different mind set to a tent. things can get damp, but in my experience that happens with a tent especially the small ones.

Super light and quick to put up or down.

A lot of people have used in lots of different locations, even just on the ground, in Scotland you could use climbing pro to secure.

Mind when are you going, because whatever you use, camping of any kind is no fun when the midges are out, they will drive you insane, and I am not joking on that.

http://hennessyhammock.com/

andymiller

You need a decent quality tent. But the problem is that the choice of tent does depend a lot on personal preferences: eg can you live with a small tent or do you prefer more elbow room? Do you prefer a lighter tent or a more durable one but at the peice of extra weight? Free-staning or not? Tunnel or dome? Pitching inner-first or the whole lot together. So I wouldn't go out and spend hundreds on a top of the range tenr until you have mire idea of what works for you.

Also I think there are places or events when you can get to try out tents. I don't think you can beat actually siting in a tent, taking off a jumper, trying out the zips.

Oh and out of curiosity: How does owning a hammock mean you have no problems with rain?

surreyxc

follow the link, hennessey hammock comes with a tarp and intergrated mozzie net. I have used it in about as heavy rain you can experience and not a drop on me.

surreyxc

I used a Mac Pac micro tent, one of the best you can buy, it felt like a coffin in comparison to the hammock, which is also far more comfortable to sleep in. Though it is not good if you are not wild camping as campsites in the UK tend not have many trees. Though was not a problem in europe as they tend to keep trees for shade.

surreyxc

as a tent http://hennessyhammock.com/use-as-a-tent.html

MichaelW

It depends on how long you want to travel. The longer you are living in a tent, the less you can compromise on space and features.
I have a cheapo Gelert Solo which is fine for a 2-week trip in moderate conditions. It has survived Pyrenean heavy rain but I would not expect it to survive a heavy Scottish storm.
My expensive Hilleberg Akto will withstand pretty much anything and is more comfortable in a gale than in warm, still conditions due to better air flow.

The hammock vs tent debate depends on your terrain. On my recent tour there were days when I struggled to find anywhere to erect a solo tent due to trees, boulders, gradient, and others where there was not a tree in sight for a hammock.

Features include:
Put-up-ability (all-in one or separate fly/inner)
Quality of materials (for long term use)
Internal space (is there sitting room, where in the tent can you sit, ie can you reach the vestibule from sitting.
Ventilation
Storm-resistance
Storage
Size/weight.

andrew_s

tent/bivvy/hammock
There is no significant weight saving in choosing a hammock or bivvy over a lightweight tent. Lightweight tents do cost though.
A tent allows cooking meals and brews under cover, and the possibilty of doing something other than lying down. It does require a patch of reasonably level flat ground with a reasonably firm surface for pegging.

A bivvy requires some additional shelter if you are away for longer periods. Out in the open, if it's bad weather, getting your down bag into the bivvy, and you out of your dripping waterproofs and other clothing and into the sleeping bag without getting it significantly wet is difficult verging on impossible.
A bivvy is most versatile in terms of the number of places you can bivvy (I bivvied round the side of a garage in Maidenhead one time)

If using a hammock in Scotland, don't rely on forestry plantations shown on the map. If they haven't turned into a wilderness of stumps and tangled branches, they are likely to be surrounded by 8' high deer fencing with padlocked 8' high gates. As stated, most UK campsites (for those occasions when you might want a shower) aren't suitable for a hammock. From what I remember, the majority of French campsites aren't suitable either. It there are trees are big enough and suitably spaced, you are quite likely to find a tent in the way. Surreyxc may find a hammock more comfortable, but I generally sleep on my front/side and don't like being bent backwards.

Scotland can have pretty bad weather even in summer - I've seen tents destroyed in June. Losing your tent generally means hotel or B&B costs which would quickly outweigh the difference in cost between a cheap tent and a good one. On the whole, I wouldn't recommend going below £100.
I'd go for an outer first or all in one pitch. Apart from getting the inner wet, throwing a over a flysheet in the wind when you are on your own isn't that easy, and non-geodesic inner first tents are generally significantly weaker until the fly is in place and tensioned.
DON'T go for a single skin tent. You'll get your gear al,l wet from the condensation.
Watch out for sitting height - you'll want at least 90cm inner height.
Consider porch size - you don't want it so small you can't ge out past your panniers, and it would be nice to have it big enough to cook in if need be, which needs height as well as area.

I also use an Akto. Robust, quick and easy to pitch on my own in bad weather, and big enough for my requirements. Many people prefer something bigger though.

priory

DON'T go for a single skin tent. You'll get your gear al,l wet from the condensation.

! got one for 10gbp from lidl. compared to the big plastic bags I used as a teenager it was great, but I had to keep midges out, so zzipped up to rely on the hopelssly inadequate net windows for ventilation. Weather lovely, me very wet. Only usable if you can leave the flaps wide open and have a bit of a breeze. Fortunately I tested it on a weekend.
How do people cope in the little single skin things they take to glastonbry etc? I can only think they must be too stoned to notice the condensation and insects.

http://s189.photobucket.com/albums/z122 ... 010334.jpg

http://s189.photobucket.com/albums/z122 ... 010087.jpg

These show an aztec ligero which probably is not made now . 2.6kg in its bag , heavy but roomy, well made , 2 doors and lots of diitty pockets. very midge proof. I have used it for about 10years and am delighted with it. Worth carrying an extra 1kg if you use it.
The ability to erect it inner and outer together is brilliant and definitely what I would look for in another tent.Because it is zipped up throughout the midges do not get in.
Or the outer goes up first then you get in to put up the inner in the dry.

The other tent weighs under 2kg and has been similarly praised by its owner, possibly a hillberg. The inner was detached during each strike.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gelert-Solo-One ... m_sbs_sg_3

this one is unbelievably cheap but everyone says it is ok, and it is light and double skin. worth a try.
In very midgy or rainy weather being confined to lie in a tiny tent for hours can be very boring
Terry Jones

priory

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/t2-ultral ... o-3244110/

This has the features I would be looking for . For an extra 1 or 2 pounds compared to ultralight tiny tents you get low price, quick erection and collapse with inner attached and lots of room for you, all your gear, cooking , sitting up etc..

I put a loop of shock cord or elastic bands on all my guys and peg rings to avoid need for tensioning.

andymiller

surreyxc wrote:

follow the link, hennessey hammock comes with a tarp and intergrated mozzie net. I have used it in about as heavy rain you can experience and not a drop on me.

Right, so the reality, is that you have the same protection than you would in a tent.

A hammock is an interesting option, but like everything else comes with its positives and negatives. Eg where do you put the stuff that otherwise would go in the tent vestibule? How do you deal with long periods of torrential rain? Etc etc

dilemna

andymiller wrote:

surreyxc wrote:

follow the link, hennessey hammock comes with a tarp and intergrated mozzie net. I have used it in about as heavy rain you can experience and not a drop on me.

Right, so the reality, is that you have the same protection than you would in a tent.

A hammock is an interesting option, but like everything else comes with its positives and negatives. Eg where do you put the stuff that otherwise would go in the tent vestibule? How do you deal with long periods of torrential rain? Etc etc

What if there aren't any trees or poles around to hang it? I think you would be a bit stuffed.

Re tents, I would go for an Ultra Light two man tent 1.5 - 2kg. I couldn't sleep in a one person coffin tent however good. I would rather have a bit of extra space for when the weather closes in and you need to get everything inside plus I like to have my luggage inside with me anyway. There would be no space in a 1 man tent.

welkman

I have a North Face Starburst which is ten years old. I use it every summer for two weeks plus. It has survived Scottish storms and the wettest Danish music festival on record! It is a semi geodesidic design with Easton aluminium poles. I cannot recommend it enough. It weighs about 2kg from memory and is a ‘cosy’ two man.

pneumatic

I toured for years with a cheap (30 quid) Vango 2 man dome tent. As mentioned above, the extra space inside is a pleasing luxury when the weather is bad.

Last Summer I bought a Terranova Laser for 8 times the price of the Vango which weighs about a quarter of the other and takes up very little space. I like it a lot but have only so far used it in good weather (although it survived a torrential downpour in France when I wasn't actually in it).

I discovered in an article, I think in the CTC magazine, that the Terranova is the one Mark Beaumont uses and recommends, although in the same article another round the world cyclist said he hated it so much he preferred to sleep in bus shelters!

harpo

I just got and used a vango force 10 helium 200 in Switzerland for a tour. It is ultra light and the two man space is ideal for keeping your kit in too. I think the extra 300g or whatever the difference is between that and a one berth helium is worth it. I have used a heavier Vango tempest 200 (I think twice the weight and size). It was by far a better tent, easier to put up and more comfortable but much heavier and bulkier. Depends how much cash you have and what luxury you are looking for. I have found that the outer skin ends up sagging onto the inner skin of the helium but it dris out really quickly (if it is dry that is).

ooermissus

some cyclists swear by hammocks: http://hennessyhammock.com/sp-ultralight.html

andrew_s

You will get one big tent more cheaply than 5 or 6 one man tents

eg
http://www.cheaptents.com/acatalog/Prod ... otigris600
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/camping/tents/family

If you are all in small tents, you can't be sociable in the rain or cold without decamping to a bar. A big tent will have space for you to gather out of the weather.

It might be an advantage to get one small tent to put the snorer in

pneumatic

andrew_s wrote:

It might be an advantage to get one small tent to put the snorer in

This is precisely why I was "asked" to buy the Terranova!! :oops:

photographicsafaris

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... .710542615

Maybe you can see these.

In "warm" weather I really like the idea of using two poncho's, they also have a second use... as a poncho. In cool weather not so much.
I have two similar to these
http://www.thearmystore.co.uk/acatalog/ ... oncho.html
Since that walk I have now moved over to self inflating mattresses - they make a huge difference.

The pop up tents are only single layer, but really really convenient, but too large for bicycle use. After an exhausting walk, it is ideal to just throw it up, and crawl in - youre asleep within 2 minutes

If I can offer any insight, having a tent with two layers of material means that the condensation collects on the inside of the outer layer, having a flysheet that covers the tent to the ground means that all this moisture congregates outside your sleeping area, whilst retaining heat inside the inner layer.
This is much more important in winter, or high altitude when it gets cold. and you can collect allot of water in your tent, in my experience 5 litres in one night.

So whatever you do, make sure you get a double layer tent.

As for hammock tents, theyre great I am a big believer, but they are very very cool, so make sure you use an insulating layer underneath your sleeping bag.

MrChuck

Basically what andrew s said.

I have a Terra Nova Solar, which I don't think they make anymore, but it's ace- although not the lightest these days. If I were buying now Iand money were no object I'd look at a Hilleberg Akto or a Terra Nova Laser.

IMO good/expensive tents are one of those purchases that hurts at the time, but you soon forget how much you spent and you've got a good, reliable bit of kit that will last for many years.

Plod

If you're going to Scotland, buy a good tent. Buy a very, very good tent.

Vaude tents are excellent. I have a Hogan which must be 8 years old. Excellent.

(Must go now - the cricket is starting)

Waderider

For most of my solo Scottish touring I use a Hilleberg Akto. I have also a bivvy bag and a hammock.

Hammocks and hooped bivvys only work in specific situations. On a long trip they have major downfalls, partly due to weather partly due to midges. Those recommending them for Scottish use haven't tried either in Scotland in the summer. Or they have tried it and been very lucky with a long succession of dry breezy days.

A tents porch may not be midge proof, but it is better cooking there rather than in the open, as you would need to do with a hammock or bivvy bag. There are coping tactics, like a midge net on the head, silk gloves and 100% body cover. But on a mild Scottish evening you'll still be sweating and driven mad. You NEED a tent, or a bothy

My bivvy bag or hammock get used most outside midge season, which is May to September roughly. And then probably when there is a stable weather forecast, because they are both inferior to a tent in poor weather.

RonL

I also use the Hilleberg Akto, robust, light and wind resistance is good despite the single pole. It is now quite expensive but if you plan to use it a lot then it's a sound investment. It has seen me through heavy down pours, water just shakes from it then dries quickly with the aid of the zipped ventilation panels at each end.
For Scotland a tent is advisable, I also use a bivi on short weekend trips but always and only with a favourable forecast outlook. They are hell if it rains and you have no shelter.

Gotte

I got this a couple of years ago in the sales - about £50, then. It's great; lightweight at about 1.5kg, and packs really small. It's two skinned, which, as someone mentioned earlier, is far superior to the single skin tents. Only downside is it's inner pitch first, so if it's raining, you get wet, but good in that if it's hot you can just pitch it without the flysheet.

Mine's actually a light pale blue/grey, which is much better for stealth camping than the red version.

Of course your other option is a tarp. Can be pitched with a single pole to make a teepee type tent. I've even seen them with little lightweight stoves inside. Wonderful.

andrew_s

What is "this"?

Gotte

Sorry, forgot the link.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/lightent-3246909/