Best 1or 2 person touring tent

tim_wand

Sorry if this has been asked a thousand times but I d like some advice.

I ve got £200 to spend on a tent. I want it to fit in my panniers (Vaude Aquas) 50 litres) or on top of my back rack (Tubus) I only ever tour with Bar Bag and Rear Panniers and usually no more than 5 days. Next one is 3 day C2C "Way of the Roses". I usually Credit card tour in B+B (but like everyone else I need to economise)

Want a 3 season tent thats as light and packable as possible but still decent weather protection. Would like a bit of a porch area as well to secure/stash gear at night.

Any personal recomendations?

iPete

Me and a friend used a Quechua T3 pro in the summer for 18 days on the road, this included a few cold nights up towards the Alps & some rain abuse in France and it worked a treat.

So I'd deffo look at the T2, great value for money, really easy to put up and only 2kg.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/t2-ultral ... o-3244110/

Here is the 3kg T3 mounted on my rack:

yorkie1975

I too am looking for a small lightweight tent for Jogle in July

andrew_s

Uttings are selling the Terra Nova Laser Comp for £199 at present.
0.94kg, fairly generous porch, need to be friendly to get two in, noisy in the wind but stands up well. Limiting factor on pack size is the end pole length, about 44cm. They are removable, but doing so makes pitching the tent more of a faff.

I'd recommend getting some pegs a bit more substantial than the ultra light ones you get - eg http://www.blacks.co.uk/camping/camping ... ute=163687

andymiller

andrew_s wrote:

Uttings are selling the Terra Nova Laser Comp for £199 at present.
0.94kg, fairly generous porch, need to be friendly to get two in, noisy in the wind but stands up well. Limiting factor on pack size is the end pole length, about 44cm. They are removable, but doing so makes pitching the tent more of a faff.

I'd recommend getting some pegs a bit more substantial than the ultra light ones you get - eg http://www.blacks.co.uk/camping/camping ... ute=163687

Best bet for carrying is probably to bungee the tent to the top of the rack - lengthwise works just about OK.

I second the recommendation about the tent pegs. I've been using these:

http://www.cleats.co.uk/home/details.asp?id=8

which look pretty much the same as the Blacks pegs. They aren't indestructible but are a lot more durable than titanium pegs (and don't get me started on Terra Nova 'tent pegs').

desweller

What do you guys think of the hammocks out there?

GyatsoLa

Tents are a very personal thing, I'd suggest thinking very carefully about what you require - one persons ideal shelter is another persons hellhole. Personally I like side access, with enough headroom for sitting up (so I'd suggest measuring yourself when sitting down to check).

I have a Tarptent Scarp 1 :

http://www.tarptent.com/products.html

Its a great lightweight tent, and has the option of extra poles to make it freestanding or stronger in high winds. The two small porches work very well, its nice to have one bag at either side for convenience. Its also very quick and easy to erect, and quite well ventilated.

elduderino

I wouldn't spend £200 on a tent for a 3 day tour. There are some great 'budget' tents about for about £80-£100.

I've heard good reports about the Decatholon T2 tent mentioned above and the 2kg weight is very appealing. I've had a North Face Tadpole (£180) and a Coleman Avior X2 (£70) and I prefered my Coleman, so more expensive doesn't always mean better. The Coleman has two entrances, a porch big enough for your panniers, packs small and weighs 2.5kg.

I second the tent pegs from cleats.co.uk I also use these and I've yet to bend one.

amaferanga

I have a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2. Great lightweight tent, but over your budget a bit. You might be able to get it cheaper direct from the US - I paid under £200 for mine including import duty, but that was back when the exchange rate was up near US$2 to £1.

I love it because its easily light enough if I'm touring alone and it gives me plenty of space, yet it comfortably takes 2 plus gear.

ThanksBye

DesWeller wrote:

What do you guys think of the hammocks out there?

Ive got a hammock and 2 tarps from http://www.ddhammocks.com/ which i find brillant, you need to put a roll matt in hte hammock for insulution but are alot comfier than tents

Jon

andymiller

DesWeller wrote:

What do you guys think of the hammocks out there?

They definitely have their fans. I'd take some of the claims made about them with a very large pinch of salt.

dilemna

tim wand wrote:

Sorry if this has been asked a thousand times but I d like some advice.

I ve got £200 to spend on a tent. I want it to fit in my panniers (Vaude Aquas) 50 litres) or on top of my back rack (Tubus) I only ever tour with Bar Bag and Rear Panniers and usually no more than 5 days. Next one is 3 day C2C "Way of the Roses". I usually Credit card tour in B+B (but like everyone else I need to economise)

Want a 3 season tent thats as light and packable as possible but still decent weather protection. Would like a bit of a porch area as well to secure/stash gear at night.

Any personal recomendations?

I have a brand new, unopened, Vaude Taurus Ultralight 2 man tent, 1.95kg which I bought before Christmas as a 2nd tent (I already have one which I have toured widely with which is still going strong after 7 years). However unfortuntately my plans and circumstances have now changed so if you want a brand new excellent high quality light tent this is the one. It has a small porch or there is plenty of room in side for luggage.

http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/ ... _tent.html

£200 including p&p.

To the OP I also have Vaude Aqua Plus panniers which are brilliant. The Taurus UL tent is of the same high quality.

alp777

Have read alot of good reports on the Vango Banshee 200, so much so i bought one myself and at a bargain price of £68.

http://www.summits.co.uk/acatalog/info_10banshee200.html

tim_wand

Thanks for all the advice.

Found the earlier thread where people recomended the Quecha and North Face Tadpole so really interesting to see that someone who owns a Tadpole prefers the Coleman Avenoir at half the price so will definitely check that out.

Vango seems really good value as well so will try and find one of them too.

Yeomans do a massive tent show after Easter near me at a big Garden Centre and I know they stock Colemans so will check that out.

Also live near a decathlon and have heard good things about their tents, but not many come with ground sheets or footprints (adding to cost and pack size) does anyone know if this is the case with the T2 recomended I think theres a link on an old post on here so I will check it out.

Hoopdriver

Hammocks sound kind of interesting. I know a guide who works in Panama leading some very tough trips through the jungle and he uses hammocks and swears by them - a particular make whose name escapes me. How well they'd work on a bicycle tour, I don't know, but they sound appealing....

tim_wand

My only problem with a hammock is that I would want to secure/ weatherproof some of my gear at night . Dont like the thought of leaving it out in the open with so many night stalkers about. Always sleep with the bike secured and the kit in tent if achievable.

too many tea leafs about.

Hoopdriver

Good points, although I tend to do a lot of stealth camping, hidden away in deep woods well off the road. A hammock in a campground could be a worry.

bigjim

with so many night stalkers about

Thats a myth.
You'll find that there are no night stalkers around because the possible night stalkers don't do it in case there are night stalkers around. :roll:

Gotte

I like a bit of space and a self supporting tent. The Highlander Forces 2 tent is an excellent design let down by heavy pegs and poles. You can swap the poles for replacement Decathlon alu poles, and lightweigh pegs, and for £40 for the tent off Amazon and £30 for the poles and maybe a tenner for the pegs, you can get an amazingly well designed tent which weighs about 2.25 KG. Only caviat (well two), the stitching is not the prettiest. Mine is rough in places, though perfectly functional, and the inner door is designed with the netting on the inisde - which means to adjust the venting, you have to open the mosquito net, which lets the mossies in, no matter how briefly.

bigjim

That Decathlon tent has shot up in price £80 to £100! It was £68 not so long ago.

marksteven

coleman rigel 2 wieghs 960g meant 2 b to man but not that big unles your v good friends

Gotte

That'll be because it camping gear-buying season. They've doubled the camping gear isles, and are chock a block. I imagine later in the year is good for a bargain.

Marc S Taylor

Tim by light you should look at the Robert Saunders http://www.robertsaunders.co.uk/pages/frame.html £209 and weigh in at only 1.75kg. It is a real expedition gauge tent, that in no way impunes some of the more modestly priced brands mentioned, however they have a pedigree to envy in terms of happy campers

I forgot to mention it is the size of a 1.5 ltr lemonade bottle fully packed, so save space!!

Marc

mattrixdesign2

tim wand wrote:

Sorry if this has been asked a thousand times but I d like some advice.

I ve got £200 to spend on a tent. I want it to fit in my panniers (Vaude Aquas) 50 litres) or on top of my back rack (Tubus) I only ever tour with Bar Bag and Rear Panniers and usually no more than 5 days. Next one is 3 day C2C "Way of the Roses". I usually Credit card tour in B+B (but like everyone else I need to economise)

Want a 3 season tent thats as light and packable as possible but still decent weather protection. Would like a bit of a porch area as well to secure/stash gear at night.

Any personal recomendations?

Tim - I am doing Way of the Roses with 2 mates in May, we have decided to camp.

This is what I went for as I am on a budget...

Coleman Avior X2 Tent
£60

I have had it since Jan, but only pitched it last W/E, I am well impressed with it, good weight, very easy/quick pitch - not sure I would call it a 2 man, you would get two in but you would either have to be close or desperate - or both - thing is the tent goes narrow at one end, so feet close together, it has a porch (with sheet) and 2 x doors. Even the pegs are nice little lite alloy ones.

I have pulled most of the gear together, all I am left to work on is sleeping bag (can take my old bulky one), pannier rack (to take my Altura panniers - bought new for £30!) - finally which bike to use... http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... p=16837304

What bike are you doing it on?

alfablue

I would second the Avior X2, on the basis thgat I have the X3 that I use for touring with the g/f. As usual, although rated for 3 it is only really big enough for 2 in comfort, so I imagine the X2 would be fine for 1. These are a lot of tent for a little money, great design and practicality, very quick to pitch, and for the price, are ligher than anything else.

tim_wand

Im doing this on my Planet X Kaffenbach. Which to be fair I do most things on. Commuting / Rough tracks and now this. Just fit a blackburn rack and throw on my Vaude panniers and all of a sudden my CX/ Winter hack bike is a tourer.

Of all the options mentioned the coleman has got my interest and I think once the big yeomans near me (garden centres) start doing their displays I will check one out.

The other thing is that I m plannig to do the way of the roses in three days. First Leg stop night will be in GRASSINGTON .

The wifes been watching " Love thy neighbour " ( Not the 70's sitcom ) where they select a couple to live in the village and the Black Horse there (does hostel accom for cyclists at £15 ppn) and looks a great little boozer. So might B&B it this time as I have mates in York (second night) too.

Thanks for all the advice and hopefully might see some of you out there in May the article in cycling plus and re-reading Stuart Marconies "Pies and Prejudice" has inspired me to try this new route

jellybellywmb

You could save yourself £170 and get one of these like i did, used in some heavy rain and no leaks so far

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001EXB6BE/r ... B001EXB6BE

Is pretty much a place to sleep and nothing else but I love it , nice and light at 1.6kg and packs down very very small.

al_yrpal

Another vote for the Avoir X2, its not the lightest but if you get bad weather its one of the best - just read the comments on the Amazon.co.uk website. The headroom is at one end which is how the human body is shaped

Al

Madeley

Hi

I used the Terra Nova Laser (not the comp!) for 4 nights during LEJOG late August last year...

I found condensation to be a problem as the inner and outer fly cannot be separated also there is NO WAY that this is a 2 person tent and the porch would only just stretch over my panniers.

On the plus side it was fairly quick to assemble in the evening.

If anyone has any suggestions for a free standing 2 man tent, with large porch that allows it to be pitched with or without the inner mesh I'm all ears

Cheers