A good tent??
 

Hey Everyone,

Right, me and my two mates are taking on a serious trip in 4 months around the world starting in England and then Finishing in Argentina.
Trip Info http://www.MunchBunchTravels.co.uk

Now My question is What tent shall I get?

This is the current one that Im looking at getting MSR Mutha Hubba HP from outdoorgear.co.uk the home of great value camping equipment - 51145701 but Im not sure if i can justify paying that much. I need one that is about a 3 man size and will last a long time. And this one I think has a life time guarantee with it.

Any ideas Much appreciated.

Mr oranje :scooter:

The answer(s) to this question have probably not changed much since last time it was asked....and answered at excessive length. Some like cheap, some like expensive, some like tarps, some prefer domes, others tunnels.....

Try a search and see if you've still got unanswered questions.

Mark

Oh trust me I have searched vastly, and this is the best one I could find. I was just wondering if anyone has any exp on using any good tents that are quite sturdy and reliable.

First thing that came to mind was lack of space - both physical and mental - unless it's just for you. Just a thought.

Agreed.

When overlanding by bike, if space allows, get a 2 man for just you, a 3 man for two people and so on: you'll be glad of the room to move and store, think and snore...

I pers would sugggest a tent per person so if somthing go's wrong & split
or if somone wants to go to see somthing elswhere.
however i have always found a 1 man tent is not enough space for a biker & all the gear boots helmet etc.

have a look here FindMeATent.com / Find Your Perfect Tent - Tent Reviews & Comparisons I found this on the Hubb

I used to love MSR tent, even when they are so expensive. Untill I discovered Big Agnes tents. Have a look on their website. It's almost like they have the same designer working for them. But they sell them cheaper, and I can't tell where the difference in quality is.

I ended up with the Gore because it give more square boxed space. But they also do the Hubba Hubba design in several sizes.

If you can get a US seller that ships it to Europe, have a look for a shipping quote with Shipito.com.

Cheers peeps, I shall look into this Big Agnes. My main concerns are the size once packed and durability. I will be sleeping alone in it, but I need a three man as we shall use it as the main social tent for activities etc :blushing:

Well I have had many tents not that one but it is a good tent. Thing is when you riding in some far off land getting a new tent sent to may not be as easy as you think. May take weeks or months and that is if they send you one at all. I go for cheaper tents and if I need a new I get one when I can. Most problems I have with tents are the floor and zippers after that a spark from a fire will put a hole in it faster than you can blink. Longest I have had a tent is 15 years shortest was a day.

Big Agnes makes good kit but most of there tents look a bit funny to me bit to much screen.

Take a tarp any way and some rope. Works for a floor, footprint, and a shelter if need be.

In the end it is up to you and your needs as if a tent is right for you.

But for more http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tripplan/equipment/tents\

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ba-hubba-22040

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...pi-tents-10780

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ee-tents-44406

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...best-2-a-26533


a vid you may like http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...eo-guide-34638

And on and on and on.

The North Face Merlin 33 tent for sale on ebay, bidding on £47 at the moment.
The innet tent is mostly mesh so will be good for overseas travel, stable design, two vestibules and roomy 3 man tent.

No: 120544589566

First, there is no perfect tent for all applications. This is obvious, but I mention it again because apparently it's not so obvious as it seems to me.

Second, you can spend a lot of money and get a tent which is strong, well-made, spacious, and lightweight. This is my preference, having owned plenty of tents which were either strong and heavy, or light and crappy construction, or tiny, or in other respects compromises. I like having the whole package, and I like it to last a loooonnnnngggg time in heavy use. The last thing I want is a tent which fails me during the odd unexpected wind, snow, rain or other potentially catastrophic situation. I'm willing to pay double to prevent this, and I don't care if I need to spend extra time in setup and packing.

I now use Hilleberg tents--a little one and a big one. They function well, are ridiculously well-constructed, are as light as anything on the market, and don't break. In the States, they cost about as much as the prices I see quoted for far inferior tents purchased in England, but I don't know what this means if you're shopping locally.

In deep snow during winter I sometimes use a Megamid, but that's a different approach entirely. I wouldn't bring one of these if there was any chance of bugs, floods or other impediments to a good night's sleep.

My other tents I've long since given away to less picky folks.

Hope that helps.

Mark

+1 on the Hubba Hubba.

I have just spent two weeks researching this as the last two tents I bought were disappointing - in the end I went for a Vango Force Ten Vortex 200, (3-man version is the Vortex 300). It's a four season expedition tent, RRP £350 but I got it for £245. :thumbup1:

Vango are a Scottish company and a lot of their tents are DoE Recommended kit (Duke of Edinburgh Awards).

Plus points include:

• Outer-first as-one pitching - ideal for fast pitching in bad weather
• Flysheet has very high Hydrostatic Head of 5000mm
• Ground sheet is 8000mm HH
• Full geodesic design with 7 crossover points
• Domed shape gives it lots of headoom
• Doors at both ends - handly if the weather changes overnight

A few things I learned whilst researching:

Previously I had a North Face tent - almost all North Face tents have a very tiny hydrostatic head, even their £5000 expedition tents are 1500mm - not much use in Scotland.

The MSR tents I looked at could not be pitched outer-first. Same for the well respected Terra Nova Voyager. The Voyager has much less headroom too.

It's very hard to find tents that can be pitched flysheet first, and as-one, unless you're willing to spend lots of money (except with Vango Force Ten).

Check it out: Vortex 300 | Tents | Vango

i would definately not share a tent, at some stage you will be sick of the sight of your mates and want your own space to chillax in. personally a 3 man tent is too small for me sometimes. i couldnt imagine sharing it with 2 others with all their stuff too dont forget bikers have much bulkier gear than hikers or leisure campers.
and if something happens to a tent (fire, bear attack, meteor shower, run over etc) you can share in an emergency instead of you all going cold and wet.

It's a very personal compromise between usable space, bad weather reliability, weight and bulk. For me, I have a Hilleberg Akto (one person) that I like.

Pluses:
- lots of space for gear
-lightweight (less than 3 pounds ) and low bulk
-Easy to set up
-very good weather protection
-well made, should last many years

Downsides:
-a downside for some is that it is not freestanding. It must be staked out to stand. No setting this one up in parking lot somewhere. That doesn't matter much to me, since so far I've never wanted to set up on asphalt. :cool4:
- expensive

Big tents can work well, too. I just can't justify the weight and space they take up.

...........shu

I think the Marmot Limelight 3P I own is the Real stuff.
YouTube - Marmot Limelight 3P telt

Teepee
 

I fancy one of these next:

Shangri-La 3

John

How do you handle insects in these like ticks, spiders, centipedes, ants?

I find that dipped in chocolate they go down well. All except for the ticks. Bit tough:rolleyes2:

They sell an inner to go with it... and an extra groundsheet... all extra money though:frown:

John

In my opinion, best tent is no tent. I try to sleep in beds. I did the military service and I had enough of wilderness sleeps. But sometimes there is no bed... Ok, I carry a tent just in case. But "Just In case" sometimes is really often when you are out.

What I hate most is wasting time setting up and keeping camping stuff. So at last I decided to carry one of the best and esasiest tent ever. Big enough, easy to set up, fast to keep. It is from an American company: Rei.

hotel+sahara.JPG (image)

So, when you arrive USA, through away your europeans tents and buy that one. Sometimes, I´d like do not find a bed on the road just to use mine. My treasure.

Whatever you get, bring a tarp. Preferably something intended for camping, not to cover a load on a truck. Extra protection from the elements for the tent or the bike (or both!) and it'll give you a bunch more livable space if you're stuck waiting out a storm some place.

I can't remember if I've ever slept well in a tent. Even with a proper insulated air pad under me I always wake up with a sore neck and back. So I stopped using a tent and got a hammock. I slept better in my Hennessey Hammock Expedition Asym than my bed at home on the 3 week trip I took last summer. Only thing that bugged me about it was the setup time (which is why I sold it), but there are some minor modifications that can be made to make setting up easy as can be. There are also other proper camping hammocks out there than just the Hennessey and while most of the shops are very small operations in the US I think most will ship internationally.

Hammock Forums : Your Number One Hammock Community is a great resource

If I had to go back to ground dwelling, I'd probably end up with a simple monk tarp and superlight bivy from Mountain Laurel Designs (one of those tiny shops I mentioned). Total weight would be just over a pound and take up as much space as a soda bottle.

Mr. Oranje,

Whatever you do, don't skimp on the tent if you plan to spend a good number of nights sleeping rough. You can get by with inferior quality on a lot of kit, but your tent is your last refuge, and if it fails at the wrong time you'll be not just miserable, but possibly endangered. Sure, a lot of people have relied on a cheap tent and got away with it, but a lot more people wind up sorry.

I second the numerous references to Hilleberg here. Absolutely top quality and worth every penny. MSR tents are quite decent too, but Hilleberg uses a superior fly coating (silicone).

I like the Bibler tents, now owned by Black Diamond. Single wall with no fly, breathable, water proof and tough as nails! If i had to replace it, it would be with another Bibler hands down.
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_9379.jpghttp://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/shelters/tempest

When it comes to tents for me this is my list of priorities:

1. Vantilation
2. Room for gear in the vestibules
3. free standing so I can pitch it on sand and rock easily
4. Mosquito netting is a must
5. Two entrances - when you store all your gear at one entrance it's easy to use the other when you need to go out in the middle of the night instead of going through your wet gear
6. Possibility of pitching the outer tent first
7. Price

So far I found one tent that suits almost all of these requirements: FindMeATent.com - Exped Orion Tent Reviews / Find Your Perfect Tent - Tent Reviews & Comparisons

The tent mentioned by Ben Vangoe Vortex 300 seems to be ok though!

Stay safe!
Andy

I have just purchased the Kyham Highlander 3 man tent, only put up the once in the back garden, only drawback I can see at present is packed width is 80cms.
I have an hammock that I have used once and find it a bit restrictive, also got a 2 pole tarp which I tried in the garden but gave up as I could not erect the poles properly!:blushing:

for a good choice of tents with good build quality and durability, as well as a reasonable price, i would reccomend Wild Contry tents.

I personally would stay away from single wall tents in warmer weather.

If money isnt a problem and you want th eright tent, you could also try the Norwegian tent maker helsport. available through the excellent tamarack outdoors website. They also do excellent wilderness travel kit!
Cheers
Matt

I agree, and this is why I settled on Hilleberg instead of Bibler. The Biblers (formerly Todd Bibler's company, now owned by Black Diamond) are robust, high-quality, strong single-wall tents. Their original niche was alpine mountaineering, where absolute weatherproofness and strength are at a premium. Their breathability is ok, but not really suited to hot climates.

Hilleberg tents are double wall, and while they don't breath as well as netting tents, neither do they let in cold drafts or wind-driven snow and rain. You've got to make certain choices about how you'll be using your gear, and which features are more important.

Both these brands are lightweight compared to the competition. Both are expensive. Being designed for severe weather use, none of their original models are self-supporting (i.e., "domes")--you'd understand why if you ever had to chase a wind-driven, fully-erected dome tent down a steep glacier! Of course, I haven't checked their models recently, so maybe there are other designs by now.

Hope that helps.

Mark

(from the northern edge of the Pantanal, heading towards Chapada, then Brasilia)

How about this one??!!

Halo 300 | Tents | Vango

Tent Questions again
 

I don't know what you guys really consider a (very) good tent.

As for me, I have this:

http://www.rejka.de/bilder/trekking/vanua.jpg

It really gives me all I need for a good price! Taped seams, free pitching, 4.3 kilogram weight, 7075 aluminum poles, 2 entrances, and so on, and so on (check this URL for more info Rejka Outgear). If you are looking for brand names, of course, you should get a NorthFace or something similar.

Klaus,

This Vanua really seems like a good tent. I'm struggling to find anything about it in english though. Could you tell us some more about it?

Price?
2 or 3 person ?
Good Ventilation?
Area of the vestibules?
2 vestibules or 1?
Can you set up the outer tent first?
Mosquito resisntant?
Is it fully freestanding?

Thanks in advance!
Andy

PS: the tent was rated as outstanding in the German magazine Outdoor - link here Rejka Vanua Test Zelt and is sold in all major (or minor) outdoor stores in Germany. So, it can't be that bad, I guess. Sorry, couldn't come up with any links in English, so if you have further questions, send me a mail. Pictures of the tent also on my homepage here:
http://virtulanguage.com/images/DSCF1242.JPG here http://virtulanguage.com/images/DSCF1207.JPG and here
http://virtulanguage.com/images/DSCF1213.JPG

Hope this helps! And again, NO, I don't get any paybacks from that company!!!

I have to say, I like to learn about new tents: I like them and in an ideal world I'd have several: each for different uses. However, the truth is I have two: a tunnel and a geodesic.

Yes you'll pay more for brands and yes, like the Vanua above, some smaller names make equally good, if not better tents, for less.

For that reason I'd moot Robert Saunders tents. I'll say that the guys on the phone haven't always been forthcoming :rolleyes2:, but I can live with that as their products are good.

I've sometimes seen lighter and more compact tents and thought..."hmm, would look nice on my kit list", but the truth is that my Mountain Trek fits in my topbox comfortably, has kept us warm, cool, and dry, in snow, sun, rain and very strong winds!!! Weighs about 3.5kg and packs to 45 x 15cm. The only limitation for us is that it lacks the room for our two dogs, hence our tunnel tent.

In that respect, it does everything we want it to, 4 years after we bought it, still looks in good nick and was reasonbly priced considering what you get.
Worth a look.