Matt has summed a lot of it up well enough. So i have little to add. However I think you are not going to get the very cold temperatures that yo are worried about.. according to the world met service in September the temperatures in Murmansk range from 4.3 to 9.5 degs (Celcius), but always better safe then sorry....so..

One of the best bits of advice I was ever given was keep some Gorp (GORP - Food - Good Old Raisins and Peanuts : aka muesli with chocolate in it) in the tent with you at night if you wake up cold eat a handful and you will be amazed how much you can warm up and then sleep afterwards (the scientific reason is called HIF - heat increment of feeding)...yes i am a geek bugger off.

Personally I like the mesh inner tents as they keep you breath condensation away from you and your stuff but it really does have to be a good design. The Tipi styles are what we (British Antarctic survey Camping in the Antarctic - British Antarctic Survey) use "on the Ice" but they are VERY VERY HEAVY and i find quite difficult to set up solo, if you do go this way and make fire in side please please be aware of the carbon monoxide poising risk. I have seen people effected by this several times to many (although luckily none fatal). For that reason i never use any combustion stove inside. (there is also the fire thing..)

Good luck mate. and have fun..

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Hi Xander,

This is a really good point. In Norway a few years ago in a one man tent I had a really bad time keeping my down bag dry because the condensation would freeze on the inside of the inner then drop onto (or fall off when I brushed against it) my sleeping bag, where it would melt. Luckily I had enough decent days that I could sun my bag for a few hours and dry it out a bit. It never occured to me a mesh tent would prevent this!

The only reservation I have is that, on the same trip, there was a bit of a hoolie and lots of spindrift blew in the outer door. It didn't get into my inner tent, because it was full nylon, but the door did have a an optional outer of no-see-um mozzie netting. The tiny flakes of spindrift went straight through the netting, getting trapped between the two doors. There was a couple of pounds by morning! I'd be scared that this would happen in a mesh tent and I'd get covered in spindrift! Have you ever experienced anything like this or was it a freakish event? I guess if you could stop the spindrift by-passing the outer, it wouldn't get in through the inner, which is where I guess that 'good design' comes in! Would appreciate your thoughts on this (or anyone elses with similar experience!).

Matt

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Hey Mat, Sorry i have never experienced this. My tents have never had the no-see-em on the outer (inside yes). So i cant really advise.. Any condensation can still freeze in a mesh inner tent but it will be on the out side of the mesh so it will bounce off and not hit you (only things in the vestibules). One point that this did bring up.. if you are in snow conditions and you can.. dig the tent in a few cm or so (the deeper the better) then pack the snow around the edges of the tent's outter. It has 2 effects 1) stops anything from slipping under (cus even snow tents can move in the wind), it kinda acts as 360deg guy lines. 2) Snow is an amazing insulator so keeps you warmer. Snow caves (dig outs) can get too warm (trust me).

Indu, Yeah i know you are not talking Arctic tipis (but that is my only experience of them).. and yes it is possible to set them up solo (I just find it hard.) but I still find them too heavy .. yes it is compromise between weight and sq footage.. but my personal taste is that I will take small and light.. my tent weighs in at 0.95kg (with pegs, lines and fly and bag). My Main point is that even though they are made for it.. please be sure that you do have good circulation going if burning anything in the tent.. CO is too easy to die from.

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Yes, you are right. I think using a lavvo is like having a van: You sort of get addicted to the convenience of all that space. The lavvo in itself is not so large when packed up and fits neatly on the bike. But it's not small, and if size and/or weight is your prime concern there are other options. In winter, I have a high priority on the ability to make a fire to dry clothes and keep warm inside the tent. I do not find other suitable options than a lavvo. And I can bring in the bike if I need to ;-)

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HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

Look at the photo, one of the guys is wearing a thermal suit bit like a ski suit. (red/black with some reflective on). Not sure what they are called but you can pick them up in larger supermarkets in Norway, they are cheap and great in cold dry conditions if it gets really cold you can sleep in them too.

If your heating packs up you can drive in them. They are a great bit of kit to have even if you only use them when in camp.

have a good trip

You're thinking of these, perhaps:



They are thermal wear and are actually quite popular among winter riders. Water repellant, windproof and very warm.

You can also buy snowmobile outfit, it works great for winter motorcycle riding too.

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HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

We're not talking Antarctic Expedition tipis here, I think. The Helsport Varanger is 11.3 kg in total, incl tent, inner tent, "floor", pole, plugs etc. I don't use the inner tent, shaving off 2.8 kgs. That's 8.5 kg for 17 square meters of tent space. And you can even have the Helsport Lavvulight, weighing in at 2.4 kgs - in total! - but then you have only 6.5 sqm to your disposal.

With some practice it isn't too difficult to put up these modern lavvos by yourself either.

The beauty of lavvos, or tipis if you will, is the continuous air current from the bottom of the lavvo and all the way up through the top. By adjusting the top venting hat and the vents at the bottom you can regulate that current to pull out the smoke and CO. Obviously you want to pay attention, but it has worked for e.g the American Indians and the Sami for ages.



From the Primus Winter Rally in Norway.

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HansP
All you wanted to know
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Tatonka Grönland 2 2 Personen Tunnel-ZeltHappy Card Artikel, XSPO - Cross Sports

Randa's RTW

Greetings
Randa / Denmark

You mention you are driving?
Why not sleep in the car?

Be aware that with a camp bed, you have to have lots of isolation under you, as the air under you, can be much colder than the ground and your sleeping bag is compressed where you lie on it.

Take a breathable bivy bag or fix a piece of nylon cloth over your downbag so the condensation from your breath, will collect on that and not on the sleeping bag.

By the way: between +10 and -5 centigrade, is the most annoying as you will get water condensation on the inner tent and you'll get wet every time you touch it.
If its cold enough, the condensation will be rime frost which can be so dry, that you can brush it off your bag or clothes.

A multiburner for diesel or gasolin is very effective in cold climates. A normal gas will not burn at all under 0 centigrade and even "wintergas" doesn't evaporate under -6 / -8 centigrade, if you have to use gas, heat the cannister with a candle and later over the gas fire when its burning (carefully !)

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Poul
May you enjoy peace and good health !

I wonder if you could rig up a spare battery like they do in camper vans, and use this to power heated motorcycle clothing ?

If camping at the same spot for a few days or more, enough green biomass will start to compost and keep you warm. ( six inches thick or more, you cant have too much) In Mons (Belgium) last year, I found a campsite that had put all their grass cuttings in a big heap. by placing my tent over it, the temperature inside teh tent was over 20C with frost outside. My tent is a cheap dome type that i can pick up and position by lifting it by the top.

Normally i sleep on a camp bed ( but then i try to avoid camping when it is cold). With soft warm compost under my tent, no need for the bed.
Re Butane not working in teh cold. I use a small stove that uses 270 or 470 cartridges. these are a 50/50 mix of butane and propane and will work fine down to -5c and less (I dont kno how much further as I dislike teh cold )

A plastic pee bottle (with tape) is a great idea (I'll just leave it outside the door) and GORP is another easy one. A tipi is out though. Great for winter, but too big and expensive for me on what is a relatively short trip. If I ever moved to Norway, I'd get one and probably live in it.

I think I'll have to hold off buying a new tent for now. They all look great, but which one to choose? Pranda - thanks for the Tatonka link. If I use my cheapo dome tent for now and just make sure it's properly zipped up and pegged down, it should hold up. If doesn't, I'll just head for the car. I have a tarpaulin that I'll take along. It's fantastic in the rain, but I don't want to make things too complicated. I'll look in the sales when the season is over. Hopefully, I'll know what I'll need before laying down any cash.

Going by replies, it seems I already have most of what I need for this trip. Keeping dry seems to be the key in staying warm and happy - an art in itself. I'll pick up a petrol stove - it may never get cold enough to merit one, but fuel is everywhere and they can be used in any climate. Truth is, I've always liked the look of them, so now I have an excuse to buy one. Cheers.

Just for the record, I'm doing Russia into Norway so I can leave earlier and still coincide with Norwegian camp fire regulations - no fires allowed until mid September. I'll still need to drive away from the public road to camp though, which is technically against regs. Apparently, the land is only available to use if you walk or ski. I also hope to catch a fish two - means another reg busted if it's fresh water, or two if I try it without a licence. I'm not sure how strict it all is. I suspect Russia will be easier.

Thanks for all the replies so far. I'm not done yet, so if anyone still has thoughts...

Cheers for now.

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My home made heated vest will not heat up from the 12 volts provided by a battery on it's own,it needs the full 13.5(ish) volts available with the engine running.I don't know about the proper commercially available heated clothing.

A bizarre but potentially life-saving tip. Well, a night's sleep saving tip anyway. Though if I'm on a bike tour it's rare I'll spend more than one night in one place. But a good tip anyway.

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15 countries in 40 days. Tanks, crashes, minefields and Kalashnikovs

Last time I tried something like that I spent the night listening to the rats running around outside the tent. I've tended to stay away from rubbish heaps since.