Hey Andy,

That is one kick ass tent. In my opinion, it's probably a bit of overkill. The mountaineering tents, especially the four season ones, are built structurally very sound to withstanding wind and snow load. That tends to make them more robust with more and stronger materials and thus heavier.

Unless you are hard core and are also planning on doing some trekking/mountaineering along the way in places such as South America, then I would look more at the three season options. They are typically lighter and would likely serve your purposes better.

As a suggestion, try the products at MEC or REI. Lot's to choose from.

Depending on your route and plans, you may even find the summer or mesh tents intriguing. We tend to plan for the cold and wet conditions but usually due to organizational factors, bikers will lean towards indoor options at that point if they exist. You end up camping much more in warmer weather and hence a good tent is the starting point but weight saved here can be put towards the other little things that make camping more enjoyable and thus more likely to occur in marginal conditions.

But by all means, camp! You'll stay in those places that most people only dream of...

First and foremost I love ya. Second I disagree with about everything you said. But, feel free to correct me.

Trango’s are a great tent, I actual own one but then again I own to many tents to say the least. It is a 4 season tent(.) This is the big one, do you really want a 4 season tent? I want to say hell no. 4 season tents, are going to be able to stand up to more wind, weight of snow, UV (only over cheap tents) etc, they are meant for the mountains. The negatives of a 4 season tents, less ventilation, more weight, more time to set up, less architecture options, normally higher in price. (Trango doesn’t meet your #1 and #3 really either)

I personally feel tents like the Minibus/Hubba Hubba/Emerald Mtn SL2/SkyLedge etc are a way better choice. The two door, two vestibule design is what you want to go after IMHO.

I recommend you call around and find a local shop that has some of these tents, like the Minibus (the most liveable space), Trango, and a few others. Set ‘em up, sit in ‘em, etc basically try some out.

FYI:
Take that price and divide it by the number of nights you plan on staying in this tent. Spend the money, buying a quality tent from a quality manufacture is worth the extra bit. Also buy it from a reputable store so you can deal with them if you do have problems a few years down the road (Example is REI here in the US).


Tunnel tents equal some of the most vertical walls which equals more interior/liveable space. In the US tunnel tents never really caught on. Also all tents need pegs/stacks.

Wish you the best, will send ya a PM
EW

I once climbed with a guy who found one of those freestanding mountaineering tents. He described traipsing along one day in the mountains, when what should he see but a brightly colored tent flying across the sky....so he chased it over hill and dale until it dropped to the ground, left it at the visitor center for a month (this was in Banff or Jasper, I forget which), and when no one claimed it he took possession.

Moral of the story: you always need stakes. The only thing freestanding tents are good for is moving them around campsites looking for the perfect spot after you've erected them. Aside from that, they're heavier and less functional. But of course there are many opposing points of view.

Mark

.. does everyone go for those big brand names where you have to pay lots of $$$ - when you can get the same or even better quality for less money?

So here again the link to the tent company where I got my tent 7 years ago (and it is still goign strong without any problems at all):

Rejka Outgear.

For those who don't understand German, just some specs: 3 person tent, 2 entrances, floor upto 10.000mm of rain, outer tent upto 4.000mm of rain, poles 7075 T6 ALU, 9,5 mm + 11 mm, 4 years warranty, color outside olive, inside yellow, the only problem I see is the 4 kilogram of weight. But you can get the smaller version, which would eliminate that problem.

And again - I DON'T get any paybacks from that company. If anyone is interested and worries about language barriers, get with me. More than gladly willing to help fellow bikers!!!

Oh, and here pics of my "old" tent: http://www.virtulanguage.com/images/DSCF1242.JPG or here http://www.virtulanguage.com/images/DSCF0013.JPG (mine is the one on the far left)

__________________

Have a look at Terra Nova for their range.
Dave.

Hi all!

Thanks a lot for all the advice!

We've tried the Minibus in one of the shops here in Edinburgh. The problem was that the vestibules were quite small and the tent itself although very thought through seemed to eb a little unreliable - all these plastic fittings all over the tent are concerning. There's quite a lot of them and I think that after using the tent quite heavily and long I think they may go burst. Lovely tent with a lot of interior room and space overall but small vestibules, unreliable design and low waterproofing factors kinda took it off the table.

About pegging the tent I agree that all of the tents should be pinned down but there are cases when it realy isn't necessary and with a freestanding tent it's quite easy to move it around as well.

The Hubba Hubba tent is quite interesting. It's got two doors and 2 vestibules and when comparing it to Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL 2 its waterproofing is better and it's got a stronger material. The only thing is that it has slightly smaller vestibules.

The Mountain Hardwear Skyledge 2.1 looks alright. It's big enough for the two of us, it's got 2 vestibule each 1 square m in area, it's very light - 2.13kg avg. The only thing bothering me realy is the size of it - after reading the reviews people cmoplained that there isn't enough space in it. I think we have to find a shop with some of these and get them set up and see. e could always go for the Skyledge 3 wich is bigger

This weekend off to the shops and try out as many as possible

Thanks for the comments!
Gosia and Andy

P.S. We'll check out the Terra Nova range too

__________________

Have a look at Vaude. I had a Mark 2 some time ago and was very impressed. Totally agree re price divided by number of nights spent in it. I use a £40 Vango for basic camping, have done 20 plus nights in it at bike shows and low level camping...less than £2 a night and with b and b now being £30 plus a night.......

Andy;
IMHO
1) For the motorcyclist, add one person to the tent size. Even with vestibule(s) you will appreciate the extra room for all the other stuff you want in the tent, dry, with yourselves. (for 2 people, its a 3-person tent).

2) Weight isn't the best way to measure the choice of tents. Those doing shorter, more frequent trips can get by having a 'lighter' option, but longer-duration travelers should consider 'greater durability' over 'light-weight'. This may mean: choosing stronger, heavier zippers; heavier fabric for fly and/or tent, among other considerations.

3) If your tent comes with cheesy aluminum 'bent wire' tent pegs, then the manufacturer is saving $10 - 20 on being cheap and you need to spend more for decent pegs. (MtnHdw tents have decent ones - I like MSR better). But the manufacturer is likely taking other 'quality' shortcuts in other places (as in; cheaper fabrics/netting, zippers, production methods).

4) The majority of MC travel is done in fair seasons, in fair weather. No one tent is perfect for every type of camping. When given the option of beach over cold-ass mountain, my tent needs ventilation. "4-season" (sleeping bags too) is marketing jargon; they are also 3-season tents (and bags) - just the colder seasons. Like thinking in terms of packing long underwear vs. bathing suit, and making that choice work in 'all situations'.

hope that helps.

Oh, and one last thing.

I bought a Mtn Hdw tent in August, 2006. In Nairobi, 2 years later, I contacted MtnHdw customer service regarding the 'delamination' of the heat-welding process on their tent flies. They said it would likely be replaced under warranty, but in my present situation the only sensible solution was to have it repaired locally (sewing it up, using one of the many street tailoring/fabric-repair technicians).

When I got to Europe, I contacted them again, and since the tent was no longer in production, they would provide a refund at manufacturers suggested price ($320 USD) after I sent photo-proof of their tent in shreds. I did, and they did (the refund, mailed to my US post box in 24 hours).

Two days later, I was buying another MtnHdw tent from REI - with the $320 refund, my 2008 REI member dividend of $115, I had to put in another $45 for mostly sales tax and shipping to a friend in Seattle flying to where I was staying in Germany a few days later. Now, a week later, I can say, "it's a great tent in the rain"!

Doing business with quality manufacturers is truly worth the extra investment.

__________________
quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

I agree. I think that for the trip we're planning we would have to consider the 3 (warmer ) season tents. I also agree about the 3 person capacity and dong business with quality manufacturers.

What do you think about Mountain Hardwear Skyledge 3? It really looks alright and the more I read about it the more I like it. Maybe it's not the toughest tent but I think it should make it RTW with us.

As far as the price is concerned we're not really bothered as we also agree with you guys on the price per night deal We plan for the trip to take us a minimum of 500 days and at least half of it is going to be camping.

Let us know what you think about the Skyledge 3 please

Stay safe!
Gosia and Andy

__________________

Here comes an opposing point of view what if you can't stake? Like in loose sand, on concrete, etc.

RE the MSR Fury tent, I've seen one in action - impressive but where is the ground sheet under the entrance? Not much use for storing stinky bike gear outside the main space and keeping it dry...

Oh and tarps. Decathlon do a very cheap one (£20 inc guys and pegs) that I'm bringing to Ripley... not a clue how to pitch it, could well be memorable!

__________________
http://bigben.to/ London to....? The big bike annual rally.
http://www.mongolbikers.com 125cc London -> Mongolia.

I have seen tents come and go in my life spending $10 to $400 and almost none have lived more than year or 3 with any use. Most have a zipper go out pole split shatter bend or the floor get so thin it rips or a pole rips a hole in the tent when I am setting it up at 1:00 am or have a friend pack it away wet. Price is a good bet on "quality" but its a tent and is made light and so you buy a new one every few years.

There are a few places that make them to last
Exped
black diamond
And others but be willing to pay for it. $600+ for 3 person

My advice go to a online shop and look there. Here is one I have gotten kit from Tents and Shelters at REI.com | 100% Satisfaction Guarantee | Customer Reviews

Most tents I have come with the worst set up gear the pegs are scrap AL. rod best given away the "rope" for the down lines are some polly junk that is land fill bound. Get some good line and pegs and you will spend less time setting up and tarring down the tent.

Have a tarp and rope with you at all times. I like the cheap blue tarps big so that you can cover the bike and you in it. I spent more than few nights under one. You can use one as a footprint for the tent to works better than most.

Stove? coleman all the way cheap and works and you have a tank of gas for it between your legs.

Well for sand you tie bags on the corners and fill them with sand, and for concrete? Well you find somewhere without concrete. But actually I'm with you a free-standing tent is a great thing, I've used mine on a ferry to give me a bit of privacy from the drunken hen-parties, and it was great.

BUT, there's always a risk with free-standing tents as shown in the following story:

I spent a couple of nights camping a few weeks back, beautiful spot on a headland, only a few campers there. A car rolls up and out get a couple of mates, one clutching his nice new pop-up tent. He unzips the bag and pulls it out, then says to his mate,

"Watch this, no fiddling with anything."
aAnd throws it into the air like on the advert. Just at that point, big gust of wind and his now unfurled tent sails straight up into the air and out into the Channel.

Moral or the story, ALWAYS tie your tent to something.

Just got one this morning, and it's great, you can always tie it to your handlebars, or your tent, or a tree, or something. Best to experiment at home though so people don't laugh.

__________________

Hi all and thanks for all the great advice!

We're going to Ripley and that's one of our goals to see all types of tents to find out what might be working for us.
Believe it or not I was looking at the Exped range already I think that this is what we're going to go for.

Something like Venus II or Orion with a footprint of course and a nice tarp maybe from Decathlon if you guys recommend it

Great! We're a lot closer to the decision then we were a week ago!

Looking forward to seeing you all in Ripley!

Stay safe!
Gosia and Andy

__________________

I just bought a Nemo Morpho two man tent. It is single wall with air bladders instead of poles. It sets up very easy but has to be staked down.
Here is a picture of it set up in my yard. I have not used it yet but thought I needed the practice. I also set up my lightweight tarp. I think I will be ready for my next rain camping event!

http://bigdon55.smugmug.com/photos/5...31_jGrjc-L.jpg

Attached Images