I'm heading off for a year in Latin America in a few months and I was wondering if anyone had any tips for a good tent that would cover most situations? Initially at least I will be in Mexico, Central America and the hotter parts of South America - so do you suppose I should go for a hot weather tent - ie one with a purely mesh inner and flysheet that has a ventilation gap at the bottom - or am I likely to then find it uselessly cold in the Andes?

Thanks for any thoughts!

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First priority: if you're going to be tenting in Patagonia you need a strong tent for the winds. All else is secondary.

Second priority: you need to think about not just where you're going but where you'll be actually using the tent. I used my tent at various times in temperate and subtropical zones, not at all in the tropics except at altitude (where cold is far more an issue). In three trips through Mexico and Central America, for example, I seldom dropped down near sea level. Your route might be different from mine.

In the tropics there are often tropical downpours....and if you ever wondered about the pairing of those two words, you'll soon find out. You might find you don't really want to be outside in a tent during one of these. You might also find that wild camping is more trouble than its worth in the mostly-cheap tropical countries, and that the whole concept of "camping" as something one might do voluntarily doesn't really exist in local culture throughout much of Latin America. Staying in cheap hotels can be just as thrifty as well as way more comfortable.

There are lots of discussions about whether it's worth carrying a tent at all. I find it worthwhile....but more for the deserts, mountains and temperate zones--not for the tropics.

Hope that's helpful in some way, shape or form.

Mark

goo,

I haven't been to Latin America yet, but in Canada/Alaska I've been only sleeping in a tent. I use a Big Agenes SL2. Light weight and small enough it packs inside one of my panniers. Paired with a good sleeping bag I have been toasty warm all the way down to freezing and would take it to colder temperatures with no hesitation. The tent has a mesh top half for ventilation in hot weather. I've withstood some severe winds in the tent as well and it worked great (but as with any tent, take care with stake placement in the wind).

Mark,

I find it curious you mention cheap hotels being way more comfortable than camping. Are they that much better than the USA/Canada? I have never found a motel offers more comfort than my tent. Even most hotels are less comfortable. Only benefit is the shower/laundry, and those can be found elsewhere. Am I missing something, or do we just have different definitions of comfort?

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FYI, here is a long-term report on the SL2 tent I use.

Track Pete: Gear Review: 120+ Nights in a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2

If anything he under-states the fantastic design of this tent.

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As mentioned, the winds in Patagonia are nothing you'll experience anywhere else. But it's pretty unlikely to camp there anyway. Although you can. There are other ways to work around it.

Generally for tent buying I look for something easy to pitch, side entry (must have for me), with a lot of 'vertical space' and some room outside. I prefer pole designs that don't need the pole to be inserted into a sleeve. Todays clips are brilling and this speeds the whole thing up heaps. Self supporting is handy as well, as you can't alway find solid ground to put pegs in.

This doesn't really help I know, because it's always easier for someone to say get this and you won't be dissapointed. But that's not always possible. I currently have a Big Agnes Gore tent because of it allowing for all the features I want. But if I were to travel alone I'd probably go for the obscure brands single wall designs out there.

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[QUOTE=tmotten;343968]As mentioned, the winds in Patagonia are nothing you'll experience anywhere else. But it's pretty unlikely to camp there anyway. Although you can. There are other ways to work around it.

Tmotton I'm presuming that you mean that the winds are so strong that you are unlikely to camp in Patagonia?

I'm facing a similar Dilemma, tent or no tent for S.A.
My gut feeling is to take one just in case or maybe just a bag and bivy if Im unlikely to be able to camp much in Southern Chile and argentina.

Do you meet many people who do NOT carry a tent?

Cheers,

James

Funny, I camped more in Patagonia than anywhere else in a yearlong trip through Latin America. Watched a lot of other campers there, many with tents collapsed, broken and/or shredded by the winds. Much of the rest of Argentina and Chile has an established camping culture--that means municipal campgrounds, camping on the grounds of hostels, etc.

I can't account for someone who finds camping more comfortable than hotels: maybe its a function of age and associated decripitude (mine, not yours). I'll venture to suggest that most riders would agree with me.

This is not to say that I necessarily prefer hotels to camping out: there are aspects of camping I really do prefer. But comfort is not one of them. Give me a bed, a chair or two, maybe a desk, heat or air-conditioning......not to mention a locking door and with luck a working toilet and shower.

Mileage varies.

Mark

I remember my first night camping in Argentina and being impressed that my tent could bend inwards so much in the wind without breaking the poles.

Try setting a tent up in this:
http://s98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...t=MVI_1329.mp4

Loads of great places to free camp in Arg/Chile plus virtually every pueblo has a municipal campsite, which sometimes seem to be more for folks having BBQs/parties than camping. From Boliva to Panama we never used the tent, either due to heat/humidity or because we never fancied free camping as there were always people around no matter where you went. Camped a lot in Mexico though but mainly outside of the tropics.

Whatever you buy, just make sure your tent packs easily into your pannier without filling the whole thing, some poles won't fit in either so you may need to stick those in a bag on the seat. I could easily pack my tent and poles into my Jesse panniers, they generally resided at the bottom out the way when not being used.

Another handy thing in a tent is a decent sized ground sheet, I had several where the ground sheet stops at the inner door and had to use my poncho as a makeshift ground sheet for the tent entrance.

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for south america take a 3 season free standing tent , you will enjoy the free standing if really hot you can sleep with the without the cover on , you need good ventilation even in colder climate to avoid condensation, 2 vestiblue to store your gear or cook is usefull , if 2 people take a 3 person tent ( you will love some extra space) , a foot print and do not be cheap or overspend a good mid range tent will do great .

do not do like me try the tent and learn to built it first .

PS I am in florida so I tested it in 95 F and even a 3 season work well.

Have a look at the quasar range by terra nova.
The "ultra quasar" is the lightweight mountain tent which has a reputation for stability in high wind ect.
2 porches and the inner tent can be used alone in hotter weather.
Dave.

That link is my blog, and to follow up specifically on Patagonia: I just got back from there, spending quite a lot of time camping in remote places. I continue to recommend the SL2 as an absolutely amazing tent, though I'm still considering upgrading to their UL2.

I've camped through the night in very very intense wind, not to mention massive tropical storms and the like. One night on Easter Island over half the tents in my campground were messed up and almost everyone hung out in the kitchen while I stayed cozy and dry.

Plus it packs small, which rocks. Super bonus tip for ANY tent: buy a small Sea to Summit (or similar) dry bag to store your tent instead of using the default stuff sack. It may be a teeny bit bulkier but being able to put away a wet tent without worrying about your gear getting soaked more than makes up for it.