Hey all,

Just got back on a motorcycle after five years without, and I'm putting my camping kit together.



I'm looking for a lightweight, packable, two-man tent, without a vestibule.

Are there any still out there?

I own a couple of Eureka tents without vestibules, but they're getting a little old and I'm ready to get some new gear, but I can't seem to find any tents that don't come with a vestibule.

Who still makes a tent without a vestibule?

Jamie

I've found that the difference between a pretty good tent and a top of the line tent is... significant.

I tend to just order a half decent tent every few years and replace when needed. Hurts less when they get a hole in them that way.

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I know it’s not what you asked about but I’ve always found a even a small vestibule very useful and the extra weight / packed size isn’t worth worrying about. You don’t need one big enough to party in, just somewhere to keep a bag or two / your boots / helmet etc in wet (or windy) weather or out of sight when you’re away from the tent.

I can’t really help with US market suggestions but in the U.K. there’s loads of cheap festival tents - the £20 use for the weekend and leave behind when you go type - without vestibules. I’ve even got two myself and they’re better than you might think. I got a couple years of bike camping on my 125 out of one before the seams started delaminating.

I'm using a Hilleberg Unna. It's a roomy free standing 1 man tent that can fit 2 small people without gear. Tent details here:

https://hilleberg.com/eng/tent/red-label-tents/unna/

Attached Thumbnails

 

There's the MSR Advance Pro 2: https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co...o-2-tent-p8516

It weighs 1.3kg/2.8lbs, built like a tank, easy to set up, but it's single skinned and expensive.

Can I ask why you're looking for a tent without a vestibule?

I've actually been looking in the opposite direction with the EXPED Outer Space II which is mainly vestibule: https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co...ii-tent-p13591 I could probably save weight by dropping the inner and just taking my bivvy.

I think having a large personal space for campsites would be useful for storing all of my equipment and having my own space.

Hi Jamie - if you're looking for a new tent for moto-camping, have a look at the Big Agnes range (they are not a million miles from you in Steamboat Springs CO) - their Superlight range are pretty affordable and pack down pretty small (typically 18-20" long x 6-7" diameter), and most of their designs are free standing with just a minimal vestibule - which is part of the fly, and can be left off if the weather is good and/or privacy is not a primary concern, and only requires one or two pegs to pin out as required.

It's worth noting that if you're in the USA, REI have got a discount on tents at the moment, including a number of the Big Agnes models - the Copper Spur is a nice tent, pricy at SRP, but pretty good value at REI at the moment.

fwiw. I have their [original] Seedhouse 2 model which is still going strong after 11 years!

Hope that helps...

Jenny x

"storing all of my equipment"? That's the part I don't get. What is it you're storing? I hear that all the time. "I put all my gear in the vestibule." Geez... what are people bringing which doesn't fit inside a decent sized tent?

When I set up my current 2-man tent, I bring in everything that's necessary: My sleeping pad and sleeping bag. My sleeping attire. My toiletries bag. Maybe my tablet. My helmet, boots, and jacket sometimes comes in with me, other times I leave that on the bike. In a two-man tent, there's still lots of extra space. I just can't imagine what else you'd need in the tent with you, let alone inside the vestibule. I even have a one-man tent which doesn't have a vestibule that I sometimes use, though I admit that can be a little tight.

I bought an expensive tent with a vestibule a few months ago, figuring if everyone else thought they were so great, maybe I'm missing something. I used it for one night of camping. Never again. The vestibule makes everything more difficult. Setup (and takedown) time takes longer (I know, it's not much). Getting in and out of the tent, having to go through the vestibule is a pain. Not to mention having an extra zipper that's necessarily out of reach from inside the tent. When I needed to pee in the middle of the night, I actually had to get up, put shoes on, and go outside, rather than just kneeling out the doorway and peeing on the ground out the "back door" of my tent. And when I heard some noises outside my tent, I had no way to look out there. In all my other tents without vestibules, I simply unzipped a window and looked outside.

I just don't get the current vestibule fetish that seems to be sweeping the industry. I'd like to camp with someone who uses a tent with a vestibule, and see what they use it for because for me, it's a pain in every way, and offers practically no advantage, other than maybe a little better weather protection.

I bought a Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 a few months back (see comments above) and I have to admit, I really like the weight and pack size. They're great quality tents.

But minimal or not, I hated the vestibule. It got in the way every time, kind of like trying to carry groceries into the house when you have a screen door that you have to try to open with your pinkie or your foot every time. I wish they made one without a vestibule at all.

I also use Big Agnes sleeping pad and sleeping bag. I like their stuff. So a few weeks back I emailed them and asked if they offered any of their tents without a vestibule. I just want a small rain fly that provides a short overhang over the doors. The rep cheerfully responded to my request and told me that they have several tents that come without a vestibule, and provided links to four of them. Every single of of those tents he linked were described as having a vestibule on the product page. I emailed the Big Agnes rep back and asked him if maybe we had our terminology mixed up. He never replied. It was an odd exchange.

I have been on the search for a simple, light, packable, free-standing tent that comes without a vestibule for quite a few months now. I've come to the conclusion that my only options are expensive four-season single wall tents which I don't want for need of ventilation, or super cheap no-name tents sold by Walmart and the like.

I own an REI Camp Dome 2 that very much resembles the tent in my first post. I've had it for a few years and it does a good job. My only complaints about it are that it's kind of heavy for a two-man tent, and the pack size isn't great. I was really hoping that some manufacturer out there made a similar tent, but using lightweight materials and a smaller pack size.

Still searching...

Thanks for the suggestions!

Jamie

> "storing all of my equipment"? That's the part I don't get. What is it you're storing? I hear that all the time. "I put all my gear in the vestibule." Geez... what are people bringing which doesn't fit inside a decent sized tent?

You're right, I've been exploring my options and definitely don't need a big vestibule. Thank you for the amazing answer.

Well....If I'm staying in place for a bit in a campsite, I typically remove panniers (two or four of them) and put them in my vestibule. Don't want them weighing me down if I'm out exploring roads, trails, narrow downtown streets, etc., don't want to leave them outside exposed to theft, and definitely don't want to share my sleeping space with them.

Then there's the issue of not wanting to snuggle up against sopping wet riding gear if I've been out in inclement weather--pants, boots, jacket, helmet, gloves, stinky socks, oversuit and underwear. It all stays out in the vestibule. In fact, even a small vestibule gives me options for getting all that stuff off my body without doing it out in the rain or bringing it into the tent with me. I like that.

None of this may matter to some folks, but those are easy answers to "Geez... what are people bringing which doesn't fit inside a decent sized tent?" Yeah, I could carry a larger tent, but I'd turn it around and ask why do that when a small, light vestibule will do the same job better?

And finally, depending on wind direction and tent design, a vestibule (or at least overhanging flysheet) helps keep the weather out during entry and exit, and it allows leaving a door open for ventilation. I like that, too.

[At which point I add the mandatory YMMV.]

Mark

All good points - and I'd add that certainly the small canopy style 'vestibule' you do get as part of the flysheet of my Seedhouse 2 for example also offers a windbreak for cooking* in while you sit in the entrance doorway of your tent.

*I say 'cooking', I really just mean boiling water for coffee of course ;o)

I guess ultimately it depends on what kind of camping you like to do - a quick overnight trail-side and move on vs. more than one night in a single spot - and in that regard, ultimately it probably makes sense to have more than one tent option if your travel style is varied...

Certainly if I'm overnighting trailside in good/warm weather (and am not concerned about privacy), then I tend to only set-up the freestanding mesh inner tent and sleep inside that. If the weather is potentially bad or I'm in company, I would typically throw the flysheet over and peg out the vestibule too.

Jx

Heh. Hope you're not being sarcastic. Actually I get the same thought when I look at how much some people carry on their bike. Like, four panniers?

Granted, I'm not the most minimalist traveler I know, but I keep trying to improve. I do recall one time taking a kayaking trip with a few other guys. I carried the least of any of us. One day one of the guys says, "Hey, I don't suppose any of you have a scissors, do you?" I reached into one of my bags and gave him a pair of scissors. He says to me, "Jamie, you carry less than all of us, but whenever we need anything, you have it!"

I took that as a compliment.

I have to say that I rarely stay in one place for more than a night, and if I do, it's usually a place where I've gotten a room, or in a few cases a palapa, or maybe I'm staying with friends somewhere and I'm planning to be off the bike during that time. If I'm exploring trails, I pack up my camp in the morning and head out because I never know where I'll end up by the end of the day. I can appreciate having an unloaded bike, but I just don't want to leave my stuff unattended for a bunch of reasons.

I've never had sopping wet riding gear in my tent. I wear rain gear over my riding gear when necessary, and on the few occasions I've made camp in the rain, I take off my rain gear and roll it up, or leave it draped over my bike, and then I get into my tent wearing my otherwise mostly dry gear.

I have found that in a two-man tent, I can lay out my sleeping pad, fold up my riding gear, helmet, jacket, boots, and the few other small belongings I need for the night, and there's plenty of room. When I camp with my solo tent (which also doesn't have a vestibule), I do end up laying half on top of my gear and it's a little tight. That's why I usually use a two-man tent on my bike.

It's clear that most people like to have that extra space. Kind of like a porch or mud room on your house. And garage and attic. But I just don't need all that space, and to me it just gets in the way.

What I find curious is that not a single tent manufacturer anywhere in the world that I can find makes a good quality, light-weight, three-season, self-standing tent which doesn't have a vestibule. I do have a mid-level tent that meets those needs, but I've been looking for one that is a bit lighter and packs a bit smaller.

Thanks for all the insight. I rarely travel with others, so it's interesting to see how others do it. I'm always looking for better way to do stuff. Incremental improvements.

Jamie

Yes mate very sarcastic! :P No it was just a nice detailed answer that gave me food for thought.

If you want small pack size Big Agnes have some tents designed for bikepacking (as in bicycle): https://www.bigagnes.com/Gear/Tents/Bikepacking

There's still a vestibule but they've put some focus on the pack size and as far as I can tell they're about 10-15cm/4-6" shorter than any equivalent tent when packed, at the cost of being a bit more time consuming to set up.

What about a different style of vestibule? Looking at the Fly Creek for example: https://www.bigagnes.com/Fly-Creek-HV-UL2-Bikepack the vestibule looks more convenient than the Copper Spur (and look at the weight of it... jesus).

This is where my wallet is pointing right now.

Maybe you missed reply above but the Hilleberg Unna checks all your boxes save one; it's 4 season instead of 3 season. I'm using it with the optional "mesh" interior so it's 3 season with a very warm sleeping bag.

Is there a faster/easier 2 layer tent to pitch available? For the Unna, 2 poles (387 cm) are inserted into outer sleeves and both inner and outer of the tent are pitched together in 2 steps. Packing is reverse, no rain fly to deal with.

It's not cheap but if it's any consolation, Hilleberg's are most affordable in the USA.

For perspective: I have a two-man tent with a small vestibule. A Coleman Darwin 2, one of these: https://static3.nordic.pictures/2742...2000012145.jpg As you can see, the vestibule is literally one extra sheet of fabric, it does not make any difference in pack size.

The short answer is: the vestibule is for all the things that can get dirty, but that I don't want to get rained on all night. And the point of a two-man tent is to have some room to move around inside, not to fill it all up.

I definitely don't want my textiles and boots inside the tent with me. The helmet usually goes in my top box and my boots can go upside down on the mirror stalks (upside down so no rain), but I don't want my textiles to be out on the bike in the rain all night, and they can easily be dirty on the outside. So folding them up inside the vestibule is a very legit solution.

I'm sure you know that the first time you put up and take down a new tent, it always seems long and cumbersome. If you do it a few times, it stops being an issue.

Actually that's a great advantage of my vestibule, now that I think of it. The rain falls on the outer dome. When I open the outer flap, the rain and any pooled water falls on the ground, not inside my tent.

No offense mate, but I don't want to visit any campsite that you've visited before. That's just... ew. I usually get up to pee once a night at least, and yes it's a pain when camping (more so getting out of my warm sleeping bag), but I am not going to pee in the immediate vicinity of my tent. That's both unpleasant for myself (no matter how much I get the ground slope right) and disrespectful to anyone who might use that spot after me.

Hello
OK, then some more ideas.
For me, the question is not vestibule at all or not.
It's, does the vestibule work properly!

When is a vestibule nice to have and what does it?
The answer is rain.

If I'm camping alone in the desert, the best tent is a self standing inner tent with lots of mesh, no flysheet mounted, watching the stars.

But if it rains, the problem is can I open and exit the tent without getting rain inside the inner tent.
Many tents with a very small vestibule don't work good in rain, and I mean rain that comes with wind and 45° angle or less.

The best vestibule have tents with tunnel construction.
I can enter the vestibule and close the door behind me, undress the wet raingear and then enter the inner tent.

I don't see how to design a tent without a vestibule that works good in rain and bad weather.
If I see it right in your first picture, the entrance/side is just one wall?
How did it work in bad weather?

I have a MSR Hubba Hubba NX for travelling with my trike.
Works not to bad in rain and you can roll up the both sides where the entrance is.
Then it's close to your tent in your first picture.







Vestibule rolled up may work for your most important feature


If I travell with my bike, I don't care much for weight, the bike has to carry it and I can handle my bike loaded with all that I need to survive.

That's how a vestibule has to be!










sushi

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