Touring - Tent?

What kind of tent should I be looking for for a 10 day tour that's compact enough to load onto my bike? I'm on a budget.

check out an earlier thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5865

there are lots of comments. for convenience, here is a copy of my recommendation. by the way, the SEARCH utility works great...


originally posted by Nathank
I have a Sierra Design Clp Flashlight CD '2-man'- not completely sure i got the name right - i've had it for 3 years or so already...

but it's really light (i think a 2-3lbs) and supposedly fits 2 people. I had it on a week-long bike tour and for 1 person it's great. for 1 it's pretty roomy and you can bring some gear in the tent...

but with 2 people you can hardly take off your socks or roll over... and i just wouldn't want to be so chummy with anyone i don't otherwise enjoy sleeping with(my girlfriend)

I've also had it on shorter trips and it barely fits 2 if the other person is my girlfriend... i must say if it were more than a few days i would be too cramped -

that said, i found the tent great for solo-bike trip... although it's also not freestanding like my big tent so you have to find a place where you can get at least 4 stakes in the ground...

it's pretty rain-worthy and if it's warm and you are sure enough to chance it w/o the fly then it's _really_ light!

pretty decent wind-flow although with the fly it would be a little hot in a real summer (>85F at night) but then you probably don't need the fly anyway...

if you're going solo, i would recommend this tent or try some kind of tarp which i have never tried but have heard good reports if the weather is decent (i.e. not rainy season or area)

for 2 people touring, i would go a little bigger since adding another pound is less important with 2 people...

I really like Sierra Design's tents too. They are well thought out and well constructed. Also, they are pretty reasonably priced as quality tents go. I have the Orion AST which I like a lot. I use it for canoe/ kayak camping and backpacking though, not touring.

OceanRider.....I've used a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight for decades. It withstands
the WORST weather imaginable and keeps you dry. It's not especially roomy, although
I can get myself and panniers in there and still sleep comfortably. I've seen other tents fold up,
but mine still stands. It's not too good for hot weather as it doesn't ventilate well.
But on the other hand, I have had it in sub-zero weather (snow inside the tent when
you hit the roof), and have been comfortable.

Oh yeah,.....weighs in at under 4lbs.

I would recommend a well ventilated free standing one and a half person(usu. called two)tent.The Clip Flashlight is popular but I chose TNF Tadpole over it some 7 years ago as it had much better ventilation(design and meshing) and was free standing and I have been very satisfied with it but I am not sure it is still made.One person tents don't have enough room for gear and true two person tents are fairly heavy.Look for a 1 1/2 with aerodynamic shape and as much meshing as possible(also make sure it has a rain fly).I am also in the market for a small battery operated fan as it is still hot in Fl even with the mesh.I saw a nice camping fan but it was fairly bulky.Hammocks are reported nice for Fl due to ventilation and elevation (particularly if terrain is swampy due to snakes ,gators etc. LOL).Tarps are not recommended for the above reason plus bugs.If you are a minimalist a bivy(well ventilated )might be nice in that case a tarp would be suitable.You might want to try ebay when you know what you want .

Just saw your comment that you are a pretty good sewer and it made me think the current trend with the lightweight gear crowd is to make/sew their own gear.Ken Kifer on his bike pages has detailed plans for sewing/making panniers (was recently linked from this forum).Also for ideas on sewing a tent/tarp/bivy one site you might check is backpacking.net then the link make your own.Their are many (ultra)lightweight backpacking forums to discuss making gear and many more sites with tent plans both conventional and lightweight as well.I think they generally use silnylon and mesh for lightweight shelters though the silnylon can get expensive so you might just use canvas or something.

I have had a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight Tent for about 14 years and it has served me very well. Today I was at REI and I saw the new version which has much better ventalation and a few extra refinements that greatly enhance the usability. The really great feature was that it was on sale for $108 US, so I bought another one. At that price you couldn't go wrong. I also bought the footprint, which is a special ground cloth that lets you put up the rainfly only over the footprint for a really light combination. You could actually leave the tent home and travel with 2 lbs of protection. Not bad on warm bug free, rain free days.

Mur

Out of curiosity is there a REI Canada website where us in the US could actually take advantage of the currency savings?I have thought of this idea in the past though I have not been in the market for gear lately (maybe a bicycle though LOL).Mountain Equiptment Co-Op is a Canadian based gear company with online sales but from checking their site they dont appear to have Sierra Designs tents but some killer deals on their own brand with the exchange rate factored in.I looked at the latest Clip Flashlight on the REI US site and it was $189 but did appear to have added alot of meshing and improved aero design from earlier models.I recommended freestanding( which the Clip is not) for touring as we/I often found it convenient to set up on a asphalt RV site or old bridge etc where a site to set up stakes in the ground was not readily available.However I recall Mike had a non freestanding so it might be alright(though he had to sleep in Daves freestanding two man one night where ground wasn't available).Still If going with non-freestanding and a sewing project is not an obstacle the sil-nylon tent /tarps(on the link in my prior post ) with added flooring at around $60 and 1 lb. or less would be tough to beat.

One additional note the Mtn.Equipt. site (mec.ca)has good deals with exchange rate factored in on bike clothing and accessories incl. hydropacks,racks and panniers as well.Also checking some of my links I found the Clip Flashlight at No.Mtn.Supply (northernmountain.com)for $149 closeout and other tents on closeout incl. two by Dana Designs for $99.If you are interested I will check some of my other links when I get a chance (I didnt realize how many I had)but two you definately might want to check are Sierra Trading Post and Campmor.

backcountry-equiptment.com has the Clip Flashlight for $149 w/ free shipping

OK. Lots of mesh, lightweight tafeta, aerodynamic, freestanding 1-1/2 to 2 capacity with a rainfly. Right? Anything else to consider for Florida? Because I think I may have found something for around $50 that fits that bill.

The seamstress in me might like to tackle a very small gear project before anything ambitious as hard core touring. I'm intrigued for sure. I'll check out the sites. Thanks RWTD.

Apparently tafeta is a nylon which is not an idea material for a tent with a rainfly (better to have canvas tent with sythentic fly for breathability and durability).The lightweight tarptents I referred to are nipstop nylon silicon coated(ie ultralightweight material used for parachutes)and here weight is the overriding consideration not durability or even rain or bugproofness as those using them usu. camp in shelters and only occasionally use their tents.I mentoin those because 1 lb on back of a bike vs. up to 5lbs. or more for a conventional tent is something to consider for an occasional camper who can sew. Bottom line is how much you intend to use the tent as to what quality of materials to go with.

Dear Oceanrider,

Have you checked out the Hennessey Hammock? That would be my choice for the ultimate in value, utility, and portability. I do not own one (yet) but I have read many reviews and testimonials - they all pretty much say that the hammocks works as well as advertised. Check out their website (search "hennessey hammock" on google or some such) and see for yourself. It's cheaper and more versatile than any Sierra Designs tent (I have one and can vouch for the outstanding ideas and build quality of their tents), you can leave your sleeping pad at home, you don't need to find level ground to pitch the hammock, you don't need to sink stakes, the whole thing weighs in at 2lbs even, and the basic model costs ~$120. Pretty dope.

BK

p.s. The best part about the hammock is that it was designed and built by a tinkering outdoorsman whose time was obviously worth less than his money. Let's support the starving gear designers!

I'm going to take a trip to Sports Authority armed with the info I've gotten here and have a look 'round. It's probably the way my dad raised me when I was a kid (he wanted a boy)... I enjoy activities previously reserved for primarily the male gender. Am I still a tomboy in my 40's?:p Geeze, I can't find anyone else interested in touring and when I tell my female friends and family members I'm planning on touring on my bike, they look at me like they're looking right through me and say that's nice.:confused: I feel like an odd bird for sure. I'm shopping for tents while they're getting their hair done LOL.

Sports authority won't have the quality tents. Probably just the "Colemans" type. Hook up with CAMPMOR (http://WWW.campmor.com)
Get a catalogue or just browse the website.

One more thing, Oceanrider

The Hennessy Hammock is on sale...blems and old models for $80-$90 at the manufacturers website.


Peace,
BK

There is not much in the way of quality outdoor gear(other than fishing )stores in this area to check out the gear(setting up the tent is important).There is apparently a backpacking/camping specialty store in west palm but I 've never been to it.You might want to check out Florida Outdoors in Miami near the turnpike if not incovienent.We stopped there on our Fl tour (I got a quick dry compact camp towel)and I want to stop by there again as it was a really nice store though I don't think particularly inexpensive.Sports Authority and a Army/Navy outdoor chain have the most stores in the area and probably ok for basics(Walmart cheaper here) but like beowoulfe said watch out for quality on more expensive items like tents.There was a nice oudoor store in Sawgrass Mills that just closed down this location (Sea,Sun&Skate I think was the name) if they have a location in W.Palm or Miami you might want to check them out (sort of a REI clone type store with good quality and decent prices)

Sokool got a freestanding one person tent from sports authority for 20 bucks...looked pretty good but it had no ventilation.

Ive got the zoid 2.0 from MSR ... www.msrcorp.com ...

Its well ventilated with micromesh, and very light, but it has to be staked down : its not that big of a deal...

-good luck
:o

I was trying to remember the name of the tent Sokool had .It did look decent and was cheap(I didn't realize just 20bucks).If you get a good camp fan which I would suggest anyway that might work(he did have to be unzipped out of his tent due to a caught zipper however lol).At that price its hard to go too far wrong.Sokool also had an inexpensive set of sharp looking panniers (like 30 bucks)the type that are one piece and don't independently detach from the bike however (ie not as convienent).I have since seen them at the bike shop near US 1 and Commercial if your interested. The brand name starts with an A but I cant think of it right now.

-Oceanrider

In essence you just want to get a comfortable tent that has good ventilation, keeps the mosquitos out, and will last. Paying 50 or 100+ for a tent like this will eventually just pay for itself...carl's had his tent for 7 years...

and if you just decide not to get one, keep in mind carl's *is* a 2 person tent...

bwahaha

[i] Geeze, I can't find anyone else interested in touring and when I tell my female friends and family members I'm planning on touring on my bike, they look at me like they're looking right through me and say that's nice.:confused: I feel like an odd bird for sure. I'm shopping for tents while they're getting their hair done LOL. [/B]

its much more attractive being an athletic outdoorsy type of woman, than some flakey "dont want to break my nail riding a bike" type of woman...

its just a shame there arent many of ya'z

Hey mike,oceanrider and others .How about the idea of meeting in the area one Sat. or Sun. for a 20 mi. or so practice run.I would think Palm B. Co. along A1A might be the best place due to low traffic .If we did this perhaps mike could take trirail(cheap on weekends)and we could met there and ride to Palm B. and perhaps take trirail back or halfway and turn around(or whatever). I think we all found on the Fl tour that group tours are a challenge to keep everyone together and happy and so I thought some practice training/riding together would pay off in a better time on the tour .If it gets too hot at midday we could always stop at a shady beach location for a rest or swim.

Oh I've staked down tents. It'll come back to me (I hope). I should be able to find something in the $50 range from all the websites I now have to choose from.

Yeah, let's ride one of these weekends. There's a deli on Palmetto Park Road where the local club meets for expresso before the ride. We could meet there and ride north up A1A to Atlantic Ave. and maybe stop at a bistro or ride through.

And I see our Mike's having a good time already and we haven't even left town.:D Alrighty let's roll.

Originally posted by oceanrider
And I see our Mike's having a good time already and we haven't even left town.:D Alrighty let's roll.

where'd ya get that idea? :rolleyes: