Touring - Tent for Stealth Camping

It seems that all the tents that are recommended for bicycle camping are red, orange or some other ridiculous color (my current North Face is bright blue). I understand that bright colors make sense if you are mountain climbing and may need to be rescued, but what about the rest of us that don't want to look like the circus is in town. Any good, freestanding tents in dark green or brown? Is there a product that would allow me to "paint" my existing tent and fly a subdued color without ruining the fabric?

MEC here in canada makes its tarn tents in light green flys (its not great, but it beats neon yellow)

Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight CD is a non-freestanding, green, very woodsy tent. I reccomend it.

My TNF Nebula is a nice dark green. Pity it's crap though.

A lot of the Hilleburg tents are dark green. They're a very good Swedish company, not so well known in North America.

try a Hennesey Hammock.
It comes in a camaflauge and being off the ground you leave no trace.
also useable on the ground as a bivy.
If you want to stealth camp your probably trying to hide in the trees anyway so a freestanding tent might not be the best idea.

I'm not sure camo is the way to go, since it implies furtiveness, like you don't believe you have a right to be there. But if that is the way you want to go, try Cabelas, or Bass pro, they usualy have some camo tents. Moss used to have nice beige, though I haven't looked in a while.

I'm all for the Ray Way. http://www.ray-way.com/tarp-nettent/index.shtml

There are some nice tents. I think a good part of stealth camping is to be in and out before they could ever see you. So I try not to use a standard tent at all.

I have stealth camped numerous times with an older TNF freestanding blue tent.The fly is fairly bright but the tent itself has enough mesh that it is somewhat stealthy I guess. But I don't really worry about it, darkness and some sort of ground cover provide all the stealth I need.The key is to get into the spot without being seen and then make sure there is enough cover that carlights etc. won't be a problem.I also try to leave at or before daybreak and am actually not as concerned about being seen then.

try a Hennesey Hammock.
It comes in a camaflauge and being off the ground you leave no trace.
also useable on the ground as a bivy.
If you want to stealth camp your probably trying to hide in the trees anyway so a freestanding tent might not be the best idea.

I agree. If you are serious about stealth camping you should use a hammock. In the bush the forest floor is not good to lie on. You leave a trace and then have to carry some mattress or sleeping pad.

If you are afraid hammocks are claustrophobic, try the Hennessy hammock. Some models weigh a kilo or less and fit in the space of a 2L plastic pop bottle.

Hennessy also makes a Hex Tarp that is the same camo colour as the hammock. It's Silnylon so somewhat expensive but lightweight and very effective for hiding the very reflective bike.

I actually bring a thermarest with me when using the hammock. Most of the time I use it as an insulating layer between me and the hammock but it's also helpful should I have to use the hammock in bivy mode.

~Jamie N

Big Agnes Seedhouse SL are green and freestanding.

When using the Hennessy in bivy mode is it very comfortable? How close is the hammock fabric to your face and can you breath easily? I'm seriously considering getting one because I have a sprinter's butt and when I sleep on the ground my knees lock out and I can't sleep well. Think the hammock would be more comfortable for me?

The Hennessy in Bivy mode isn't bad provided that the following is true:

1) You use small sticks/poles of some sort to keep the mesh supported above your face. Since the only weight the stick is supporting is the fly and the mesh netting then the sticks don't have to be that strong (ie. not capable of supporting your body weight)

2) Unless you like sleeping directly on hard ground you will likely want a sleeping pad that allows you to be comfortable. For this reason I still take my thermarest along just in case instead of a lighter weight insulating alternative.

The other potential concern might be the bottom entrance for getting into the hammock. On the ground this can be a bit more awkward to get into and possibly more difficult to exit in an get out now type situation.

It's too bad that you don't live close to me. I'd let you give the thing a try which is probably the best way to answer your sleeping question.

~Jamie N

You just need a small tent, not one specific for bicycling. I used a small bivy tent from Dick's Sporting Goods that had a green rainfly. Kept me dry but it was small. Just get one that is darker in color and you'll be fine as long as your stealth out of site of the road. Your bike is going to be the thing that is seen the easiest when stealthing due to the reflectors and such. I always laid my bike on it's side when I camped. I stealthed all 28 days of my tour and never got discovered.

http://www.campmor.com is a site I like a lot

--
Cheers,
http://biketour.ne1.net

Ive got one of these, which is free-standing and relatively inexpensive. also, dark green

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39166586&memberId=12500226

the best tent you can possibily get for what you need is the MSR velo it is a bit heavy at nine pounds but trust me it is worth every ounce! it has a two bike storage area and is totaly water proof!:) :D

the best tent you can possibily get for what you need is the MSR velo it is a bit heavy at nine pounds but trust me it is worth every ounce! it has a two bike storage area and is totaly water proof!:) :D

9 pounds!
Thats more than half the total weight of my last tour! (And i was camping!)
No, sorry. A tent should be like 1/4 of your total weight right. So a 9lb tent means 40 lbs of gear?
Too much.

Keep it under 3 pounds.

9 pounds is pretty good weight for a four season tent..... we're not talking a meshed out ultralite.

Just got back from a 32 day 2400 mile trip in the NW and was VERY happy with my Mountain Hardware Approach tent. Light ~ 5 lbs, fly is light green, free standing, excellent ventilation and best of all it is long for us tall folks 6+. Check it out.



Scott

I've got a freestanding2 person four season tent that weighs 3 pounds 6 ounces and another that weighs 5 pounds 15 ounces - nine pounds IS a heavy tent, stop deluding yourself.

Seems a 9 pound tent would also take up a lot of room on the bike when folded up.

I've got a freestanding2 person four season tent that weighs 3 pounds 6 ounces and another that weighs 5 pounds 15 ounces - nine pounds IS a heavy tent, stop deluding yourself.

deluding myself? man... this forum really attracts... ummm.. nice people.
whatever you think, 9 pounds aint bad, especially given the size of this thing
Id seriosuly hestiate to take a 3lb6oz "4 season" tent anywhere serious.

umm, made by Black Diamond, Luke. I've been using it for ski touring and bike touring both. I'm nice, but nine pounds is a pig of a tent.

I used to work int he biz, though it was a while ago. Anyone actualy weigh those tents? They never used to come close to making weight.

All my camping gear weighs 10 pounds. I tend to think of cycle touring as a reasonably fair weather activity, and I'm not sure why one owuld need a 9 pound tent (though that is you decision). The venerable VE24 mountain dome tent that has served on Everest etc... weighs less that that, and in one version about that. So if you are below the snow line, that it heavy. I would go nuts if that 4x greater than my shelter weighs was extended to everything. That's like a 100 pound bike. If it is your main luxury, then it isn't particularly significant.

9 pounds is pretty good weight for a four season tent..... we're not talking a meshed out ultralite.

4 season tent. That's snow, high winds and sub zero temperatures, right? Not exactly biking weather! The Trango 2 is less than 9 pounds, and that's designed for Himalayan conditions.

The MSR Velo isn't a four season tent anyway. The size and pole config mean that it isn't designed for high winds. The flat ceiling means that it isn't designed for snow. The inner uses a very standard 3 season tent design based on 2 poles. All the extra weight seems to go towards the massive bike porch. It would be a lot more weight (and space) efficient to carry a silnylon fly to put the bikes under.

Perhaps it's designed for security? However, camping bike tours don't typically occur in high crime rate areas (ie the inner city). In any case, bikes can be locked just outside the tent so any interference with them can be heard.

deluding myself? man... this forum really attracts... ummm.. nice people.
whatever you think, 9 pounds aint bad, especially given the size of this thing
Id seriosuly hestiate to take a 3lb6oz "4 season" tent anywhere serious.


Right on man! That 3lb6oz tent guy can think whatever he wants but this is what works for me. It's a neutral color that blends into almost any backround and not to mention that everything kept in its shelter will stay dry. Before I go to sleep I zip everything into my tent (including my bike and my girlfriends)-I do have a sil-nylon tarp which cost $50 but its $50 of a tarp thats too light for its own good. Don't hate! Appreciate!

Keep you tent nice and light. There are a number of good quality tents that are under 4 pounds. Almost all of Mountain Hardware's tents for this year are a dark blueish/grey color. Great for stealth caming, but its so dark it feels like a cave. They're solid construction and will last through whatever weather nature throws at you during the tour. The Approach and the Light Wedge 2 are great options.

The Big Agnus Seedhouse is really nice to, but may be a bit expensive for your needs.

The 9 pound tent is a nince idea, but way too heavy for touring!

For those touring in forested area's the hennessey hammock is great. I have slept over rock's, delicate forest vegitation in comfort while not leaving almost no impact (There is still impact from walking around and so on), and been subjected to all manner of wind and rain. The hennessey is great. There is great deal of flexebility in it's set up, one can position the built in tarp high over the hammock with the wing's nearly horizontal in pleasant weather (or hot sunny weather) for the view's and to take advantage of every little breeze, or position the tarp low and close to the hammock with the wing's low for inclement weather. The hammock bed has elastic tie out's (give major room inside) that the tarp can be clipped to, this hold's the tarp low to the hammock and the elastic hold's it taught preventing it from flapping, set up this way the hammock shed's wind amazingly well. Hennesseys also have these wide strap's to go around the tree's so they do not damage the tree. The color's are great, my hammock blend's right into the landscape, the fly is the same sort of colour as the moss (now MSR) tent flies. And the bed is a charcoal grey. Maybe because I'm young and limber, but I can change in the hammock no problem, it is actually fine for changing, very private.
The hammock is easy to set up because a built in ridge line insures that the bed has the corect sag to be comforatable. It is built with the mayan design, you sleep on an angle which results in an almost flat, but very comfortable and suportive sleeping surface. In cooler weather it can get a little cold through the bottom, but I simply sleep on my thermarest, it takes a bit of practice to get the hang of sleeping on it but it works great. The ridge line also give's you a place to put all your stuff, I put my raingear over the line and push it right into the corner of the foot end, and hang my clothes on the line. There is a mesh pocket ont the ridge line in which I can put my glasses, flashlight and other such stuff. It's so cozy inside, it's a hanging tent, not just a hammock.
I normally toss and turn a lot when I sleep, but in my hammock I basically pass out, I wake up in exactly the same position I went to sleep in, and I wake up more relaxed and refreshed then I have ever woken up in a tent.
The coolest thing about the hennessey's is you get in through the bottom. There is an entrance slit at the foot end, that extends to the middle of the hammock, to enter you pull it open, walk into the hammock, turn around, sit down, lift your leg's up and lie back. The geometry of the cloth make's your weight hold the slit shut, even if your moving around in the hammock it won't come open by accident, you have to try to open it. Getting in an out is even easier than a tent, no crawling around on the ground, just sit down and lay back to get in or sit up and walk out to leave.

Thanks for the input. I'm going with the Hennessy Hammock. It seems like an elegant solution, even though I still can't imagine how you get in the bottom when you are using it like a tent/bivvy

Have a look at the Golite Trig 2. Brown & black, with a low profile. Not freestanding, but 2 lb 15 oz and small volume when packed. I'd had one for a while and liked it, but switched to a even lighter freestanding tent that is yellow, not stealhty.. The Trig 2 is roomy for one person, small for two. Will take high winds and heavy rains with no problem.

http://www.golitestore.com/store/NS_proddetail.asp?number=SH6012

Thanks for the input. I'm going with the Hennessy Hammock. It seems like an elegant solution, even though I still can't imagine how you get in the bottom when you are using it like a tent/bivvy

I've used a Hennessy as a bivy above treeline a few times, on a backpacking trek. I used my treking poles to keep the centerline up.

I used it as a bivy once on a cycle tour, when the campground I stopped at didn't have any suitable strong trees. I used a small tree/bush, and my bike to keep the centerline up. My bike has a dual legged kickstand.

To get into the bivy setup, you have to crawl in from the bottom, which is also the floor. This takes a moment to "remember" when you wake up and need to get out.

A pad of somekind (either foam, or inflatable) is also key for a good nites sleep on the ground. I use a foam pad in the hammock anyways, so I have allways have one.

For an occasional bivy the Hennessy is OK, but I wouldn't like it night after night.

It's the MSR Velo for me. I live in Holland where I need Security while I sleep (they must come into the tent to steal the bike) and protection from wind and rain. It is a bit heavy but since it can rain, rain, rain in Holland it is the best choice. No other tent gives the features that the Velo has for my needs over here. The land is flat, it rains all the time, and I use a B.O.B. trailer so I have all the cargo space in the world. The Netherlands leads the world in bike theft so when I'm on my own, I like to sleep with it inside the tent. The fly is a dull grey.

It seems that all the tents that are recommended for bicycle camping are red, orange or some other ridiculous color (my current North Face is bright blue). I understand that bright colors make sense if you are mountain climbing and may need to be rescued, but what about the rest of us that don't want to look like the circus is in town. Any good, freestanding tents in dark green or brown? Is there a product that would allow me to "paint" my existing tent and fly a subdued color without ruining the fabric?

Here is the only camo small well priced tent I have been able to find in the last two years (bought it about 2 months ago and have not yet tested it out...btw it was heavily back ordered at the time):
Texsport Camouflage Trail Tent Item No. 01905 found at Texsport.com.
Texsport's company that 'seems' to be its official distribution channel/company is entitled, The Camping Station. They can be reached at 877-664-8444. A lady by the name of Maulky I have found to be most knowledgeable and resourceful in monitoring backorders and this tent in general and in particular. Price with shipping and handling was $29.35. That price is about what the quality of the tent is worth. Here are some of the charactaristics that I expected and was okay with given the price:
1. The seams should be sealed for rain, as in the case of many tents.
2. Weight is 4 lbs. (by my standards this is actually fine).
3. It is not a dome ....it is a pup tent and the ventilation is, accordingly, only from both ends.
4. Packed size is about 17"x5"x5".
5. I apologize that I have forgotten the exact dimensions set up; however, figure the ht. at ~ 40".
6. Texsport Customer Service at 800-231-1402 (8-5 M-F CST), as well as Maulky could tell you the set up size (and is probably indicated on the website, as well.
7. Comes with a 3 Year Warranty.
8. You will find that it is available from other distributors... but I have found them to be even more backordered and priced about the same anyway.
Later.

Why a tent at all? Just lay your sleeping bag next to a big fallen tree. Throw leaves over it to blend into the surrounding forest floor and you're set. You can even dig under the log a little so that you're not raised above the ground. Hiding the bike's gonna be a little more difficult.

Yeah, I didn't research it and bought a Eureka Assault Outfitter 2, cuz I thought "it's green and it's tough." Yeah, well it also weighs 13 frickin' pounds! Whoops.

Since my previous post on this thread I've bought a Eureka Zeus Exo 2. A touch smaller than the Exo 3 seen here at Campmor (http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=28133559).

It's a "non offensive" green color, free standing single wall tent at 4 lbs. Plenty of guy out options for nasty weather too. Space for me and all my gear. All seams are sealed, but Eureka includes extra seam sealer anyways (a nice touch).

Eureka has a new 2006 Zeus model (search Campmor above) with dual full screen doors, which would apear to resolve any condensation fears. Similar "low impact" color scheme.

I'm currently thinking about ways to store my bike inside, with comfort space for me. I figure a piece of tough plastic or wood to support my ESGE double leg kickstand might work-haven't tried it out yet though. With the bike on it's side I'd be sleeping against the fabric, which is a no no for a single wall tent do to condensation.

If I can't figure a way to reasonably keep my bike inside, I'll keep it under my tarp. The tarp from my Hennessey makes for a huge awning/vestibule, and is also a "low impact" brown color. I picked up a Kelty tarp pole which is pretty bomber. Combined, the tarp/pole weight is about a pound.

For guy lines I picked up some "aircore" cord (kind of like braided dental floss), that has a pretty darned nifty tensile strength. Better than Kelty triptease cord, weighs less, and lacks reflectivity (a plus for free/wild camping). Being unsheathed spectra, the cord is very slippery, so I use plastic line tensioners from an old kelty tent I had retired.

The spectra cord can be bought online from backpacking light (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Shelter%20Systems/index.html). A very nifty site worth checking out for other lightweight gear, and gear ideas. They've been around for a while, and I've bought stuff from them a few times.

I do a lot of lightweight backpacking and a bit of mountaineering. I've camped in the Adirondacks in winter (snow, wind, 10° F low) with a tarp. Comfy as heck. Weight: 2.5 lbs, including stakes and groundcloth. You do have to know how to pitch it (that means practice at home), and you need either a pole or a nearby tree. Mine's blue, and would suck for stealth, but this green one would be good: http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=12172&memberId=12500226

For $50 more you can cut the weight almost in half.

I like the Hennessy Hammock idea. It's been on my "back burner wishlist" for a while now. How's that working out for you, Doug?

Terra Nova Laserlite, weighs just over 1 kg, Fly sheet is attached to the inner tent so it can be put up in the rain and still be dry. In Italy I had torrential rain, where the ground sheet was lifting from the water rushing under it, but inside it was dry. It also is in dark green, plenty of space under the fly sheet. Miniutes to erect and take down.

Mountains in winter is about the only time I could use a tarp. I tried out the tarp concept this past fall, and while I am not done with it yet, it was a bug disaster. Keeping a separate net stretched out yet sealed down didn't really work. The main tarp proponents seem to be morphing their tarps back to tents pretty quickly, which isn't all that bad a deal. I haven't had any problem with not having poles, but the bug netting is essential. In camp grounds a ground sheat is necesarry. So one needs a fly, floor, and netting, and the most efficient version of all that is an light a-frame without poles, which some call a tarp.

I'm still not clear how the Henesey works agains bugs with the lower half of one's body stretched tight against the hamock. obviously a bag and matress would keep tham at bay, but is everything protected well enough? I've asked this before, but don't seem to have found my way back to those threads to see what the answer was.

The main problem I have had with micro tents is they aren't big enough, they need to be sold in sizes. I have a tiny MSR, and it isn't long enough, and some part is almost always pressed up against a sidewall, which means you can get bitten by the bugs.

I care more about being sperated from bugs that I do about cold. I hate bugs!

Agreed. I'll volunteer to shiver before I scratch. Sounds like a Ted Nugent song.

Just wondering to all you hammock folks. I have a cool one from ems that I got for a festival that is sweet, but where I am going I dont think there will be enough trees to use singularly, but I may bring it any way because it weighs nothing. What is the lightest rope you guys use? I weigh 150. Thanks.

In the winter a tarp does me fine, but summer, a tent it has to be to keep bugs away. Agreed tents are small, If I need extra space then I always carry 2 army ponchos, clip them together and make an extended porch. This i will sit up in and cook regardles of the rain etc. I takes that cramped feelling away.

try a Hennesey Hammock.
It comes in a camaflauge and being off the ground you leave no trace.
also useable on the ground as a bivy.
If you want to stealth camp your probably trying to hide in the trees anyway so a freestanding tent might not be the best idea.


I strongly second this recommendation. Only got one last year and wished I'd had it for other cycle tours. Light in weight, takes some getting used to, you'll need a pad in cold weather but definitely the choice for the ninja tourist.HennessyHammock.com (http://www.hennessyhammock.com/)

So how do you do the stealth camping thing with your Hennesy? I have a Hennesy, and have used it in "allowed" camping spots (hiking National Forests, paid campsite, backyard, etc.). I've thought about bringing it on longer brevets (600km or 1200km), but I'm just not sure how the stealth camping would work. Do I just see a spot of trees by the side of the road, switch off all the lights but a little LED headlamp, sneak into the woods, string up the hammock, and hope for the best? What if a farmer comes out and blows you away with his shotgun? Or do people look for yet-more-remote, long stretches of trees (maybe still on private land) that seem at least risk of being caught. What are the tricks to stealth camping?

Stealth (or "free"/"wild") camping is the same with a hamock, tent, or bivy. Don't be seen, and leave no trace.

By not being seen, you have near zero risk of having problems with locals. In the US the "problems" are more likely to come from liquered up locals (usualy teens, usualy on a weekend if schools in session), than from a farmer.

Any opionions on this cheap thing? the Wenzel StarLite Tent? for $29.99

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=66486

For stealth camping in the summer months across the U.S.

The Terra Nova Laser is dark green, weighs just 1.3kg (2.9lb), takes about 3 minutes to put up, has space for two (just) and is very weatherproof. Perfect.

For good info on camping, stealth camping, and touring, please read Ken Kefir's page on bike camping. (http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/touring/camping.htm)



So how do you do the stealth camping thing with your Hennesy? I have a Hennesy, and have used it in "allowed" camping spots (hiking National Forests, paid campsite, backyard, etc.). I've thought about bringing it on longer brevets (600km or 1200km), but I'm just not sure how the stealth camping would work. Do I just see a spot of trees by the side of the road, switch off all the lights but a little LED headlamp, sneak into the woods, string up the hammock, and hope for the best? What if a farmer comes out and blows you away with his shotgun? Or do people look for yet-more-remote, long stretches of trees (maybe still on private land) that seem at least risk of being caught. What are the tricks to stealth camping?

Any opionions on this cheap thing? the Wenzel StarLite Tent? for $29.99

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=66486

For stealth camping in the summer months across the U.S.
Looks like a great bargain -- but I wouldn't recommend it for summer.

The single-wall design means the tent won't "breathe" well. That's not a big problem in winter, when the air tends to be dry, but in typical summer humidity, your breath will condense on the walls and roof of the tent. "Double wall" designs have a breatheable tent body and a waterproof fly. In dry, warm weather, you can leave the fly off and the condensation is able to fully escape. In rainy and/or cool weather, the condensation forms, not on the tent walls and ceiling, but on the fly, where you won't bump up against it.

The Wenzel looks like a great bargain for winter solo camping, but it'll be a steam pit in summer.

I use a tarp with a bug screen. Other people really like the hammock (and I want to try it myself).

So how do you do the stealth camping thing with your Hennesy? I have a Hennesy, and have used it in "allowed" camping spots (hiking National Forests, paid campsite, backyard, etc.). I've thought about bringing it on longer brevets (600km or 1200km), but I'm just not sure how the stealth camping would work. Do I just see a spot of trees by the side of the road, switch off all the lights but a little LED headlamp, sneak into the woods, string up the hammock, and hope for the best? What if a farmer comes out and blows you away with his shotgun? Or do people look for yet-more-remote, long stretches of trees (maybe still on private land) that seem at least risk of being caught. What are the tricks to stealth camping?

I stealth camp only in civilized countries and for just one night. I don't camp where it is signed, on improved land, in sight of a house or on fenced land. I am careful not to let anyone see me enter or exit my site and I don't use lights or cook in that location.

I have other info on my tour diaries including pictures of many of my stealth sites. I could never imagine bicycle camping any other way. The woods are quiet and the silence gives me time to think and restore myself. It is an experience unlike any other and as such may not be enjoyed by everyone.

As for people with shotguns; if you are a successful stealth camper they will not know you are there, but if you follow the rules you would not be on their signed fenced property anyway.