Touring - Touring tents and sleeping bags

I intend to take a few short tours (2-3 days) this summer. I figure that a tent and sleeping bag would cost the same as a motel bill of one tour.

What tent, sleeping bag and pad do you like for solo touring in the summer?

Ooops!

After I posted the above, I did a search on tents and found a previous thread all about them.

Guess I did this bass ackwards. Sorry.

I don't know which of the older tent threads you found, so I'll just post here:

For solo tours you might want to check out the Hennessy Hammock (http://www.hennessyhammock.com). I have convinced myself that I need one for the next summer.

--J

what about if you wanna hang out in your tent and read etc? if it's raining I would've thought you can't do this, as you'd have to tuck yourself up.

how much does it weigh and cost, by the way??

A

Some of you probably aleady know about this site but it's a great forum.

I use a down filled bag from mamot called an Arroya(sp?) and I have many tents (gear junky) but I really like my marmot swallow. However if I was really concerned with weight and wanted a smaller tent this is the one I'd go with:

FORUM (http://forums.consumerreview.com/crforum?14@@.ee82f2c)
TENT (http://www.northernmountain.com/pgi-ProductSpec?507250,7)

Doug

North Face Chrysalis(sp) down bag and a Sierra Designs Meteor Light CD - like the room if I need to bring in the bob.

Ok, question while we're on the topic-

What about a good tent that can survive hard rains in the summer?

I haven't gotten to that part of my tour yet in my summary of my touring trip in Italy, but it was raining HARD and my tent collapsed from all the water that fell on it in a short period of time. Any suggestions on a tent that can withstand extra hard rain and keep moisture out in general during the summer that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg?

K Brown

For a good quality tent that will last look to spend around $199 new though if you shop around you should be able to find a discount.Three quality brands to consider though there are others as well are Sierra Designs right around that price,North Face which will run slightly more and Kelty which will run slightly less.Look for a canvas tent for durabilty with good mesh ventilation for summer.All the brands I mentioned should have a good quality nylon rainfly which should be seam sealed to waterproof and have a sloping design to allow water to run off.If you are talking about real windy driving storms you may want to consider a freestanding tent as it will have more poles and therefore more stable plus it will give you more flexiblity on where you can set it up as stakes aren't needed however will cost and weigh slightly more. As far as size keep in mind there are true two person tents which will cost and weigh more and two person tents that only have room for one person plus gear or two people with little extra room which are good for solo touring. Check Campmor,REI,Northern Mtn. Supply,Mtn. Equiptment Co-op,Sierra Trading Post etc. on the web and look for three season tents and you should find some good deals on these brands and others though I also suggest you look at and set one up in a store as well before you buy.

For solo tours you might want to check out the Hennessy Hammock

Well the price is right, but I'm not sure that I want to go the hammock route. I like to roll over onto my stomach sometimes. I've never been able to do that in a hammock.

I have a little REI two-person tent that serves me well for solo touring. It has room for me and all my stuff if I get rained in, and it ventilates well on hot, humid summer nights. I sleep in a Kelty Le Tour bag (from Campmor) that is supposed to be good down to 45 degrees, but has kept me comfortable down to near freezing. I have been very happy with both, and expect them to serve me well for a couple thousand miles next summer.

I like aluminum tent poles because they are lighter and, I think, stronger. Nice if you will be in windy country.

I use a Sierra Design Clip-Flashlight and a tarp or just a tarp. For two, the Clip-Flashlight for three is still lighter than most two-person tents. It's not freestanding though.

Oh yeah -- sleeping pad. I use a Z-rest, the closed cell pad that accordion folds.

I have a little REI two-person tent that serves me well for solo touring . . . . .

That seems to be the norm - A two person tent for one cyclist.
Maybe I'll start a tent size poll.




I like aluminum tent poles . . .
Forgive my dumbness - what other kind is there?

Oh yeah -- sleeping pad. I use a Z-rest, the closed cell pad that accordion folds.
Do you like that better than the roll up kind? Is it easier to pack?

It's not freestanding though.
I've never used a freestanding tent. Of course, the last time I camped, they did not exist. It's obvious to me that a freestanding tent must be more convenient. What are the negatives to a freestanding?

The freestanding have usually 3 poles to stabilize it while nonfreestanding generally use two poles and stakes to stabilize.The disadvantages to freestanding would be extra weight ,extra cost and an extra pole to set up though the later may actually be an advantage to those that don't like to set up a staked tent.Go to a store and try setting up one of both types and see which you prefer as convenience of setting up is an important factor and is somewhat of a personal decision.

Originally posted by MikeR

Do you like that better than the roll up kind? Is it easier to pack?


The Z-rest is WAY EASIER to pack, and very light. It may not be as comfy as a self-inflator, but I am not as fussy as some folks about feather-bed comfort.

OTHER THOUGHTS:

By all means get a free standing tent. It will be easier to move, and can be set up on any surface. I have tented on concrete under picnic shelters in thundertsorms, a nice option.

Aluminum poles are lighter, stronger, and easier to repair than fiberglass. Also get some good stakes. I prefer thick aluminum ones, that I can straighten if they bend.

Any decent, non-Mart tent should be able to handle a downpour; high winds are another story.

Right now www.thetentstore.com has some good deals on Eureka tents, and Eureka is offering rebates. I just got an Apex 3XTA for $120 after rebate, which is a fine tent for two, at a great price. For solo camping I use the REI, but the new 2003 Eureka Apex 2XTA would be a great solo tent: two doors, good ventilation, easy set up, alum poles, etc. I have an older 2XT that served me well in wind, rain, etc. You can get tents that are a pound or two lighter, but not the same quality for the money, and I like being able to get all my gear inside the tent.

I hope this clears the waters, rather than muddying them!

Sleeping Pad:
I use a full-length ThermaRest Ultra Light (with the die-cut foam) and a ThermaRester chair kit (the one that is always attached). Some people can sleep on closed-cell and 3/4 pads but I'm not one of them.

Sleeping Bag:
Ditch the bag if you're touring in the summer (unless you'll be in the mountains) and take a long a fleece blanket, instead.

Tent:
My tent is a Eureka! solo tent (has since been discontinued--shoulda' bought two!). It's a little heavy for a solo (4 lbs.) but it's bomb-proof, roomy, and has a huge vestibule for sheltering all my gear (except the bike) from the rain.

Mike-
If you're on a budget I have a freestanding tent for you... ($120!)
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.html?SKU=15619

I have the older model "Kelty Tourlite 2", but it's nearly identical to this one. It's a great tent for the cash. I've used it in 14 different states and some very bad weather... Performance also has a solo (non-freestd) model:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.html?SKU=13299&Store=Bike

However, if you intend to do any extensive touring or backpacking you may want to spend a few more $ and get a lighter, even better tent. I'm used my Kelty for touring, but gonna use the MSR Zoid 1 for backpacking.

Kelty makes decent, value-minded gear. But there are better tents if you want to spend $.... Check out:

MSR, Sierra Designs, Mt.Hardware, TNF, Marmot, Hilleberg, Eureka, Marmot, Wanderlust Gear, etc.

Hope this helps....

Hope this helps....

All your opinions are helping greatly. Keep them commin'

I'm looking up all of your suggestions and browsing the on-line catalogs.

It seams that whenever I bought something without this type of research, I am invariably disappointed with my choice. This thread is helping greatly.

Thanks a lot!

For solo touring, I use a bivy. Outdoor Research makes excellent ones... They weight less than 2 lbs... Have small posts that will lift the tent above your face and allow you to read (with a forehead lamp if it's dark) and the fabric is very tough and waterproof...

A bivy is small, but I don't spend a lot of time in a tent anyways... You'll find that no other 3-season tent will come at under 2 pounds...

I use a Western Mountaineering sleeping bag. The ultralight model is down filled and rated to -5 deg.C. while weighting only 750 grms... If it's warm, I'll only use a "hostel sheet" in the bivy.

With respect to pads, I use a thermarest inflatable...

I would seriously consider going tentless, I have done this year round in all conditions and really enjoy the freedom from a bulky and heavy piece of gear. In very bad weather I have used a bivy sack which is a water proof shell that you slip your bag and pad into, most have a small area over your head supported by poles and they can be totally zipped up. They are very compact and light. check out sierratradingpost.com great deals on all types of gear, marmot.com top notch bags, tents and outer ware, and kelty.com innovative and priced right. I personally stay away from the North Face as I have found other companies that make equal gear for much much less but sierra trading post often has NF stuff at very low prices, good luck

I'll stand by my Sierra Clip Flashlight!! I've been through below 0* and have withstood
torrential rainstorms without a failure. I was once flooded out while inside. Stayed
dry as a desert in there. (I did eventually get up and move it).

Check out www.robertsaunders.co.uk especially the Jetpacker & Spacepacker ranges.
I used a Jetpacker plus for a years 5,700 mile walk ..... fantastic.
Set up fly first in bad weather, helped on numerous occassions. Lightweight & well worth the money.

I have done alots of bikeing & tent camping, go to an outfitter shop purchase backpack's tent & sleeping bag, they are light and compact, can bungie strap both on a rack put other requirements in panters, packing heavy thing in bottom of panters on my first trip I had to stop & lower heavier things to keep bike from swaying on down hills.

I've considered this many times, but have not tried it. What do you do as far as a campfire? It seems like fire is half the fun of camping, but would be an imposition in most cases to the land owner.

Originally posted by AlphaGeek
I've considered this many times, but have not tried it. What do you do as far as a campfire? It seems like fire is half the fun of camping, but would be an imposition in most cases to the land owner.

This would be a good question ask on the Stealth Camping thread

Looks like you posted in the wrong thread but to answer your question if a camping experience is your goal then stealth camping is probable not for you except maybe on remote public backcountry lands where this is allowed.Stealth camping IMO is more about finding a place to sleep and minimizing camping time and maximizing cycling time.

I don't bother with a campfire myself. Come to think of it, it hasn't really been an option around here lately. We've been under a constant total fire ban for over a year.

Hey Mike,

Im not sure on the bag, but for the tent I can only recommend 2 person ones, as thats all i use and they would be the Mountain Hardware 'the approach' or the Sierra Designs 'Lightening'. Personally i prefer a tent over bivy's, as i usually tour with my girlfriend. hope that helps!

yahoo's "backpackinglight" forum is a good one to scan as well as Backpacker magazines forums.

like bikes, when it comes to camping equipment, you get what you pay for. as some previous posts, i would also vouch for seirra designs tents & rei's tents-good values definitely, (i've had a seirra designs & friends have had rei's) north face IMHO is a fashion label, yes, they made the "original" standard in mountaineering tents, but they've strayed far from their original roots, are generally overpriced & overweight, mountain hardwear isn't doing bad these days, also Golite has some innovative desgns that are definitely lightweight, but range up to spendy

some else said a good tent will be seam sealed, just so you know, that's something you have to do yourself (use mcnetts seam grip or silnet, depending on the fabric)

the choice to go with a bivy sack is complicated, for the short tours described, i would lean strongly to that option, however they are a slightly more "technical" piece of gear, if you have a hard time w/ goretex or other waterproof/breathable fabrics, then a bivy could present some of the same challenges, exceptions would be some of integral designs bivys that are made w/ eVent fabric (but would cost the same as a tent) Black Diamonds Lightsabre bivy, w/ epic fabric (highly,recommended). Oware's bivy w/ epic fabric or Bozeman mountain works bivy made w/ Pertex Quatuum (available at Backpackinglight.com) BozemanMTworks bivy however, you'd definitely need a tarp as well, for any of the other bivys one would be highly recommended, get one made of silnylon for their incredibly light weight, integral designs has some good ones, as does Granite Gear (slightly heavier than the norm for silicone impregnated fabric bivys, but it's made w/ silcordura instead of silnylon, is incredibly tough & would be very easy to pitch for the beginning tarp camper)

i use Black Diamonds Firstlight tent, it weighs 2lbs 9oz, 27sqft if i want to bring the optional vestibule along (13sqft), that adds another pound, it's made from epic fabric, so it's a breathable single wall design, the lack of condensation & space to weight ratio are unbeatable, however it does cost a little more,

not all tent designs are equal, the 27sqft of my BD Firstlight is much more "livable" than the MSR Zoid style tent (equal sq footage) as the walls of my tent rise very sharply so you have access to all the room in it while some tent designs are sloped greatly so you can really on stick your feet & gear at one end & sit up in the other

you might want to reconsider the cost of sleeping bag tent to equal the cost of "This seasons" motel cost & then subsequent years are "free",

most people don't realize that camping gear is actually rather technical & specialized, a lot of designs out there are meant to be "fool proof" at the cost of weight, lighter weight care requires you take better care of it & carry a little more between the ears instead of in your pack (or panniers as the case may by)

oh yeah, NO FIRES, google "leave no trace", it's all the rage these days. get a portable camp stove if you intead to cook out, Brasslites alcohol stoves are feather light, cheap & fuel is ubiquitous, propane canister stoves from snowpeak, MSR & Primus are another good, cheap-to-pricey option, they do have the advantage of being very easy to use.

however i think a lot of people around here might agree that it would be completely unneccessary to even have to cook yourself for such short trips, it's purely a personal choice however.

sleeping bags nunatakgear.com makes the best sleeping bags out there these days, period, feathered friends is also VERY good, i've had some, but i want a nunatak "Arc" bag when i can afford one, i'm currently using a westernmountaineering bag, they're also very well regarded, (possibly depending on model) less expensive than the other brands i've mentioned so far, montbell is also making some well regarded down bags these days that have some innovative features/materials & should be very durable.
while down bags can be pricey, a well chosen, well maintened down bag can be a friend for life (unless your a gear freak who just has to cycle stuff out constantly)

it's can be daunting that camping equipment/technique is just as vast a subject as the bicyle specific questions regarded touring-but the info is out there, it jsut requires digging

If you are touring where there are trees I'd consider a Hennessey hammock. I have one and I stealth camp with it all the time. No poles, no frame and no ground sheet and the ground can be wet, rough, littered, dangerous. It doesn't matter you always get a great nights sleep. Also, because the Hennessey's are asymmetrical you can sleep almost flat unlike other hammock tents.

The only other things you'll need beside the 1 kilo hammock (fits into a 2 litre water container) are a sleeping bag and a car windshield reflector. If you are interested I'll let you know what the reflector is for.

I haven't bought a tent in years, but the last one I did buy rocked. I started an appalachian trail hike with an REI solo tent (sololite?). The first time it rained, my sleeping bag got soaked - that tent is a piece of junk. In the first town I replaced it with a north face canyonlands. The fly comes all the way to the ground - a key consideration if inclement weather is likely. The body is all mesh - very breathable when the weather is warmer. I'm 6'4 and the tent fit me great. Though I ended up sending the body home to save weight & just used the fly & pole as a tarp. The point is, when buying a tent consider the conditions you're most likely to encounter. If rain is likely, look for a fly that goes all the way to the ground. If its going to be hot, look for a tent with a lot of mesh. If its going to be warm & dry, skip the tent altogether & sleep out.

For sleeping bags I heartily endorse Marmot. I've had one of their down bags for years & it works great. I chose down in the interest of saving weight & bulk. The downsides (Ha!) are cost & if it gets wet you'll get cold. A synthetic bag will keep you warm even if its wet - a down bag will not. A synthetic bag will cost less (assuming same quality & temp rating) but be heavier & bulkier.

If its warm, as someone posted well above, consider a fleece sleeping bag / bag liner. They're cheap, but you'll be a bit more limited in terms of season/geography.

good luck-
Brian

I have a Eureka Juno tent... a simple free-standing two person tent. Lots of room, easy to pitch, and cheap ($99). Most of the time I use an inexpensive Slumberjack bag... I forget the model name. It is rated to 40 degrees, so there's not much to it, but for summer on the plains and in the south, it's fine. For the mountains and up north, I have a North Face Cats Meow. Finally, I use a thermarest 3/4 length pad.

I have Marmot 3-season tent. It's discontinued now, but I'm sure Marmot still make tents something like it. It's freestanding, and a 2-person tent, but it's small. You should feel pretty close to anyone with whom you'd share the thing.

Other people have good recommendations, too.

If I were traveling just in the summer, I might consider a tent with a screen roof for stargazing.

Anyway, what I like about the Marmot is that it's light, freestanding, and tough. It can stand up to the wind and rain.

I wouldn't tour without a tent, myself. Privacy, space to change, freedom from bugs, and some room to relax out of the elements are not worth getting rid of, in my view. I'm surprised to hear others say otherwise. I hate even standing outside around sundown this time of year because the mosquitoes are so thick.

I like freestanding tents, for the reasons others have mentioned, and for one other: they're easy to shake out in the morning.

I've got a full length Thermarest. I like it, though it's a bit hard, given how thin the air mattress is. With tent stakes in the center, the whole thing rolls up into a cylinder small enough to go in the dedicated mattress/tent stake pocket in my Arkel pannier (that pocket is one of my all time favorite bicycle accessories).

I'd get one of those very small, Polarguard bags for the summer. They're easy to pack, and plenty warm enough.

For weight and packing, hard to beat the singlewall tents that are all around 2lbs and pack small. I have a Henry Shire's Cloudburst, being a 2 person tent with a sewn-in floor that weights just over 2lbs. The Squall is a lighter model but has less headroom. If you don't mind sleeping in the open or if the bugs aren't bad, a tarp would be even lighter.

For a sleeping bag, for 3 seasons, I typically use a Western Mountaineering Iroquois which is rated at +38°F but I have used it to basically freezing and I sleep fine. It's a down bag that is like 1.5lbs or so and packs tiny. WM make awesome bags, highly recommended if the price is right. I got mine when it was discontinued last year.

It helps to be a backpacker, since a lot of this isn't cheap, but I can justify it by using it both out backpacking and bike touring.

Jay

Just got back from a 7 day Kansas-to-Utah tour (cross all of Colorado, including those big rocks in the middle...) on Sunday.

I took a Eureka Zeus Exo 1 tent. It's small, but fantastic. It's AMAZINGLY light (under 3 lbs), and, even more importantly, has very short aluminum poles. (I think the poles break down to just over a foot.) VERY easy to fit in panniers.

For a sleeping bag, I swear by my Northface Blue Kazoo. I know there are more 'extreme' bags out there, but it's super comfortable on warm nights to just unzip it and lay on top of it, and I have NEVER been cold in it on cold nights. (I know it's only rated to +20, but I swear that has to be wrong, because I've camped in some pretty chilly temperatures and never been cold...)

I also swear by a thermarest (ultralight, full). The LAST thing you want after you've been cranking hard all day is a bad nights sleep, and a thermarest has made camping infinately more pleasurable for me.