Touring - Tent for wild camping

Hi,
I'm looking to buy tent for 2 person.
I think I would prefer tent for 3 for the comfort.
The big issue is it have to be olive green or camouflaged color. The inside should be as well, so we can sleep in the tent without the cover.
I want the tent to have a lot of ventilation when not using the outside cover.
I liked the Big Agnes seehouse and seehouse SL, but the outer cover is not green but the inside looks green which is very good.

Looking for your insight.
Tnx

Hi,
I'm looking to buy tent for 2 person.
I think I would prefer tent for 3 for the comfort.
The big issue is it have to be olive green or camouflaged color. The inside should be as well, so we can sleep in the tent without the cover.
I want the tent to have a lot of ventilation when not using the outside cover.
I liked the Big Agnes seehouse and seehouse SL, but the outer cover is not green but the inside looks green which is very good.

Looking for your insight.
Tnx

Eureka Timberline is very green. Little small for 3 but you can get a vestibule which is very large. Kinda heavy compared to the Big Agnes, however. But a lot cheaper.

Eureka Timberline is very green. Little small for 3 but you can get a vestibule which is very large. Kinda heavy compared to the Big Agnes, however. But a lot cheaper.
Yep, I have seen your recommendation on this tent in other thread, and then checked it.
As you can see here (http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=30173075) when the tent used without the green cover, the tent color is white.

http://www.colemans.com/miltent.htm

Some interesting tents here....

http://www.colemans.com/miltent.htm

Some interesting tents here....

Thanks.
I'm more for new hi-tech tent, and I didn't find 3 person tents in the page.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.

May I ask why you want the tent to be all green or camo? One reason for the lighter colored fabric in the tent roof is to bring some light into the tent. A tent that is all green will be a dreary place in a storm.

What about the Eureka Zeos? All green, coated fabric, no rainfly. Available in 1,2 and 3 person models.

http://www.eurekatent.com/p-61-zeus-3-classic.aspx

http://www.eurekatent.com/images/PRODUCT/medium/61.jpg

May I ask why you want the tent to be all green or camo? One reason for the lighter colored fabric in the tent roof is to bring some light into the tent. A tent that is all green will be a dreary place in a storm.

Well, thats a good point that I wasn't aware of. I will have to consider it.
My intention is to wild camp, so any bright color will expose me. I do not want to be seen.

Yep, I have seen your recommendation on this tent in other thread, and then checked it.
As you can see here (http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=30173075) when the tent used without the green cover, the tent color is white.

It a very pale green rather than white. I never use a tent without the rain cover anyway. I mean, who wants to get up at 3 in the morning in their underwear to put up the rest of their tent in the rain?

May I ask why you want the tent to be all green or camo? One reason for the lighter colored fabric in the tent roof is to bring some light into the tent. A tent that is all green will be a dreary place in a storm.

What about the Eureka Zeos? All green, coated fabric, no rainfly. Available in 1,2 and 3 person models.

http://www.eurekatent.com/p-61-zeus-3-classic.aspx

http://www.eurekatent.com/images/PRODUCT/medium/61.jpg

I have this one too. Not a bad tent but is kind of drippy in wet weather. You need to wedge the rear vent open or it self seals with moisture. It is lighter then the Timberline but not quite as roomy.

I have a Eureka Zeos tent, too, and I like its combination of light weight, modest cost, and good design. It's very quick and easy to put up and take down, too. There are more comfortable tents, and tents that will keep you more perfectly dry in a driving rain, but it's hard to do better without taking on more weight or paying a lot more money.

Oh, P.S.: I have the two-person model, which should be called the "two intimate people who don't mind bumping into each other all night" model. If that doesn't describe you and your companion, the three-person model may well be a good idea.

My intention is to wild camp, so any bright color will expose me. I do not want to be seen.

Are you referring to STEALTH camping? Camping in places not normally used and without asking permission? Woodlots, fence rows, riverside?

It a very pale green rather than white. I never use a tent without the rain cover anyway. I mean, who wants to get up at 3 in the morning in their underwear to put up the rest of their tent in the rain?

What is rain? :D (I'm from Israel)
Using the tent when its hot, you want to take advantage of its ability to be a bug net, but keep the flow of air inside out.

Are you referring to STEALTH camping? Camping in places not normally used and without asking permission? Woodlots, fence rows, riverside?

Thats exactly what I mean.

This is a great tent; it's super light, cheap and the gray fabric blends in with everything. Airflow is great. It's made for 3 people but perfect for two with panniers or a lot of gear. Need to seam seal it though if you plan on some rainy weather.

http://www.tarptent.com/rainshadow2.html

It isn't unusual to have the netting in a tan. If it is really dark it will affect the feel of living in the tent, in fact that is true of dark tent fabrics in general. There is a whole segment of tents designed for tactical or hunting uses, names like kifuru or Bass Pro, Cabelas, etc... I almost always use the fly. It is rarely that stable or dew free that I leave it off, but that can vary I guess, depending on your local weather.

There is one thing to consider. I stealth camp whenever I tour. I've never had a problem. But if you decide to do this in the fall during hunting season, the trick is pitching your tent where you can't be seen from the road but be visible to an oncoming hunter so they know you're human and not an animal. Hunters love to be out right at dusk or dawn and seem to get poor eyesight during that time (snicker). So what you might want to do is to have some sort of blaze orange away from the road but visible in other directions.

Just my 2 cents, which is worth about 3 cents in copper.

There is one thing to consider. I stealth camp whenever I tour. I've never had a problem. But if you decide to do this in the fall during hunting season, the trick is pitching your tent where you can't be seen from the road but be visible to an oncoming hunter so they know you're human and not an animal. Hunters love to be out right at dusk or dawn and seem to get poor eyesight during that time (snicker). So what you might want to do is to have some sort of blaze orange away from the road but visible in other directions.

Just my 2 cents, which is worth about 3 cents in copper.
Basically you say that my intention to put on the tent a camouflaged fabric that was drown with moose on it, is not a good idea ?! :D
Maybe I should change it from moose to group of gees. ROFL.

I think from your perspective, that I should have two outer fabrics. On that is very bright at night, and the other is camouflaged.

i'm a big fan of tarps for camping; here's some good stealth tarptent options

www.kifaru.net but whew, their prices are HIGH!

also some of the tarptents from golite www.golite.com/product/product2.aspx?sc=86&s=1

and helium awnings from outdoor research www.outdoorresearch.com/home/category/home/shelter/shelter_pocket that are nice and drab. also quite lightweight.

you'd need to add the bugnet options to these, or bring your own. I like the airflow underneath a tarp and am considering buying a bugnet insert and pitching it underneath a rectangular tarp.

also picking up some digicamo ponchos and sewing a big tarp is very effective.

I recently picked up an Integral Designs 12 ounce olive silicone tarp for stealth pitches www.integraldesigns.com/product.cfm?id=6&CFID=9144047&CFTOKEN=30500096&mainproducttypeid=1 and like it almost as much as the digital camo tarp I sewed up out of a couple of ponchos. the camo tarp is mos' excellent at hiding your campsite.

one of the regular posters had a digicamo tarp sewn for him by the hennessy hammock people. stokell was his screen name, i believe.

Keep in mind also that any tent or pitched tarp makes you easier to see than if you don't pitch any shelter at all. I've been "stealth" camping for about 30 years and, while I'm sure I must have pitched a tent once or twice, I don't actually remember doing so. If there's a chance of rain, I'll think up a tarp/bike/tree sort of combination and be ready to string that up while half asleep if necessary. In buggy places, I use a bug net hat and keep my arms inside my sleeping bag. There have been some wet, miserable nights, but many more magical starry nights to compensate. And I've never gotten chased off anyone's land, but if it were to happen I'd rather have the minimum to fold up and pack before getting away.

i'm a big fan of tarps for camping; here's some good stealth tarptent options

www.kifaru.net but whew, their prices are HIGH!

also some of the tarptents from golite www.golite.com/product/product2.aspx?sc=86&s=1

and helium awnings from outdoor research www.outdoorresearch.com/home/category/home/shelter/shelter_pocket that are nice and drab. also quite lightweight.

you'd need to add the bugnet options to these, or bring your own. I like the airflow underneath a tarp and am considering buying a bugnet insert and pitching it underneath a rectangular tarp.

also picking up some digicamo ponchos and sewing a big tarp is very effective.

I recently picked up an Integral Designs 12 ounce olive silicone tarp for stealth pitches www.integraldesigns.com/product.cfm?id=6&CFID=9144047&CFTOKEN=30500096&mainproducttypeid=1 and like it almost as much as the digital camo tarp I sewed up out of a couple of ponchos. the camo tarp is mos' excellent at hiding your campsite.

one of the regular posters had a digicamo tarp sewn for him by the hennessy hammock people. stokell was his screen name, i believe.

Hey, Bekologist, I see skiis in one of the photos. Did you backcountry bicycle WITH your skiis? If so, how did you transport them? I would love to see a pic of your rig with the skiis!

Bekologist, great pics. I especially like the Wunderbaum attached to your bike! :D

--J

the old big agnes seedhouse SL2 is perfect, and what I have... it's the perfect green and blends in perfectly with grass and trees

I've used the camoflague tarp to hide a tent from the road as well. standard comoflauge tactics apply of breaking any straight lines with brush and sticks, keeping the reflectors on the bike and panniers well hidden (tough) I've taken to carrying a camo bike cover to hide the bike if i'm interested in stealth.

the idea of not pitching a tent or tarp works well but only on really nice nights. last weekend the forecast was for good weather, but when I woke up monday morning in the woods, there was rain smattering on the tarp. nice to be under cover when the weather rolls in.


off topic, but here's a couple pics of ski hauling on my bike. I had the bike up to 40 MPH on the downhill and the skis were rock solid. they wedge into a Tubus Cargo rack like it was made for skis.

I like tarp camping over tent, unless there are bugs. I have been on some wilderness canoe trips in Canada where a night without netting would be miserable indeed. Using a headnet and keeping your arms inside the sleeping bag doesn't work if it's hot.

For stealth camping I'd recommend a simple 8x10 flat camo tarp with multiple center pullouts, and enough no see um netting to hang from the interior.

Here is a website with more information than you'd care to know about pitching a tarp.
http://www.equipped.com/tarp-shelters.htm

Hi,
I'm looking to buy tent for 2 person.
I think I would prefer tent for 3 for the comfort.
The big issue is it have to be olive green or camouflaged color. The inside should be as well, so we can sleep in the tent without the cover.
I want the tent to have a lot of ventilation when not using the outside cover.
I liked the Big Agnes seehouse and seehouse SL, but the outer cover is not green but the inside looks green which is very good....

Another option is to use fabric paints. They are easy to find at arts and crafts stores or websites, and they are inexpensive. They add very little weight, and some of them will enhance water resistance.

Grey has been a good color in most of the places I have camped. However, breaking up a large mass of one color (by adding some areas of darker tones and lighter tones) can sometimes be very helpful, even when the base color is a good one.

Another way of enhancing camouflage is to use some ultralight bird netting (the type sold to gardeners). If it is draped over the tent or bike, it makes it easy to festoon it with twigs, leaves, small branches, etc., and it makes it possible to blend in very, very well.

***
It can also be quite helpful to make good use of naturally occurring camouflage -- thick bushes, low branches, dense trees, etc. -- they can be very effective.

The Eureka Timberline tents are fantastic. The green rainfly should blend in pretty well in any green areas. That tent suspends the rainfly pretty far from the netting so you can leave it on even in hot weather. I had one for years and it was one of the best purchases I every made. Keep in mind that if you turn on your flashlight at night the whole tent (any tent) will glow like a beacon. Eureka makes military tents with blackout material that takes care of that problem but they are really too heavy for touring.

bekkologist,

thread drift...

are those superloops on the skis ?

robi

voile classic cables.

Here is a website with more information than you'd care to know about pitching a tarp.
http://www.equipped.com/tarp-shelters.htm

Thanks for the link, Hoz -- frighteningly comprehensive!

look at bibler tents;
their model alawayaee (sp?) fits your description,
however they are fairly expensive.

voile classic cables.
What do you want to say?

look at bibler tents;
their model alawayaee (sp?) fits your description,
however they are fairly expensive.
I don't find this tent.
Here is the bibler tents site: http://www.bdel.com/gear/shelter_overview.php
Can you find it?

voile classic cables.



that's what I meat..... how stupid of me to thingk they were s. loops.

gvie me some more details on the ski carrier!

I just strap them to the frame but it gets tiring after awhile.

robi

I use a one-person tent, because it's easier to transport on the bike. My wife and I easily fit in it. We bought an REI model, which was fairly affordable (<$200).
http://www.rei.com/product/731428

Originally Posted by martianone
look at bibler tents;
their model alawayaee (sp?) fits your description,
however they are fairly expensive.
I don't find this tent.
Here is the bibler tents site: http://www.bdel.com/gear/shelter_overview.php
Can you find it?

try: http://bdel.com/gear/ahwahnee.php

Oops, wrong thread. Except, now that I think about it, I AM trying to decide between the Kelty Crestone 1 Tent and the Eureka Backcountry 1 tent... The Kelty just looks UGLY to me. But it IS $40 cheaper at www.campmor.com

Hilleberg tents are all available with dark olive flys for stealth. but they are more cold-weather tents than airy, meshy summer shelters.

www.hilleberg.com

Originally Posted by martianone
look at bibler tents;
their model alawayaee (sp?) fits your description,
however they are fairly expensive.
I don't find this tent.
Here is the bibler tents site: http://www.bdel.com/gear/shelter_overview.php
Can you find it?

try: http://bdel.com/gear/ahwahnee.php

No, It don't work.

The Eureka Moonshadow might meet your requirements. Mine is a Moonshadow Duo. It's a two-person tent but it has a good vestibule.

Mountain Equipment Co-op also has a variety of light two- and three-person tents including some under its own label. The colours are all earth tones but not necessarily green. Their prices are reasonable as well.

No, It don't work.
http://www.bdel.com/gear/ahwahnee.php

Fixed. :beer:

Hilleberg tents are all available with dark olive flys for stealth. but they are more cold-weather tents than airy, meshy summer shelters.

www.hilleberg.com

+1

For minimal cost you can get the optional poleholders to set up the inner tent by itself (nice & cool). Their "red' tents really don't stand out, especially if they are placed in shade.

I don’t know, but I bought the Big Agnes SL1 for the same reasons as you stated (that, and it’s way light-weight, a nice bonus). It’s kind of a nice dull green putty color. I think it’s gonna work well. Particularly with shadows on it.

A question: What would Krylon or any other sort of acrylic spray paint do to tent material?

A question: What would Krylon or any other sort of acrylic spray paint do to tent material?
I wouldn't chance it. If your tent has a breathable fabric, the spray paint would likely plug that up. Also, I don't know if the paint would react with any waterproof coating your tent may have.

Our MSR velo is great for free camping...

-Good color for blending in with surrounding but does not soak in the sun.
-Good area for gear storage within the rain fly.
-Two doors so you are not climbing over your partner in the middle of the night.
-Fully vented.

We love it.

http://www.vwvagabonds.com/Bike/BikeTent.html

http://www.vwvagabonds.com/Bike/sitebuilder/images/SanJuanIslandCampsiteTent-421x310.jpg

http://www.vwvagabonds.com/Bike/sitebuilder/images/AmandainTent1-418x308.jpg

We know you two have lots of experience wild camping, because of the long trip that you have done already.
So please explain how a very bright looking tent can blend into the surroundings ?
Thanks

http://www.pbase.com/image/84024293.jpg
As I learned in college (photography) so many years ago, the human eye is drawn to lighter objects. Keeping that in mind, I'd pick a darker green tent.

I just came off an Alaskan tour with 16 of us. In the photo are our tents.

1) Sierra Designs - Closest to the camera at the lower right.
2) MSR designed and built - Orange tent close to the river
3) Big Agnes - Just left of the orange MSR
4) Eureka - Behind the orange MSR
5) Moss designed, MSR built - Behind the Big Agnes
6&7) Two tents beyond the MSR Zoid are unknown but I believe one is made by MEC
8) My Hilleberg Staika - To the left and behind the wooden shack
9) REI - Behind my Hilleberg

The Staika is the only truly freestanding tent I know of (probably others). It has two large vestibules but requires no staking. It can also be set up in a downpour without the inner tent getting wet because it all goes up together. Even the ground cloth can be left attached. For a winter storm worthy tent, I find that it ventilates very well. That said, it's neither light nor inexpensive. Every Hilleberg is built by hand, by one person and built to last.

http://www.pbase.com/image/84024731.jpg

As you can see however, the inside is not green. I'm glad of this since we spend plenty of time in it and would rather have the inside a brighter color. The two large doors can be pointed away from the road though.

Tailwinds,

You gave here a good example. The green of Hilleberg is very good for wild camping.
I will also consider the inside to be bright color.
I do want to know if an inside color of mild olive can feel good when inside, or it is too dark?

Miles2go,

Any comparisons between those various tents that you noticed? Having the opportunity to see some pretty good tents "operating" side by side out on a real tour, would say your Hilly was the best? Was there something one of the others had you wish yours did?

I have a horrible Eureka Solitaire! It is yellow and gray and takes about 5 hours to set up. Visible from space, but small enough to allow you to bump the sides at night! Whatever you do, don't buy this tent! Not suitable for wild or civilized camping. I don't care if it weighs less than 4 pounds - never again!