Touring - What I learned this weekend.

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mthayer
06-20-10, 03:22 PM
What I learned this weekend is, I really like doing bike camping. The more I do it the more I love it. I am also needing to get a new tent with vents, a good sleeping pad, and I should carry a bit more water. I went through 4 liters of water like it was nothing. I drank about 2 of it and used the rest cooking.
Another item that I need to get is a fan for the tent. I need some kind of air movement across me and I will be ok. What kind of fan do yall recommend to use?

ScruffyChimp
06-20-10, 03:43 PM
I've never heard of anyone carrying a fan on tour before. But then, I'm in England: Ask me about rain gear.

Quite a few tents have an inner mesh part that can be erected without the outer rain fly. If it's not dewy at night, this might give you the ventilation you want.
mthayer
06-20-10, 03:48 PM
It is already hot, but the hotter part of the year is toward the end of July and August. I would like to get something like a bug shelter, but I do not know if they have one small enough.

positron
06-20-10, 04:37 PM
I know Ive seen someone mention a tent fan for use in humid parts of Asia... sorry I don't have a source, but it was on here. maybe a search will turn something up?
BigBlueToe
06-21-10, 09:43 AM
I have an LL Bean Microlite 2 tent (http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/53422?pi=547997&qs=3012739-Google_Base&subrnd=0). The entire structure inside the fly is bug screen. When I put it up without the fly it's like having a mini screen tent. It's also long enough for someone tall (I'm 6'4".)

Here it is with the fly on:
http://cdni.llbean.com/is/image/wim/160281_192_41?wid=330&hei=295

Here it is without the fly:
http://cdni.llbean.com/is/image/wim/160281_0_44?wid=330&hei=295

From your description it sounds like you used only the water you were carrying. Could you not refill? I seldom go through more than 2 bottles before I get a chance to refill them, though I carry 3. I also carry a Camelback for when I'm going through a long stretch of hot country with no towns or services. In camp I have 2 2-liter platypus water containers. They collapse and fold flat when not in use and weigh very little.

I don't think a fan would be a good idea due to weight. However, if I did I might try and find or design something that would run off solar power.

Coleman has a tent fan (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___85229)that runs off 1 D battery.

http://www.campmor.com/wcsstore/Campmor/static/images/acc/85229.jpg