perfect tent for bike touring-Mountain Hardwear Ghisallo Tent-It has a bike shelter
 

Hello all,
I ran across this tent and ordered it as soon as I saw it. It was love at first site. Its freestanding, stealth camping colors, double walled, and best of all it has a built in enclosed shelter that fits your bike. I used to be up at night a lot worrying about my bike getting stolen, but no more will I be. You can find it at the link below. This is the ‘09 model and it is marked down to $200 from the regular price of $360. It looks like they are running the deal until 3-11-2010.



Thanks and happy camping,

Jon

really? i mean really? are you stealth camping in downtown la or something? i don't know about other people, but when i am stealth camping the chance of somebody being within a mile of me is slim to none.

Well you arent always stealth camping. Sometimes I stealth camp and sometimes I am in busy campgrounds. But hey thanks for the warm welcome to the site in my first post!!! LOL.

Cold tested to 60f? that is like room temperature...?

nevermind, -60f

my icecubes are warmer!

Interesting tent.

BTW, are click $$ ads allowed on BF posts? Just wondering.

Its not a click $$. Its an affiliate link. The affiliate makes nothing unless you buy.

I considered that tent for half a second back when I was shopping for tents- and then realized that there's no way in heck an 80lb bike is going to stand up inside that tent on its own. But hey, if you're packing super-light or riding supported, then have at it.

I wonder how does one get in and out of the tent with the bicycle in the fly? Seems awkward. If you are concerned about the bicycle being in view why not buy a camo sheet/net ?

There are vestibules and doors on both sides. The other side has a smaller vestibule for your panniers so your bike wont be so loaded on the other side and can have the ability to stand.

In my experience if you are at a busy campground a camo sheet does you no good if its not connected to your tent. Thieves will walk right up and look under it to see whats there. With this the bicycle is in the tent with you.

Well I don't need a tent since I have a BA Seedhouse. Not buying another tent! But..... If I did need one I would consider it. I wish my Seedhouse had side doors. Weight looks good and it's from a seller I trust to back it up.

The affiliate link costs you nothing.. what harm in that?

The affiliate link isn't any more tacky than my hammer link:lol:... click on it... and buy... i dare ya.:thumb:

i have the same tent. great for stealth camping and bike touring in general. scored mine for free. w00t.

Are you sure? In the picture it looks like a short zipper just big enough to access the stuff in the back vestibule rather than a door.
http://media.rei.com/media/hh/5139b7...27381a2668.jpg

FWIW, this tent doesn't really appeal to me for several reasons. It is kind of heavy for a tent with a footprint of 87 x 28 inches. The extra height to accommodate the bike seems like it would make it less able to stand up to a strong wind. It seems like the bike would be in the way getting in and out unless you are correct about the other door and it doesn't look like it from the pictures.

I have never really felt the desire to bring my bike inside though so it may be worth it for those who do.

Edit: I was looking at it wrong and the bike side is the one with the short zipper. So one door, but it isn't on the side the bike goes on, that side says it has a port hole. It still doesn't appeal to me, but it makes more sense since that is the case.

I just got it in the mail today. Your edit is correct. The small zipper side is where the bike goes. Therefore, it is easy to get in and out on the large zipper side. The rain cover stretches and is staked a distance away from both sides of the tent so there is plenty of room for your bike in one vestibule and panniers in the other. Did you have a chance to look at the weight? Im not understanding how you think it is heavy for bike touring. It is actually listed as ultralight. It is only 4 pounds 2 ounces total. Also, it isn't as tall as in the picture you listed since that picture is without the rain cover. When you stake and stretch the rain cover it drops the height about 6 inches. I am personally loving it so far. I have it set up in my living room admiring it right now. LOL. It seems like very good quality material and craftsmanship. As good as any of the Big Agnes or North Face tents I was looking at in the store.

I didn't say it was too heavy for touring. What I said was "It is kind of heavy for a tent with a footprint of 87 x 28 inches". Not exactly the same thing. I said that because I have no desire to bring my bike inside and if I am going to put up with a 28" wide tent it will be to get the weight under 3 pounds. I am sure it is great for someone who puts a priority on keeping their bike inside. Mountain Hardware stuff that I have used is well made so I am sure the quality is fine and I am sure the weight is really low for a tent that you can fit your bike inside. That said If I want to carry a tent that size I would rather have a bit more space for me. My bike and panniers can live outside :)

My preference is for my panniers to remain loaded and on the bike and for it all to stay outside. The only stuff I take in at night is the stuff I need to sleep, what I will wear in the morning, and my handlebar bag.

We all have different preferences. The Ghisallo doesn't suit mine, it apparently does yours. I hope it works out well for you and you enjoy it.

Keep us posted on how it works out for you.

Foot print is too small for my tastes. I typically run 2 man tents just for me. I carry a separate tarp to concealment. My current tent is some discontinued Coleman backpacking tent that packs in at around 4#. Inyo is the model, paid ~$45 for it on clearance sale. It is a brown/gold color and blends in well.

Aaron :)

I like the concept of this tent. I haven't had any direct experience, but I seem to recall having read somewhere that the space for the bike was very tight--like you needed to remove the panniers to get the bike in--and when the bike was in, it intruded into the tent interior. Anyhow, let us know how it works.

It is setup in my living room right now. However I can't totally tell you about the space for the bike yet because that part has to be staked(the rest is freestanding). From the looks of it I can fit it in with the panniers, but then it would be very tight. Without the panniers it doesn't look as if the bike would protrude into the tent. Also, the vestibule on the side you enter has room for the panniers. So my plan is just to store the panniers there. My tour starts on March 26 so I will let you all know the ups and downs of the tent when I actually start using it. I will also most likely write a comprehensive review of it on my site.
Best regards,
Jon Picklesimer
pedaltheglobe.com

I ordered one today. Hopefully it will arrive next week. Once it does, I will set it up and give an opinion.

Yes, let us know and I will also give feedback once I put mine to use at the end of the month.

Guys, if your worried about thieft just a a sound motion alarm. small and will wake you up. Motorcycles use them all the time. There ar small ones.

I knew a guy that would tie a string from the bike to his wrist at night. I guess he figured if someone grabbed the bike it would pull the sting and wake him up. AFAIK no one ever tried to grab the bike, but he did pull it over a couple of times.:roflmao2:

Aaron:)

I picked up the tent on Tuesday and had it back at the store two days later. I love the concept of this tent (bike inside next to tourer) but it is too small. It took me a while to figure out how to set it up because of the unusual shape of the frame but once done, I could not find anything extraordinary about it. The small door on the right side is very small. I could not see myself using it for fear of ripping it. The main (bike) door is appropriately large enough for one to get in comfortably. Like AdamRice mentioned, the space is tight. Yes, it is lengthy but not wide enough for a larger person, even myself as I am not a big woman (120 lbs +/- ,extra small clothing size at 5'6"). It appeared to be as wide as a baby changing table. I could not imagine many comfortable nights in this tent especially with gear inside for bonus security. I cannot comment on how well it will hold up in the elements because I set it up in my house but it seemed well made. If one likes the ideal of a small sleeping space, this tent may work for him/her but at the current price, I am sure one could do just as good in a bivy sack or a less expensive one man tent. If one likes a bit of space, invest in a decent lightweight two man tent and enjoy a good night sleep. Just lock the bike up to something on the outside.

Unless I misunderstand, it sounds like you pitched it wrong. The small "door" is on the bike side and is only to access stuff in the vestibule from inside the tent. I am pretty sure it isn't intended to be a door. The actual door is on the opposite side from the bike.

That said I tend to agree that the design kind of misses the mark for me.

Without a kickstand the concept wouldn't hold up... or have I missed something?

I have seen this tent (indoors) and my impression was that it was kinda flimsy (and narrow as travelmama pointed out)... In a heavier stormwind the thought of my wet and dirty bike falling down, crashing down through the tent on top of me is not so appealing...

Personally I don't have any desire to have my bike in my tent, but ymmv