SBRDude

Looking for suggestions about touring with a friend. What made me start the thread was the thought about sharing a tent with a friend on tour (non-romantic friend....!). My first instinct is to have separate tents in order to have some possibly much needed "space." Good idea or is it me just imagining things? FWIW, my friend and I are good friends and have shared lots of motel rooms on different trips, but a motel room is much different than a small tent!

All that being said, I'd love to hear your advice on the tent situation and anything else.

10 Wheels

Get a two person tent for each of you.
You can bring in all your gear in case of rain.

The private time is also nice.

You could always do a practice nite with the friend.

cyclist2000

Separate tents. My touring friend and I have known each other for 35 years and we learned after our first tour that it is best to have separate tents.

robow

Separate tents, in case one of you snores, you can get a good night's sleep by putting some distance between you and said snorer.

Cyclebum

Hey, that's a question only you and your friend can answer. You've shared motel rooms, but did you sleep in the same bed? The same regular size bed? If so, then you would likely be fine together in a tent. What most would do is irrelevant when talking specifics.

Just to be on the safe side, spring for a 3 man tent with 2 doors. Share the load.

Gus Riley

+1 on two two person tents. Having your gear inside is a huge convienance. Private time is a premium as well. I'm a super light sleeper, someone else's snoring kills me (I use earplugs on tour, and sometimes at home).

djb

another supporter of two tents. Ive always appreciated my own space when travelling with a friend, especially if one of you isnt in a great mood.

B. Carfree

I resemble that comment.

I agree, take two tents, unless you are both really small folks, the personal space is important for most of us. YMMV.

imi

I've toured a couple of times with a friend and one tent... I sleep outside the tent unless it rains which was rare on these summer tours. He prefers to be inside unless it's really warm... miles vary!

On another note, when riding we changed the lead every 10 kms. This was great, allowing both to determine the pace and "rest" behind... worked for us... real fun zooming past now and again wildly shouting "my turn!"

Chris L

I'd say definitely get separate tents. Sharing a motel room for a night is one thing, sharing a tent (which is likely to be a more confined space) for several nights is another. You should also be prepared to give each other space at other times, too. Sometimes one or both of you will be tired at the end of the day, and not necessarily in the mood to talk. It's okay when that happens, as long as you're both prepared to accept the other person feeling that way.

imi

I guess being married/a couple negates all this? weird....

fuzz2050

Another option (if you're not expecting a lot of bad weather) is getting a single two person tent, and a larger tarp, just to give you the options without the weight. Sharing a two person tent can be 'cozy' even under the best of circumstances, and you definitely want another option.

A tarp could give you and your friend a place to sleep during light weather with a little more space than a tent. If you feel the need for some 'private time' you two can split up. And if really foul weather arises, you can both hunker down in the tent.

Caretaker

Personally I don't tour with my wife. That's probably why she's still my wife after 25 years.

On the subject of touring with friends. I have toured with a friend of the same sex and we have shared rooms but never a bed and we have always brought our own tents.

Yes, I'm a bit weird.

staehpj1

It depends on the friend, so only you can answer. If it was me I would either take two one person tents or one two person tent depending on who I was touring with.

That said, I have toured with my adult daughter in a two person tent. I don't think either of us found it to be a hardship. On the TransAmerica three of us were fine in a 4 person tent and would have been fine in a three person tent.

It helps that none of us seem to have any desire to bring a lot of stuff in for the night. Our gear and clothing other than what we need to sleep, read, and get dressed in the morning are all that comes in other than our handlebar bags. Panniers stay packed and on the bikes.

contango 

I struggle to share a regular sized bed with my wife - if we try the usual result is that neither of us gets a whole lot of sleep. Before we book hotel rooms anywhere we check to make sure just what size their beds are.

I've shared a twin room with a friend on a two-day bike tour and it worked out fine. He and I could probably get by sharing a tent for a night, maybe two, but any more than that and I'd want some space to call my own.

indyfabz

"Where's your other hand?"--Neal Page

"Between two pillows."--Del Griffith

"Those aren't pillows!"---Neal Page

+1 on two tents

valygrl

No, I won't even share a tent with my husband unless I have to.

2 tents, no question about it.

robow

Not too weird, after better than 25 years, Mrs. robow knows that when she starts snoring that I'm going to be giving her a gentle nudge and turn her on her side, not sure I would feel comfortable doing that with any other.

Besides, was forced to use only one tent with another individual while canoeing in the Boundary Waters for a week, miserable experience.

PurpleK

Two tents. Definitely.
Of course, I'm also the guy that doesn't want to share a hotel room with another guy.

Between this thread and Nancysv thread about rider separation, I've learned I'm probably not an easy person to tour with.

SBRDude

OK, 2 tents it is! Thanks for the input, everyone.

10 Wheels

For Texas camping get one of these. $6 at K-mart
Run forever on 2D batteries.

colinmonty

Used one large tent. Used our gear as a wall between. Worked great and saved weight.

djb

and the K-Mart fan noise will cover up the snoring noise AND blow the farty air out the other end of the tent to boot.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, probably two tents. But wife and I have shared a tent and double bag for 35 years and we love it. We like a 3-person tent. Best thing in the world for us. We once spent the night in a 22" wide space. Long story.

djb

well carbon, I wouldn't recommend you going to see the movie "Buried" then............

look it up if you havent heard of it, apparently it is quite good