Hey bike campers, I need some suggestions!
I'm leaving for my first tour this weekend, 4 days/250mi, and I have no gear.
I need a lightweight/packable tent, pad, and bag. Has to be waterproof.
Also, I'm shopping on a budget, and whatever I order has to be stateside with 2day rush shipping options.
Other suggestions are welcome, TYIA 🚴🚴

Today is Monday and you need all your gear by W or TH of this week?

Do you have a budget? Are you near a major camping store? REI can set up with what you need.

If looking to save money, I'd check out REI outlet and Sierra Trading Post. You should be able to find what you want there as well. Also are you looking for a 2 person tent? A summer bag or a 3 season? Do you want down or not? There are a number of variables here.

REI outlet currently has 24 1 and 2 person backpacking tents. You're not going to go wrong with most if not all of them. It has 37 summer and 3 season bags. You're not going to go wrong with most of these as well. Add a pad and you're done. Watch the weight esp. on the bags; some of the gear is more suitable for car camping than a self supported trip.

This isn't a bad price on a down bag; it's not the lightest down bag because it's 550 fill but it's been treated for water proofness:

https://www.rei.com/product/106147/k...1-sleeping-bag

I have mixed feelings about 1 person tents; usu. a 2 person tent isn't much more weight and you get more real estate. I'd buy a tent based on price and weight.

On short notice? plan to stay in a Motel . ride your bike there. eat in cafes..

Good suggestions, thanks. Super short notice is right! REI will likely be my go-to shop, but if there are better options online I'd consider ordering too. Motels aren't an option. Someone had offered to loan me some gear, so I could assess my needs and order later, but that fell through.

A 2 person tent would be ideal, 2 pole or whatever is easy. Something just big enough for myself and some gear. Ideally dk green or 'stealth friendly' colors. I'd like a 3 season bag, down or similar, rated to 0-20 degrees? Thx all.

Enjoying my BA Fly Creek 2 that I got from REI. 2.25 lbs.

Remember, two day shipping is AFTER processing. It is nearly noon on the east coast, getting into the afternoon means your order might not ship today depending on the location and policies of the retailer you choose. Two days from tomorrow is Thursday, and then you are at the mercy of your delivery guy showing up at your home whenever he feels like it (which for me, is anywhere from 10AM to 6PM, depending on their workload and service selected).

If you are anywhere that has any big-box sporting goods retailers at all (Dicks, Gander Mountain, REI, etc), just drive in and buy something adequate they have in stock. Not ideal, but neither is your order not arriving before you leave. Check to see if there are any local outdoor shops, too, you may find something a bit nicer in stock at them.

Also, I second the two man tent idea. Most backpacking two man tents are really more along the lines of a 1.5 man tent, unless you are two small people or rather intimate with whom you share it with.

At this point I'd be shopping at the closest department store. You can keep the cheap stuff for backup equipment for later, or try to sell or give away. If I were going to buy good stuff, I'd need more time to decide. Especially something like Henry Shire Tarptents, and Enlightened Equipment down quilts, which are handmade and may take a couple weeks. For pads I'd probably get the NeoAir, which probably amazon has. But a lot of these things depend on temperature rating which you didn't mention.

of course you've budgeted time to do silly things

like, um.....practice setting up your tent?
or do you just assume the tent comes with
guy lines and pegs?

and of course you'll have no problem setting
up your tent when you arrive at your stealthy
site after dark.

or driving the flimsy aluminum pegs into the
ground, assuming you can find a rock.

and maybe you'll try out that new cookstove
at home before you need to cook in the field.
y'know see how hard it is to light without
a lighter. what? there's no starter button?

Ok great, thanks all for putting my expectations in perspective. I hadn't planned on cramming last minute, but here we are. I may have to wing it for this trip.

Any suggestions on cheap[er] tarp tents or bivvys? The nights will be warm, but there will be some rain.

blue/brown plastic tarps are cheap goretex breathable bivvys are not .

Synthetic bags are more functional when wet, but the bulk and weight is like ridiculous compared to down. For that reason I've not used one in years. Semi waterproofed down bag seems like a good idea, but even regular ones are fine if you're careful. I've camped more nights than I remember in the rain using a down bag without getting it wet.

If you actually expect rain, just about any tent is going to be infinitely less miserable than sleeping in a bear burrito bag. Also, if you get a down bag (which you should) the condensation may well render it useless.

2p as has been pointed out are not much heavier and give you some extra space to keep your bags out of the rain. 1p is still way better than bivy.

The Marmot tents REI sells are a good deal and come with a footprint.

Good point. Another thing to consider if you're planning on a tent being waterproof in the rain is if it is properly seam sealed. Many are not. I seam sealed my own with a diluted silicone solution and paint brush, but you'll need a good day or more for it to fully cure. No way to do that on short notice.

I haven't had a problem with down quilt in the rain so long as its a good tent and properly seam sealed (I have a Henry Shires Notch) and you store the bag/quilt in a dry bag outside of the tent.

Define "cheaper". I have an old Kelty two person tent that I got at Gander Mountain for under $100, that I used backpacking in Glacier for two years about a decade ago. Not the lightest thing in the world, but I carried it on my back, so a bike should be less problematic. I still have it and use it once or twice a year, it has been good.

Biggest thing I've found is look for one that has a full rain cover, not just the small bit that goes over the top. Usually those tents are much more breathable, as they'll have a large mesh area up top, and the rainfly generally does a good job at keeping the tent wall next to your sleeping bag dry.

Mine looks identical to this, I wouldn't be surprised if this were just some rebranded version of it: https://www.rei.com/product/893927/r...01893695&lsft=

If the nights will be warm (again, definition needed), you don't want a 0-20 bag. I generally go one temp range lower than I expect to see, just for a bit of wiggle room, but my go-to bag for most of the summer is a 40F (as nights in Michigan easily get down into the 50s even in summer). I'd die in a 0F bag in summer. Just a Gander Mountain store brand I got on sale, had it for nearly a decade now and it gets used still on a regular basis. Stuffs down small enough that I wouldn't be bothered carrying it on a bike (and have carried it on my back).

Actually, the newer synthetics compare favorably with down. I have a 20F primaloft bag that is very close to similar down bags in compressibility and weight. It is under 2 lb., and compresses to:

The green bag—it is about the same size as my Thermarest in the orange bag. Our light- weight, 2-person tent is in the blue compression sack.

Interesting. I shall take that under advisement! I guess it figures that some advances have been made. My last synth bag was a Polarguard North Face from back when they were still made in San Jose - that was a while ago.

Anyway.... that is a very reasonable pack size for a 20F bag. What brand/model? Maybe I need a rainy day bag.

Any specific make and model you recommend. My 20F North Face Cat's Meow is nearly 3 lbs. I believe it was made with Primaloft when I bought it years ago. And unless I need a better compression sack than the one it came with, it doesn't compress as small as I would like it to. Note that I am 6'2" so I need a long version, which may have something to do with weight and compressibility.

Thanks for all the info. You're totally right about the bag Jefnvk. I was going off another recommendation for some reason, but a warmer weather bag will do fine.

I've found a couple options that might work (tent, bag) if the shipping works out. Things I'm concerned with are a) not freestanding, b) thread thru vs clip style pole attachments. I've found the trail weight goes up a good bit for 2person tents, and on these cheap tents that can mean more than a pound. Anyone have experience with either of these? TIA

I have a 1P Sierra Lightyear which is similar to that alps tent. They work fine. For me, the not freestanding thing has never been a problem. Usually I have to stake my tent down anyway. I assume the Alps is similar enough that it will be OK. They are slightly more of a PITA to set up than a basic dome. Whether or not that is worth a pound or whatever is up to you.

Both are fine choices. The 2 hoop design tent is a solid choice particularly when it comes to price and weight. The Eureka spitfire is another example and you can pick it up from campmor for 20% off: https://www.campmor.com/c/eureka-eureka-spitfire-1-tent

Synthetic bags are a fine choice.

The bag is a Marmot "Pounder Plus". I don't think they make that model anymore, but there are some good ones on the market.

Correction: It is a 25F bag and the official weight is 2lb 5 oz! I attribute my lack of accurate recall to age I bought the bag in 2007, and there has ben a lot of improvements since then.

+1 those are great tents.

For a bag Mountain Hardwear's UltraLamina bags are decently light and well made bags plus they are synthetic so no need to worry about moisture, animal exploitation/cruelty or anything like that. I have the 45 degree version and I love it though you might want something for cooler temps.

For a pad Sea To Summit's newer pads are great. Super comfortable and nice and light. The great thing is they inflate and deflate super fast and the air cells give you probably the best backcountry sleep outside of a hammock you might get. They don't taco or fold up like other mats nor does the air move around so much plus they are designed to prevent mold which can be common in some mats. If it were me I would probably go Ultralight Insulated or if not concerned with weight the comfort plus insulated (which I ended up getting from my last job)
Mattresses | Sea to Summit

You should be able to get this stuff via your local outfitter if you have one or if not go to REI or MEC or one of those type places. If not I think both StS and Mountain Hardwear have online shops. I cannot remember if BA does but I think they do though probably all of this can be gotten at REI's online shop if needed.

In the future I wouldn't put off buying gear till the last second. You can pack late but you want to make sure to test everything before you go on a big long trip just to make sure everything is there and it works properly and all of that. Setting up a tent a night is hard, setting up a tent at night that you have never set up before and are just pulling it from it's packaging is way harder (especially if it is missing pieces which can happen sometimes).

I would kind of do some boy scouts stuff and set up and take down your tent a few times at different locations along with testing other gear so when you get to camp at night you have at least some knowledge of it.

that tent, buy cheap, buy two times. ventilation looks very poor on that one.

I have had good luck with Eureka Timberline 2-person tents. Easy enough for one person to erect, stable, and good in the rain. You mention REI -- they have lots of options for bags and pads.

A tight budget will be a problem.

I like spontaneity, but this seems a bit brash. I concur with Fietsbob's recommendation to use motels this weekend.

I know people like to save weight, but on a bike tour is a pound really all that much of concern? That is less than the weight of a full water bottle.

Just tossing this out there, if there is a Dicks by you, both of these are supposedly available in-store, and of similar quality. The tent is a bit over a pound more, but gives you space to keep your gear out of the rain:
Kelty Tempest 2 Person Tent | DICK'S Sporting Goods
The North Face Wasatch 30° Sleeping Bag | DICK'S Sporting Goods

Only other advice I can offer is if you are set on online ordering, and haven't ordered yet, you're better off calling to make sure the order is going to ship today, and I'd be very concerned about not upping shipping to overnight.

Thanks for all the replies and insight folks. I agree with the 'buy it nice or buy it twice' mentality, but this trip was on a whim, and a budget. Ended up going with a freestanding, stealth friendly solo tent, packable bag, and pad. I think these will work well for this trip, and a few more to come.