Timonabike

Hi!

I bought a L.L. Bean's "Microlight" 2 p tent. The weight and full mesh no-see'em body seemed fine. Set it up for the first time and discovered it's first drawback ... not freestanding! Kinda eliminates pavillion/dugout and hard surface set up when you can't put in a peg. Also a bear to quickly move around if you find yourself in a town park 'sprinkler mine field.'

They have a "Light Stuff' 2p with a bigger vestibule that weighs in @ 5lb.8oz. plus foot print.

What are you folks using that sets up quick and as a 2 p(erson) has good room for self and gear. I'll be pulling a BOB. I hear some of the side entry tents are wicked good?

Thanks,

Tim

vik 

I have a MEC Tarn 2 and a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2. I can recommend both.

Lolly Pop

I just got a Big Agnes Sarvis SL2 with eVENT. Loadsa space inside, and amazing 46" height. I sat in there on a fishing stool last night! Weighs about 4 lbs all in. No fast fly option, though. Love the tent. I think it is very like the Seedhouse SL2 in shape, just with a higher ceiling. Short pole sections means it fits inside my front panniers, too.

5 more

+1 on the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2. Fast to set up and roomy for one person. I tried another brand that you had to fish the poles through a sleeve and insert the end in the stake out tabs. Not impressed! With the Seedhouse the tent body clips to the poles. Very handy if it's raining.

Lolly Pop

Incidentally, I nearly got the Seedhouse SL2! I got mine direct from Big Agnes (you can buy online from their site). The Seedhouse SL2 was $299, but the Sarvis SL2 with eVENT was on sale for half price - $199. Worth checking out. I think they are a bit roomier than the Seedhouse-- 32.5 sq feet with a 46" height at the peak, versus 28 sq feet and 38". I see they have just brought out a Seedhouse SL3, which has nearly the same dimensions as the Sarvis SL2, but with 36 sq ft instead of 32. Weighs about the same and priced at $349.

supcom

Replace the cheap stakes with some quality aluminum alloy or titanium ones and you should have little trouble erecting the tent on anything short of concrete. I use a tarp tent and have yet to fail to get the tent set up. A cycling shoe make a nice stake hammer.

BTW, just becasue a tent is freestanding doesn't mean it needs no stakes. I've watched many a tent blow end over end because the owner was too lazy to stake it down before going off someplace.

n4zou

Cheap plastic tarp. If bugs are a problem I use nylon netting under the tarp. I consider it disposable so every tour with camping involved gets a new tarp shelter. Here is a link to detailed information.
https://www.equipped.com/tarp-shelters.htm

balto charlie

I have TNF tadpole. My 2 requirements were: Under 5 lbs, freestanding, and under $200(I think I paid 179.00) Sleeps 2 with little room for anything else. Perfect size for 1 with gear. It has 3 poles that are bomb proof, lots of mesh.
Here's a link but not where I bought mine
https://www.bobwards.com/bobwards/ser...?v_c=Northface
Big agnes users: How do the poles work. I looked over that tent when I was buying and didn't like the pole config. Doesn't look as strong(against winds) as the standard 3 pole systems, but that is only looking at it.

flipped4bikes

Do not buy the LL Bean lightweight tents. There are better tents on the market that give you better room and space for the same weight. I should know, I used to work there and sell those ugly things. Look into REI's Half-Dome or Quarter-Dome tents. I own the Half Dome and it's got two vestibules, plenty of space, and the fly can be used with just the footprint.

Lolly Pop

Mine has three poles -- one is a V (front), one is a Y (rear to centre) and one is a straight line (centre pole over the tent from side to side in the middle. The middle one is fed through a sleeve, while the others attach with clips.

The poles have been very good. Held up well in a short episode of very high winds (gusts nearly gale force off the Irish Sea) on the weekend. It's still fairly new so I can't comment on long-term reliability.

drcrash

My wife bought me a Eureka Juno II for Christmas back in 2000. It's been a great touring tent: relatively cheap, reasonable weight, plenty of space, free standing, etc., etc. It's major drawback is ventilation... with the fly mounted, it can get pretty stuffy if there's little wind, but you could probably say the same for most tents.... Have fun.

Rowan

Side entry, for me, is the only way to go. This idea of having to burrow my way into a tent from one end or the other just doesn't appeal. In addition, it requires the tent to be erected a certain way in any wind (endwise into the breeze).

I also cannot understand the need for *three* tent poles in a lightweight two-person tent. One is OK, but freestanding is out of the question. Two is perfect, resulting in a freestanding dome (that as supcom points out, should be staked as a matter of course). The dome is easy to move around, reposition on the footprint, and clean out simply by picking it up and turning it upside down.

My fav tent is Australian, a Mountain Designs Hutt that is no longer made, that has done around 300 nights in all sorts of conditions except blizzard. It has a side entry, a largish front vestibule, and a smaller one at the back for pannier storage. And two poles

balto charlie

It was the V and the Y poles that made me think it "might" be a problem but if it handle high winds near the sea then it is sound. I did like the height it offered inside and even more mesh than TNF tadpole. Charlie

Bekologist

the LL bean 'microlight' tent series has been favorably received in the outdoor community and competes favorably against the sierra designs clip flashlight, the kelty zen, or other venerated 'conestoga' (hooped) tents.

a hooped, non free standing tent is stronger in pitch than traditional A- frame tents, and give the most interior room for the weight of the poles of any modern, geodesic tent design.

When i need to bring a tent and not just a tarp, I have used tunnel tents like the ll bean microlight extensively for the last 20 years, and they are usually my prefferred tent choice....light weight, weather shedding, roomy, and well ventilated.


of course, there are many new, hybrid tarptent type shelters on the market these days, that will shave an extra pound or more off the microlight, as well as some that are freestanding. however, they are all compromises in other ways. There is NO 'perfect' tent.

I vastly prefer bringing just a tarp as much as possible, but the tunnel tents are an excellent lightweight tent choice with good weight to space ratios. You CAN pitch them on hard surfaces, particularily if they are reasonably sheltered from the wind like a dugout or pav;


I suggest that you don't listen to the naysayers, get a few stouter stakes, learn to 'tension pitch' the floor, develop a system for your hard surface pitches, and you will soon discover the benefits of a tunnel tent.......


I'm currently using) stealth camo tarps; a green Golite floorless pyramid tent i can park a bike and myself inside; a 3 pound, epic canopied, free standing black diamond firstlight; a sub six pound, 3 hoop tunnel tent that is the ONLY Antarctic service approved tunnel tent, issued as a sledge survival tent.

Also several other funky tarp tents and etc. I have never felt at a disatvantage using a tunnel tent or just a tarp. I'm a very strong proponent of tarp camping when conveinent. Here's a few of my tarp pitches from 2006 so far.

dhooper89

I just used my Black Diamond firstlight for the first time, it is really good. Easy to set up incredibly light(2 lbs, 9 oz) packs tiny, It is single walled and stood up to a couple of serious Midwestern Thunderstorms with multiple inches of rain. My wife and I have our sleeping gear down to 7 pounds for the 2 of us.

Dylan

mr bill

I'm about a month into my Europe tour with my REI quarter dome UL. I'm loving it. Quite light, packs well, and has kept the rain and bugs out perfectly. Not that they have bugs in the UK relative to minnesota...

Lolly Pop

You obviously haven't been to Scotland . . .

giantour

Anyone have any experience with these tents. MSR and Kelty? Here is a linkhttps://www.adventurecycling.org/stor...fm?Category=92

subigo

I use the Crestone 1... awesome tent. Packs small and I can get it pitched in 2 minutes.... space is tight though.

giantour

Can you fit any gear in the Crestone 1?

subigo

I can stuff all my panniers in there, but it is really cramped. I don't roll around while I sleep.... if I did the bags wouldn't let me. I am 6 ft. 1 in. and skinny.

giantour

Hmm now that is valuable info. Sounds like it would be worth it (to me) to shell out the extra 60 bucks to get the 2 person tent.

Bekologist

I used to test gear for MSR before they got sold by REI and bought by Cascade Designs.

the MSR microzoid, too small, too low, the MSR Zoid2, pretty darn nice.

Kelty makes a conestoga tent bigger than the Crestone1...it used to be called the Kelty Zen. a near perfect 1person or 2, summery hoop tent.

however, a caveat: All of the tents i just mentioned are NOT FREE STANDING, they are hoop tents. maximising interior volume and tent strength for pole weight of any canterary cut modern godesic tent design.

Rowan

Seems to me that there is a balancing act between low weight/volume and comfort. After being through the options, comfort has become the more critical factor -- a two-person tent for a one-person occupancy plus gear that really should be kept inside. I figure that because I am using a bicycle to tote stuff around in touring style, the additional weight of a good quality, adequately sized tent plus groundsheet is worth it. Along with a good quality sleeping bag and plenty of clothing.

giantour

What does it mean for a tent to be FREE STANDING?