poopisnotfood

MSR Hubba Hubba, got it a couple of years ago as a 2 year old closeout at a steal. Been an amazing tent though. Not a single problem.

sherbornpeddler

As a young-un I used a tarp and piece of bug spray coated netting. Now I like the Contrail when solo. Travelling with 1 or 2 others I use the predecessor of the REI halfdome.

Nigeyy

I own a Eureka Skylite (I think it was marketed as a "Hobbit" in Europe and Australia) 2 person, bought it back in 1996 to share with a friend, still using it and it has loads of life left. I ended up buying out the share of my friend (total cost was ~$130 from Campmor, not cheap at the time, but in retrospect it was worth it).

Things I like about it:

6x14 pack size
roomy with good height
standalone
quick and easy to put up (I'm always the fastest to pack/unpack the tent!)
double skinned (don't like single skinned for condensation
very airy so it doesn't feel too stifling
weight is about 4-5 lbs, very manageable.

Alas, and I really don't know why, but Eureka doesn't make this tent anymore. Goodness knows why as I really find this tent makes for an excellent touring tent (I especially like the free standing and small pack size). If I found another one in excellent condition, I'd probably buy it.

Interestingly, it seems the biggest problem for 2+ person tents is the pack size. There appear to be many tents -good ones too -out there, but it's a real problem getting one that packs under 15-16 inches in length, which is nice if you want to put it in your pannier.

NeezyDeezy

I'm looking to sell my Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 if anyone is interested. It's in very good condition, and used only for two trips. I have always kept it clean and dry and nonsmoking and pet free house. You can send me a PM with a reasonable offer.

antokelly

just sent you a message

soltour

just a quickie here, I dont bother too much about pack size in fact for my Hogan I made another pack which was bigger so when I strike camp I can whip it in the pack quicker instead of having to try and get ferrets in a bag....an analogy

sherbornpeddler

I hear you; getting ferrets in a bag can be tough. I love it!
I won't admit it but I do know exactly what you mean.
I prefer minimizing wind resistance and weight even if it does mean "ptf".

staehpj1

I don't find that to be a big problem. I use waterproof panniers and don't especially want to put a wet tent in with my dry gear. I have no reservations about strapping the tent on the top of the rear rack. If rolled with the floor on the outside, it stays dry enough even in an all day rain.

That said, pretty much any tent could be made to pack to the length you desire.
Option 1, just strap the poles on the rack and pack the rest in the pannier.
Option 2, order custom poles to fold to whatever length you prefer.
https://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm
https://www.polesforyou.com/
https://fibraplex.com/tentpoles2B.asp

neilfein

Tent poles aside, keep in mind that you don't need to pack a tent in the stuff sack it comes in. You can even pack it in more than one (smaller) sack, if there's (say) a tent and a rain fly.

xyzzy834

I've never wanted to put my tent in a pannier. I use smallish panniers (not because of a grand plan, but they're what I have) and great Tubus racks. I strap it on the top of my rear rack with my sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and pillow (I sleep well).

Both bikers and backpackers have to be concerned about the weight they're carrying, but bikers don't have the same limitations for bulk. Things strapped to the top of my rear rack are directly behind me, so they don't affect any aero wind resistance either.

By the way, for those that strap things to their racks, nylon cinch straps are much more secure than bungee cords. They don't stretch and give when you go over rough bumps in the road. The load stays in place better.

Nigeyy

It's more a convenience. If I have to leave my bike out of sight, I like to carry my handlebar bag plus one pannier. Handlebar bag has the wallet, camera, air mat, etc and the single pannier has my tent, sleeping bag and campstove (if I bring it). The single pannier left behind contains my dirty clothes on top with my clean clothes in another bag at the bottom and small food stuffs. Admittedly it wouldn't stop a thief taking it -but of all my touring possessions that are the hardest and most expensive to replace for me, the tent, sleeping bag, air mat and stove are up there.

Basically, it means I can carry my expensive stuff with me. However, my tent usually goes on a front rack (sideways, which again is nice if it's not that wide). Once my beloved tent does bite the dust, I'd still like to find a tent that packs as small again -I just find it much more convenient.

edit: I realize that I could get custom order shorter poles, but when I buy a tent, I don't want to spend more!

Erick L

I pack my tent in a pannier, no stuff sack.

poopisnotfood

I also have a MSR Zoid 2 if you can find one still new you can get it for a steal, and they are GREAT tents, pack small too, they were designed for the ultralight crowd. I know MSR has some lighter ones now, but they are a mint, and a few grams here and there don't bother me. I have a few lbs left to lose on my body before i am worrying about grams.

rpk0925

That's a very interesting design. I have a feeling I may be asking an obvious question, but what holds up the optional top pole?

Also, I've been trying to find a website that lists the packing size dimensions of this tent with no luck. Any idea about that?

Thanks.

staehpj1

It engages the points at the ends of the overhangs and has clips connect it at four points along the top. That and the two hoops hold the shape. The whole thing is pretty floppy if not staked out.

The tent stands without the ridgepole by staking those points out.


Pictures from review at:
https://www.backpackgeartest.org/revi...tial%20Report/

According to https://www.backpackgeartest.org
"Packed size listed: 20 x 6 in (51 x 15 cm) Verified accurate"

rpk0925

Thanks staehpj1. I have a difficult time imagining that pole standing up on top of the tent. I guess I can picture it if it's somehow attached to the staked out tent.

(I'm slowly learning that I'm the kind of person who needs to see something physically in front of me before I really "get it"). (sigh)

Bob

staehpj1

Not sure what part you are having trouble picturing, but there are eyelets at the points in the front and back of the tent. The ridge pole engages those. Also there are clips where it intersects the hoops and also in two other places along the top.

Another point that may be confusing. There is no fly. It is a single wall tent.

I hope that helps.

rpk0925

Just curious ... Do you strap your tent on the rack lengthwise or crosswise? (I'm thinking lengthwise would be easier).

rpk0925

Gotcha! It helped me to know the eyelet and clip placements.

I'm a fan of single wall tents. I wish they weren't so darn expensive though.

xyzzy834

I strap it on crosswise as shown in the picture below. The tent is on the bottom left of the stack. My sleeping pad is above it. My sleeping bag and pillow are in dry bags behind it. It was raining that day, so I have the rain covers on all of my panniers.



Here's a top side view on a ferry. My rain jacket is strapped on top of everything else for easy access. (I needed it quite a bit that day)

rpk0925

Very nice! Thank you.

For what it's worth, I haven't gone bicycle touring in 29 years (WOW!). I'm trying to get back into it ... hopefully before the summer ends. I'm foggy on a lot of the details, which could explain why some of my questions might seem so fundamental to a lot of the people here.

staehpj1

I hope you have a great time with your second touring career!

BTW: I too strap the tent on sideways, but either way works

rpk0925

Thank you very much. It's taking me a while to get my gear together (and my butt into riding shape), but as long as I go slowly but surely, I think I'll be okay.

Back when I did the touring so many years ago, 3 of us went cross country (USA ... WI to CA). As a lot of you know, because we had 3 people, we were able to split the load among us. I didn't carry the tent (phew). I seem to remember the person who did carry the tent had difficulty carrying it sideways on his rack because of having the load shift on him when making turns of any kind. But back then, we didn't know diddly about bicycling or how to properly load a bicycle. The entire tour was a "learn as you go" undertaking. I don't remember exactly how we finally figured out the best way to carry the tent. In the end, it very well could have been sideways.

John Nelson

I have the same MSR Fling that Pete has. I just used it four nights last week, camping between 8100 and 9600 feet elevation, with daytime temperatures near 90 F and nighttime temperatures dropping to near 30 F. Even with all the vents open, the tent got damp (inside and out) two nights, very wet one night, and stayed dry the fourth night. The weather has been somewhat damp of late. It's not a big problem if you can avoid touching the inside of the tent with your sleeping bag or clothes.

I got this $250 tent on closeout for $100.

Agentbolt

Mountain Hardwear Meridean 2. Greatest tent ever made. Screw you for discontinuing it, Mountain Hardwear!!