Light weight, durable tent suggestions
 

I couldn't find much about tents except some posted pictures...

I'm looking at tents for an extended tour (45 days) and there are so many. Prefer something very light, easy to set up, durable, 3 season, for one person with room - and not too expensive. Any suggestions?

I'm partial to Hilleberg myself (I have a few). I don't know if they are too expensive for you, but they are very good tents. I have the Soulo, the (old) Akto, and a Keron GT, but I am considering the Allak to take bike bike touring. It is a two-person tent, but it is nice to have your bags and kitchen stuff on the inside. Of the Soulo and Akto, I prefer the Akto, but it is not self standing as the Soulo. The Allak has two entrances and two apsisses which is nice when airing out the inside and for storing things out of the wet.

My oldest tent is the Akto, I bought it in 1998, and it has seen hard and much use on various coasts and being packed in a rowing boat - often wet. It has also been used on bike touring and even car packing (I hesitate to call it car camping). I haven't taken especially good care of it, and yet it is still going strong. I have only had to renew the waterproofing (spray, in other words) in a few places and only a single time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w5vJWPkn80
take a look at this baby.

back packer magazines have even more reviews ..
there you can crawl in a sample on the floor and see if you like it.

Somewhere DK has outdoor equipment sellers?

Single man maybe too small unless you leave most of your kit on the bike.
then you bring a 2 man tent for the room .

Hilleberg is a Swedish company doing their own manufacturing..

Most US brands have people in Asia making their stuff.. and they design,
then import and distribute it .

Eureka, Sierra Designs, Black Diamond, North face , MSR are all done that way..
probably tue of UK stuff too..

You thinking High windy exposed campsites, or just casual summer travel, with sheltered sites?

Agreed on the Tarptent brand. Good value, watch for sales. Check into BackpackingLight.com forums. Also look into small tent + tarp. You can set outside under the tarp in crappy weather, cook, etc, and drop it over your gear at night. Are mosquitos going to be a problem? Light and cheap, pick one. 4 lbs all-up packed weigh is moderate, more than that becomes heavy. Are you going to be touring where you can put stakes down or use heavy rocks, if not you need a freestanding tent. I am looking to replace my 6 lb all up tent, either with a ultra light one person or a hammock.

I really prefer REI for their warrenties, but they are not in the ultralight realm. I think Eureka has some moderate weight one man tents in the sub $100 range. Wish I had some specific recommendations, but if you post links to what you are looking at we can give you critical feedback.

I've had really good luck over many miles and seasons with Tarptent. Top notch product and company.

I'm thinking I'll be in mostly sheltered sites except for maybe a few nights going across Kansas. My tour will include some camping, some warm showers, some motels, and some friends.

REI half dome tent? rectangle floor, 2 crossing poles sit up headroom

a similar ,adding a couple extra poles? http://www.rei.com/product/845493/th...-canyon-2-tent

Freestanding tents are popular .. that one looks like currently a dislexia sale price... $239 vs $329



I spent a bit more on a NH made hoop tent , non freestanding ..Stevenson

withstood a few North Atlantic Gales on my Irish West coast trip.
the setup on the ground , helped . pulling up and staking in one motion.

no Separate rain fly to be pulled out of your hands, in the wind, as you set it up.

I still like my Sierra Design Clip Flashlight. I had one for 13 years, gave it to my sister and bought another one for myself. It's high quality yet pretty cheap at around 200$, cheaper if you shop a little.

I like the design of the Tarptent Rainbow, Double Rainbow and Cloudburst 3 (huge for one!) but never used them.

I'm glad someone made this thread because I was going to make it, too!

My wife and I need a 2 person tent with a little extra room for panniers, etc. as light as possible within a <$200 price range we're hoping. We hope to do some touring in the future but more immediately we need one for the overnight stop on the MS150 ride. We could bring our huge 4 person tent since all the gear is being trucked anyway, but might as well use the time as an excuse to get new gear now!

I've been to the local REI and looked at the pictures -since they don't have them set up. Wasn't hugely impressed but they do have some possibilities. Looking for more options!

Hillebergs are amongst the toughest, strongest tents rather than the lightest. My Akto works best in strong, cool winds rather than warm, sheltered, still air. It is probably overkill for a 45 day summer tour.

As a backpacker as well as a bike camper (haven't done any extensive touring yet) I am partial to the Big Agnes Fly Creek Series of tents. They are super light with each model running around 1 lb per person for capacity (e.g. 2 person tent ~ 2 lbs) and pack very small. They set up quickly and, in my experience, are reasonably durable considering that they are ultralight equipment. My wife and I have spent well over 40 nights in the tent so far (through rain, light snow, and moderate hail) and the tent is no worse for the wear. They are pricey but if you can save up it's well worth it in my opinion. Not to mention, usually if you pay a bit more there is a satisfaction guarantee associated with your purchase, and Big Agnes is no exception to that. Your requirement ofr 2 people plus "a little extra room" would warrant the 3 person version of any tent, for sure.

http://i2.wp.com/aushiker.com/wp-con...size=550%2C414

Another Tarptent fan here. I have the Scarp 1 and have used it extensively bicycle touring. Very happy with its performance. The only downside is I wouldn't describe it as being cheap.

Andrew

looking through some of their products now...
since it's a single piece, with no rain fly, is the tent itself waterproof?

these single wall tents popular with brits, must be because they dont get the hot muggy summers we get here. Ive always used tent+fly (top part, completely waterproof--main body has varying degrees of mesh)
A non-meshy main body would be horrible in canadian summers, with heat and humidity. Various tents have varying amounts of mesh, so as most of us campwhen it is summer time, more mesh is usually appreciated, and or you can put the main body up and no fly, for max air flow to see the stars.
Im just used to two piece tents, and for my uses wouldnt want a uni body one.
Camping in cold would be cooler or cold in all mesh tent.

Yes, it's a single-wall tent. So you have to deal more with condensation, with the benefits of lighter weight, lower cost, and ease of set-up. There is a learning curve to single-wall shelters. The Tarptent Moment comes in a quasi-double-wall model, with a liner.

Hilleberg tents tend to be pricey and heavy and popular in Europe; they don't really meet your criteria particularly well.

If you are open to them, tarp systems might be worth a look. They have a variety of advantages -- including weight, performance, and versatility advantages -- over tents. Some are also more reasonably priced.

They also have advantages over tarp tents.

The lightest tents sacrifice durability, some more than others; specific models may or may not meet your durability criteria.

Most of the more knowledgeable and experienced ultralighters now go with tarp systems, and view tents as old-school and less desirable.

I have used this one for close to 45 nights. Fits in one pannier w rain fly, and ground cloth.

http://www.campersland.com/col9160-7...FSRk7AodVnEAfw

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...ril2010031.jpg

Coming in well under 200 bucks and under 6 lbs, I think these two Kelty 3 person tents are hard to beat

http://www.kelty.com/p-714-grand-mes...tents-shelters

http://www.kelty.com/p-601-trail-rid...tents-shelters

REI warranties are no longer anything special. One year, I think. Plus their prices are pretty high...straight MSRP although there is some kickback at the end of the year. They lost most of my business. Their warranty was a big deal to me.

Also a huge fan of the Big Agnes tents.... Never had the slightest issue with my within reason (my zippers are getting a little wore out and a few small holes on the bottom), but I've got some good use out of my SL1 (150+ nights, zero maintenance). I feel this tent will last at least 500+ nights. It's more than big enough for my body + gear (2-4 panniers). Packs down to nothing (XS stuff sack plus the poles). A little $$ though in the $300 range, but you get what you pay for in this tent.

Something like this maybe? http://www.sierradesigns.com/p-293-light-year-1.aspx I have a 2 man Sierra Designs tent i like. I suspect they make tents for the REI brand, or more likely they both use the same manufacturer.

I've been considering a bivy like this http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___91061 The prospect of waking up with a bear snout in your face though... and you can feel mice running over the top of your bag at night.. and if it rains heavily...

Another vote for the Big Agnes Fly Creek. 60 nights from Alaska to Baja and the tent looks brand new. The floor is so waterproof I never use a footprint. Lightweight, roomy and durable.

They can actually do this. I've had it happen while cowboy camping (/sleeping under the stars) on tour.

I still do it though. Problems like this are pretty rare.

An ultralight tarp can complement a bivy well, and solve the heavy rain problem.