Your opinions please, on tents…

[2 wheeled tourist]

While the Nomad Tent Co. and its Ténéré Expedition Tent - 2 Man Motorcycle Tent B) http://www.nomadtent.com/tents.html looks the biz, it’s all too much in the weight and size dept’. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love one, but, again, I think that 13lb is too much for the skinny 660 Ténéré, what with added MetalMule alloy boxes etc.

So, to compromise, the Vango Apex 200 Mountain Tent http://www.campingworld.co.uk/Models.aspx?ModelID=3113 looks promising, it’s extremely lightweight, the most important factor for me & bike, plus, it looks like a half decent summer tent too, and a little cheaper then the asking price of £349 for the Ténéré tent…

…all what’s needed now is a good sleeping bag :unsure:

[scouse]

Looks like decent headroom but you can't beat a Vaude Mk II or MK III for a light weight deal with any weather tent.

http://www.ukseakayakguidebook.co.uk/al ... w_mkII.htm

[Alun]

The Tenere Expedition Tent does come with a weight and pack size penalty and I'd only think of packing one along if, big if, I could split the weight between two bikes. It would be nice to have all that headroom and space but Nomad really need to work on bringing the weight down before it becomes a serious contender. And when they do that's going to make the price more expensive unless they are manufacturing in serious quantities.

I've been using the Vaude Mark 11 and the Litewave G3 models for years in all kids of conditions and they are bomb proof. The best tip I can offer when picking a tent is go for a size bigger. i.e. if you were thinking of a 2 man tent buy a 3 man tent – you'll never regret the extra space especially when its tipping down after a hard day in the saddle.

You can find loads of tent and sleeping bag reviews on the Adventure Travel site.

[snaphappy]

It's all in cloggy but you should get the idea as a guide to prices.
for me, I prefer an outer pitch or in one pitch like the Vaude stuff and the ferret I definatly like.

Small enough to carry easily and big enough to get out of. I only use a tent when it's raining all other times its just a bivvy bag,

http://www.vrijbuiter.nl/kamperen/tente ... chttenten/

[Warthog]

How many sleepers would you want to fit in there, how often and what conditions do you plan to use it for?

The reason I ask is that a solo rider should opt for a two man and two people , a three man tent due to all the kit that comes along.

As for the conditions, if you are not planning to do battle with alpine conditions and high winds, some of the highend tents may be overkill.

To give an example, my dad bought a tent from Decathlon. The quality seems adequate and the system fairly straight forward. It cost £80, is not too heavy and packs down small: only a little bigger than a full face lid!!

For camping trips in the spring and summer it seems to work well and has not let him down yet (albeit only his second year of ownership...)

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/t2-ultralight-3246853/

[Alun]

Warthog wrote:

To give an example, my dad bought a tent from Decathlon. The quality seems adequate and the system fairly straight forward. It cost £80, is not too heavy and packs down small: only a little bigger than a full face lid!!

Good call on Decathlon. They are a huge company on the continent but not that well known in the UK. Prices are competitive and from what I can remember I don't think I've ever tested anything with their mark on that's been below par.

Vaude also have some new motorbike specific tents which will be on the market soon. I got to view them earlier this year at a Trade show and Vaude UK are seriously thinking of bringing them into the UK. The main 'bike' feature was good head hight in the porch area.

[Shyhoulud]

I plan on doing alot of riding around Europe over the next couple of years. I need a tent that will comfortably fit two people (one of which is massive) and that can be used in all conditions except snow on the ground.

What do you guys recommend?

[canazei1200]

Karrimor beta 2 berth tent very small pack size, 2 small porch areas, easy to put up and pack use it with a seperate tarp to create a seating/cooking area,both pack up very small

[scouse]

Shyhoulud wrote:

I plan on doing alot of riding around Europe over the next couple of years. I need a tent that will comfortably fit two people (one of which is massive) and that can be used in all conditions except snow on the ground.

What do you guys recommend?

Simples 3man Vaude Mk II Long.

The best touring tents I have ever used pack down smallish , go up quick and in a hurry or for wild camping don't need pegs as they hang off an exo-frame.

Two larger than average peeps managed to cook and keep all their gear dry in the std one during a two hour thunder storm at the Stella a few years back. Ventilation is second to none , warm or cool it's THE tent.

[scouse]

canazei1200 wrote:

Karrimor beta 2 berth tent very small pack size, 2 small porch areas, easy to put up and pack use it with a seperate tarp to create a seating/cooking area,both pack up very small

Heard they are a bit fiddly to put up. And why take a tarp? It's cheaper and easier to have a big enough tent.

This fad for tarps has always confused me as they add weight and space, where as a slightly bigger tent in the same range gives the same benefits without the extra faffing about and usually takes up less space and adds less weight.