Best pannier bags, tents and stuff for cycle touring

[Hill Wimp]

Good point about the UV degredation. That seems to be an argument for not paying much over about £150 for a tent. What's the point of paying mega bucks for a tent if the UV will get it?. Folks feel free to chip in to argue against this - thinking aloud though, won't a tent used for cycle touring last substantially longer since it won't be up in the sun much - arrive late afternoon, early evening, even later, leave before much sun has been at at it.

That Tesco tent - I'd read the reviews - not encouraging.

I tend to agree with your latter point for tents used for cycle touring. The tents just are not up that long. I can see the argument for those that static camp for their holidays as the tent is up for days/weeks at a time.

 

[summerdays]

The difference between touring tents and the bigger holiday ones is the touring ones are normally in a bag during the day hiding from the sun, unlike the others basking in it, so far greater UV exposure for the same number of nights camping.

Hill wimp can type faster than me :-)

 

[saoirse50]

In forty years I have used five tents...and the reason for changing them was never uv degradation. Stopped using the first tent I had because it was pretty heavy and I finally got enough money together to upgrade to a little Viper ridge tent. That was big enough for me and my daughter when she was small, but became too small as she grew, especially on longer trips when one can go a bit stir crazy if too cramped up. So invested in a Vango Spirit 200+. I sold this after quite a few years use It still had years left in it. Bought the Wild Country Duo tourer which I still have. And also bought a tiny lightweight one person tent for short trips when I travel just with a saddlebag and bar roll. Use this setup on the DunRun if I have the time , to camp there on the Sunday night. Will probably do something similar this year. I tend to choose shady places to camp anyway, if I can. Nothing worse than being woken up before you want to be by a rapidly heating tent. And then, as others have said, the tent will rarely be out in the sun for long if you are cycling during most of the daylight hours. For those short trips you are describing, get the lightest tent you can afford I would say.
Zips, poles and hook tabs, in my experience, are the things that you should worry about before uv degredation.
Hillebergs are lovely, but I have heard too much about zip problems with them to want to part with that much cash for a tent, when there are so many others out there that are perfectly decent, and not that much heavier, for less. I don't have that kind of money anyway. They also seem to go a bit flabby and need lots of retensioning, unless the ones I have seen have been badly pitched.
I use a Trangia cooking system...won't change now. Bought a set of plain Ortlieb backrollers or whatever they are called twenty years ago...still use them, they are fine and they have had some pretty rough treatment over the years, including being thrown down the sides of mountains when tracks became too rough and difficult to ride and the bike too heavy to push or keep hold of with them on. I did buy a set of Arkel's secondhand several years ago which were a tremendous bargain at half their new price. Lovely panniers which are so easy to pack and organise, ulike the Ortliebs, but to be honest, a bit too heavy and I sold them on and used the money to go towards a new set of Ortlieb Bikepackers with the pockets which the cheaper ones lack. These are great, although only had them four or five years so don't know if they will last as well as the more basic ones.

 

[andrew_s]

Tents:
Hillebergs are very good, but would be an expensive mistake if you get one that's not suitable for your usage (though they generally have a good resale value). It's probably best to start with something more moderately priced, whilst you work out whether you are happy with a smaller lighter one-man tent, or want more room. There are plenty of fairly decent tents in the £60-£150 price range - eg a Zephyros for 1-man.
UV problems are mostly with cheaper PU coated fabrics - the silicon coated fabrics used on the better/more expensive tents are much more resistant. Also beware of paying too much attention to problems that people who use a tent continually for a couple of years on a world tour have - Hilleberg's zips are as good as anyone else's - it's just that they are more likely to get hard use.

 

[Profpointy]

on the end-of-life tents I've had it was groundsheet proofing that failed such that wet from the ground soaks up through the tent. First one was an."ultimate" which was good for its day but don't think they're still going - but I'd absolutely had my money's worth. 2nd was a wild country - same fault - rather dislsapointed with that one. Current tent's a Hilli - so far, so good - superb in fact

 

[Ludwig]

Many thanks. Looks like Ortlieb panniers get the vote. I did have some panniers years ago and even made some from army kit bags from the army and navy store. I would maybe go for a few days. I think quite cheap two man tents tents with a fly sheet and sewn in ground sheet that are used at festivals etc may be alright. I used airbeds but think they might be a bit heavy with a sleeping bag and maybe a stove, utensils, spare clothes tools, maps, waterproofs and everything else. A trailer might be a better option but thats another topic.

 

[steveindenmark]

I am a big Ortleib fan and have been for years.

But about a year ago I bought front panniers for my Kickbike from Biltema in Denmark. It's sort of a Halfords. I am not sure if they sell online but if they do they are a fraction of the cost of Ortleib and equally as tough and waterproof. I have a full set on my Koga World traveller and they are excellent.

http://www.biltema.no/no/Fritid/Sykler/Tilbehor/Vesker/Pakkveske-bak-2000020549/

 

[HelenD123]

I am a big Ortleib fan and have been for years.

But about a year ago I bought front panniers for my Kickbike from Biltema in Denmark. It's sort of a Halfords. I am not sure if they sell online but if they do they are a fraction of the cost of Ortleib and equally as tough and waterproof. I have a full set on my Koga World traveller and they are excellent.

http://www.biltema.no/no/Fritid/Sykler/Tilbehor/Vesker/Pakkveske-bak-2000020549/

They look nice, but why do stores never show photos of the back with the fixings? That's at least as important as seeing what the front looks like.

 

[Blue Hills]

My thoughts as well when I saw the pics.

 

[steveindenmark]

The fittings are very similar to Ortleib. The only difference is that Ortleibs have a strap that fits to both clamps on the top. When you pull the strap it opens the clamps to get the bag off. The Biltema bags dont have the strap and you flip them open individually. Its almost not worth mentioning.

I put a Roll of toilet paper in the pannier and took it in the shower with me. It came out totally dry. I dont have a stand on my scooter and so when I stop it usually gets dropped or learnt against a wall and so the bags get some hammer, but they are still like new.

I never questioned Ortleib before, but I do now.

 

[summerdays]

The Biltema bags dont have the strap and you flip them open individually. Its almost not worth mentioning.

I don't know, that is a feature I find very useful especially when carrying more than one or other things.

 

[steveindenmark]

I don't know, that is a feature I find very useful especially when carrying more than one or other things.

Well I have used Ortleib for years and that one small feature is not worth the extra cost. I will see how the Biltema bags keep performing. But if someone is looking for bags that match Ortleib but for a lot less money, these bags are worth looking at.

 

[andrew_s]

I think quite cheap two man tents tents with a fly sheet and sewn in ground sheet that are used at festivals etc may be alright.

The drawbacks of festival type tents are...
They aren't all that wind resistant, so somewhere like the outer Hebrides may not be advisable.
Porch space is very limited, or non-existent, so cooking in poor weather is difficult, and pannier have to rough it in the rain or come into the inner with you..
UV degradation is fairly fast - maybe 4 or 5 weeks pitched somewhere sunny all the time, which some people could get through in a couple of summer holidays. The effect is that it become relatively easy to tear the material.

 

[Somerset]

I have cycle camped eurovelo 6, lisbon to uk and around France about 25 weeks or so. Both solo and wife/grandson.
Panniers - purchased carradice but had to return them as they did not fit rear rack, they were aware of the fault and offered to supply extra clips that I could rivit them on my new bags. I decided to go ortleib instead and they have been good, easy on and off and waterproof. My wife has ortleib my grandson Lidl replicas of ortleib, his has proved waterproof but the fittings are weak but it suits as his load is less but not any more!
Tent wise I went for a Vango banshee 200. It is a one person tent not two. I am 5' 10" any taller and your feet might push the inner against the outer. I did have a problem with the outer at the head end touching the inner in heavy rain/wind I found by extending the join of the inner tent to outer at the head end with cable ties stopped the problem. It might have been a problem with only my tent. Other than that good tent, not too heavy, easy to put up, small area outside for shoes, bags etc and fits along rear rack. Can see a few wear marks where poles go though but still going well. I also have a £10 Tesco 3 man dome tent I have used this about 6 weeks, it is a bit heavier, a bit flimsier but it still fits along the rear rack it is fool proof to put up and waterproof. It was a bargin.
Use a trangia to cook and it does what it should, meth is easy to get in Europe and you can use a bottle gage to carry it.

 

[hopless500]

I've got M-Wave panniers. Nigh on identical to Ortlieb but cheaper. The main difference is that there are hooks which just hang off the top of the rack rather than the Ortlieb ones that kind of close up.
The rest of the fittings are much the same.