cheap tents

[vernon]

Currently there's a bargain to be had at Argos with their Pro Action One Man tents reduced from £50 to £25. It's an updated version of their popular Tiger Paws one man tent that was on sale four years ago at £30 and then £15.

These are double skinned tents and not to be confused with the awful single skinned condensation prone bag of awfulness masquerading as a tent that they sold last year and the year before.

The new version looks like this:

Not ideal for stealth camping but a bargain at £25

I used the older version on my Lon Las Cymru ride and it withstood some very windy weather and some very heavy rain. There room to get a portly 5'11" gent and a couple of panniers inside though it's a tad tight.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Had Vango 2 & 3 man tents cheap as chips recently £25 or so. They're becoming so cheap festival goers just leave 'em behind these days.

I don't think I could do that, no matter how cheap the tent was. It'd just feel so wrong.

 

[norfolkgrog]

I recently got a vango for my first bit of touring next year c2c, it was recommend to me goes up quick, easy to pack away only three poles comfy for one, two at a squeeze model tbs tempest 150 got it off ebay new £44 bargain

http://www.camping-supplies-uk.com/shopping-online.php £69

 

[vernon]

I don't think I could do that, no matter how cheap the tent was. It'd just feel so wrong.

I wasn't very happy when my son left his tent behind at the Leeds festival last year. Sadly tents are seen as consumables to a lot of festival goers and the manufacturers pa

 

[JohnRedcoRn]

i fancied one of those quick pop up things - thought it would be ideal to just put in the pannier, but i heard also that theyre a bitch to fold back down again. sounds like a half thought out idea to me.

 

[RedBike]

Right, i'm afraid i've gone for another 'pop-up' tent. This time it's double skinned and I can fold it! (The kind lady in the shop showed me how to fold it back away.)

I couldn't follow the instructions that came with the first pop-up tent. I had to wressle with it for about 30mins to get it back in the bag. However, now I know 'the knack' it's quite easy and takes all of 10 seconds.

I know I didn't want another pop-up tent but this one was very cheap, £25 for a double skinned tent with sleeping bags. The BIG disadvantage is it's a large disc, (about the size of a wheel). There's absolutely no way it's ever going to fit in a pannier bag. I will never get it in/on my bob trailer either.

This wont be a problem for next weekend as i'm transporting everything in the car; but it does mean I wont be using this tent for cyclo-touring.

---Just had a thought.
When I used to use to ride out to time trials I used to have a device that allowed me to carry a disc wheel fastened to my forks / handlebars. I wonder if I could use that with this tent.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I met an American cycle tourer in France this summer who had had his tent stolen. He had been to decathlon and bought a replacement. It was a pop up dual skin tent just like you describe. I was very impressed with the tent because of it's ease of use and adequate vents etc. Big enough for two easily. He had this thing tied onto the bike across th etop of his rear panniers, and whilst not the most aerodydnamic arrangement it worked for him...he had been riding across Europe like that for thee months...it can be done.

 

[GrahamG]

I don't think there are many pop-up tents that will fit in a pannier! Ours is about 3' wide.

What do you all do with your bikes overnight when touring? Also, what about if you have a day at the beach or sightseeing?
Reason I ask is that we are planning on touring France next year but can't decide if we need a tent that can house the bikes in a porch section like the Vango spirit 200+ or whether we can get away with one of the Quecha lightweights and simply take covers for the bikes. It's probably more of a concern because we'll be using our (very nice!) road bikes with a trailer rather than tourers.
What do you reckon?

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

....I know the question wasnt directed at me but I will say that based on my experiences in France this summer I would be happy leaving the bikes (always locked) in Northern france...but there is no way on earth I would have left my bike alone (even locked) on the south coast (I was in Montpellier). If I had no option I would be happier with the bike being out of sight out of mind (as well as triple locked) but when i was there my bike and I were joined at the hip.
I used a bike cover at night, but it was to keep the dew off not the thieves. I always took the bike inside th esupermarkets and locked it up in there rather than leave it outside. At night it was locked to a tree of steel pole or something and withing clear line of sight of my tent. If i was camping alone I would lock it and tie it to my tent jus tincase.
Germany is different...most people leave th ebikes unlocked (at least out of the big towns anyway).

 

[GrahamG]

Thanks for that insight, I suppose that if they're locked up inside the tent then they are actually more vulnerable than being locked to something immovable.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I am sure somebody will bealong to say that they have different experiences of southern france. Mine however are as above. Putting a bike in a tent is going to mean a bigger (heavier ) tent, it's also very obvious to anybody watching that you are putting bikes in a tent.
It doesnt take much to roll up with a van and load up your locked bikes if they are not chained to a solid object.

Having said all this I dont want topaint to gloomy a picture. If you are on official campsites then for the most part the other campers are in the same boat as you, and I found that my neighbours were very happy to keep an eye on my stuff and vice versa...it's a could way to meet people as well. The camp site in Montpellier had an army of thugs (erm sorry I mean security guards) patrolling the site constantly....to me that just comnfirms ther eis a theft issue there.
Take a big long chain lock that is capable of going around the bikes and a tree. I carry two such things each with a different combination.
If going to the beach I would take the bikes with me and lock them as well if I went swimming.

I have had people tell emnI am being ober cautious on tour as they happily jus tleave their bikes unlocked etc....well my view is that If I ge tmy bike nicked I have a bloody long walk home and I am not taking that risk. Unfortunatly there are crooks everywhere and I saw i LOT of dodgy looking types in Montpelleir. Jus tsaying.

 

[rich p]

Cities are different but I've never felt my bike was at risk on a French site. I do lock it up though. The only time I was a bit worried was when in Le Quesnoy and the only other campers were chavvy French pikeys but nothing happened.

 

[vernon]

Currently there's a bargain to be had at Argos with their Pro Action One Man tents reduced from £50 to £25. It's an updated version of their popular Tiger Paws one man tent that was on sale four years ago at £30 and then £15.

The new version looks like this:

Not ideal for stealth camping but a bargain at £25

The bargain had gone as Argos have raised the price back to the original £49.99

I should have bought one when I saw the low price......

 

[rich p]

My laserlarge3 (terra nova) was advertised as having room in the porch for 2 bikes. It would if you put all your kit in the sleeping compartment, took the wheels off and went and slept in the open air.

 

[vernon]

I don't think there are many pop-up tents that will fit in a pannier! Ours is about 3' wide.

What do you all do with your bikes overnight when touring? Also, what about if you have a day at the beach or sightseeing?
Reason I ask is that we are planning on touring France next year but can't decide if we need a tent that can house the bikes in a porch section like the Vango spirit 200+ or whether we can get away with one of the Quecha lightweights and simply take covers for the bikes. It's probably more of a concern because we'll be using our (very nice!) road bikes with a trailer rather than tourers.
What do you reckon?

A couple of decent locks to lock your bikes to each other and to an immovable object should suffice. It's all too easy to get paranoid about the theft of your bikes and the odds are stacked in your favour. Thieves don't go equipped with your itinary and lurk on the off chance that they'll be able to make off with your bikes.