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Location
London
Does anyone cycle with a bivi instead of a tent?

I slept in one in the outback years ago, but I've not seen them in use here. As a cyclist the minimalist approach would seem best, you probably wouldn't even need saddle bags.

I have bivied once, enjoyed it, intend to do it again very very soon. Though i'm not sure you save much weight (more a question of convenience and being unobtrusive), or at least not with my british army goretex bivi. The british army doesn't do lightweight.
 
Location
London
Vango Halo 200
Nice, roomy tent for two and opens both sides for when it's hot.
View attachment 117826 [/QUO

Interestingbpost daveTE]

Several questions.

Is that tent still current/available?

Have an idea that it is maybe somewhat obscure compared to other vango tents - does that imply that there are any user issues?


Also have an idea from a vague memory of coming across one that the material might be somewhat tougher than your average non premium vango tent - any basis for this vague impression?

Is it free-standing, ie: can iit be used without pegging/guying out in extremis?





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Location
Hampshire
We bought ours about four years ago but it looks like you can still get them. We had a Vango Spectre before, the materiel seems about the same. Yes it's free standing, inner and outer goes up as one in about five minutes.
 

L Q

Über Member
Location
Woodhall Spa
My cheapie tent that I used to tour the outer Hebrides, that pic was from the final night at Oban.

Will replace the tent for this years trip.
 

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itchybeard

itchybeard

Senior Member
Location
North Lancashire
Do you have room for all of your stuff in a one man tent? I rather had the ideavthst one man tents mean just that, not much more than one person and a thin set of clothes.
In a way, yes.
Kinda depends on what your load is...
I used it last, in September from Basel. Sleeping bag, spare clothes, stove, food, water, 2 x bags, and me and I'm 6ft or even just taller.
Its works for me, I've not used a two man tent on touring so I would not know any different other than making use to what I have, though I have thought the extra room be nice but is it necessary...
I don't mind, it makes me aware of what to carry but frankly I carry just the same as any other person touring.
There is a porch to keep bags, stove, water there and inside the tent, room for my clothes and spares, torch, pillow etc. So it kinda works.
 
Location
London
We bought ours about four years ago but it looks like you can still get them. We had a Vango Spectre before, the materiel seems about the same. Yes it's free standing, inner and outer goes up as one in about five minutes.

Thanks for the reply dave - interesting - this guy seems to reckon he needs the guylines but perhaps he is being overcautious. Am looking for a freestanding tent for occasional freestanding use in certain circumstances/locations.

http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?35433-Vango-Halo-200-Tent
 
Location
Hampshire
Thanks for the reply dave - interesting - this guy seems to reckon he needs the guylines but perhaps he is being overcautious. Am looking for a freestanding tent for occasional freestanding use in certain circumstances/locations.

http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?35433-Vango-Halo-200-Tent
We only bother putting the guy ropes out if it's windy or very wet. It's obviously not designed as a free standing tent and if it's not pegged at all the corners do lift up a bit under tension (more so when it was new), as long as you could weight down or tie off a couple of points I don't think it would be a problem, as long as there wasn't any wind. We never removed the inner after putting it up for the first time, it halves the time to put it up and it packs & dries fine.
 

Bodhbh

Guru
Do you have room for all of your stuff in a one man tent? I rather had the ideavthst one man tents mean just that, not much more than one person and a thin set of clothes.

Suppose they vary, but I generally leave the panniers with whatever junk I don't need immediately on the bike. The porch has enough room for shoes and food. Inside there enough room to sit up cross legged or lie down, but not much else. Clothes are used as a pillow, and otherwise there wouldn't be much room for them. On the plus side a 1man tent can fit in places a bigger one might have trouble with (i.e. between crops and a hedge) and can be pretty toast. On the downside they are not much fun to be confined to if it's dark or the weather bad. Then I go to the pub!
 
Does anyone cycle with a bivi instead of a tent?

I slept in one in the outback years ago, but I've not seen them in use here. As a cyclist the minimalist approach would seem best, you probably wouldn't even need saddle bags.

I use both.
Tent in Winter or rain is forecast or when midges are about
14288229237_0d8aaa57ae_z.jpg


Bivi bag is my most used but always under a tarp as it's not 100% waterproof nor does it cover my face from the rain.
20232728765_9aa1d1d293_z.jpg


18873868879_ec15a5b095_z.jpg
 
Location
London
I gather that a fair few Wild Country tents are near enough copies of the same outfit's Terra Nova tents but heavier due to different/cheaper materials. But for folks like me who don't see the ultimate weight saving as uber important could this possibly mean that the Wild Country tents are actually tougher/more durable/better? I don't know, it's an open question and I bow to the greater knowledge of some folks on here, but sometimes I wonder if more expensive lighter tents are really only necessary for poor sods who are going to have to carry them on their back rather than have them roll along on a bike.
 
Location
London
This didn't happen to be 2008 did it? A similar thing happened that Easter when we were walking the Three Peaks in Yorkshire over a couple of days. Day 1 was sunny enough, but here's the start of Day 2 (note my tent sloughing off the snow a good deal better than the fancy Hillberg!):

Copy%20of%20DSCN0421_zpsm6iwbwjk.jpg


But I take your point. I'm not trying to be hardcore, most of my trips lately are weekend jobs decided the Thurday night on promise of good weather. Which *mostly* works out.

Someone recently told me, when I asked, that the main, possibly only difference between a three season tent and a four season tent is that the four season is specced to handle snow landing on it. Is this true?
 
Location
London
I have bivied once, enjoyed it, intend to do it again very very soon. Though i'm not sure you save much weight (more a question of convenience and being unobtrusive), or at least not with my british army goretex bivi. The british army doesn't do lightweight.
Bivvied in it again a few weeks ago in the corner of a field somewhere in Oxfordshire. The field was waterlogged (though not my slightly raised bit under some leafless trees), many country roads were awash with great puddles and it had chucked it down for an hour before. But with a decent sleeping bag, a Decathlon silk liner, some Aldi thermals and a cheap hat I was perfectly snug. I was lucky that it didn't rain though. I had a poncho with me that in theory could be turned into a shelter but hadn't learned how to turn it into one at the time.
 
Location
London
I use both.
Tent in Winter or rain is forecast or when midges are about
14288229237_0d8aaa57ae_z.jpg


Bivi bag is my most used but always under a tarp as it's not 100% waterproof nor does it cover my face from the rain.
20232728765_9aa1d1d293_z.jpg


18873868879_ec15a5b095_z.jpg

What's the tarp you are using there? And the poles? I have a poncho which can be used as a tarp (not used it in the wilds yet, just practised tying it above my bed!!!) but am also considering getting a tarp. I like the idea when free camping of being able to see any neer do wells - in some locations have a feeling I might feel a bit nervy in a tent - dum dum dum throbbing music, next thing a knife tears through the tent fabric :smile:
 
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