Suggest a 2 man tent

[vernon]

As a twenty four stone rider, everything is lightweight in comparison...

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Hey

I need a 2 man tent also to sleep 1 and cannot stretch to the budget of some of the recommendations here.

How've you found the decathalon?

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/t2-ultralight-pro-id_6539976.html

...it's perfect for solo cycle touring. I'm 6' 4" and foun dit to be light weight, comfy, stable, waterproof and warm...to warm at times as it's black and that isnt perfect in the sunshine.

It packs down small and fits in a pannier bag easily with loads of room to spare. You can eassemble it in less than 5 mins when you get used to it ...good if its raining. Interior pockets are usefull...mesh at rear good, and the fly sheet gives enough room for 4 pannie rbags and a cooke set etc.

Its cheap copmpared to some other tents as well.

I think it would be ok for a small couple weekend touring although you will be very close...and you cannot stand in it and only sit up at one end. TBH if it's just you its perfect for longer tours but if you are on a long tour in the rain as a couple you will probably want more space.

 

[Aushiker]

It's not that critical when it's being carried on a bike.

I never undersand this point of view. Weight is weight. Weight has to be moved. Maybe someone can explain the physics but as I understand it more weight the more energy needed to move it ...

Andrew

 

[BigonaBianchi]

..me neither...weight on a bike up hills ,,nah...give me less weight every day please.

The bike is carrying the weight itself i guess...and on th eflat, downhill it'll be carried by momentum to a degree...but up those hills and into a headwind th ereverse is true I'd suggest.

There are many very good, strong, well priced, light weight tents out there I dont get why any one would go for a heavier one.

 

[Aushiker]

The bike is carrying the weight itself i guess...and on th eflat, downhill it'll be carried by momentum to a degree...but up those hills and into a headwind th ereverse is true I'd suggest.

Downhill I can see the advantage ... on the flats one has to still expend energy ... more weight more energy. Uphills, well you have them covered . Headwinds ... more energy.
Andrew

 

[andrew_s]

It's not that critical when it's being carried on a bike.

I never undersand this point of view. Weight is weight. Weight has to be moved. Maybe someone can explain the physics but as I understand it more weight the more energy needed to move it ...
Andrew

On a loaded bike, it's total weight that counts, so if you + bike + luggage total 120kg, an extra 1kg on the tent is a fairly small percentage difference. On a flat road, a heavy bike rolls along with not much effort at all.
Backpacking, it's more weight in the pack that counts, so a 21kg pack rather than a 20kg pack will be much more noticeable. It can be quite tiring with a heavy pack just standing around not going anywhere.

 

[jjb]

On a flat road

These are the crucial words, imho.

When I got a new phone, I was aware of the extra 20g in my pocket. 20g is minuscule! Makes a difference to my enjoyment, ambling about, more conscious of the thing. As a non-sporting rider, I suppose total weight isn't important, power-to-weight etc, but the perceived feeling of weight is central to my sense of being light and rolling easily, floating up hills (or not). If you use your tour bike every day as a commuter (as I did before starting to use a road bike for touring) then your brain is used to the weight of the bike and the body and 1kg extra on the back is quite something, unless it's tucked in with another 20kg extra on the back, I reckon. But, the person who saves 1kg on a tent is also going to save weight on everything else, so it can be a matter of 5 or 10kg perhaps. The relevant question becomes whether you'd notice the difference between 10kg and 15kg strapped to your commuter. That said, there's a joy to cycling a heavy load, the big rig, it can't be denied, on the flat and downhill at least, blazing along like an eighteen wheel trucker!

 

[P.H]

The 3.95 kg Exped tent linked to earlier is huge, two people could easily live in it on an extended tour, even have friends round to stay. Of course you can get lighter tents, my own 2kg Terra Nova will sleep two without any discomfort, I wouldn't want to use it on a long tour and if I could persuade my partner to do more than the odd long weekend, I'd accept a weight penalty for some extra space.
I'd never criticise the amount of stuff others decide to carry, either the weight weenies or the kitchen sinkers, I'm not carrying it for them, it's none of my business. I do however have a laugh at people who think it's OK for a solo camper to carry a 2kg tent but excessive for a couple to carry a 4kg one, I'm no mathematician, but I can't see the difference.

 

[wiggydiggy]

If I was in the market for a two-person tent I would go the Tarptent Scarp 2, the big brother to my Scarp 1. Great tent by all accounts.

Andrew

Cheers for the heads up on those tents, I've pretty much fallen in love with them and the fact they have videos's showing me the setup I'm pretty much sold.

Thanks to some good fortune (work owes me money!) my budget has gone up to £200ish and so I'm going to go for either the Moment or the Rainbow, unless someone else gives me a better alternative?

Moment:

Rainbow:

 

[willem]

My current favourite light three season two person tent would be the new Hilleberg Anjan 3 at 1900 gram for a palatial tent for two (nominally for three but that is tight). It is inspired by their Nallo, but with some weight reductions and much better ventilation. The weight is similar to some ultralight offerings, but the construction is from a different planet: good for early Spring or late Autumn in northern Sweden (that is what they mean by three season). I saw one the other day, and it made me very greedy.
Willem

 

[Profpointy]

Hilleberg Nallo 2 expensive but very good, quick to erect, light weight and very sturdy.

If money's genuinely not an issue, get a hilleberg. I've their larger model kaitum 2 gt ( two porches, one very large) and it's outstanding. It was however fearsomely expensive. The nallo 2 is significantly lighter, with only one (normal size) porch - which i've also now bought for a lightweight long distance walking trip but not yet used. There's also nallo gt with a larger porch, and the kaitum 2 (non gt) with two normal porches which are in-between models. The attention to detail on these tents is really superb - little things like plastic cups at far end of where you stuff the poles, so you can put it up easily from one side; poles colour coded so you know which ne goes where, good thought to ventilation; it all goes up at once - inner outer, the lot, can get by with nly 4 pegs, stands rough weather, very light for the size / very big for the weight - but seriously expensive t can't be denied.


Middling price - i've previously stayed in a vaude, and though seemed flimsy it stood up to some evil mountain weather, was light, and very easy to put up. Good gear for sensible money

Been a bit disapointed ny terra nova, as though seeimnlgy very strong, was much more of a faff to put up, and developed a leaky groundsheet.

Tent snoberry aside, there are some incredibly cheap tents which are essentially knock offs of pukka makes which would probably be fine for cycle camping if questionable for mountaineering.

- hywel

 

[Sara_H]

We've just purchased a Terra Nova Laser Space 2, it came today and has been pitched in the garden and I absolutely LOVE it.

It's 3.3kg has masses of porch space (enough to fit two bikes in plus luggage) and you can stand up in it.

The standing up bit was a big plus for us as other half has a bad back (so have I in the past - tends to play up when camping) so standing as opposed to crawling in is a real bonus.

 

[saoirse50]

I am awaiting the arrival of my new Laser Space 2, due tomorrow. Very excited. It will replace a much used Vango Spirit 200+ which has done sterling service, but is being passed on to younglings to give me the excuse to buy a new tent. I would have happily replaced it with the Vango- super tent for the money. However, I liked the stand up room idea and fancied a change. Hope it's as sturdy as the Vango, which has withstood much rough weather and treatment.

 

[wiggydiggy]

..............

Tent snoberry aside, there are some incredibly cheap tents which are essentially knock offs of pukka makes which would probably be fine for cycle camping if questionable for mountaineering.

- hywel

Thats what my view was of the Vango Banshee - a good little sub £100 tent that could do as a nice little biking tent?

 

[sparkyman]

I just got the Big Ageness Lynx Pass 1 https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Tent/LynxPass1
Nice and light and not as fragile looking as some of its lighter siblings.

Sparkyman