tent and sleeping bag.. please help!

[mistermark]

OK, so once you are armed........

How about a decent gore-tex bivi bag? You'll barely have room to knock one out, let alone get intimate with a lady.........

hahahaha
i always find space mate for that.. falklands must've been interesting
don't you get covered in mozzies in a bivvy? feel a bit vulnerable to beasts? i like tents for the mystery- most people won't go near them from fear of the unknown.. maybe.. and yeah, knocking a few out space is handy in built-up areas

 

[mistermark]

It might be worth reading this blokes blog of when he travelled through Iran. It went down to -8 deg overnight and he also went through Pakistan and had some wonderful experiences. Contact him through the guestbook for advice.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/3625

nice one.. i'll check that out when i've got a minjute at work
.. actually realised i can ski in iran.. so might be in similar places

 

[mistermark]

US tents (North Face in particular) are more designed with camping in snow in mind. UK tents (exampe Terra Nova) are more designed with a wet weekend in Snowdonia in mind.

Both willdothe other perfectly well, just I suspect camoing in the rain is more likly than camping in the snow, hence buy British if you can.

There used to be a good shop off Nathan Road in HK run by the Scouts, they should be able to source UK tents

surprisingly efw places have got websites in hk.. and it's treated like another country.. like maybe it should be?!
er.. started looking at terra nova tents.. the voyager looks cool.. though they're made in china, and sold from 3 miles from my hometown in derbys! crazy to get one sent back over.. worried about import duty on top of a pricey (for me) tent.. but might have no choice

thanks to all of you

 

[amaferanga]

As someone who has lived in a tent while touring for over 3 months continuously I'd say definitely go for a 2-man tent if you'll be using it most nights. I have a Big Agnes SL2 and it is a brilliant lightweight tent, but as mentioned above, its definitely not a 4-season tent. For hot climates and gentle winds I'd say its an excellent tent, but its not for mountains, freezing temperatures and high winds.

If you plan to use the tent most nights then an extra few hundred grams won't be a big deal - anything under ~2kg would do. But if you only plan to use it occasionally I'd go ultralight and maybe even opt for a 1-man tent.

Not sure what the current range is like, but Mountain Hardwear tents are IME a good compromise between cost, durability and weight.

 

[just jim]

You could go for a Wild Country Duolite. It seems reasonably priced, roomy and quite robust.

 

[just jim]

Just to add, the parent company is Terra Nova but without the same price tag.

 

[PpPete]

Another tent suggestion
Vaude Taurus Ultralight is big enough for 2, and just under 2kg.
Ours survived this OK - but tail end gets flattened by any down-draughts.
It just springs back up again after each gust.
Adding a couple of extra guy ropes helps.

Sleeping bag - definitely go to PHD. If you can, get one of their custom built specials with a dri-shell inner so it won't soak up humidity (and smells) from the inside. For the sort of temperatures you are expecting, should be around 1 - 1.2 kgs

 

[mistermark]

been looking at phd but they're too expensive for me.. might have to layer up if it's getting really cold and go a bit cheaper.. looks like maybe a north face hightail - 800gms and -10 or -13 (why do figures vary so much?!).... not too wild is it?
terra nova voyager's my choice of tent at the moment, partly cos they'e from derbyshire (made in china but not sold here)... and only 1.53kg for a two-manner... gonna be on the chinese plateau in august i think, so hopefully the nights won't be too cold, and Nepal in october or november.. if it's freezing there might have to go for a luxury 2 quid a night hovel
hope all's good for y'all.. and thanks again

 

[bonj2]

hi guys, i'm planning a long trip.. from kashgar in china, over the karakorhum(?) highway (KKH) to pakistan, then india and nepal.. and maybe back to europe through iran...
mark

I wouldn't if i were you. You couldn't have picked a dodgier set of countries if you'd tried!

 

[mistermark]

Thats what I thought. Maybe it worth practising being waterboarded before he goes, just so he knows it won't kill him and therefore be less likely to confess to something

haha.. yeah pakistan's sounding dodgy.. though every travelller there says it's awesome.. and iran too for that matter.. will keep my eye on the thorntree and try to get real people's news, not just what they put on the bbc.. but sure, will have a plan b should it keep deteriorating

 

[mistermark]

quick update.. been thinking a lot tonight about the pak/ iran siation (as well as indian drivers), and going to bin the annapurna for now and go through the stans.. sounds amazing (and my middle name's stanley )... kashgar to Irkeshtam Pass into Krygyzstan, then Tajikstan for the pamir Highway, back to Kryg, Uzbekistan, southern Russia.. then turkey or ukraine (former if i can)... sounds more adventurous in a way, and more welcoming maybe at present.. anyone up for a ride?
and i just got a northface hightail on ebay.. 140 quid new.. more my budget.. now for teh tent.. woohooo.. feels like i'm nearly on the road again!

 

[Kirstie]

A mate of mine is going to tajikistan/kyrgistan in a few weeks time. He has a really good kit list and has done some extreme tours eg tibet. He has just bought a terranova tent - it was 500 quid. Apparently they take some practice to put up.

Here is one of his blogs:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=3033&v=Tu&term=quaife&context=all

 

[mistermark]

A mate of mine is going to tajikistan/kyrgistan in a few weeks time. He has a really good kit list and has done some extreme tours eg tibet. He has just bought a terranova tent - it was 500 quid. Apparently they take some practice to put up.

Here is one of his blogs:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=3033&v=Tu&term=quaife&context=all

thanks a lot.. i'll check it out.. tent's a bitof my range at the moment though