Tent design features

[hubbike]

I've recently started playing about with SketchUp and I've being toying with some new tent designs...I'll post pictures here later...

I'd like to try and design a tent specifically for cycle touring. I spent most of 2010 living in a tent so have a few ideas what i'm after. Please help me out with the design features you like best in existing tents, and any features you'd like to see that are usually missed.

I'll start the ball rolling

1. should be able to put up just the inner or just the fly separately.
2. stable in storms
3. good ventilation but keeps out worst of the weather
4. porch to cook in
5. can put it up on stony ground, concrete or sand where pegs don't work well
6. bike is secure from theft
7. not too garish a colour so you can wild camp, but not too green either
8. not very many pegs, as few guy lines as possible.
9. few poles
10. lots of room inside for 1+ preferably sitting up is possible


what else do I need

 

[psmiffy]

what else do I need

1. should be able to put up just the inner or just the fly separately. “Self standing” by default
2. stable in storms – lot of places to peg the fly – my experience is that tensioning the fly properly adds to stability more than a lot of guy ropes
3. good ventilation but keeps out worst of the weather – no mesh in main body of the tent – for warmth - but two doors with mesh – to keep ou the bugs et.al. -fore and aft so that you can adjust the ventilation – very useful feature if you are cooking in the porch
4. porch to cook in –ability to fold back the front of the fly so that in goodish weather you have an “open design” or awning – decent size so that you can pile wet panniers and cook
5. can put it up on stony ground, concrete or sand where pegs don't work well – self standing - two nail peg set up – porches only
6. bike is secure from theft – not that practical – attainable if you go for a huge porch but compromises stability in storms
7. not too garish a colour so you can wild camp, but not too green either – I like bright tents and it has never stopped me wild camping
8. not very many pegs, as few guy lines as possible. – need pegging points otherwise compromises stability in bad weather
9. few poles – if you are going to have a porch poles are always going to be a min of 3
10. lots of room inside for 1+ preferably sitting up is possible – sitting up at one porch is default if you are going to cook in the porch – but not so tall that compromises stability in storms



Durable groundsheet – maybe kevlar (relatively cheap these days) so that you can wild camp in horrible places and to reduce wear camping sans grass

Large mesh pockets along the inner so that you can be relatively organised

Hanging point in the porch for a light and wet waterproofs – ditto light in main area

A small valance on the fly sheet for the odd times you get caught by snow ?

Good sized bag –compression straps? -to put it in – makes packing up more pleasant and quicker

And a pack mule to carry the finished article?

 

[chris-s]

6. bike is secure from theft

Possibly some kind of wire rope/loop stitched into the inner, perhaps allowin the inclusion of a 'dog-spike' somehow would be about as secure as you can get I guess.

Chris

 

[SquareDaff]

A self levelling floor - so you don't end up at one side of the tent along with all your equipment

 

[HelenD123]

1. Absolutely reliable. Won't collapse or leak in a storm and doesn't suffer from condensation.
2. Two porches/entrances. I liked being able to stash stuff in one porch and go in and out of the other. Would be even more useful if there are two of you sharing. Also useful for freeing up space if one porch has enough room to safely cook in. And useful for providing a through draft on warmer days. So very useful!
3. Interchangeable inners so you could have a pretty enclosed one for cold climes and a mesh one for the tropics.
4. As freestanding as possible.
5. A robust ground sheet. What's the point of saving weight on the ground sheet if you then end up carrying a footprint?
6. Sets up fly sheet first, but also able to set up just the inner.
7. Must be able to sit up in it.
8. Poles that fold down short enough to fit in a pannier or not overhang a rear rack.
9. Must be lightweight. I dismissed Hilleberg tents that would have suited me just because they were too heavy.
10. Fabric you can just stuff into a bag rather than having to roll, and a bag that's more than big enough for the tent.
11. Plenty big enough for one. Personally I couldn't do a long tour in a tent the size of my sleeping mat. It would get too claustrophobic.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Rather than a full on porch you can cook under, how about being able to lift a side of the outer as an awning. Would save weight and be ok for all but very bad weather and handy shade when it's hot & sunny.

Suppose that's a lightweight tarp!

 

[andym]

My much more prosaic wishlist:

- linelocks as standard
- d-rings wherever sensible (to hook things onto, run lines for airing damp kit, or even some sort of mesh storage net - like Big Agnes do;
- glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls on the zip
- extra stitching on stress points
- nice deep bathtub
- instructions printed on the tent bag

Now if you could find a way which didn't add tons of weight to make the groundsheet removable/replaceable and useable with the inner tent or with the fly on its own...

 

[Kirstie]

HelenD123 you have just described my tent! (MSR Hubba Hubba HP). The only qualms I have about it are its ability to stand up to strong winds...I may have an opinion on this after this weekend as I am camping in west wales

 

[rualexander]

My much more prosaic wishlist:

- linelocks as standard
- d-rings wherever sensible (to hook things onto, run lines for airing damp kit, or even some sort of mesh storage net - like Big Agnes do;
- glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls on the zip
- extra stitching on stress points
- nice deep bathtub
- instructions printed on the tent bag

Now if you could find a way which didn't add tons of weight to make the groundsheet removable/replaceable and useable with the inner tent or with the fly on its own...

http://www.aliexpress.com/product-gs/379661590-Portable-camping-bathtub-wholesalers.html

 

[jags]

the akto only bigger/wider that would do it for me.

 

[darth vadar]

Its already been invented.

Its called an Hotel !!!

 

[shirokazan]

...MSR Hubba Hubba HP...The only qualms I have about it are its ability to stand up to strong winds...

My Hubba Hubba HP withstood some strong gusts in North Wales earlier this week, even when the wind changed direction overnight. Flexes about a bit, but that's probably why it survived. That said, I didn't hang about in the mornings and took it down as quick as possible (on Monday, I was on the road at 5.50am).

 

[willem]

An Akto but bigger: Helsport Ringstind Light 2 at 1.8 kg. Persoanlly I don't care much for a very large porch, as I will not cook inside due to the risk of fire and CO.
Willem

 

[HelenD123]

HelenD123 you have just described my tent! (MSR Hubba Hubba HP). The only qualms I have about it are its ability to stand up to strong winds...I may have an opinion on this after this weekend as I am camping in west wales

That's interesting. Some friends are seriously thinking about getting one for a 6 month trip to Patagonia. I saw one 'in the flesh' recently and liked the look of it, especially with the option of a porch extension.

 

[peelywally]

a basement to store bike and valuables in while off on a trek .