Tents and Bags!

[frankmorris]

Hi Guys,
Can you recommend a half decent lightweight tent and a sleeping bag for spring and summer use for my first cycle through France and Spain next year? read a lot about Hillebergs and the like are they worth the extra money?

 

[andym]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Do you have a budget? Is this for a one-person tent?

Hilleburg tents seem to be built for durability rather than lightness. So might be worth paying the extra if you can see yourself using it a lot.

 

[frankmorris]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Do you have a budget? Is this for a one-person tent?

Hilleburg tents seem to be built for durability rather than lightness. So might be worth paying the extra if you can see yourself using it a lot.

Sorry should have said, just need it for myself, budget is not the biggest issue but i don't want to pay big money just for the name!will be used for about a month straight then depending on if i really get the cycling bug or i end up burning the lot because i have had enough could then be used for a couple of months every year.

 

[jags]

i have the akto excellent tent ,out of the bag i can pitch it in five minutes ,tough as old boots .
yeah my next buy when i win the lotto will be the nallo 2gt more room .
other gear i can highly recommend.
exped down mat .
alpkit pipe dream 400 sleeping bag.
optimus crux stove brilliant .
and dont forget a wee stool to sit on when your brewing up.

 

[snorri]

l be used for about a month straight then depending on if i really get the cycling bug or i end up burning the lot because i have had enough

This is the problem, if you buy cheap, you could feel uncomfortable and be put off cycle touring forever.


(mind you, if I had gone to france for my first cycle tour I probably would never have toured again)

 

[cnb]

Hi.. I have used Hilleberg tents and at present own the akto.. they are good tents..But there are plenty of others that would fit the bill..try looking at the vaude range.. Vango also seem ok, and are quite a bit cheaper.. Look on the outdoors magic website or trailspace for reader reviews.. I prefer to use a tent with a decent porch so i can cook under cover and somewhere to store wet gear, panniers etc...

 

[samid]

I've been using Hillergerg Akto for 3 years now. It is a good tent, good things about it are:
- it can be pitched in less than 5 minutes;
- it can be pitched in rain and will still be dry inside;
- it is quite roomy and comfortable inside for it's weight/size.

Not really sure what the bad things about it are. One piece of advice, if you do get an Akto - get the footprint. You can keep it clipped to the tent and pitch both as one, saves lots of time and effort.

 

[andym]

My generic advice on tents:

- be wary of a '1-person tent' - it may literally mean one person and very little room for anything else. Often these are made for adventure racers whose first priority is lightness. A 1-2 person tent, or even 2-person, will give you more comfort;

- if possible, buy from somewhere where you can actually see the tent set up and even get inside it;

- study the plans of the tent carefully and in particular consider how much actual room you have. You need at least 90 cm to give you enough room to sit up or put on a jumper - but don't just look at the maximum height, consider how quickly the roof slopes away from the high point and also how much height you have at the ends - sleeping with the roof just above your nose can feel very claustrophobic;

- have a look at what it says about 'pitching' - do you put up the inner tent first, or the outer tent first, or both together (in my opinion the latter is probably the most convenient);

- consider the style of tent. You don't need a free-standing tent unless you can see yourself camping in laybyes and carparks (I'm not kidding, there are people who do on occasion). A tunnel tent gives you more living space for the weight but, people say, they are less stable and noisier in high winds;

- most tents are double-skin but there are an increasing number of single-skin tents around. These are lighter, but more prone to problems with condensation. On the other hand you can get condensation double-skin tents. People may tell you that if you get a single-skin tent bad things will happen to you; they won't. Probably.

My advice would be not spend a whole lot of money on your first tent, but work out what for you are the important features of a tent - eg are you willing to sacrifice living space to save weight.

 

[jay clock]

A good value middle ground is the Decathlon Quechua T2 Ultralight Pro http://www.quechua.com/EN/t2-ultralight-pro-4225812/#

See here for my notes http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=104184&v=4B

I have added some of these clever little devices to the side of the flysheet to provide additional pegging points and reduce flapping http://www.rvops.co.uk/clingons-1944.html

 

[frankmorris]

A good value middle ground is the Decathlon Quechua T2 Ultralight Pro http://www.quechua.c...t-pro-4225812/#

See here for my notes http://www.crazyguyo..._id=104184&v=4B

I have added some of these clever little devices to the side of the flysheet to provide additional pegging points and reduce flapping http://www.rvops.co....ngons-1944.html

Thanks for all the replys, A few people have mentioned about the Decathlon Tent so i have just been down to the big superstore near me (i live in Spain) and they had everyone except the Ultralight Pro(sods law), and can't order one so have looked on the English website and they don't deliver to the south of England were i have family to get it delivered to? They don't make it easy!

 

[HelenD123]

I agonised over which tent to buy for my tour. I would have shelled out the money for a Hilleberg but I thought they were too heavy. In the end I bought a Terra Nova Superlite Solar 2.2 and have been really pleased with it. It's stood up to some very heavy rain and winds over the last six months. The cheapest place to buy one was UttingsOutdoors.com.

 

[willem]

Hilleberg (and Helsport) are about the best money can buy, particularly for rougher conditions. You are not paying for the name, but for real quality. They are lightweight, but not the very lightest. Their advantage is that they are ultra reliable and will last. If weight is more important than ultimate reliability, various Terra Nova tents are a better bet, or the MSR Hubba HP series. Another very light tent is the Vaude Power Lizard.
Those who hang around here a bit longer know that I like my stuff to be very light and compact, so that I don't need front panniers in most conditions. However, a very cramped solo tent would not be my thing, unless in nice weather. So for me if there is a real chance that the weather will be bad for more than a day, the minimum would be something like the Helsport Ringstind 2 light or the Hilleberg Nallo 2.
As for mattresses I think the Exped Synmat Basic is the best compromise between packed volume, weight, comfort and warmth. It happens to be quite cheap as well. If you will only camp in summer weather (above something like 5 degrees), the Thermarest Neoair is even lighter and more compact, but not as warm. If you want to camp at seriously low temperatures (more than a few degrees below) I would go for the normal Exped Synmat or even the Downmat.
In the UK PHD makes the best bags. They are very light and compact, but also a bit narrow (but you can ask them to make a wider one at little or no extra cost). For camping down to about freezing their Minimus 300 is probably best, with a Dryshell outer. This is not a model they do normally, but they usually have it at a reduced price in their Spring and autumn sales, at a pretty competitive price. Obviously if you intend to camp in colder weather than this, you need a heavier bag, like a Minimus 400 or a Hispar. Together a Synmat Basic and a Minimus 300 will only weigh something like 1300 grams, and pack very small. A down vest would be a very light and compact way to add extra warmth to your bag if and when you need it. And in the evenings you can wear it around the tent. A Synmat Basic, a Minimus 300 and a down vest will keep you warm down to a couple of degrees below freezing, which I guess is all you will ever experience when cycling (unless perhaps at Alpine altitudes).
Willem

 

[andym]

frank - what about ordering online from Decathlon's Spanish site for delivery in Spain?

I must admit my experience with the Minimus (before I lost it) was fdifferent from willem's - although I didn't have a Synmat, and I'm hoping it will make a big difference. My very subjective impression is that it was more or les equivalent ( in warmth, not weight) to the Decathlon Ultralight S15 I had to buy as an emergency replacement.

I love my PHD vest, so much so I bought a matching pullover and trousers.

 

[willem]

The Spanish interior can indeed be cold. Some people do sleep colder than others, and women in particular. I have a Minimus 200, and last summer in Norway I only needed my vest once. This was in a relatively large (and therefore cold) tent, but with an Exped Downmat. Of course, you want a margin of safety, because shivering in a cold bag is awful, and a slightly warmer bag is not that much heavier. So the vest should only be counted as your safety margin for that one or two nights at higher altitude, and you should not skimp on the insulation of the mattresss, as so much of the cold comes from below. As for the bag's outer, I have their ultralight MX fabric, but I must admit it feels pretty fragile (no mishaps thus far). For most people I would recommend their Dryshell material, as it is a bit stronger, and water repellent. If humitidy is not a problem, I suppose their M1 fabric is your best bet, and it will probably breathe a bit better in summer.
Willem

 

[samid]

A down vest would be a very light and compact way to add extra warmth to your bag if and when you need it. And in the evenings you can wear it around the tent.

+1 on the down vest - excellent and very versatile piece of gear.