vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
You won't really notice 1kg. That £255 saving can then be spent on better quality sleeping mats and sleeping bags and still have money left over.
Touring Tent
- Thread starter HorTs
- Start date
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You won't really notice 1kg. That £255 saving can then be spent on better quality sleeping mats and sleeping bags and still have money left over.
Hitchington
Lovely stuff
- Location
- That London
I have a Vango Tempest 200 (2.5kg). Love this tent, good for 2 people, been using it for the last 4 years. This year I bought a Wild Country Zephyros 1 (1.5kg) for solo tours and walking. It's an excellent 1 man tent. I really can't fault it.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Vango gear is well constructed. I have a couple of Vango tents that have endured cack handed use by school pupils in the Lake District and Nepal and still deliver a warm dry environment when I use them for cycle camping. I have a more expensive tent and they compare well in all areas apart from speed of pitching.
oldfatfool
Guru
I used a Banshee for my 3 weeks in France over summer. Plenty of room (I'm 6"1') had both rear panniers in the tent with me, fronts in the space at the side of the door, easy to pitch especially if you leave the inner attached.
Downsides, one of the elastics on the clips holding the inner up snapped when I was trying to take the inner down, this was possibly due to me being heavy handed and was not an issue as there are ample fastenings so the loss of one did not impact on the inners shape. It does suffer from condensation on the inside of the fly in cooler temps, but I know I am a 'hot' sleeper and create a lot of moisture. This is not an issue in itself BUT because the tent isn't very tall it is easy to touch the inner to the outer and get this condensation through, it also means it is best to drop the inner and then wipe down the outer before packing if there is a lot of condensation.
Had a couple of bad rainstorms over the 3 weeks and notice NO leaks, however due to the porch (or lack of) design in rain it is awkward to get in and out of without water dripping/ driving into the inner.
Overall I would buy this tent again on the same budget.
Downsides, one of the elastics on the clips holding the inner up snapped when I was trying to take the inner down, this was possibly due to me being heavy handed and was not an issue as there are ample fastenings so the loss of one did not impact on the inners shape. It does suffer from condensation on the inside of the fly in cooler temps, but I know I am a 'hot' sleeper and create a lot of moisture. This is not an issue in itself BUT because the tent isn't very tall it is easy to touch the inner to the outer and get this condensation through, it also means it is best to drop the inner and then wipe down the outer before packing if there is a lot of condensation.
Had a couple of bad rainstorms over the 3 weeks and notice NO leaks, however due to the porch (or lack of) design in rain it is awkward to get in and out of without water dripping/ driving into the inner.
Overall I would buy this tent again on the same budget.
samid
Guru
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
I have been using Akto for 4 years now, and am very happy with it. In my experience it has good ventilation for most conditions but now and then the outer fly does get a bit of condensation. The inner is always dry though. It is rather spacious for a one person tent, and I can sit in it comfortably (I'm 5'8"). If you do decide to go with Akto I would very much recommend that you get the footprint for it as well. It clips to the tent so you never have to handle up separately - it just becomes an integral part of the tent pitched as a single unit. It gives some protection to the tent's floor plus (very nice IMHO) provides the floor for the vestibule, making it much more useful (attached is a photo showing the footprint "in action").
As for £255 vs 1 kilo - my (probably faulty) logic in such cases is - unless you really cannot afford the extra dough go with the better item, as in a few months you won't feel the "loss" of money anymore - while that kilo will stay for you for much longer ... and for bike touring, one kilo is a lot. IMHO, YMMV etc etc.
As for £255 vs 1 kilo - my (probably faulty) logic in such cases is - unless you really cannot afford the extra dough go with the better item, as in a few months you won't feel the "loss" of money anymore - while that kilo will stay for you for much longer ... and for bike touring, one kilo is a lot. IMHO, YMMV etc etc.
Attachments
Im surprised the laser comp hasnt been mentioned, can be had for under £200.
When i was looking into it, it was the Akto vs Laser competition debate that went on and on, i looked at the power lizard too. Seen each of them pitched and the Akto looked the best but i couldnt justify the extra money over the Laser comp.
Field and Trek do good deals on them sometimes.
I then knew i needed a free standing tent so looked at the MSR Hubba or Hubba Hubba, alot of money but alot of tent, free standing and vertical walls for sitting up in. I went for a decathlon copy of the Hubba Hubba called the quick hiker, I know it will likely be too heavy for most at 2.7KG though.
When i was looking into it, it was the Akto vs Laser competition debate that went on and on, i looked at the power lizard too. Seen each of them pitched and the Akto looked the best but i couldnt justify the extra money over the Laser comp.
Field and Trek do good deals on them sometimes.
I then knew i needed a free standing tent so looked at the MSR Hubba or Hubba Hubba, alot of money but alot of tent, free standing and vertical walls for sitting up in. I went for a decathlon copy of the Hubba Hubba called the quick hiker, I know it will likely be too heavy for most at 2.7KG though.
doog
....
- Location
- The beautiful south
I have a Vaude Taurus Ultralite, can be had for about £200 or less if you research . 2 person sub 2kg, quick to put up and has a porch. Seen here in the pyrenees.
Ticktockmy
Guru
- Location
- Crawley, West Sussex
Its well known that new tents will often leak, that's why us wise ones always pitch them in the garden for a few days before use to let the wind and rain do there worse, then you find once the stitching has been stretched and the material has had a good flapping around, there is less likely hood for leakage.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
It's cheaper to lose a kilogram of body weight...
This year I lost more weight than the total mass of all of my camping gear, panniers and racks. It made a significant difference to the enjoyment of my rides up steep hills.
I couldn't have bought that weight loss if confined to equipment.
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
Last year in france my mate used a Coleman Kraz. We had some terrible weather and some great weather. His tent had no problems and I was impressed with how quick it to assemble and how light it was. It seemed a quality tent with aluminium poles and pegs and weighs 1.5kg without the oversized bag it came in.
So I bought one. I'm 6'2" and 14 stone and I have room to spare plus a good porch. £39 delivered on offer from Marshalls Leisure. Well pleased. It's off to Paris with me on Sunday.
So I bought one. I'm 6'2" and 14 stone and I have room to spare plus a good porch. £39 delivered on offer from Marshalls Leisure. Well pleased. It's off to Paris with me on Sunday.
samid
Guru
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
It is always good to lose the "extra" kilograms, nobody argues with that. If we were talking about say rear mechs, I would agree that the weight savings of a Dura-Ace vs 105 (200 grams vs 250) is meaningless. But we are comparing a tent that weighs 1.6 kg versus one that is 2.6 - a 65% difference in one of the heaviest items in your panniers - in my book that IS a big difference regardless of whether you're skinny or not. Add to it the difference in quality which I'm sure is there. But, YMMV.
BalkanExpress
Guru
- Location
- Brussels
Vernon,
look at it another way: with the weight you've lost you can now get a tent with a bit more room
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/sahara-6-p150784
OP
OP
HorTs
Über Member
- Location
- Portsmouth
Vernon,
look at it another way: with the weight you've lost you can now get a tent with a bit more room
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/sahara-6-p150784
Maybe I could get a trailer too
.
Melonfish
Evil Genius in training.
- Location
- Warrington, UK
Alternatively you don't have to get a tent. people get hung up for the need to have a completly enclosed atmosphere.
my other wild camping setup consists of a tarp and bivvy bag.
Ex army bivvi bag is about £30-£40 and weighs around a KG then i have a DDhammocks 3mX3m tarp it weighs in at 600 grams it costs a mere £30, throw in some lengths of para cord and you can sling the tarp up anywhere and dive under with your bivvy bag and sleeper.
if you don't fancy the bivvi bag there is always the option of a hammock, again DD make some brilliant ones.
choice is yours i guess but the important thing to remember is its about YOUR comfort so you're best picking whatever you think would keep you warm and dry.
my other wild camping setup consists of a tarp and bivvy bag.
Ex army bivvi bag is about £30-£40 and weighs around a KG then i have a DDhammocks 3mX3m tarp it weighs in at 600 grams it costs a mere £30, throw in some lengths of para cord and you can sling the tarp up anywhere and dive under with your bivvy bag and sleeper.
if you don't fancy the bivvi bag there is always the option of a hammock, again DD make some brilliant ones.
choice is yours i guess but the important thing to remember is its about YOUR comfort so you're best picking whatever you think would keep you warm and dry.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Vernon,
look at it another way: with the weight you've lost you can now get a tent with a bit more room
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/sahara-6-p150784
Now that's what I cal thinking out of the box.
I could sub-let sections to fellow cycle campers who don't like the idea of having their bikes exposed to the elements overnight.
