Tents

[af1-windy]

Probably like starting a tire thread   but, hey ho.. not much else to do eh? 

So, tents for motocamping   loads of options and a wide price range. This is my take on the topic. 

Initially, I thought, I know, it has to be ultra light, then thought why? a pillion isn't ultra light. And it has to be small, why? a pillion isn't small and more room = more comfort.. 

I have a few tents, more than I need but I had to find the right one. I don't use a dome tent, mostly because they don't have a lobby (porch) important here in the UK because even in summer it can rain and sharing the sleeping area with a pile of wet boots, helmet, jacket, trousers and gloves is not my idea of fun. If I want something wet in my sleeping quarters, I'd like it to be my sleeping companion.. 

I like tunnel tents, easy to erect, decent ventilation, plenty of choice with a lobby (porch) and a 2 man tent is plenty big enough for a biker with gear. Downside, they are long, not such an issue on a campsite but when wild camping you need to find an area that will take a 4m long tent plus guy ropes. 

Here are photos of my tents .

This is a great tent, but the poles are starting to crack and bucket groundsheet in the porch isn't connected to the sleeping area. Nice tent but seen better days, it has been around a while.

[af1-windy]

My current small tunnel tent.. light weight, alloy poles, packs into 2 waterproof bags so if needed it can be split when loading on to the bike. Good waterproof rating, decent porch and porch groundsheet attached to the sleeping area.

[af1-windy]

Then there's this one.. It's 11kg and reasonably bulky on the bike, but it does sit well on the pillion seat and it has a lot of advantages when erected.. 

Despite it's size, it sold as a 2 man tent, the sleeping area, clip in bedroom, is snug for 2 people but ample for one. 

It's a one piece sewn in groundsheet, no leaks, no wind, no creepy crawlies.. you can fit 3 people on the porch, 4 if you're all good friends, (remember, it isn't gay if your balls aren't touching..   )

It does need a bit of space but as you can see, I did manage to pitch it near some bushes, this was in the Galloway Forrest, Scotland, and I can tell you now, if fecking pi$$ed down all night and the wind was ferocious.. Bit of work required to erect and drop on your own, but it can be done and in my mind, worth the effort. The flap attached to the bike rolls up and zips away. The poles break down to a handlable size, they are all in the pack on the bike.

Photos, on the bike, in the woods and the initial unpacking in the back yard. 

[af1-windy]

[af1-windy]

This is another tunnel tent, slightly bigger than the other two I have but fits on the bike easily. semi sewn in porch groundsheet. Plenty of space, quick to erect and drop.. 

What more can you say.. 

This was a very cold ride to Wales, end of November, minus 5 during the early hours.. we were on an open all year campsite with a warm toilet block.. 

[Grumpy Goat]

Probably like starting a tire thread   but, hey ho.. not much else to do eh? 

Hey, a tent thread is far more interesting to me than a tire thread, I can tell you that. Thanks for starting this up. 

So, tents for motocamping   loads of options and a wide price range. This is my take on the topic. 

Initially, I thought, I know, it has to be ultra light, then thought why? a pillion isn't ultra light. And it has to be small, why? a pillion isn't small and more room = more comfort.. 

My thoughts as well ... for motocamping the constraints are similar - but not the same - as for backpacking. On the RS with its BMW panniers and my 47 litre topbox, I am more constrained than with the ADV bike using the same topbox but with larger SW Motech SysBag panniers. This means that presently I am reconfiguring the packing of my luggage, so that is in flux now.

I have a few tents, more than I need but I had to find the right one. I don't use a dome tent, mostly because they don't have a lobby (porch) important here in the UK because even in summer it can rain and sharing the sleeping area with a pile of wet boots, helmet, jacket, trousers and gloves is not my idea of fun.

I have only 2 tents presently, and both are dome tents, but I hear you loud and clear on the need for a good vestibule / porch area. All the motocamping videos I watch are in the UK and Europe (Two Wheel Trips is the latest, even if he is on a KTM) and I follow a couple of backpackers too (Summit or Nothing and Paul Messner being examples). Their setups always make use of vestibules, not only for storage or wet gear, but also for cooking in your typical dreary weather. Camping for me involves cooking a proper meal (that is part of my fun) so a vestibule with space is important.

I like tunnel tents, easy to erect, decent ventilation, plenty of choice with a lobby (porch) and a 2 man tent is plenty big enough for a biker with gear. Downside, they are long, not such an issue on a campsite but when wild camping you need to find an area that will take a 4m long tent plus guy ropes. 

I have looked at tunnel tents but am unlikely to get one for two main reasons - they are long(er) and some have the door on the end (which I dislike), and also they are not free-standing (I don't think), which means you can't erect the tent and then pick it up and move it to a flatter / better spot, or pick it up to shake it out when done camping.

I agree on the need for a 2-man tent for a single motocamper, though. You need that half tent for your gear at a minimum.

I have the Naturehike Mongar 2 tent which is great on its own without the add-on vestibule. It does have 2 doors with small vestibule areas where gear can be stored and where one can cook if needed. The Mongar is a copy of the MSR Hubba Hubba but is more more affordable, which for me is a big plus.

Here are some photos of the Mongar 2 with add-on vestibule.

   
   
   
   
   

[Lee]

Our first tent we used when we started touring in the late 70s was a Eureka Timberline.
We camped most of the time the first 20 to 25 years.
The Eureka was our least favorite tent because it did not handle high winds very well.
The sides would push in and the flapping noise made it hard to sleep.
1981 on the way to California

   


Next was a North Face VE23. This was a great tent and we used it for a long time.
It could handle strong winds without worrying about it collapsing and no flapping noise was a plus.

1986 on the way to Florida
   

1990 Rustic Colorado
   

The North Face finally wore out and we bought another Eureka.
We didn't like it and sold it after a couple trips.
The sides would push in when it was windy and the fabric was not stable.
When the fly was wet it would sag in and touch the main body of the tent.
1995 Galveston Texas
   

Next was the Moss Astroldome
This was our favorite. Like the North Face it was very stable in the wind.
Twp doors with a vestibule with a floor at one end.
Large vents we could open and close in the ceiling. We did not like tents with a mess ceiling you could not close in cold weather.
When I was working most of our trips were early spring or late fall when the nights could be very cold.
   

[Lee]

5 is the limit for pictures in a post.

Here's the Moss again
We still have this tent and it's in good condition except the coating on the footprint is sticky.
   

   

[saread]

This is a Kelty I used on a trip to NorCal. It's OK, not great.  The fly makes a vestibule by doing a kind of wrap around thing.  Big enough for the things you need to keep dry, but a bit of a pain for ingress/egress.  This particular camp site was at Coos Bay Oregon and was as wet a site as I've ever camped at.  Not from rain, but coastal fog.  The fog rolled in and soaked everything inside and out.  That tent still smells like a forest fire from camping very close to a big one in Cali. I retired it after this trip.  Too fiddly.
   

[af1-windy]

It's great to get other peoples prospective on stuff like this. Grumpy, I know what you're saying about the dome tents being able to lift and move if you find a lump in the pitch site. I've sort of overcome this with the fold away camp bed I use, it keeps me off the ground. I would like the ability to move without dropping the tent though, so a dome with a attachable porch seems like a good idea.

Keep the photos and ideas coming..

[Lee]

It's great to get other peoples prospective on stuff like this. Grumpy, I know what you're saying about the dome tents being able to lift and move if you find a lump in the pitch site.

We never used a cot but there was plenty of times we moved our tent after it was set up and we didn't have our stuff in the tent yet.
To insulate us from the cold ground we used Therm-A-Rest pads.

[Lee]

I liked how you could setup free standing tents on rock or sand.
On rocky sites we would use larger rocks to weight down the tent.
On a beach we used ziplock bags filled with sand.

On this site we were able to use a couple stakes and several rocks.
   

   

[Grumpy Goat]

It's great to get other peoples prospective on stuff like this. Grumpy, I know what you're saying about the dome tents being able to lift and move if you find a lump in the pitch site. I've sort of overcome this with the fold away camp bed I use, it keeps me off the ground.

Yes I have a Helinox Cot One which is excellent for removing all the imperfections on the ground. Just fits into my tent and is best assembled inside, actually. Latest part of my sleep system is a Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated sleeping pad which I am getting for Christmas.