[ronnydog]

I like a small two man tent for light weight camping on my TW but I need more room to get out of the weather, a safe place to put my TW and no worry, room to cook inside if needed, Not pay over $200.00??????? Is this possible?????? OK I think I found a tent that will meet some if not all the requirements and a place to park two bike inside out of the weather. The yellow color sucks but the price at #145.00 and FREE Expedited Shipping I could overlook the color. What do you guys think?



Features:





Outer: 210T Waterproof and anti-tear polyester cloth, PU waterproof coating 3000mm

Lining: 170T Breathable Dacron cloth，PU waterproof coating 1500mm.

Bottom: 200D Nylon oxford cloth, PU waterproof coating 2000mm.

9.5mm glass fiber steel pillars

Come with a waterproof canvas carrying bag

Unfolded size: 13.5' long

Bedroom size: 7'5 x 6'5 x 5'3

Garage size: 6'8 x 6'5 x 5'3

Package weight: 12.7#



Color: Yellow only.





Ronnydog

 

[MrDNA]

I like the idea, but I would worry about that design in high winds. I had a bad experience with a 3-person Coleman half-pipe tent I owned years ago. I never had it cave in or fall apart, but it would flap in the wind something awful and was too noisy to concentrate on anything but when the thing might be coming down on our head. If it can be staked down right, it looks like it would work though. 13-ish pounds dry? ouch.

 

[xdac]

Motel 6 leaves the light on for ya...

 

[joeband]

Motel 6 leaves the light on for ya...

but they might frown on bringing the bike inside....



i'd think that tent wouldn't make it under harsher than sunny weather. any good wind and you'll be wet and unhappy. you'd be better with a better tent and a cheap ground cloth for the bike.

 

[peruano]

Hey, what do you want a tent for? Southern California is where you sleep under the stars and let the sidewinders be damned.

Maybe you are wanting shade or do you really camp on the coast where you have fog and condensation?

My read on that tent is comparing it with the early days of the bow pole tents. They had the poles in parallel or simple X config and a good side wind would seriously change their shape (read collapse the poles enough to make the interior space less). Today's versions have poles usually going in three direction to prevent that scissors action. This tent with all the poles parallel might try to lie down like a deck of cards, but with significant guy wires it would be fine for 80% of the time. So only you can decide, but it probably would do a good job except on the windiest days and you need to decide if you are going camping on those days or willing to tolerate a bit of inconvenience if the wind comes up. I like camping equipment and while I would not want this as my only tent, I could see it being a great /TW garage in desert when I didn't want all the sand and dew on my stuff. If it has a full fly and floor in the sleeping half, and can be guyed to resist strong winds, its probably worth a try. Note: no tent will stand up to long periods of intense sunlight (i.e. 30 days in desert will toast even the best). Tom

 

[ronnydog]

Hey, what do you want a tent for? Southern California is where you sleep under the stars and let the sidewinders be damned.

Maybe you are wanting shade or do you really camp on the coast where you have fog and condensation?

My read on that tent is comparing it with the early days of the bow pole tents. They had the poles in parallel or simple X config and a good side wind would seriously change their shape (read collapse the poles enough to make the interior space less). Today's versions have poles usually going in three direction to prevent that scissors action. This tent with all the poles parallel might try to lie down like a deck of cards, but with significant guy wires it would be fine for 80% of the time. So only you can decide, but it probably would do a good job except on the windiest days and you need to decide if you are going camping on those days or willing to tolerate a bit of inconvenience if the wind comes up. I like camping equipment and while I would not want this as my only tent, I could see it being a great /TW garage in desert when I didn't want all the sand and dew on my stuff. If it has a full fly and floor in the sleeping half, and can be guyed to resist strong winds, its probably worth a try. Note: no tent will stand up to long periods of intense sunlight (i.e. 30 days in desert will toast even the best). Tom

I have 1-2 and 3 man tent but I was looking for a tent that was between this tent and my 36' fifth wheel.



I also think by swapping out the fiberglass poles with aluminum poles I could drop a few pounds, 12.7# down to about 10# and split the load with two riders.



Ronnydog

 

[ronnydog]

I like the idea, but I would worry about that design in high winds. I had a bad experience with a 3-person Coleman half-pipe tent I owned years ago. I never had it cave in or fall apart, but it would flap in the wind something awful and was too noisy to concentrate on anything but when the thing might be coming down on our head. If it can be staked down right, it looks like it would work though. 13-ish pounds dry? ouch.

I camp in good weather but wind could be a problem.



Ronnydog

 

[peruano]

I have 1-2 and 3 man tent but I was looking for a tent that was between this tent and my 36' fifth wheel.



I also think by swapping out the fiberglass poles with aluminum poles I could drop a few pounds, 12.7# down to about 10# and split the load with two riders.



Ronnydog

I understand. Swapping poles from fiberglass to aluminum could be a very complex and expensive proposition, unless you have lots of pole stock available and are willing to fab you own. Fiberglass poles are more subject to breakage and are the weakest point of inexpensive tents. If you are really concerned about weight enough to consider a pole swap, I'd keep looking for a better tent. Some of the tarps (giant tarps) made by Kelty and other suppliers carried by REI are great, strong, spacious, and flexible in application - they don't work for bugs, vermin, or privacy. Good luck in your search. Many new tents come with giant alcoves so your perfect tent may exist, if you can just find it within your comfort/price range. Tom

 

[MrDNA]

I've got a huge nylon 3-season, 6-person tent (there used to be 5 of us) with a large vestibule on one end that I can cook in and it only weighs 10 lbs. I never thought about it, but I could probably get 2 bikes and 2 people in there... if I wanted to. I'd be thinking about a nice comfortable tent with a large vestibule for you, your stuff and cooking, and separating the bike in it's own simple tarp based a-frame, or even a simple tube-tent might work if you wanted a bottom. Heavier than a cover, but light enough. Anyone tried that?

 

[Bagger]

Ronny,

I don't have any pics here, but, I use a large two man tent and leave the fly at home. Then I use

This to come up the back of the tent, over the top and extend out front.

I let the tarp fulcrum over the top of the tent, and I can raise or lower the back portions of the tarp to accomodate weather. I use available limbs or the bike it'self or when backpacking my tredking poles to support the tarp.

The tent, with footprint and poles, but sans the fly comes in at 4.5 pounds and two large guys fit fine, but no gear room. The fly weighs less than two pounds. Add some cordage for conections and your under 10 pounds easy.

I like the tarp because of multi-use flexability. It is nice to slide under a bike before repairs to head off the dreaded dropped nut issue, it's shade, wind shelter, fly wrap around down game, even can be used as a splint around an arm or leg that refuses to stay straight on it's own. I don't bike, pac or sled without a tarp.

I will grab some pics when I get home . . . but this works really slick.

And if you really want to cut weight and never sleep on a rock or lump again, I strongly recommend one of these they are the single coolest piece of gear I've found yet.

Of course, down ya'lls neck of the woods, I'm not sure what you would hang them from !!



Bag

 

[peruano]

Bag, I agree that tarps provide more flexibility. However finding that many trees in Southern California except in the mountain parks would be a challenge. Hence aluminum poles to go with your tarp. Tom

 

[ronnydog]

Bag, I agree that tarps provide more flexibility. However finding that many trees in Southern California except in the mountain parks would be a challenge. Hence aluminum poles to go with your tarp. Tom

Tom you are right about no trees mostly bushes unless the fires burnt them.



Any tent has downfalls to each situation and finding the one that fits I will have to compromise.



Ronnydog

 

[GapRunr]

I like a small two man tent for light weight camping on my TW but I need more room to get out of the weather, a safe place to put my TW and no worry, room to cook inside if needed,

That's a bad idea. Never have food where you sleep, unless you actually want bears trying to get into your tent.

 

[FortPayne]

Found this one, looks better than that ugly yellow.

Ktm tent

 

[lizrdbrth]

Wow. Half the cost of a KTM spark plug, too.

 

[bcscammell]

That's a bad idea. Never have food where you sleep, unless you actually want bears trying to get into your tent.

That's the way we hunt in Canada, roll yourself in some old hamburger meat get the biggest gun you can find and crawl into the tent. Yogi will let you know when it's time to hunt.

 

[MrDNA]

Not a lot of bears in the desert sometimes... but I do generally agree. I once had a 3-foot tall raccoon (no joke, full winter coat) walk up on me at night while cooking (in the snow) about 30ft from our tent. She was so huge, I got confused about what it was for a second... I can just about crap myself thinking about it

 

[TWisty]

Tents are like coffee-makers.

You need a 10 cup model to make coffee for 2.

And you need a 10 man tent for two people to be comfortable.



When setting up a base camp from which to ride for several days, the wife and I use a 10 man, 11 * 20, 3 room tent. $124 at Walmart.

 

[srs713]

Tents are like coffee-makers.

You need a 10 cup model to make coffee for 2.

And you need a 10 man tent for two people to be comfortable.



When setting up a base camp from which to ride for several days, the wife and I use a 10 man, 11 * 20, 3 room tent. $124 at Walmart.

+1



I like a 3 or 4 man tent for just myself. That gives me plenty of room to bring my gear inside and spread out on a rainy day.

 

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Over time the design and materials in inexpensive small tents has gotten better in many ways. The most important thing to look for with any tent is for the rainfly to be large enough that the drip line off the bottom of the fly is OUTSIDE of the foot print of the base tent. Many tents have a small fly that covers the top section with the fly drip line over a (supposedly) water proof lower section of the tent. With the exception of a few high end, expensive units, this will get you wet.



Having several decades of experience of camping in heavy Brown bear habitat, (white water wilderness trips and skiffs on both sat water and fresh) put your kitchen area down range of of everybodies sleeping arrangement. If you are camping in a non-habituated area in heavy critter country, you can usually get away with a one night stay given a clean camp and making lots of noise . rw