(tents) how heavy is heavy ?

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Hi,
I'm just sitting (for the moment) dreaming about next year's trip, and looking for a tent. My one big luxury is space (probably 'cos my flat here in Paris is so dam*ed small! :(), and so I naturally want to take the biggest tent I can manage, without its weight becoming a real problem.

Scouting around the web, I found this one from Quecha ..

http://minilien.fr/a0kf9p

It apparently weighs 9.4 kg, which if my calculations aren't off too far, is roughly four and a quarter pounds (UK lb anyway).

Is this too heavy? Ideally, I want to have the sleeping bag, the tent and the mattress all rolled up and stacked on top of the rear rack, longways i.e. in the axe of the bicycle.

I'm not really sure what nine-and-a-bit kilos feels like. I'd liken it to nine bags of sugar in the UK, or three 3kg-bags of potatoes here. So it's pretty hefty. The question is: is it going to make cycling a chore?

Thanks.

How many people will be using the tent - 9.5 kgs seems like a lot. Will you be travelling on a bike?

Um yeah I'm actually erm .. well I'm going to be using the tent just for me. Then again, who knows if I'll bump into some charming company on my way..:p

I suppose the best thing is to get the bike, load it up with panniers and something roughly the same weight as this tent, and see how it handles..

Um yeah I'm actually erm .. well I'm going to be using the tent just for me. Then again, who knows if I'll bump into some charming company on my way..:p

I suppose the best thing is to get the bike, load it up with panniers and something roughly the same weight as this tent, and see how it handles..
Sounds like a good idea. It must be a big tent though - good luck with the "charming company";) .

Sorry, I didn't read the part where you mentioned you will be using a bike.

Where are you going?

Where are you going?

The plan is to hit Montpellier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montpellier) by train from Paris, and then to ride from there, down the coast to Cerbères (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus) and then into Spain.

Depending on how much energy we have left, we then head down to Barcelona (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona) and if we're still feeling brave, we head back up to Andorra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra).

That's a fair bit of riding, which brings me to another question if I may: is that too long? I've calculated that even if I'm riding for eight hours a day at a leisurely 18-20 mph, that still allows me to do 144 - 160 miles in a day. Is this achievable?

In answer to the question: how fit are you?, I'm 40 but have been a lifelong cyclist albeit mainly commuting and riding around Paris and its environs.

It apparently weighs 9.4 kg, which if my calculations aren't off too far, is roughly four and a quarter pounds (UK lb anyway). G'day

Context: My comments are based on my experience bushwalking (hiking) not bike touring, but either way you carry the tent.

The tent you are looking at is a four person tent I think. Too me this is way over the top for one person or even two persons. 9.4 kg is probably close to 2/3 thirds of your bike weight. You have to carry this along with food, camping gear, your bike and so on. Do you want to haul that extra weight up and down hills? Why not put a 10 kg bag of sand or something on your bike and ride around with for a few days. See how it feels. Also think about the impact of this extra weight on your bike.

Personally I carry 1.2 kg tent and even if you wanted room, a two person would be sufficient. I currently use a Black Diamond Mesa as my car camping tent which is fine as a two person tent, but its vestibules (porches) are on the small size. That said for one person it is a castle. Keep in mind you sleep in the tent, you don't live in it

I suggest you check out the shelters at BackpackGearTest.org (http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Shelters/)for some ideas on shelters.

Regards
Andrew

The plan is to hit Montpellier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montpellier) by train from Paris, and then to ride from there, down the coast to Cerbères (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus) and then into Spain.

Depending on how much energy we have left, we then head down to Barcelona (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona) and if we're still feeling brave, we head back up to Andorra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra).

In answer to the question: how fit are you?, I'm 40 but have been a lifelong cyclist albeit mainly commuting and riding around Paris and its environs.

I'm getting very jealous - can I come, it sounds like you have room in your tent.

Maybe all of Steelem's "Team Plank" can come with you. (if you don't know about Steelem have a look at his threads)

G'day

Context: My comments are based on my experience bushwalking (hiking) not bike touring, but either way you carry the tent.

The tent you are looking at is a four person tent I think. Too me this is way over the top for one person or even two persons. 9.4 kg is probably close to 2/3 thirds of your bike weight. You have to carry this along with food, camping gear, your bike and so on. Do you want to haul that extra weight up and down hills? Why not put a 10 kg bag of sand or something on your bike and ride around with for a few days. See how it feels. Also think about the impact of this extra weight on your bike.

Personally I carry 1.2 kg tent and even if you wanted room, a two person would be sufficient. I currently use a Black Diamond Mesa as my car camping tent which is fine as a two person tent, but its vestibules (porches) are on the small size. That said for one person it is a castle. Keep in mind you sleep in the tent, you don't live in it

I suggest you check out the shelters at BackpackGearTest.org (http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Shelters/)for some ideas on shelters.


All this sounds like pretty sane advice, really. The bonus is that there's a Black Diamond reseller in Paris (http://www.au-vieux-campeur.fr/gp/)!

OK, I'll check them out on Monday.

:)

I'm getting very jealous - can I come, it sounds like you have room in your tent.

Well I wouldn't .. cough ... wouldn't dream of ... ahem ...

What's your e-mail address?

;-)

unfortunatly your link didn't work but if it's quechua and space you want then why not look at a three person ultralight tent. the store is french so hopefully this is accessable to you.

http://www.decathlon.fr/FR/Product_arborescence/mountain/hiking/hiking-tents/packing-tents/product_6541075/index.html

i considered this myself, i'm now trying to get hold of either a coleman epsilon or coleman avior which are also 3 person light tents you might want to look at.
i don't think they do 4 person light tents, then again i haven't looked.

unfortunatly your link didn't work but if it's quechua and space you want then why not look at a three person ultralight tent. the store is french so hopefully this is accessable to you.

http://www.decathlon.fr/FR/Product_arborescence/mountain/hiking/hiking-tents/packing-tents/product_6541075/index.html

i considered this myself, i'm now trying to get hold of either a coleman epsilon or coleman avior which are also 3 person light tents you might want to look at.
i don't think they do 4 person light tents, then again i haven't looked.

As a matter of principle, I refuse to touch Décathlon stuff, cos it's sh*t. I bought a bike (for roughly 350€) off them in 2003, and two weeks later, the pedals sheared. They repaired it under warranty but had the barefaced cheek to charge me for the new pedals.

Their stuff is crap and they're crooks.

I'll check out Colemans.. thanks. :)

As a matter of principle, I refuse to touch Décathlon stuff, cos it's sh*t. I bought a bike (for roughly 350€) off them in 2003, and two weeks later, the pedals sheared. They repaired it under warranty but had the barefaced cheek to charge me for the new pedals.

Their stuff is crap and they're crooks.

I'll check out Colemans.. thanks. :)
Decathlon were getting pretty big in the world of pro cycling for a while - Cofidis, in the Astorloa days were using them.

Are their higher level bikes any good - I have never seen any over here in Australia. But i remember thinking they were nice looking bikes.

Well I wouldn't .. cough ... wouldn't dream of ... ahem ...

What's your e-mail address?

;-)
I could probably afford to live in a tent, but the airfare from Australia to Europe, the not working and the feeding myself etc would probably be a little too high for me at the moment - but i'll be there in spirit:D.

I could probably afford to live in a tent, but the airfare from Australia to Europe, the not working and the feeding myself etc would probably be a little too high for me at the moment - but i'll be there in spirit:D.

Drat. Bombed-out again ...

Decathlon were getting pretty big in the world of pro cycling for a while - Cofidis, in the Astorloa days were using them.

Are their higher level bikes any good - I have never seen any over here in Australia. But i remember thinking they were nice looking bikes.

Yeah, they look nice. Mine was big, silver, built-in lights, rear luggage rack and front suspension (well, it had the black plastic 'concertina' things on the front forks, but in truth I never peeled back the plastic to see if there really were shocks under that), the lot.

But the impression I got from riding it, was that these were shiny-but-cheap components, probably from Taiwan or something, and that Décathlon were making a mint buying dirt-cheap and selling for over three hundred euros.

I did get a lot of use out of the thing, as I was living outside Paris at that time and didn't have a car, so it was cycling, cycling, cycling. The advantage is that I ended up with legs like a Greek god, but the bummer is that I realised that cheap bikes really are that: cheap.

I did get a lot of use out of the thing, as I was living outside Paris at that time and didn't have a car, so it was cycling, cycling, cycling. The advantage is that I ended up with legs like a Greek god

Just thinking back to those days.. I must have cycled around 50 km a day, six days a week, for a year. No wonder I was in shape then! My girlfriend used to get me to cook wearing just boxers and an apron.

<fx: looks sadly at beer belly>

*sigh*

Right. How much is that Long Haul Trucker ...? :(

One thing to watch out for on these lightweight tents is how much area a folded tent takes up. Some of these lightweight tents use these fibreglass twisty stays and fold into a bag bigger that's quite a bit bigger than a wheel. Can be hazardous if you're out somewhere windy.

You want to make sure it folds into a small cylinder a little shorter than your bars are wide and with a diameter of about 20 cm max.

As a matter of principle, I refuse to touch Décathlon stuff, cos it's sh*t. I bought a bike (for roughly 350€) off them in 2003, and two weeks later, the pedals sheared. They repaired it under warranty but had the barefaced cheek to charge me for the new pedals.

Their stuff is crap and they're crooks.
well the tents aren't made by decathlon and i've been in one and it isn't too bad except the floor seems worryingly weak, but i am sure it was some kind of anti tear material.


One thing to watch out for on these lightweight tents is how much area a folded tent takes up. Some of these lightweight tents use these fibreglass twisty stays and fold into a bag bigger that's quite a bit bigger than a wheel. Can be hazardous if you're out somewhere windy.

You want to make sure it folds into a small cylinder a little shorter than your bars are wide and with a diameter of about 20 cm max.
they come it packs that can easily fit on bikes. i agree that the flatpack pop up ones that come in round packs are total jokes in terms of tents. they are only good for kids to play in in my opinion.

but i would say that you should look into the coleman avior x3 but it is about £30 more expensive then decathlon. if you have the money coleman make a few deceant light and compact 3 person tents which i'm sure will have all the space you need.

It apparently weighs 9.4 kg, which if my calculations aren't off too far, is roughly four and a quarter pounds (UK lb anyway).

Is this too heavy? Ideally, I want to have the sleeping bag, the tent and the mattress all rolled up and stacked on top of the rear rack, longways i.e. in the axe of the bicycle.

I'm not really sure what nine-and-a-bit kilos feels like. I'd liken it to nine bags of sugar in the UK, or three 3kg-bags of potatoes here. So it's pretty hefty. The question is: is it going to make cycling a chore?

Thanks.Getting back to your original calculations - they are well off. You divided instead of multiplying - 9.4kg is actually over 20lbs and way too heavy for solo touring unless you are a real glutton for punishment or hoping to gather a harem en route! A two man tent is usually a good option for someone who wants a bit of comfort on the road.

Enjoy your trip!

Getting back to your original calculations - they are well off. You divided instead of multiplying - 9.4kg is actually over 20lbs and way too heavy for solo touring unless you are a real glutton for punishment or hoping to gather a harem en route! A two man tent is usually a good option for someone who wants a bit of comfort on the road.

Enjoy your trip!

do you want a tent or a Taj Mahal??
9.4kg is ridiculous for cycletouring unless you want the training of carting a boat anchor. :o)

The tent we will e using next for the 2 of us next time we tour will be the Salewa Sierra Leone Ultra Tent which at 2.8 kg seems the best combination of weight and space for us. I used a tent of a similar size many years ago when I was touring by myself and have managed a (very) cosy game of cards for 5 on a rainy day in France.

Cheers

Geoff