Best tent for carrying on bike

[CyclingPunk]

Hey,

I'm planning on cycling from Scotland to Vietnam in September but I'm trying to find a good (and affordable!) lightweight tent that will hold up well in both warm and cold climates. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[vspa]

i have a suggestion on whats underneath the tent, you can carry a thick plastic like material, both light and cheap, of the size of the floor of your tent. This base layer or barrier will protect the tent from small stones or wood or any imperfection in the soil to avoid holes and scratches on your tent, and also keep your floor dry from humidity of the soil, for the tent, if you travel solo, i would buy a tent for two people anyway, you will spend long hours inside so you need some extra space to move, to keep your books, your flash light, your ipods, and so on. You need to visit a shop specialized in trekking and mountanineering and buy some middle of the line model, not too cheap but not the best of the line (designed for extreme use for alpinists people). You should find quite a few options, as for the sleeping bag, there are some every convenient models that fold into such a small package, they are great. You would also consider a base underneath, for comfort, that you put air inside by yourself in one easy step,

 

[alfeng]

Quote:Originally Posted by CyclingPunk .
I'm planning on cycling from Scotland to Vietnam in September but I'm trying to find a good (and affordable!) lightweight tent that will hold up well in both warm and cold climates. Does anyone have any suggestions?


FWIW. I recommend that you look for the LARGEST Goretex tent that you can afford and/or carry ...

As far as sleeping bags, I recommend you choose one that is rated for 10ºC colder than the temps you think you will encounter ...

BTW. +1 on the ground cloth ... a cheap tarp will do since weight is not as great a factor as when backpacking ...

A self-inflating sleeping pad is a good idea.

 

[Volnix]

Some good packpacking gear is a good investment, if you plan on using it again... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif

There some super light tents that only cost a few $$$ but you can get some very good ones which can be very costly. The differences will be in quality, detail etc.

Since you will be cycling with the stuff and not carrying around in a car I would suggest to check the climbing stuff.

The climbing tents, mats etc are very light (because they are made for climbing) and sometimes are packable in small volumes.

Cant really suggest any brands but the outdoor shops (not the hunting shops!) usually carry some very good brands. Google is a good way to search.

Some suggestions:

1. Tent

Something with a space to store your stuff outside the inner shell but inside the outer shell of the tent. (much cleaner and feels more comfy not feeling the snakes a few cm's from you). Tents dry quickly so no problems about the material except weight. You might want to check some thermal cover for the tent. Like this shiny foil stuff that keeps heat in.

2. Mat

Some very nice inflatable base layers are now available. These are inflated by you and they also dry quickly since they are basically nylon with maybe some cotton cover. Nylon is pretty nasty to sleep on unless its a good sleeping bag so you might want to pack a light sheet and a small inflatable pillow.

3. Sleeping bag

Get something that is very comfortable and fast to close and open. You dont really need one of those "mummy style" sleeping bags. A square one will do just fine, plus you can use it as a quilt too. Some have a pocket for an inflatable pillow so you wont have to carry a pillow case.

and last but not least... Keep the beer out of the tent! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif

 

[alienator]

A Gore-tex or similar fabric tent is a great tent for cold, dry areas. If, however, it's warm and humid, Gore-tex tents are sub-optimal. I've had two such tents (one by Bibler and one by Integral Designs in Canada), and my experience has been exactly what I described for such tents. For hot and/or humid areas, a traditional tent with a fly sheet is an excellent option. When there's no precip you don't need to add the fly. You can get such tents in the 3-4lb pound range. Three season tents can also work exceedingly well in winter conditions (assuming you've chosen a good quality 3 season tent). I've also used 3 season tents with success during storms in winter in the mountains. No matter what you'll want a tent with a sealed bathtub floor for those nights/days when it's wet. Also, if you want to minimize weight, look for a single person tent with just enough floor space for your panniers and stuff from the bike.