Heaviest tent?

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
User avatar
Sweep
Posts: 8441
Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 4:57pm
Location: London

Heaviest tent?

Post by Sweep »

What's the heaviest tent any of you folks tour with?

And kind of related, does anyone solo tour with a 3 man tent?
Sweep
User avatar
pjclinch
Posts: 5458
Joined: 29 Oct 2007, 2:32pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Contact:

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by pjclinch »

Sweep wrote:What's the heaviest tent any of you folks tour with?

And kind of related, does anyone solo tour with a 3 man tent?


On the bike, our Kaitum 3 is 3 Kg and it's two of us using it. Current spec quotes as 3.4 Kg, but ours has the original 2mm rather than 3 mm guying and lighter pegs, plus there's about 10% variation in samples anyway due to stuff like coating thickness. I wouldn't use that on my own on the bike as it has far, far more space than I'd ever use (when they say it's big enough for 3 people and their kit they're actually being fair, which is certainly not always a safe assumption). There are plenty of "3 person" tents I've seen with less usable space than a Kaitum 2. A friend does solo expedition work (as in away from home in other countries for weeks) with a Kaitum 2 but usually goes for something smaller/lighter.

The Tarra is my Go-To for paddling as it may be pitched in marginal places in storms, but I wouldn't want to use it for cycle touring, even for two of us. That's 4 Kg, and bulkier than I'd want to take. And we're happy with 4 pannier loads.

If I'm on my own I'd use the Spacepacker (think of a Tarptent Scarp 2 with bigger porches but less roomy inner, 2 Kg). My wife isn't a fan, she'd take the Hubba HP or Hubba Hubba HP, I suspect.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
User avatar
RickH
Posts: 5832
Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by RickH »

Sweep wrote:What's the heaviest tent any of you folks tour with?

And kind of related, does anyone solo tour with a 3 man tent?

I have a "3 man" Vango Zenith 300 which weighs in at around 3kg if I use the footprint.

I used it solo for the Welsh Festival of Cycling, at Ruthin, in the Summer as I was camping in 1 place for 5 nights & fancied the extra space. But it is still compact enough to pack on the bike OK.

For solo, moving on I would generally use a "2 man" - my smaller tent is a Vango Banshee 200 that I've had a few years, it's one of the older inner pitch first models & weighs in under 2kg. The Banshee is a bit tight for 2, especially if you want to stow stuff as well. The Zenith would be quite comfortable for 2.

I've also got an Outwell pop up 3 man in the collection, but that isn't practical for cycling as it is a 3 foot diameter disc when packed. It does, though, make for a very quick setup if travelling to a base camp by car.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
User avatar
nick12
Posts: 274
Joined: 26 Sep 2017, 9:10pm
Location: Skipton

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by nick12 »

I started out cycle camping with a second hand pro action cross 2 man tent ( £3 at carboot ) polyethylene floor 1200 mm hh. Heavy fibreglass poles and steel pegs. Spent several nights in terential rain even woke up on what had turned into a bog on the moors of the north pennines.never any problems with leaks. I used it last weekend for the first time in 5 years. Still like it the front vestibule is large and good for cooking. I weighed it and its 3kg. Pack size 16 x16 x 54 cm. I probably wouldnt take it on tour again but for a few nights locally its ok 110cm headroom makes it good for long winter nights.( pictured in my profile)
User avatar
breakwellmz
Posts: 1982
Joined: 8 May 2012, 9:33pm

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by breakwellmz »

Sweep wrote:What's the heaviest tent any of you folks tour with?

And kind of related, does anyone solo tour with a 3 man tent?


Many years ago when a group of us set off to cycle to India my girlfriend and i carried a Vango Force 10 between us, that weighed about 8.5kilos!
PH
Posts: 13099
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by PH »

Did a few tours with a 3.6kg three man Coleman, then changed it to a 2kg TN which I prefer in just about every way, but TBH I notice the lack of bulk rather than loosing the 1.6kg.
bikepacker
Posts: 2273
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 7:08pm
Location: Worcestershire
Contact:

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by bikepacker »

Sweep wrote:What's the heaviest tent any of you folks tour with?

And kind of related, does anyone solo tour with a 3 man tent?


In the years I camped with my wife we tried many different tents but our preferred one was the Hilleberg Nammatj 3GT. This weighs in at 4 kilo plus almost and kilo for the footprint. A tent great for two people and well worth carrying that weight.

The heaviest I carried on my bike was the Zephyros 3 Living Tent. TN claim about 4 kilos but it is nearer 5. Also the footprint is well over a kilo. A bulky packsize and lot of weight for a tent that does not live up to expectation.

Because of a medical condition inhibiting some movement, since returning from my Ireland tour this year I have used a Coleman Caucaus 3. With weight about 3.7 kilo and an added F10 footprint which adds another 0.6 kilo it is quite heavy for one person. However it does serve my current needs.
There is your way. There is my way. But there is no "the way".
User avatar
foxyrider
Posts: 6042
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by foxyrider »

Heaviest tent i've toured with is my Vaude Taurus which is rated as 2/3 person - that's one very comfortable, two without being too friendly, three - well quite intimate! Weighs a smidge over 2kg.

As i'm not a fan of coffin tents I use 2 man tents as my default for solo touring. I guess I could be tempted to look at something bigger/heavier if I was doing fixed base camping but anything over 3 nights I usually look for bricks and mortar.

I have other, heavier tents in the cupboard but TBH they are really too big and heavy for me to think about carrying by bike.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
ossie
Posts: 1793
Joined: 15 Apr 2011, 7:52pm

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by ossie »

The heaviest I had for single person was a Vango something at 3.2kg and lugging that around wasn't fun.

Current is a Vaude Taurus Ultralite -2 person, weight around 1.8kg. Loads of room and a small porch.
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by mercalia »

hmm you lot are all mamby pampby weaklings. My first tent I carted along on my bike was the Conquest Cotton ridge tent I mentioned elsewhere - all 8 kg of it :oops: :lol:
User avatar
honesty
Posts: 2658
Joined: 16 Mar 2012, 3:33pm
Location: Somerset
Contact:

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by honesty »

Used to hike with a vango force 10 split between 2 people... That was heavy!

On my bike I've done it with a eurohike kent, which weighed 4.8kg. only tent I had at the time.

now I use a vango meteor 300. It's a 3 man tent and I use it all by myself. At 2.9kg it's quite a weight reduction from my previous tent! I enjoy the extra space. I have a decent blow up mattress and am not sleeping pressed up against wall or anything. I suppose I could have got the 2 man version but I wanted something I could use with my daughter as well and have room for bags.
nickpaton
Posts: 180
Joined: 4 Mar 2013, 9:07pm
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by nickpaton »

Hilleberg Nallo 2GT 2.9kg (apparently!)

Every time I pitch it I wonder why I have such a large tent just for myself. But during gales, rain, snow and hail storms I'm snug and safe whilst other tents collapse around me, as happened this year in Iceland.

The only thing against the Nallo is that whilst cycling in Morocco a few weeks ago, the local cats found it mega attractive as their toilet.
Really p#@ssed me off!
pete75
Posts: 16356
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by pete75 »

nickpaton wrote:Hilleberg Nallo 2GT 2.9kg (apparently!)

Every time I pitch it I wonder why I have such a large tent just for myself. But during gales, rain, snow and hail storms I'm snug and safe whilst other tents collapse around me, as happened this year in Iceland.

The only thing against the Nallo is that whilst cycling in Morocco a few weeks ago, the local cats found it mega attractive as their toilet.
Really p#@ssed me off!


What is with cats and tents? Even when just pitching a tent on the lawn for checking purposes our cats take a keen interest. One once got accidentally shut in a tent. Cat claws make short work of tent material judging by the hole it made to get out.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
User avatar
sabrutat
Posts: 185
Joined: 15 Jan 2014, 11:23pm
Contact:

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by sabrutat »

I tour solo with a Vango Halo 300, which weighs in at around 4 kg. With the additional footprint it's around (I imagine) 4.5 kg. Weight doesn't bother me much, a lack of space, especially if I stay put for a few days, certainly does.
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: Heaviest tent?

Post by Cyril Haearn »

mercalia wrote:hmm you lot are all mamby pampby weaklings. My first tent I carted along on my bike was the Conquest Cotton ridge tent I mentioned elsewhere - all 8 kg of it :oops: :lol:


1 stone 2 lbs back then I guess
Wet weight or dry?
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Post Reply