leftpoole wrote:A further comment.
'Lightweight' usually (always) means small-in fact tiny.
Tiny is difficult to use. Backache. Lack of sleep. Uncomfortable. Cold. Wet? But mainly lightweight means expensive and no room to swing the proverbial cat. No room to cook breakfast (or dinner) and certainly no room to dress or clean properly.
Those days were endured and now Camping is certainly more pleasurable and although heavier and slightly more bulky, much more to be enjoyed.
I think it's worth drawing a distinction between "lightweight" and "lowest possible weight" here. You can get
reasonably lightweight and comfortably spacious with generous cat-rotation potential. Premium lightweight materials are expensive, but you do get something tangible for your money, and there's nothing stopping their use in a good size of shelter.
Also, comfort in use depends on the use. If you ride 150 miles every day, eat in a pub and fall asleep in 30 seconds with breakfast the next day at a cafe then you really don't need much more than something to keep the rain/beasties off. If the camping time is to some degree an end in itself with leisurely meals cooked in-house the tent needs to do more, so you'd expect it to weigh and bulk more.
Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...