Pictures of your tents.

[Sooper8]

North Face Mica FL2

I wasn't cycle camping in this one. I was at The Hay Book Festival.

[Sweep]

/////

I wasn't cycle camping in this one. I was at The Hay Book Festival.[/quote]

Thank god for that - I was starting to worry about the table.

[mercalia]

me 2. I was thinking where is the real tent?

[ikenbikeit]

A Telemark 2 from Nordisk. I think Kirk Douglas went there to be a hero once.

[leftpoole]

A Telemark 2 from Nordisk. I think Kirk Douglas went there to be a hero once.

Hello,
These appear to be the 'must have' lately. I have a few tents (!) and wondered how these were?
Best regards,
John

[pjclinch]

A Telemark 2 from Nordisk. I think Kirk Douglas went there to be a hero once.

Hello,
These appear to be the 'must have' lately. I have a few tents (!) and wondered how these were?

It would depend exactly what you're after. http://www.nordisk.eu/en/bred/products/tents/tents-detail/type/tents/categories/telemark-2/product_model/lw/ shows a floorplan suggesting my wife and I would not share one happily (too narrow for our liking) and the porch is not as deep as I'd like... but there again you can't really argue with the weight. As with all these things you have to decide where your personal lines lie. Personally I'd prefer an MSR Hubba Hubba HP or a Tarptent Scarp 2 in the general category of fairly light single hoops, but that's my personal preferences for twin entrances and more space.

Pete.

[simonineaston]

Car camping at Seathwaite at the time, but under 2 kilogrammes

As it has a retro look, you get it in sepia - if you look hard you can see the geezers off of the Camp coffee bottle in there somewhere...

[StirlingCrispin]

A Vango Soul 200.
Only a few miles from home but I'd cycled there with my two boys (aged 5 and 8yrs). The youngest (H) was asleep in the tent while I slept under a tarp with Thump



And this was the view from my sleeping bag.


A cracking wee adventure!

[Sweep]

Wonderful pics stirling.

I meant to bivi in a wood i know in sussex in the blubell season but circumstances prevented it.

I'm sure your kids had a great time, all the best.

[ikenbikeit]

Sorry for the delayed reply about the Telemark 2 but I have been busy looking for work.

The tent is well made though thin and the design means that it relies on tension for stability.
I use it solo and so can't tell you about double occupancy. The inner is a bit close to the face. It is very waterproof and stable with the extra lateral guy ropes I've put on.
Generally, I am very pleased with the tent as it is a doddle to put up and it's very light and spacious for one.

[andrew_s]

A new toy being tried out:

[Slow Loris]

Andrew_s – which hammock/tarp is this? How comfortable did you find it in comparison to a tent, and how easy/fiddly would it be to set up? Always fancied trying one but I'll need to brush up on knots - my last attempt slid to the floor .

[bigjim]

Sorry for the delayed reply about the Telemark 2 but I have been busy looking for work.

last time we travelled together you were a "job for life teacher". Things changed?

[andrew_s]

Andrew_s – which hammock/tarp is this? How comfortable did you find it in comparison to a tent, and how easy/fiddly would it be to set up? Always fancied trying one but I'll need to brush up on knots - my last attempt slid to the floor .

It's an Exped Ergo hammock & tarp (i.e the "Combi").
No knots are required.
Wrap the tree ropes round the tree, passing one end through the loop in the other, then clip the hammock suspension line to the tree rope with a carabiner. The tree ropes are semi-double, with a slit for a carabiner or toggle every 8 to 10cm.
The tarp has toggles that go in the tree rope between the carabiner and the tree, and 6 lines attached to the corners with a clip to clip round another tree, branch bush or tent peg, with a line-lock at the tarp to take in tension.
The hammock has a double base for holding a sleeping mat (required for insulation rather than comfort), and a zip round upper midge net.

You sleep on a diagonal to the ridge line, and can lie flat or on your side). I'm 1m85, and it's only just long enough. I find it more comfortable than the same mat (Neoair Xtherm) in a tent, which is probably good as it's not so easy to change position. On the downside, a tarp doesn't warm up inside like a tent will, so more clothing and/or a warmer bag may be required.

Ideally you would hang it so the bottom of the hammock is about 40-60 cm from the ground. The two carabiners should be level with each other, or you'll tend to roll to the side, and it seems to work best it the trees are a bit over 3m apart, though it can be rigged between about 2m and 6 or 7m.

There are videos on putting it up available here:
http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-cat ... mock-combi

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Surely if going the tarp - hammock - extra insulation route it is no lighter than conventual tenting