Cycling UK Forum

I have decided to camp out overnight to be more adaptable and reduce the cost. I have a basic knowledge of camping as I camped as a teenager and in my early twenties but this was thirty years ago and things will have changed. Could somebody help me choose a tent? I need a one man version as my wife won't camp, obviously reasonably light and weatherproof although I won't be leaving the country with it or camping on mountains - I'm thinking of organised, lowland sites at first. I have seen dirt cheap tents but really don't know what I'm looking for. Can anybody share their own experience or point me in the direction of an informed, independent internet site?

I also need something to sleep in, something to lay it on (we used to use air beds!) and some means of boiling a pint of water. Thanks!

You might take a look at this thread

cranky wrote:You might take a look at this thread

Wearing your fireman sam outfit.

Who told you about my Fireman Sam outfit?

...anyway, thans Cranky I had a look as far as page 3 when it descended into a ridculous arguement! That tent is still at Argos for £29.99 which would pay for itself against one nights B&B so that looks like the one, I'll just have to curl my 6'3" frame up a little! Now about the sleeping bag and means of boiling a pint of water? Thanks again

All my tents in the past and present have been Robert Saunders, Vango, The North Face, Blacks and Terra Nova. Cheap tents may sound like a bargain, but tend not last the years.

I have The North Face Particle 13 for cycling and use a Terra Nova Laser Comp for walking. Both are 1 man and very basic to sleep in with enough room for 4 panniers and yourself. If you need more room then a 2-man is a must, but it does increase the weight. Although the Particle 13 is 1.8kg, it is a very stable tent in high winds.

I use down sleeping bags nowadays being light and low bulk. However once there get wet, there take ages to dry out. I use the Alpkit Hunka Bivi bag to protect it.

Air-bags - I use a Therm-a-Rest, plenty of models to choose from.

I think tents comes down to a personal thing, only you will know. I have a The North Face Solo 12 and very light @ 1kg, but it's a single skin and very prone to condensation and only suitable for 1 nighter's or week-end's.

Thanks Asdace. I appreciate what you say about cheap tents but will probably only find out my personal thing by trial and error and £29.99 isn't much to lose. If it turns out to be more than a passing fad I can upgrade. I'll have a look through what you suggest, thanks.

thirdcrank wrote:

cranky wrote:You might take a look at this thread

Wearing your fireman sam outfit.

It's more comfortable that asbestos boxers

mrsbloomsburybarton wrote:...anyway, thans Cranky I had a look as far as page 3 when it descended into a ridculous arguement! That tent is still at Argos for £29.99 which would pay for itself against one nights B&B so that looks like the one, I'll just have to curl my 6'3" frame up a little! Now about the sleeping bag and means of boiling a pint of water? Thanks again

Boiling water can be done on the cheap by buying a military surplus Trangia meths burning stove. They're not the quickest but they're safe, reliable and cheap to run. Take a look here

Yes, cheap tents are great for starting off with. I paid £30 for Gelert Solo and the 1st night out, the flimsy fibreglass splintered making it useless. However I did paid £10 for a Blackspur 1-man singleskin dome tent and that is a great one week-ender, afterall £10 is not breaking the bank.

I do find camping is a very cheap way of touring, again it's the pros and cons. on my 2 short tours of the Yorkshire Dales, I was paying the average price of £5 and every single site had a hot shower combined into the price. I tend to think bed and breakast and youth hostels are expensive, but I tend to think camping is the great outdoors and the food always seem to taste better. Probably all in the mind.

There is some excellent deals with tents and sleeping bags combined, but camping is a mine-field with the pros and cons of it all.

Good luck.

cranky wrote:

mrsbloomsburybarton wrote:...anyway, thans Cranky I had a look as far as page 3 when it descended into a ridculous arguement! That tent is still at Argos for £29.99 which would pay for itself against one nights B&B so that looks like the one, I'll just have to curl my 6'3" frame up a little! Now about the sleeping bag and means of boiling a pint of water? Thanks again

Boiling water can be done on the cheap by buying a military surplus Trangia meths burning stove. They're not the quickest but they're safe, reliable and cheap to run. Take a look here

I had the military Trangia Meths stove, very good, but rather slow for me. Instead I got the Trangia 27 with a gas converter, what a different. There is a nice little gem of a stove called the MSR Pocket Rocket and if you can afford it a MSR Titanium Kettle, I used both on my 1st Yorkshire Dales tour and great combo.

My camping list is on my bikepacker website http://www.bikepacker.co.uk this may help you.

Also I am not far from Worcester if you wish to see any of my camping equipment.

I have one of those Argos tents and the flysheet zip gave up after a few weeks. My advice would be to buy a quality tent at the outset, one that you can trust if the weather turns stormy. A number of "taller" backpacking friends find the Terra Nova Solar 1 a great tent with plenty of headroom. The Macpac Microlight is a similar design and also has a good reputation. Trying to squeeze a large "frame" into a small tent is no fun. Neither are cheap but both are on offer for £150 at present.
The Microlight at: www.theoutdoorshop.com
The Solar at: www.terra-nova.co.uk/clearance.
I would agree with Asdace about an ultralight gas stove and the MSR Titan Kettle, the best combination and a great long-term investment. Have a look at: www.backpackinglight.co.uk

I bought the Argos number today for £25. I look forward to testing it out soon. Quite a bargain! The zip issue is a bit dodgy but hopefully mine won't suffer the same fate as Jake's. It's a good intro tent for solo camping and if I dislike going solo (doubtful!), then it's not so much money lost.

I had some fun cooking with the MSR Titan Kettle and worth the money spent on it. http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/product116.asp