Cycling UK Forum

Hi,
I don't normally camp on rocks or something that is likely to rip my tent groundsheet.
Also if you find grass to camp on it's always going to be a bit softer that way I don't have to carry a heavy Mat.
If I was forced to camp on something hard then I would reconsider, thickish waterproof material is heavy as we know, But I always find that and have used for many years in cheap tents, the plastic woven encapsulated in PVC is very very tough and incredibly light, almost impossible to rip it.
The stuff is sold as multipurpose Tarpaulin in High Street shops Lidls and Aldi.
On a minus, doesn't roll easy you have to fold it and it suffers sunlight badly, which is not a problem because it's so cheap to replace, Not that I groundsheet protector will see the Sun anyway.
So I would regard a ground sheet protector as an unnecessary thing, but I wouldn't discount it all together.
I only posted the OEX To see if anybody had any information on it? Appears not.

In my mind something lightweight bivy type should be sub 1 kg.
From 1 to 1.5 kg for talking about ultra lightweight tent.
Okay you have the ultra ultra lightweight tents at silly weights nearer 500 g.
But I regard these as purely specialist.
Standard one one man tents go from 1.5 to 2 kg.
So for me it's always going to be a tent that is around about 1.5 kg with good headroom?
I have to be able to sit up in it.
Anything other than that really has to be closer to 1 kilo, My specific needs is something that is close to 1 kg, something that will fit in my bike packing bags, and something and I can set up get in quick and put some gear in too.
Minimum floor space for stealth camping, I'm not intending to cook or be able to sit up either.

I suppose you have to weigh up the practicalities of the space for the total weight of your tent.
If you're going to start to use other items like walking sticks and twigs and trees walls et cetera then we are really talking about an Item that is more likely representing a tarp?

I am probably asking for too much that you could go for a Double hopped bivy which is going to be reliably waterproof and is near 1 kg?
Most of them look good on paper but you have to consider how you get in and out of them?
Side entry is always best I think but then adds weight again.
Still mulling.

I'm currently using Tyvek to make my groundsheet/footprints. It folds or rolls easliy, especially once it's been though the washer a few times to soften it up The one I've made for my Wild Country Zepheros 1 weighs 175g. The ultimate is supposed to be a material called IRC Polycryo which is an incredibly thin but strong clear film. I looked for some last year out of curiosity. It seems hard to obtain in the UK but I think the film you can get for secondary double-glazing is similar (possibly the same?) stuff.

PaulaT wrote:I'm currently using Tyvek to make my groundsheet/footprints. It folds or rolls easliy, especially once it's been though the washer a few times to soften it up The one I've made for my Wild Country Zepheros 1 weighs 175g. The ultimate is supposed to be a material called IRC Polycryo which is an incredibly thin but strong clear film. I looked for some last year out of curiosity. It seems hard to obtain in the UK but I think the film you can get for secondary double-glazing is similar (possibly the same?) stuff.

Seem to remember looking at/for tyvek some time ago but found that it was expensive, so back to cheapo tarp.

PaulaT wrote:I'm currently using Tyvek to make my groundsheet/footprints. It folds or rolls easliy, especially once it's been though the washer a few times to soften it up The one I've made for my Wild Country Zepheros 1 weighs 175g. The ultimate is supposed to be a material called IRC Polycryo which is an incredibly thin but strong clear film. I looked for some last year out of curiosity. It seems hard to obtain in the UK but I think the film you can get for secondary double-glazing is similar (possibly the same?) stuff.

Double glazing film IS the same stuff. FWIW, I’m using polycryo/window film Under the body of my tent, and tyvek in the porch area which doesn’t have its own groundsheet.

Sweep wrote:On the subject of cheap one man accomodation, folk may be interested in this.

I know nothing about the tent, though OEX are/were stocked by GoOutdoors.

A shade under £50 delivered.

https://www.tiso.com/eatnz7ti0192/oex-p ... m_content=

I have a MK1. Enclosed porch is big enough for panniers, opening porch for shoes etc.

Big enough for me at 5'8".

Waterproof.

Packs down small.

Just orientate it so the ventilator isn't pointing in to a North sea gale.

PaulaT wrote:I'm currently using Tyvek to make my groundsheet/footprints. It folds or rolls easliy, especially once it's been though the washer a few times to soften it up The one I've made for my Wild Country Zepheros 1 weighs 175g. The ultimate is supposed to be a material called IRC Polycryo which is an incredibly thin but strong clear film. I looked for some last year out of curiosity. It seems hard to obtain in the UK but I think the film you can get for secondary double-glazing is similar (possibly the same?) stuff.

In the US it's used to wrap houses before the cladding goes on, so eBay will sell offcuts.

Think 2m X 1m cost about £6 delivered.

st599_uk wrote:

Sweep wrote:On the subject of cheap one man accomodation, folk may be interested in this.

I know nothing about the tent, though OEX are/were stocked by GoOutdoors.

A shade under £50 delivered.

https://www.tiso.com/eatnz7ti0192/oex-p ... m_content=

I have a MK1. Enclosed porch is big enough for panniers, opening porch for shoes etc.

Big enough for me at 5'8".

Waterproof.

Packs down small.

Just orientate it so the ventilator isn't pointing in to a North sea gale.

thanks for feedback - does look rather nice.
now seems to be £59 inc delivery.
Maybe we've ramped it

st599_uk wrote:

PaulaT wrote:I'm currently using Tyvek to make my groundsheet/footprints. It folds or rolls easliy, especially once it's been though the washer a few times to soften it up The one I've made for my Wild Country Zepheros 1 weighs 175g. The ultimate is supposed to be a material called IRC Polycryo which is an incredibly thin but strong clear film. I looked for some last year out of curiosity. It seems hard to obtain in the UK but I think the film you can get for secondary double-glazing is similar (possibly the same?) stuff.

In the US it's used to wrap houses before the cladding goes on, so eBay will sell offcuts.

Think 2m X 1m cost about £6 delivered.

that's more than a cheap tarp tho.