Cycling UK Forum

Budget Tent required (sub £100, the more sub the better, but should be middling to decent quality (I don't want one that will fall apart at the first or second use!!)).

I was looking at a Karrimor Xlite 200 earlier today, which is available for £50 from one of the Sports shops in town, same price at Amazon [ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Karrimor-X-Lite ... B003LQBIJ2 ]. Seemed to pack down quite small [ 42cm * 15cm] and relatively light at just under 2kg. Poles were quite bulky, but I think I could buy some lighter poles?

Any other recommendations?

You won't go too far wrong with a Vango tent at this price point.

http://www.marshallleisure.co.uk/index. ... =32#custom

A bargain at £58!

+ £6 shipping and 2.2kg.
hard to find reviews of the Karrimor but it is DOE approved if that means anything.

I can vouch for the Vango Banshee. A good tent for the price - relatively light and small enough pack size. A bit cramped with two people but doable as long as you're not more than about 6' 2". And there's not a lot of luggage space either - our panniers lived outside in the awning at night.

These Decathlon tents: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/t2-ultral ... o-3244110/ generally get good reviews on here.

The Vango Banshee is very good but quite small. I wouldn't recommend for anyone much over 6' or wanting to sit up and read, change clothes, or cook. As a two person tent it is very intimate. The Vango Spectre 200 is much roomier, and not much heavier. I'm 6' 5" and very happy with mine. Although list is £120, it is widely available for £70... http://www.vango.co.uk/tents/spectre-200.html

Part of me wants mine to give up the ghost soon because the new model has the zips to the end storage areas and is a much more tasteful green (mine is very bright blue), but mine shows no signs of wear at all after five years of very regular use in all conditions.

Graham

I've got one of these http://www.khyam.co.uk/detail.asp?p=364

Now I haven't used it in anger but it packs quite small, is quite roomy inside and isn't too heavy. I have a big Khyam family tent that is just brilliant so that swayed me as did the price.

I strongly recommend Decathlon tents - well designed and good prices. After sales service excellent.

Can be bought on line if the store is too far away. I have used the 2kg lightweight for many years. The current design ironed out many of the previous problems and cannot be beaten.

However, lightweight tents have never been better or cheaper - too many other makes to make comparisons easy.

I suppose it depends on your requirements from a tent.

I've just gone through a couple of months of looking for the perfect tent. My requirements were: 2 person (just for the added space), ability to sit up, under 2.5 kg, green (for wild camping), poles short enough to fit in a pannier, outer pitch first, self supporting (dome style), under £100.

The one which I ended up with was this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Highlander-Forc ... B0029F1YCW

It's really cheap, BUT, you have to replace the poles and the pegs to get it under 2.5 kg. You can get 2 sets of poles from decathlon which, conveniently, are just the right length (well, about half an inch too short, but it doesn't seem to make any difference):

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/8-5mm-alu ... t-3242565/

The design is really good. The inner space is excellent, the porch is good and the door can be rigged like an awning, which is something I love in a tent. The only real drawback seems to be the peculiar way they've put the mosquito netting door on the inside of the inner door. This means to adjust the venting (top down zip - good), you have to open the mosquito net door (bad). It can be done with a minimum of gap, but it's a bit of a puzzle why it's been done like that.

The tent itself seems bombproof, and though a touch on the heavy side (mine comes in at about 2.25 Kg), it's a really good design.

Lots of nice tents, but the best tent for the cash for the OP will depend on where the tent is to be used and by how many people. The tent they've mentioned is a low-to-the-ground thing which has advantages for not blowing over in exposed places. For cycle touring in sunny France or similar, there may be more airy options.

Thanks for the input all - I am on the case.

Leaflets in my local LIDL say they will have a 2-Person Hiking Tent for sale from 4 April. £12.99!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000ODY ... 102&sr=8-1

Read the reviews about bad weather.

Al

Here is the 12.99 Lidl;

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl ... _19495.htm

What is our opinion on this one??

700c wrote:What is our opinion on this one??

Personally I would call it a beach shelter, I do not think I would like to spend a wet night trying to sleep in it.