Pictures of your tents.

[Pebble]

Never ever camped from a bike, I must give it a go sometime

Spent many a night wild camping up among the tops though

Knoydart

[Sweep]

Just spent six days trying out my helm 1 compact in the Trough of Bowland and the Yorkshire dales so far so good with enough room for me , and the 4 panniers in the 2 vestibules

wonderful bit of the world.
Did you freecamp in bowland?

[matt2matt2002]

A short 3 day trip. Inverness to Lochcarron.
Stopped off at Achnasheen railway station.
Good area for the Hubba Hubba. Toilets and free wi-fi.

A freecamp?
If so, a bit close to a road/in plain view?

Yes Sweep. It's a very large pull-in lay- bye kind of place. Well off the road though.
In full view for sure
Downside was folks like Tesco delivery vans pull in for a chat with each other and to use the facilities. And keep their engines running.
But it felt safe. Not for everyone of course.
I think the free WiFi ( yes, it's nice to get away from the net sometimes ) was via the station.

[Astrobike]

Just spent six days trying out my helm 1 compact in the Trough of Bowland and the Yorkshire dales so far so good with enough room for me , and the 4 panniers in the 2 vestibules

wonderful bit of the world.
Did you freecamp in bowland?

Hi sweep no all camping on pre booked campsites

[Sweep]

Thanks for reply.
I have plans to freecamp bowland and the dales on mini adventures.

[Cowsham]

From left to right

Lidl 4 man tent (4.7kg) £35

Regatta Kivu 3 (4.5kg ) £150 (bought it on offer about £75)

Vango Omega 350 (4.7kg) £150

All the tents belonged to me just that the tents my friends had bought to go on this trip were useless so I let them use my spare ones. Less bother I thought.

The Lidl tent is just right -- heavy built in groundsheet which I like -- easy put up and packed away. -- roomy - all the hangers pockets etc -- good zips -- porch ground sheet -- the air gap is really good between inner and fly and best of all that price.

The Regatta has too low a gap between inner and fly so the two stick together even with just dew. There is a bath tub type built in porch ground sheet which is why I bought it in the first place but I wouldnt recomend the tent.

The Omega is a great tent -- big - roomy and has alloy poles which are a revelation -- the only downside is that the built in ground sheet feels thin --- I suppose to keep it light since its a big tent.

All three tents took a 45mph wind the first night and heavy rain and wind the following two days.

All tents are heavy by most cycle tourers standards but I think it important to be able to sleep.

[Des49]

Never ever camped from a bike, I must give it a go sometime

Spent many a night wild camping up among the tops though
Knoydart

Lovely! I find that scene just so beautiful. A few years since I have been on the hills and makes me want to get out there.

[SA_SA_SA]

As I see it, the Zephyros is a cheaper version of the Terra Nova Laser Comp, which was a copy of the Hilleberg Akto with one pole at each end rather than two, for weight saving.
The Spacepacker was the first transverse hoop tent, but it was quite a bit larger, and wouldn't have worked as a single person design (need the height on the arch for face clearance reasons, which dictates enough width for two). The Akto was the first to introduce end poles, which is what makes a single person transverse hoop tent possible.

Laser comp / zephros designs puzzle me a bit:

Why would you want a tighter hoop requiring short end poles, that still results in a tent like the low halves of two tiny sloping ridge tents bolted together....when a hoop in line with sleeper would have a gentler curve more face or feet clearance and only one pole....? Ie a descendant of spacepacker but inner moved thru 90 degrees eg in 1man form oex bobcat, blacks octane 1, berghaus peak 3.1 etc

[SA_SA_SA]

As I see it, the Zephyros is a cheaper version of the Terra Nova Laser Comp, which was a copy of the Hilleberg Akto with one pole at each end rather than two, for weight saving.
The Spacepacker was the first transverse hoop tent, but it was quite a bit larger, and wouldn't have worked as a single person design (need the height on the arch for face clearance reasons, which dictates enough width for two). The Akto was the first to introduce end poles, which is what makes a single person transverse hoop tent possible.

Laser comp / zephros designs puzzle me a bit:

Why would you want a tighter hoop (more pole stress) cf spacepacker, requiring an additional short pair of end poles, that still results in a tent like the low halves of two tiny sloping ridge tents bolted together....when a hoop in line with sleeper would have a gentler curve, more face or feet clearance and only one pole....? Ie a descendant of spacepacker but inner moved thru 90 degrees eg in 1man form oex bobcat, blacks octane 1, berghaus peak 3.1 etc

[andrew_s]

The problems with the longitudinal (head to toe) single arch are...
a) it's narrow left to right, and there's not the width for your head in the high part. This can be fixed with a short spreader pole, as on the Pheonix Phreeranger
b) the pole is low tension, and easily deformed by the wind. This can lead to being thwacked on the head by the pole as it blows flat.
c) the left and right panels are large and now well supported, so crossways wind can also be a problem.

(I also had a T.N. Solar, at one stage)

[SA_SA_SA]

The problems with the longitudinal (head to toe) single arch are...
a) it's narrow left to right, and there's not the width for your head in the high part. This can be fixed with a short spreader pole, as on the Pheonix Phreeranger
b) the pole is low tension, and easily deformed by the wind. This can lead to being thwacked on the head by the pole as it blows flat.
c) the left and right panels are large and now well supported, so crossways wind can also be a problem.
Y
(I also had a T.N. Solar, at one stage)

A) I dont find that in a peak 3.1, I can sit up ok on my peak 3.1
b) but its no more low tension than a spacepacker's?
c) ditto, how does this differ from a spacepacker other than the steepness of the slope.

Aren't b and c dealt with by guys on a spacepacker?

[Oldjohnw]

I have the Bergman’s peak 3.1. No problem sitting up or even kneeling. It isn’t a base camp but a backpacker tent. You accept the limited if you want this price and this weight,

[nsew]

The Unna between the dugouts, in a river bed and at church Sunday morning.

[nsew]

By a lake, a canal and a river

[nsew]

In a farmyard, underneath a motorway and behind the goalposts.