Camping choice to tour with a heavy tent

[donnieban]

I have decided to abandon light tenting in favour of a heavier tent to ensure comfortable nights and worry free days where one no longer frets about the wind.

This goes against the grain I know, perhaps you share this sentiment towards practicality? Who tours with a heavier tent and why?

donnieban

[simonineaston]

I'm not sure I fully understand your assumption that a 'heavy' tent results in comfortable nights and no worries about wind. The last two tents I've used for cycle-touring have both weighed less than 2kg and I've slept well in both. While confidence is a fairly subjective feeling, I trusted both in bad weather - I used a North Face Tadpole until '09, which I replaced with a Hilleberg Nallo. I'm talking here about 3 season cycling tours in England and France and so in countryside usually well below the tree-line - perhaps you are thinking about more arduous terrain - do let us know so our comments can be as relevant as poss..
I've never felt the need to choose a tent heavier than, say, 2.5 kilos, mainly 'cos I'm usually travelling solo and in less demanding seasons/altitudes, but even so, there's a shed-load of great tents out there at under 2.5 kilos - when I chose a tent for cycle-touring, I deliberately ignored tried-and-tested mountain tents like the Quasar, which I used to use when I was into fell-walking and mountain climbing simply because the very features that make it so good for use on the hill, like the 4 pole structure and the low, wind-shedding profile make it a bloomin' nuisance when you're trying to travel light, staying in sheltered sites and pitching and striking every day.
Like I say, though, tents is a very subjective subject...

[BeeKeeper]

I have a nallo 2 GT and chose it for the room in the porch. There are lighter tents which can cope with bad weather but they are smaller - and space was top of my priorities when choosing a tent.

[donnieban]

Hi Simon,

The tent is dual purpose intended: cycle camping and exposed ridge line climbing. I simply value a good nights sleep a good nights sleep. I agree that a heavy tent doesnt guarantee that but to my mind decent geodesic build quality does require some extra weight.

The Quaser mirrors that sentiment which probably explains why there is still a demand for a 4
.3 kg tent?

donnieban

[pjclinch]

A lot of the demand for a Quasar (or similar bunker-class geodesic) is about perception rather than reality. Look at the most popular tents for trekking across the polar wastes where there's no shelter and tent failure simply is not an option and amongst the favourites are Hilleberg's Keron and Namatj tunnels. And part of what makes them good for the job is they're more flexible than a geodesic so they can bend better with the wind rather than have to stand there and just take it full-on. And properly pitched Hille's lighter tunnels like the Nallo have plenty of track record in high exposed pitches (and thanks to Terra Nova's insistence on a PU coating for seam tape to stick to the Quasar, the Nallo's outer is probably stronger in terms of tear strength since both PU coats and seam taping heat age and weaken the base fabric far more than a silicone coating on an untaped fly).

What is better for the most part in a heavy geodesic is the amount of noise reduction in a blow, which may well give you a better night's sleep. Or you could save a couple of kilos and get some earplugs...

I use a bunker-class tent for sea kayaking or canoe touring. I might have to put ashore in worsening weather somewhere a decent pitch and any shelter is out of the question, and in the boat the weight is a non-issue and the bulk is not that much of one. So there's an excuse for it there, but I can't think I'd ever want to take it anywhere by bike or foot. The Kaitum 3 tunnel I prefer for that has half as much space again and is a kilo lighter, and can stand up to pretty much anything that'll get thrown at it (it goes on paddling trips without the inner for use as a party tent while we sleep in the bunker (a Hille Tarra)).

So if you do decide to go "heavy" I'd look at the lighter end of it. Something like an Allak (or Soulo if it's just you) is significantly lighter than a Quasar and should take serious flak. And the design is great for rocky pitches on exposed ridges as the porches don't need pegging out.

Pete.

[nmnm]

If you're after a one-tent-for-all-uses, you might also like the semi-geo 4 season tents like the TN voyager. Maybe a wee bit faster to put up than the Quasar, the newer versions of these are pretty light (<2kg) but still have the freestanding taut fabric qualities you may be after.

I used the older, heavier Voyager in France a few times. It was a bit unforgiving if the sun got onto the tent before I got up - pretty hot inside. Bit low, the ceiling (designed to shed winter wind). I used to be a bit jealous of those people in cheap domes with 1 metre high ceilings the little porches! But it was great in the colder weather (Brittany in July on a bad day ) and when Tiree suddenly got very windy.

You could think of a two tent solution too. Could work out cheaper, not wearing out the dear winter tent so much, and with a closer fit for each use.

[hamster]

There are no absolute right answers here. Use the kit you feel comfortable with. Everyone sets compromises in different places: I'll always take a screw-together steam coffee maker and a kettle - other might be happy with a pan and a sachet of Nescafe.

[pjclinch]

There are no absolute right answers here. Use the kit you feel comfortable with. Everyone sets compromises in different places: I'll always take a screw-together steam coffee maker and a kettle - other might be happy with a pan and a sachet of Nescafe.

(coffee snob mode=ON) There may be no absolute right answers, but a sachet of Nescafe is an absolute wrong one...

(having said that, the "instant cappuccinos" are surprisingly drinkable if one takes them as what they are (i.e., sweet and warm) and not as a coffee substitute).

Pete.

[al_yrpal]

My Avior X3 weighs nearly 3 kg. I chose it because it's bombproof in high winds, very spacious and comfortable and cheap. I hate lightweight 'coffin' type tents where you can't move around and get dressed /undressed easily. A kilo or two seems a sensible penalty for comfort, security and savings of £200+.

Al

[donnieban]

I think its all down to personal choice and what best fits in with our own needs.

I think al_yrpal has got it right, build quality and a practical size for comfort at a sensible price. Titanium pegs which are more akin to kirby hair grips, tent floors which require protective footprints void any initial saving in weight. Perhaps its time for us to wake up and smell the (real) coffee as hamster has done

When I posted I had anticipated that there would be bigger following of pro heavies who look beyond the weight - but, lugging a tent which is equivalent in weight to a gallon of water does deserve thought. Perhaps a lighter bike, a good road, lesser headwinds and general fitness are all factors which can compensate to some extent?

If the bike carries the weight then all is reasonably well with some penalty to be anticipated on the hills.

donnieban

[pjclinch]

When I posted I had anticipated that there would be bigger following of pro heavies who look beyond the weight - but, lugging a tent which is equivalent in weight to a gallon of water does deserve thought.

"Heavy" is, of course, a relative term. Our favoured cycle camping Weapon Of Choice is 3 Kg, which is quite a bit heavier than you need for a two person tent so clearly we are "pro heavy" to some degree. We've really spent the weight on extra space and liveability (it's a Kaitum 3 which really is a 3 person tent from the occupants' point of view, rather than the forlorn hope of a marketing department) rather than absolute bombproofing. We do have the Nuclear Bunker option too, but it weighs a Kilo more and has less space, but even so our Kaitum was chosen looking beyond the weight.

Perhaps a lighter bike, a good road, lesser headwinds and general fitness are all factors which can compensate to some extent?

Or a good night's sleep! One of the issues is deciding what you're really there for. At one extreme the camping is just a means to be out on a remote road, at the other the ride is just a way of getting you to the great camping spot. Most of us, I suspect, fall somewhere between but it'll be at different spots along the spectrum. Another point here is that where we are along that line changes too, from trip to trip, so whether we take the titanium can-top stove or a nice stable one you can do real cooking on will depend on whether we're tipping the scales towards camping or riding. That we have both stoves (plus others...) means we can choose though, and similarly having a selection of tents gives us better options to omptimise any given trip. There are limits of stirage space and cash to get it all, of course!

If the bike carries the weight then all is reasonably well with some penalty to be anticipated on the hills.
donnieban

I find bulk is more of an issue. I can winch myself up just about anything in the granny, but there's only so much space Our Nuclear Bunker actually takes up more space than the roomier Kaitum when it's packed. 4 poles is quite a lot of bulk, and you can get almost as tough with 3, and actually acceptably tough with 2 or even 1.

Pete.

[hamster]

A lot depends also on where you are going - if Norway I would want a stronger, slightly bigger tent as I am likely to suffer some bad weather and actually want to sit in it for a while. On the other hand, in southern France in the summer, I would need the tent as little more (hopefully) than somewhere to sleep.

[andrew_s]

I don't use a heavy tent, but also I haven't gone for the lightest.
I use an Akto (1.6kg) in preference to a TN Laser Comp (1kg), preferring the extra weight for the benefits of a proper groundsheet and a tent that can be easily put up by just me in windy conditions, and which won't then keep me awake all night with noisy flapping.
When considering the storm-worthiness of a tent, you should also consider how you will put up the tent. Some so-called "bunker" tents can be quite vulnerable if hit by a strong gust when only half-erected.

[pjclinch]

And consider how you'll put it down... While it was the "Superlite" Voyager rather than the usual semi-skimmed version, someone reported on Outdoors Magic last week how their New Toy had caught a sideways gust just after he'd unpegged and unguyed the outer and that snapped the front pole which then went through the fly...

That's part of why I much prefer fly-first or all-in-one pitching to inner-first. While it's often put down to being about the inner getting wet that's actually a bit of a non-issue. However, an inner that you can't guy sensibly having to take whatever's blowing while you faff about trying to get the fly over it doesn't strike me as a Good Idea.

Pete.

[foxyrider]

If you want to have a great tent then look no further than this!

Brilliant demonstration!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjL0WRUZqTU