Do I want a tent?

[mechanicaldope]

Keep mulling this over and swinging between getting a one man tent or a new tarp. One of either is essential as my only current tarp is 3X3 which is obviously a bit massive.

I think I am coming down on the side of a tent, mainly because I don't like slugs and midges getting me in the summer. A smaller tarp though is much, much cheaper.

I do like being able to sleep under the stars too so something like the lunar solo would work well. But £300 for the tent and some of stu's poles.... Hmm.

Have seen some of you talk about times at which a tent would be impossible to pitch. I don't think I have ever been anywhere this would be the case but haven't been doing this long so likely just haven't been paying enough attention. Surely there would always be somewhere within a 5 minute cycle? But a tarp can go anywhere...

So, should I buy a tent? Any what is like a lunar solo, still good, still light, but much cheaper (I know, pick 2...)?

Sorry for rambling a bit!

[Richpips]

The impossible to pitch 1P tent, maybe but extremely rarely. I can think of once ever, and a cozy pitch was found 20 minutes later.

I've got a lunar solo and a lightheart solo, both are a great weight saving if you are going somewhere warm.

In the UK though IMHO you'll carry a warmer sleeping bag to offset the copious ventilation that your 1P tent doesn't have to have.

Oh, and both those shelters will be no easier to pitch than a 1P tent.

[ScotRoutes]

I've certainly used a tarp and bivvy bag in places where a tent couldn't be pitched - amongst rocks, on a beach, in the lee of a building. Maybe if I'd pushed on long enough I'd have found somewhere for a tent but that can often mean more exposed, or so poor a pitch that the tent sags, flaps or doesn't ventilate adequately. I could easily take you to locations where a tent just wouldn't work and it would be a lot more than 5 minutes to a suitable spot. Of course, a bit of advanced planning helps - like not riding past all the good pitches until it's too late :)

There's no "right" answer though. I'm about 50:50 on tent vs tarp this year. (tent being a Lunar Solo)

[mechanicaldope]

@ Richpips: Not entirely sure I follow you. Are you distinguishing between a shelter and a 1P tent? I was thinking of them as the same thing. Or are you saying that for the UK a slightly heavier, more traditional 1P tent just offsets a lightweight shelter from weight saves elsewhere?

@Scotroutes: I get what your saying. Coming at this from a position of little existing baseline kit I am rapidly accumulating stuff and discovering what I like and don't like but that game gets expensive fast! At the moment I want to buy kit that works well much more often than not so if the impossible pitch tent is a rarity then I think I am prepared to risk it.

[ianfitz]

A small tarp and a mesh inner from eBay shouldn’t be too expensive. Will keep slugs and midges at bay too.


I may have a netting inner in the kit room if you are interested in an unintended stealth ad

[Cheeky Monkey]

Or get one of the Deschutes-a-likes from Aliexpresss (think I paid c.£50 for mine though was an offer but anticipate <£100). Another £50 or so for a pole and you have something that can be a 1P tent with inner or leave the inner and just use the outer as a tarp. If you want the "tarp" experience the "doors" are quite adaptable to set up in various config's.

You won't have the "extra versatility" of a flat tarp but I'd speculate that the number of times this would actually be a negative / disadvantage are few and far between.

[benp1]

There is a time and a place for a tent. I've always been a tarp and bivi bag user in the hills, or at best a floorless shelter, I haven't stayed in a proper tent in the hills for at least 10 years

However, I recently picked up a tent and plan to get it a whirl every now and then. For certain trips I think it's good to have an option, though I'd say a tent is definitely less flexible than a tarp/bivi combo, and less 'at one with your surroundings', but it's warmer and could even be quicker/easier to pitch in certain situations

[jamiep]

As above, a single pole tarp-tent would be suitable, I think, and versatile. I got this, no longer available, for £60-65 https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/2017-3F- ... 37993.html

[Cheeky Monkey]

As above, a single pole tarp-tent would be suitable, I think, and versatile. I got this, no longer available, for £60-65 https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/2017-3F- ... 37993.html

That was the one I meant. Shame it's UA, if of interest email them, might just be waiting a manufacturer's run.

[Mariner]

I bought my tent as a temporary item until I could afford something better and that was about five years ago.
Tarps have come and gone and I even briefly had a Skyscape in cuben fibre which had to go back.
The problem with the temporary tent is its so dam versatile and easy to put up.
Two pegs and two hoops job done. When I am cold tired and emotional this is a good boost to the moral.
I can have net inner only or inner and fly and if its blowing a gale just add another eight pegs and four guys.
I would say ninety percent of pitches are net only unless in proximity to other people or its raining.
Also have a Hunka bivy for the rare occasion I don't bother with the tent.
If I was looking for the ideal tent it would be mine with two doors instead of one but still with hoop poles and separate inner and outer.
The Skyscape comes close but cba faffing about with all those mini guys and pegs to get the bath tub set.
Have a hunt through Aliexpress as I am sure I have seen tent and inner combinations that might do.
If I was buying I think I would have a serious look at the Stealth 1.5 with inner as everything with two doors or open sides seems expensive.
The trade off is weight/volume against comfort/versatility.

[Richpips]

@ Richpips: Not entirely sure I follow you. Are you distinguishing between a shelter and a 1P tent? I was thinking of them as the same thing. Or are you saying that for the UK a slightly heavier, more traditional 1P tent just offsets a lightweight shelter from weight saves elsewhere?

that for the UK a slightly heavier, more traditional 1P tent just offsets a lightweight shelter from weight saves elsewhere?

This.

[whitestone]

I'm probably 70:30 in favour of tarp/bivy over tent.

I do like the idea of the Luna Solo and similar half-pyramid tents, Ian Fitz has one of the Z-Packs Hexamid http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/hexamid.shtml versions. I've a cobbled together system of tarp and bivy with bug net that allows me to mix and match as conditions dictate. It's cuben fibre so very lightweight - 400g including pole and pegs. The downside is that you don't have the volume inside the bivy bag that you do with a dedicated inner as per the Luna Solo.

A tent will generally be warmer as you don't get the constant circulation/replacement of air taking the heat away that you do under a tarp.

My general approach is to save weight wherever possible so that you have leeway to use stronger/heavier kit for those situations where you know you struggle to cope.

[Bearbonesnorm]

The thing about a tent being warmer isn't realy true if you're under a tarp and inside a bivvy bag.

[Teetosugars]

What about one of these?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/650-gra ... 23d6d95a0c

[benp1]

I've always considered a single skin tent to be more of a shelter or tarp tent than a tent.

In my simple head a tent involves a double skin

A shelter without a floor is then a shaped tarp or a floorless shelter

[numplumz]

I have a Z-paks Cuban pyramid shelter which is great as stu says, inside bivy and under that nice and warm and able to cope with all the elements.
There are times when I stop on a campsite, mainly to get showered and chill and I want to go off site, and I am not comfortable leaving my kit "on show" and I covet a tent for the future huge trips planned. comes in handy to hide bike in with wheels off too.

That Ali express looks interesting, anyone got one?

[whitestone]

What about one of these?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/650-gra ... 23d6d95a0c

Either that's a child in the tent or it's really, really big! Actually for the money it's worth a punt (or sixty). Looks like a <cough>copy</cough> of the Lunar Solo.

Stu - it's unusual to be totally "within" a bivy bag, they don't have the permeability to prevent CO2 build up unless they've some form of mesh "window" so your head is often out of the bag.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Stu - it's unusual to be totally "within" a bivy bag, they don't have the permeability to prevent CO2 build up unless they've some form of mesh "window" so your head is often out of the bag.

No Bob, I simply meant sleeping inside one, not completely inside, zipped up, sealed in.

[mechanicaldope]

Thanks for the advice / suggestions. Think I may have more to think about now than I did before!

Am I right in thinking that a bathtub / net doesn't really work with an unshaped tarp like a rig3.5? Could still use a Midge net I suppose. The small pack size and weight of these have some appeal.

Re the Ali tarps, some of them look excellent value but I expect the quality could potentially be variable. The first use of what I get will be the Winter Event and discovering what I brought was sub standard while being soaked up a snowy hill in Wales might not be the best idea. The lead times worry me a bit too. Guess 9 weeks should be enough.

All the people that use tarps: are these traditional rectangular ones or shaped? Shaped looks like you could get a lot more shelter but at expense of weight.

Alternatively I could go with a more known quantity and get something like a vango helix 100 as a temporary solution. 1.3kg and available for about £50. Doesn't sound too bad.

Decisions!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Am I right in thinking that a bathtub / net doesn't really work with an unshaped tarp like a rig3.5?

Both a net and / or tub can work with a flat tarp but much it'll depend how you set it up.

[Mariner]

Alternatively I could go with a more known quantity and get something like a vango helix 100 as a temporary solution. 1.3kg and available for about £50. Doesn't sound too bad.

Noooooooooooooo thats what I did - five years ago.
Not a Vango but same principle.

[ZeroDarkBivi]

I use a number of options - bivi bag or bivi+ tarp generally the most common, depending on the forecast and time of year. I used little tents when I used to do mtn marathons, and would definitely do the same if I was riding in a pair or doing more winter bivis. Or in insect territory.

[mechanicaldope]

What about one of these?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/650-gra ... 23d6d95a0c

Anyone got any experience of this 3F Ali brand? Might be tempted to take a punt if some of their other stuff is OK. Assume that 3 season would just about be ok Would also be good if I could stop their site being in Russian.

[Teetosugars]

Just go on the global site and it’s all in English...
there’s a button far right Iirc..

[Bearbonesnorm]

Anyone got any experience of this 3F Ali brand? Might be tempted to take a punt if some of their other stuff is OK.

The stuff's generally better than you might imagine. Although the shelter in the link will suffer quite badly with condensation - said condensation has no where to go except into the fully waterproof bathtub you're laid in