I feel this might be a question like 'Does anyone use panniers for bikepacking?' , but for some conditions they are pretty essential/Or am i just showing my age/Or should I just mtfu....
I am interested because there are some seriously light tents out there, sub 1.5kg, and when your taking a bivvy bag and a tarp, you can easily get close to a kilo, or more.
(Just coveting a Hilleberg Akto)
Whats your thoughts?

Andy :D

Being from Eastern Europe I'm used to cold but not so much wet, so yeah I'm a tent guy
I just can't imagine doing a week+ trip in Welsh weather where it can rain for days without end. Still considering if I should go the bivi route for semi-fair weather though...
My Tarptent Double Rainbow comes in around 1.3 kg (never checked) and I guess it's a fair weight for the protection it provides.

Now throw the stones!

I like tent. Tent offers much better protection, the blurring line is when does a tarp setup become a tent? I'm awaiting some gear to try and improve the tarp experience. Issue now being faced is bike packing with a partner she isn't over keen on the seperate sleeping setups, a well designed two person tarp might be more practical

didnothingfatal wrote:I like tent. Tent offers much better protection, the blurring line is when does a tarp setup become a tent? I'm awaiting some gear to try and improve the tarp experience. Issue now being faced is bike packing with a partner she isn't over keen on the seperate sleeping setups, a well designed two person tarp might be more practical

I think with 2 people bags and 1 tarp is the best way. Weight is kept down and easier to distribute. If your on your own its a bit of a toss up.

For the WRT Im seriously considering just taking my RAB bivi bag. IF the weather is bad though I may look at taking my new Laser Competition 1. Not sure I will be taking a tarp this time. Its all weather dependent.

G

griffdowg wrote:Its all weather dependent.

That's the easy question when it's a overnight or weekend. Couple of weeks out, different kettle of fish.

didnothingfatal wrote:That's the easy question when it's a overnight or weekend. Couple of weeks out, different kettle of fish.

that's where i'm at - everything changes once the duration is over a week.

any/every single factor could change in that time.

Although it must sometimes appear that I'm a bit 'anti tent' I'm more than happy to use one when conditions require it.

I'm starting to think that tarp-tents are the way forward in one form or another ... something like Dusza's Double Rainbow, my Lunar or a Go-lite Shangri-la. They seem to offer some of the advantages of both a tent and a tarp without a massive weight penalty. The drawback (at the moment) seems to be price but things are getting better ... two that spring to mind are the Luxe Mini PeakII which is £120 and the Six Moon Designs Skyscape Scout which is $125 (about £75).

Skyscape - http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents/SkyscapeScout.html

Mini PeakII - http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/produ ... ?PageID=36

That backpacking light shelter weighs too much, I'm thinking MSR Twing, that should take a storm

how about the six moons one???

under a kilo and only 75 of your english pounds!

suitable for the taller bikepacker too.

think i might be investing on one!

Six moon designs is too close to a SilShelter or Laser Comp in Fastpack. Twing designed for two and gear,

http://patagoniandreams.com/2011/11/27/ ... ld-review/

Looks a great shelter, even has a closed end.

Bloody hell did nowt make your mind up ... the Twing is a bloody tarp and you don't like tarps

Gairy the Skyscape looks like a good package, it'll keep you dry, keeps the bugs out and won't cost a divorce!

It's also more of a structured tarp than a flat sheet. I need lightweight shelter for two, got to be storm resistant and easily divided between two people.

easily divided between two people.

What you gonna do ... take scissors and a sewing kit with you or does it have a zip up the middle?

The Six Moons Skyscape doesn't come with poles or pegs, so add another 200g and £60.... oh and shipping, and customs maybe.

Better off keeping an eye out for a second hand Laser Comp 1, or even a new one if Sports Direct go mental again.

the poles are 75g each and $14 and i've already got some pegs i'll use and so it's not looking like a bad option.

i've got my eye on a few eBay laser comp's but they're not as 'tall-fella' friendly and ones i've previously watched have gone for more than this'll cost me.

Come on Nick, it's a bit farfetched to suggest that Lazers come with pegs

Lol Stuart how many times have I said my laser comp is preferred over a tarp? got one, as for tall people friendly,no issue at 6'4" and I've wild camped with two in it, granted the other one was skinny and short and we were close!

Easily divided one gets poles and pegs, I get fabric, so Twing is about 800-900g for me, 450g(ish) for her.

My night on Tarrenhendre used standard pegs on all but the guys which used MSR Needles, but now can't rate the new MSR carbon core and Cyclone pegs enough.

At least two of our WRT group will be bringing their bargain TN Lasers with them. There'll be a sea of Lasers out there on them hills I tell ya!

I use a tarptent scarp 1, 1.36k but it is awkward to pack, looking at the tarptent rainbow for next year, lighter and smaller packsize, without losing sleeping space.

The laser comp would be to small for me, I am sure I would fit in it but I hate feeling like I am sleeping in a coffin, always somepart touching the tent walls.

I use a Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar - which is probably blurring the lines between tent and tarp.

It's about 550g for the tarp and guys then need a pole inside (current one is an Alpkit carbon walking pole ~220g) and pegs which I haven't weighed.

I've got an inner on order for it from Oookworks which should come in around 3-400g if it's midgey out (i.e. this summer).

Can get three under it reasonably comfortably - It's palatial for one which is good if the weather is crap and you've decided just to read your book for a bit!

Stu.

Yep - use a Laser Large for two of us (as per WRT thing last year) and an Akto with a mesh inner for solos in the summer. Both have been slung under the bars with poles in frame bag OK.
Not keen on getting bitten by the winged teeth (really bad reactions for some reason) so I like a bit of bug netting. In the States I was tenting (when backpacking) in bear country with some fearsome mossies - but 'cos you don't want any food smells in your tent you are forced to cook and eat with the mossies.... many an evening spent walking and eating to keep the biting at bay (who said a bloke can't multi-task :) ) .
Big fan of mossies headnets too - although you look a divvy and the lumps in Cup-a-Soup don't go through.

ok, here's where i'm at (at this point any/all help appreciated):

i recently lost my tarp and groundsheet and so need to replace them with something.

a like-for-like replacement will run to about £70 (incl. p&p).

but.....

for that i could almost get a Six Moons 'Skyscape Scout' ($125/£75).

but.....on closer inspection it seems that it's an extra $28 for two poles and $50 for postage making a grand total $203 (or about £125) and would come in at about 1.2kg (incl. poles and pegs)

so.....for only a fiver more i could have gotten a Terra Nove 'Laser Comp 1' (were on offer for £130 + postage + pegs from fieldandtrek but have now sold out) which would come in at just over 1kg.

also in the mix is the Terra Nova 'Zephyros 1' (£99 from somewhere online) which'll be around 1.5kg all-in.

and and i still can't seem to shake the Gelert 'Solo' tent (even though it'd be a tight fit) as it's 1.5kg and only £30!!!

so.....right now can anyone give me a better (tent!) option than the Six Moons offering....?

any curve-balls to throw in?

anything i've missed in my sub-1.5kg cheap(ish) tent search?

gairy.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/wild-countr ... m_content=

£91.80 with a coupon.
Type 15camp into discount box when paying.

heh that looks rather a lot like another popular lightweight tent :)

To be honest, I haven't really kept up on the new tent designs in the last few years, after spending a wedge on a Hilleberg Nallo 2, 5 years ago. The Nallo is great for cycle touring for a few weeks, but I barely use it now, since I've got into shorter/lighter types of nights out. After reading the posts, I didnt realise there where so many much lighter weight options out there.. (Nallo 2 is about 2.3kg, and bulky)
Interesting to read about everyones set ups, and reasons for using/not using a tent....Now what to take on the WRT...... :?