Lightweight tent recommendations?

That would be the logical step, but she can't be convinced that her 25-year-old sleeping bag might be at fault. I was sleeping quite snugly in mine. As I said, it's my fault. I should have seen it coming. Now it is the "tent of the devil straight out of frozen hell"

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lol - that does seem rather silly. I’d just buy her one without telling her and then she’ll have to use it and realize how amazing modern bags are.

Ordered a Katabatic Piñon bivy for camping for two nights before my Mt Whitney hike. Can’t wait to use it. Looks well fun.

Am selling a tent here if anyone's interested.

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/377558/#comment16590652

Hi, does anyone have any opinion on the Vango F10 Xenon UL2+? (For very short 2+ day cycle tours)

I can get a used one like new for €160 (Germany), but then realised its the "2+" version, not the "2" kind. The 2+ version has a bigger porch. Standard 2 = 1.9kg, while the 2+ = 2.4kg.

I was actually looking for something for myself, but if its a bargain then I could buy it for when I have a partner again if its too big for one person. Could get a bivy in addition for just myself in the meantime. Not sure if this is the right way to approach this.

Also, it's a tunnel tent - are they ok for ventilation? I see better tents have doors on either side.

Buy the tent that you need now, not the tent that you hypothetically need in the future.

it's a tunnel tent - are they ok for ventilation? I see better tents have doors on either side.

I've never had a tunnel tent, but I use a Coshee 2 (2.1kg) which has a door each side for riding and never had a problem with ventilation.

I love a door each side because it means you can avoid wind, rain etc by just getting in/out the other side.

Not really relevant, but I once camped next to a lovely lake, and meant I could get in and out away from the lake for ease, but sling open the lake side door in the morning for #epicviews.

Thanks for that very prompt and highly needed dose of logical advice : ) Just managed to sell off a few things that were just taking space and now I wanted more of the same. Not that I won't find a partner at some point again (he states optimistically...ahem), haha.

I spent much of the day reading old threads here and there and watching some youtube...and kept having the same thought: how lovely it would be to wake up in the morning and view my new found bit of paradise from the comfort of my (yet to be bought) sleeping bag. If it's a quiet spot and I don't feel the need to rush off, then it would be nice just to enjoy the beauty a while.

Thanks for responding and thanks for confirming my own wishes! Yes. It's a great tent that Xenon and I may even kick myself later for not going for such a bargain, but I think I just like the side access and window on the world too much. I guess something else will pop up again of interest later on.

I've been there and did the same thing. Then realised that I might be camping by myself for years lol - so sold the tent I'd got and got a big tarp and a bivy. Tiny, incredibly light and work for me in the climate I'm in. Carrying a 2p tent when you're by yourself sucks.

Glad I'm not the only one : )

May I ask what brand and model tarp and bivy you got?

Sure. A Gossamer Gear Twinn and a Katabatic Pinon. Twinn is huge and could easily fit two but its nice and palatial for one. Pinon is obviously for one person and as it never really rains where I live - I could just take that whenever I go out.

I think that's what we have.

Yeah, it's hefty, somewhere over 2kg but we bought it with a plan to do Scotland in winter and wanted the extra room for cooking, getting changed in, that our 1kg Fly Creek HV UL2 didn't provide and we weren't too concerned about weight. Pack size is a bigger issue and it's hard to get this small enough to work on certain setups.

I've only used it in Belgium from the back of car so can't give real world use other than to say the extra vestibule bit is quite handy.

Thanks!

Thanks, good to hear from someone who owns it. Yes, the extra vestibule is definitely what attracted me to it (besides it being a Vango). One or two reviewers on youtube also let on that they had come by car, which left me wondering if I was being realistic about this as a solo bike tent. As you can probably tell, I am a bit new to the topic and am still finding my way. I have done loads of research.

I did try to camp in Scotland many years ago with a cheapie ancient and tiny tent I picked up. The experience was awful - midges, loud neigbours and a feeling of claustrophobia. Gave it to a charity shop the next day. Anyway, I loved Scotland, so enjoy reading of your rides there.

But I have been yearning for this again, with better equipment. Want to get closer to the natural world and its sounds.

I know that the whole motorbike thing means it's not totally equivalent, but I was also struggling with the most suitable tent vs vestibule vs weight thing. In the end for the trip both me and the mate went for bivi's and the tarp.

The mate is a unit, 6'5 South African, and definitely used every inch of space in the Rab Ridge Raider. I think realistically it would have suited me at 6' and slight shoulders, but although he struggled a little bit to roll around in the night he managed to sleep. The bug net was useful even though we didn't have any midges.

The bivi I used had more than enough space for me and valuables. I sewed up a velcro bug net to attach to the storm flap on my bivi. It allowed me to keep some ventilation and avoid any insects getting inside.

The large ripstop tarp was way more suitable as a vestibule, as it was draped over us to keep off the majority of the overnight drizzle and dew, but loads of room underneath for storage without stinking up our sleep.

TL:DR - I think regardless of the tent/bivi/whatever, carrying an UL tarp to use for vestibule is worth the 300-500g penalty.

That's another option ^

We could've kept the tent we had and added a tarp setup to the mix to give us the cooking/changing shelter we wanted. In my head though, I prefer the idea of setting up one thing, quickly and it's all there and sealed. Tarp you need to think about a bit more and thinking is one of the things I don't want to be doing when riding around Scotland. :)

I've got a knackered old lightweight gazebo that is made of a ripstop type stuff. Worth cutting it up for a lightweight tarp or getting a sheet of something to make one?

Hi, your post was food for thought. Thank you!

Yes, I'm a bit the same - when I see " inner and outer all-in-one set up" and "5-10min.", I smile. Also, I tend to carry small (I'm trying...) sound recording bits and bobs around with me, so I'd have to be really experienced with tarps and bivs to know how to keep the moisture out. Not saying it's not possible - I'm still just finding my way around.

Also, I tend to carry small (I'm trying...) sound recording bit and bobs around with me, so I'd have to be really experienced with tarps and bivs to know how to keep the moisture out.

Drybags would help with this?

Thanks, need to look into that!

UV damage has likely weakened it beyond usability, unless it’s high end stuff - poly or nylon? Poly would last longer unless we’re talking silnylon, but that’s not used for gazebo/dining tents as far as I know.