CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

2 person tent for bike packing?

(25 posts)
  • Started 1 year ago by SRD
  • Latest reply from SRD
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  1. SRD
    Moderator

    Looking into 2 person tent (or possibly 2 single tents? bivvybags?) for bike packing.

    Thinking about taking the kids (one at a time) on short camping trips. we have sleeping bags, mats, a stove etc.

    Don't want to spend much until we know if concept works. But obviously don't want a heavy tent.

    Quite tempted to get a Eureka Suma 2 while we're in Canada - under 2kg and fairly cheap there (not here).

    Or would two singe tents be better? easier to pitch off campsites?

    Technical question - in Canada most tents need a groundsheet under. But do tents here have them built in? our big decathlon tent does. but do proper tents? Just wondering about the weight calculations....

    Posted 1 year ago #

  2. Morningsider
    Member

    You are welcome to try my Decathlon trekking tent. It's been on several CCE incapables overnight trips. Technically a 2-person tent, but I have only ever used it solo - could be a bit on the snug side. Very easy to erect and strike as it is an all-in-one. No messing around with ground sheets, which is very welcome in the rain.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  3. SRD
    Moderator

    That's very kind of you morningsider. I may be in touch.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  4. fimm
    Member

    We have an MRS Hubba Hubba, which is an expensive 2 person lightweight tent. I also have a Hilleberg Akto, which is a very expensive 1 person lightweight tent.

    There's a bit of "light, robust, cheap; pick two" with tents...

    When you say

    in Canada most tents need a groundsheet under. But do tents here have them built in?
    I'm not sure if I understand the question; however to answer the question I think you have asked - you do want a tent where the inner tent is connected to the groundsheet so that you can seal yourself in against the midges... then you get an outer flysheet that goes over the top to keep out the rain and give you some porch space of some kind.

    The question then is about inner first vs outer first vs all-in-one pitching. Our MSR pitches inner first and this can be a problem if you are trying to pitch in the rain. My Akto pitches all-in-one which makes for speedy pitching but does mean that you can't pitch the inner without the outer, which you might want to do if it is very hot (I've never done this myself).

    Hope this helps.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. fimm
    Member

    To add - I would go with one two-person tent over two one-person tents as that is likely to be the lighter option.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  6. SRD
    Moderator

    All the tents I've used / owned in Canada had an internal floor (as you note essential to keep flies out) . but this floor was either canvas (very old tent) or nylon (1980s revolutionary design from Moss tents). [we visited moss tents in Camden Maine in the late 70s or early 80s? whenever we put up our tent after that other campers would come stare and point, because they looked so radical].

    They all therefore needed a groundsheet, which you carried with you and laid out on the ground, before erecting tent on it. We did similar when camping in Zimbabwe, although there we often just slept on top of the groundsheet and didn't bother with the tent, at least in winter.

    Not sure if this is a cultural / design difference or just that tend design has come on a lot since I did much camping?

    Posted 1 year ago #

  7. Roibeard
    Member

    I don't know about Canadian tents, but it may be that the local climate influences tent design. Vango make UK-spec tents that are not high end but good enough (and can survive teenagers on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions).

    These tend to be both wind and rain "proof". Some US spec tents appear to be designed to be cool in hot temperatures...

    These have a sewn-in groundsheet and inner tent, with an outer rainsheet, but available with an optional "footprint" that provides additional protection to the groundsheet and provides a floor for the porch (great for longer pitches in wet weather - as otherwise the porch gets muddy).

    The Halo 300 was our choice (~£200), but that's a three person, which means more space when touring.

    Robert

    Posted 1 year ago #

  8. SRD
    Moderator

    yes. thanks Roibeard - the 'footprint' is what I noticed on US/Can websites and wondered about,

    does suggest that the weight is not entirely comparable between UK and US/Can. .

    to me 'groundsheet' doesn't mean 'tent bottom' but waterproof thing that goes under the tent bottom. but perhaps I should learn to call it a 'footprint'?

    Posted 1 year ago #

  9. bill
    Member

    @SRD Most tents we have can be used without a ground sheet as the internal floor has some extra protection. However (in the fairly new) tents we have the floor will leak eventually when camping in a boggy area (i.e. most of Scotland). We use a ground sheet to protect the internal floor from rocks/scrub and water.

    Mr Bill got us a big sheet of Dupont Tyvek Homewrap that we use a groundsheet. it packs small.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  10. fimm
    Member

    @SRD yes "footprint" would have immediately told me what you were asking about. :-)

    So both of my tents (and I think any similar tent you would buy today at any price point) have waterproof groundsheets; the footprint is an additional layer that goes underneath which you would add for the reasons Roibeard and bill give.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  11. SRD
    Moderator

    Thanks all! will keep you updated / be back in touch with more questions.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    Great that CCEers are so experienced/knowledgeable/helpful.

    My camping experiences family/Scouts/festivals/friends have been enough to convince me not to ‘get decent equipment and try again’!

    I accept that the last one involved touring on a too small 5 speed after my bike was nicked and 3 large males in a 2 person tent.

    The trip, train to Stirling then west, Mull, Skye etc was great (more hostel than tent) apart from discovering midgies…

    Posted 1 year ago #

  13. amir
    Member

    "apart from discovering midgies… "

    Requires an easy to use tent zip, combined with Olympic class agility

    Posted 1 year ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    Was less about the tent, more about cycling through clouds of them!

    Posted 1 year ago #

  15. Arellcat
    Moderator

    My first tent was from Decathlon, and it's really not bad at all (apart from it being not quite long enough for me). I think it'd be a good idea to borrow first if you can, and spend later. The Wild Country Zephyros Compact is a nice wee tent for two people and is a fairly standard design (see also Vango Nevis/Cairngorm, various Decathlon tents, and posher ones like the Terra Nova Laser models and the Hilleberg Akto - all pitch inner and flysheet together). My tent is basically the longest, widest version of the Zephyros. The door annoys me hugely, but I put up with it because I love the length of the inner.

    Mr Bill got us a big sheet of Dupont Tyvek Homewrap that we use a groundsheet.

    I have a cheap 6x4(ish) groundsheet from Halfords that I lay under one end of my tent so that I can sit in the door/porch area while not sitting directly on the grass. Originally I used a polythene and rather disposable dustsheet that I probably found in Screwfix. It wasn't much more than thick clingfilm.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  16. fimm
    Member

    (apart from it being not quite long enough for me)

    This is something to note if the tent is to be used by Mr SRD - some tents are longer than others...

    Posted 1 year ago #

  17. SRD
    Moderator

    @fimm wasn't planning on taking him with me ;)

    @crowriver yes. that has always been my rule of thumb too, but thinking I might manage with kids, just for one night. may take bivvy bag as well so have option of sleeping outside on my own.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  18. crowriver
    Member

    @SRD, fair enough. I'm just going on my own preferences. If I'm carrying the tent on my back, I prefer it to be as light as possible (on a budget). Even if that means sleeping in something resembling a coffin! :-) But on the bike I can get away with a bit more weight and bulk, so a 2-person tent is more comfortable.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  19. fimm
    Member

    Someone was enthusing about their cheap Quecha tent on Facebook - they'd bought it as a "give-it-a-go" cheap starter and it had preformed very well.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  20. steveo
    Member

    If your just sleeping in the tent then a two person is probably big enough for two but I've found, even with kids, a two person gets pretty cramped when your trying to pack kit or just not be on top of each other.
     sorry just realised you've covered this

    I ended up getting a Naturehike cloud up 3 for taking one of the kids away, it would do two with the return of crampedness. Its only 2.5kg and breaks down to easily split between two seat packs. It was only £120 but it seems to have gone right up.

    I've never bothered with the footprint on any of my tents but none are overly expensive nor have I dared try it without the mesh inner.

    Bivvy is a totally different experience and depending on where you are could be absolute hell at the wrong time of year. Having no where to hide from the midges can drive one bananas. I can lend you an Alpkit Hunka if you'd like to give it a go but you either need to get up high or wait until the midges have died down or be a little masochistic. Alpkit do a reasonable one for not much money too.     Also sorry didn't realise you had a bivvy. So few people seem to have tried it I generally assume I'm the only weirdo.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  21. rust
    Member

    I would second the MSR Hubba Hubba. For a two person tent it actually comfortably fits two people and with a door on each side you both have space for kit etc.

    I added the "gear shed" and we used it in April for a family trip cycling in the Netherlands.

    Without out the gear shed (but including my inflatable sleeping mat), it fits perfectly in an Apidura Backcountry handlebar pack.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  22. cb
    Member

    Alpkit always worth considering IMO, still think they make pretty good stuff at a reasonable price, and they have a shop in Causewayside. They had a few tents up last time I was in so you can have a close up look.

    We've got a Jaran 3, which we can get all four of us in (kids still smallish). Quite good space for the weight, although it is an inner first pitch. (I also looked at the Sierra Designs Meteor range at the time).

    Posted 1 year ago #

  23. acsimpson
    Member

    If anyone is interested Wiggle currently have a 1 person superlight airbeam tent on Ebay:

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185458259305?hash=item2b2e2c7569:g:TksAAOSwTEdiobxV

    Posted 1 year ago #

  24. SRD
    Moderator

    You guys are such a bad influence! I just bought a used Hubba Hubba on eBay.

    now to plan adventures....

    Posted 1 year ago #

  25. SRD
    Moderator

    or not. seller just told me it had 'already sold' but they 'could;dn't stop the auction'. what an idiot.

    Posted 1 year ago #

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