View Full Version : Budget 1-person tent
Hi there,
I'm looking to buy a 1-person tent which is relatively lightweight and is less than $125. ManVenture Outpost has the Eureka! Spitfire for $75, which weighs 2lbs 12oz. It looks like a nice tent although the color looks a bit ugly.
I was wondering if people had recommendations for a tent that I can purchase new or gently used for that price. Thanks!
Jim Adams
04-09-2009, 23:06
I got my Hubba on ebay for $106...it had been set up for 3 nights prior to my purchase.
geek
Wise Old Owl
04-09-2009, 23:07
Doesn't matter - you haven't jumped into them and I don't know how tall you are. At this price range you need to understand they are light & disposable and for one thru hike, they might claim to be UV rated and after three months there will be micro holes. Seam seal your best choice and hike and don't worry about it. Its not about the equipment and it is about the comfort level pic the lightest you can afford.
johnnybgood
04-09-2009, 23:11
:welcomeEureka Spitfire for $75 is a good deal on really nice inexpensive tent.
mister krabs
04-10-2009, 10:04
Alps zephyr 1 for 104 shipped. (http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/outlet/ALM0046/ALPS-Mountaineering-Zephyr-10-1-Person-3-Season-Tent.html?CMP_ID=SH_FRO002&CMP_SKU=ALM0046&mv_pc=r126)
Gets good reviews, a pound heavier than the spitfire, but more durable materials and freestanding. I don't have this one, but have another alps tent that's top notch quality.
Worldwide
04-10-2009, 11:24
I know some people use a kids "pup tent" from Wal Mart and spray seal it. There is a website dedicated to UL gear from Walmart and other budget sources I can't find it atm.
I would try the WTB WTS sections of this site and others like it. There are probably a few people switching to a tarp from a tent that has been used a bit. Might be able to get one for a steal.
mister krabs
04-10-2009, 12:37
coincidentally, the zephyr 1 just showed up on steep and cheap for 69 bucks.
Damn, that sucks :( I missed it.
hootyhoo
04-10-2009, 19:28
I thought Clip Flashlights were on sale somewhere - is that a good tent for a thru?
rainmakerat92
04-10-2009, 19:53
My girlfriend just got a Eureka Spitfire1 and really likes it. It seems to be very well designed and sturdy, however, it doesn't appear that the fly has any seamsealing.
Feral Bill
04-10-2009, 20:47
I thought Clip Flashlights were on sale somewhere - is that a good tent for a thru?
I like mine for one. It will work for two if you are small and/or friendly. It is a bit heavy (4 lbs). I'd probably tarp it on a thru.
theinfamousj
04-10-2009, 20:58
I know some people use a kids "pup tent" from Wal Mart and spray seal it.
I am one of those people. The Ozark Trail Children's tent weighs 2.5 lbs but costs under $20. I hope you meant seam seal ... because all I ever did was put seam sealer on the seams. I don't think it needs more than that.
I'm 5'2" and only barely had to bend over at the apex of the tent. Not enough room to sit fully upright. At 5'3", you'd have the option of sleeping along the 6' side or sleeping diagonally.
I used my Ozark Trail Children's Tent since my junior year of college, but last year "upgraded" to The One by Gossamer Gear because I wanted something lighter to cary. I even used that tent through three days of horrible rain while the double walled tents around me developed leaks. I still lend out my Children's Tent and everyone I've lent it to has talked about how it was higher quality gear than they expected given its origins and cost.
brooklynkayak
04-11-2009, 01:26
If making a shelter is an option, you could make a tarp with a bug screen(tarp-tent) using mail order components.
Ray Jardine's site is a start http://www.rayjardine.com/
There are many others out there.
Many of these k-mart/eureka type tents are meant for car camping and I'd suspect a sheet of plastic tied between sticks would be better for budget backpacking.
http://www.hockinghills.com/i_grandm.htm
how about the eureka zeus 1? there's one for $90 at gear trade.
mister krabs
04-11-2009, 21:29
it gets bad reviews for pools of condensation.
Pacific Tortuga
04-11-2009, 21:50
Doesn't Cabela's have one ?
Rickosovitch
04-13-2009, 18:19
I own the Spitfire and the Hubba. I prefer the Hubba because it's got an actual vestibule, so you can keep all your gear dry in a rain storm without having to sleep with it. However, my Hubba has an all-mesh interior, which makes it also the driest tent I've ever used. The newer Hubbas have gone to a partial mesh, part ripstop inner tent and that will cut down the ventilation. The Spitfire is a great tent and is very light. You can tuck a pack under what they call a vestibule, and maybe your boots, though I would never stash my boots anywhere but where I can lay my hands on them. Anyway, both are great, but the Hubba is more liveable. I used the SD Clip Flashlight for years, but that was years ago. I also had their Lightyear for a few years. It stood up to some vicious storms, but it's not well ventilated. I moved to the Spitfire and was drier and happier. Also, the Spitfire has a little more headroom than the Lightyear so I could sit up without brushing my head against the inner tent.
You can't go wrong with the Spitfire for $75. The Hubba I have may well be better than the Hubba they're currently making.
skinewmexico
04-13-2009, 18:34
I used my Ozark Trail Children's Tent since my junior year of college, but last year "upgraded" to The One by Gossamer Gear because I wanted something lighter to cary.
Wow. Now that's an upgrade!
FamilyGuy
04-13-2009, 21:16
I own the Spitfire and the Hubba. I prefer the Hubba because it's got an actual vestibule, so you can keep all your gear dry in a rain storm without having to sleep with it. However, my Hubba has an all-mesh interior, which makes it also the driest tent I've ever used. The newer Hubbas have gone to a partial mesh, part ripstop inner tent and that will cut down the ventilation. The Spitfire is a great tent and is very light. You can tuck a pack under what they call a vestibule, and maybe your boots, though I would never stash my boots anywhere but where I can lay my hands on them. Anyway, both are great, but the Hubba is more liveable. I used the SD Clip Flashlight for years, but that was years ago. I also had their Lightyear for a few years. It stood up to some vicious storms, but it's not well ventilated. I moved to the Spitfire and was drier and happier. Also, the Spitfire has a little more headroom than the Lightyear so I could sit up without brushing my head against the inner tent.
You can't go wrong with the Spitfire for $75. The Hubba I have may well be better than the Hubba they're currently making.
MSR produces two version of the Hubba Line. The regular with a mostly mesh inner and one with more fabric more suitable to cooler conditions.
I think I'm going to go with the spitfire. I like the look and color of the Alps tent a lot better but the spitfire weighs a pound less. Thanks everyone!
McKeever
04-14-2009, 11:30
Alli, many of the solo tents are very close in minimal weight because they all have about the same footprint, but the actual packed weight can vary greatly. Make sure you find the specs for the actual packed weight, not the minimal weight because in many cases they do not add the weight of the stakes needed, poles, lines, and carrying sack to their min weight.
brooklynkayak
06-13-2009, 10:47
it gets bad reviews for pools of condensation.
Regarding the Zeus,
This kind of complaint about condensation are usually from people who don't set it up correctly. There is a tendency to not stake out all the points tightly and this restricts airflow and will lead to condensation.
I have used mine in very humid conditions with only slight condensation.
In windy rain, water will splash in on the Zeus, The flaps are too short, at least on the classic version. This is a far bigger issue than condensation ever has been for me, but I tend to camp in windier locations than most.
I don't use it anymore, not because of condensation or splash, but because it is heavy in comparison to others.
I think it weighs 3 lbs. My Shire Rainshadow 2 weighs 2.5 lbs and is three times the size. A large silnylon tarp weighs less than a pound, with lots of room. I have other shelters that are bigger and weigh the same or less.
Regarding the Zeus,
This kind of complaint about condensation are usually from people who don't set it up correctly. here is a tendency to not stake out all the points tightly and this restricts airflow and will lead to condensation.
I have used mine in very humid conditions with only slight condensation.
In windy rain, water will splash in on the Zeus, The flaps are too short, at least on the classic version. This is a far bigger issue than condensation ever has been for me, but I tend to camp in windier locations than most.
I don't use it anymore, not because of condensation or splash, but because it is heavy in comparison to others.
I think it weighs 3 lbs. My Shire Rainshadow 2 weighs 2.5 lbs and is three times the size. A large silnylon tarp weighs less than a pound, with lots of room. I have other shelters that are bigger and weigh the same or less.
Agree. I've used the "classic" Zeus 2--a lot more space than the Zeus 1 for very little extra weight or $$$--since 2002. I've tried a Six Moon Designs tarptent, and the newer version of the Zeus 2 with two doors, but keep going back to the "classic" version. Condensation happens, but proper set-up reduces it quite a bit. As you said, set it up tight, and stake out the side flaps and front to the max.
Also: use the hi/lo ventilation panel at the front of the tent, just below the zippered door. Especially if you've zipped up the front "fly." Seems to help a lot with condensation. And try not to block this small ventilation area with gear inside the tent or in the vestibule. But nothing I've done in humid conditions totally eliminates it in any single-wall tent I've used. Guess it's a trade-off to get less weight and easy set-up with a single-wall but have some condensation.
Re: The issue of "splash" coming in where the side mesh is: The few times it happened to me over the past seven years I attribute that to site selection. In a driving monsoon, set up in a site that turns muddy, will cause splash. Setting up on grass greatly eliminates it.
Wise Old Owl
06-13-2009, 14:47
Regarding the Zeus,
This kind of complaint about condensation are usually from people who don't set it up correctly. here is a tendency to not stake out all the points tightly and this restricts airflow and will lead to condensation.
I have used mine in very humid conditions with only slight condensation.
In windy rain, water will splash in on the Zeus, The flaps are too short, at least on the classic version. This is a far bigger issue than condensation ever has been for me, but I tend to camp in windier locations than most.
I don't use it anymore, not because of condensation or splash, but because it is heavy in comparison to others.
I think it weighs 3 lbs. My Shire Rainshadow 2 weighs 2.5 lbs and is three times the size. A large silnylon tarp weighs less than a pound, with lots of room. I have other shelters that are bigger and weigh the same or less.
Wow real good answer! except going back to the original idea we are now suggesting a tent that is two and a half times more in price.
brooklynkayak
06-13-2009, 15:58
Wow real good answer! except going back to the original idea we are now suggesting a tent that is two and a half times more in price.
A tarp can be as cheap or cheaper than a Zeus. I wasn't talking about fancy material tarps. Even a silnylon tarp can be had for the price of the Zeus
Alps zephyr 1 for 104 shipped. (http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/outlet/ALM0046/ALPS-Mountaineering-Zephyr-10-1-Person-3-Season-Tent.html?CMP_ID=SH_FRO002&CMP_SKU=ALM0046&mv_pc=r126)
Gets good reviews, a pound heavier than the spitfire, but more durable materials and freestanding. I don't have this one, but have another alps tent that's top notch quality.
This is a great tent for the price.