View Full Version : Recommend me a tent...
I'm going on a solo bike tour next year from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to St. Johns, Newfoundland and am doing quite a bit of mucking about up in the Yukon and Northwest Territories enroute, so I need a fairly sturdy tent- Quite a bit of exposed tundra up there and I'll be starting early in the season.
I need: Ability to stand up to sustained high winds and light snow. Enough ventilation so I can use it for the entire season. Fast setup. Weight is an issue, but I won't compromise on anything to save ounces.
I'm thinking about a 3+ season or light mountaineering tent, maybe something like the Sierra Designs Assailant:
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/tentdetail.cfm/SD1398
Or MAYBE the Integral Designs MK1, but not thrilled about the price.
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/tentdetail.cfm/IN2100
Anyone have experience with either of these tents or have product suggestions? Thanks.
Try sorting thru this info... I like it since all the info is there and you dont have to go around searching every site for it...
http://www.backpacking.net/geartent-chart.html
No connection or personal experience, except this company (http://www.warmlite.com/start.htm) might be worth a look. Expensive, I'll bet.
Appalachian Tater
09-26-2007, 23:13
http://estore.websitepros.com/1764795/-strse-64/Akto/Detail.bok
Hilleberg Akto
Kaptain Kangaroo
09-27-2007, 06:08
Hey Bleach,
How about a tent from down my way ?? (well almost) Have you ever looked at Macpac tents (from New Zealand) like the Macpac Microlight. It's a great tent, very well made, stands up to high winds & lots of rain & some snow. Fairly heavy at about 3 1/2 pounds, but seems to be similar to the others you are considering. It's a double wall design & being a single pole design means it goes up fast. One really nice feature is that the pole goes through a sleeve in the fly & the tent inner is attached to the fly. So you can set up the tent in one action with the inner tent staying dry if it is raining. You can detach the fly from the inner if you want to pitch them seperately.
I have owned one for a couple of years & it has seen some pretty rough weather. Never had a drop of water inside. I actually started my AT thru-hike with it, but eventually realised that the weather was never going to be that bad & swapped it out for a hammock.
You can get more details from www.macpac.co.nz (http://www.macpac.co.nz)
The site lists retailers in the US. Looks like it sells for about US$250.
Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
mweinstone
09-27-2007, 06:56
waz up cap? hello bleach of the famouse mainetrain watermelon roundup and hardcore at the peoples!me jessica and jason can still smell your mellon. we only caught a glimpse of it rounding a corner and then streams of south trippers talking all about that fatefull feast yall had. ahh,,memorys of 06. i went home in perisburg va . you need my tent. black diamond megalight. used in the andes. case closed.by the way. you are now the second fastest hiker in the world. brisk , she is like the wind. shown here during her 07 thru at the doyal for the billvill feed.
http://www.catomaoutdoor.com/Products.htm
Possibly the Twist or Worm would be a good fit for you.
Note: This is a new company on the backpacking scene. I have only used their military gear so I cannot vouch for anything else. I have spoken with their VP of production on the phone aboiut getting mods for one of my military issue tents and he was very helpful.
http://estore.websitepros.com/1764795/-strse-64/Akto/Detail.bok
Hilleberg Akto
the folks I know that have this tent really like it. It is on my want list
Jim Adams
09-27-2007, 11:08
Bleach,
Sounds like a GREAT trip!
No experience with either of those tents but I do have hiking gear and bomb proof gear. The bomb proof stuff is generally too heavy for backpacking but I use it for canoeing in true wilderness where a defective item could end up killing you. Most of the stuff is too heavy in the respect that I will take a 2 person tent for myself or a 3 person tent for two of us but the equipment is always high quality. Yes it is expensive but I have found that when going to extremes, there is no way to beat a quality product and it is no place to scrimp on price. Is your life worth the price of a $400 tent or can you take a chance with a $150 tent that SHOULD make it through harsh conditions?
That far north and the weather could and will do strange things daily. Ask yourself which scenerio you would rather have:
A 4 day high wind, sleet and snow storm that you finally unroll out of your collapsed and shredded tent happy to be alive OR after those same 4 days unzipping the door with the statement " finally a beautiful morning!"
Make sure that you do get a high quality tent but don't let the price make your decision. You will be too far north to tolerate a poor choice...remember the three little pigs? LOL
geek
The Solemates
09-27-2007, 13:16
I'm going on a solo bike tour next year from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to St. Johns, Newfoundland
wow...thats awesome..are you keeping an online journal?
Try sorting thru this info... I like it since all the info is there and you dont have to go around searching every site for it...
http://www.backpacking.net/geartent-chart.html
If you sort through that site you'll notice the Bibler Eldorado is the lightest 4 season/mountaineering/expedition tent for anything upto 32 sq.ft.
That would be my pick.
pure_mahem
09-27-2007, 22:01
Get a hammock and a tarp You'll be happier. ENO hammock and GG tarp total about a $100. Throw in a $7 ccf pad for colder temps and you'll be set for cooler temps. Often lighter than a tent system too!
Skidsteer
09-27-2007, 22:14
Get a hammock and a tarp You'll be happier. ENO hammock and GG tarp total about a $100. Throw in a $7 ccf pad for colder temps and you'll be set for cooler temps. Often lighter than a tent system too!
In Alaska/Newfoundland? On Tundra?:eek:
Dances with Mice
09-27-2007, 22:55
In Alaska/Newfoundland? On Tundra?:eek:Yeah, what's the problem? Just tie the hammock between two penguins.
Jim Adams
09-27-2007, 23:11
Get a hammock and a tarp You'll be happier. ENO hammock and GG tarp total about a $100. Throw in a $7 ccf pad for colder temps and you'll be set for cooler temps. Often lighter than a tent system too!
Now THAT'S funny!!!!!!
Put a good 200-300 mile rope on each end and tie off to the closest tree!:D
geek
Jim Adams
09-27-2007, 23:14
In Alaska/Newfoundland? On Tundra?:eek:
Taking a hammock to the tundra would be PURE_MAHEM!!!!:banana
GEEK
Yeah, what's the problem? Just tie the hammock between two penguins.
Polar bears would be stronger... besides, there are no pengiuns north of the equator, except in zoos...
taildragger
09-28-2007, 10:59
I'll throw in my two cents for the big agnes madhouse or a mountain hardwear hammerhead.
I got the hammerhead after some recommendations from people who do 3+ season camping in the NW. The tent seems to be good quality, its not too expensive, but its HEAVY.
Bottom line, for what you're doing a 3+ or 4 season tent would be my choice. I dunno how the single walls will handle if you get stuck in really wet situation.
check out the tents here, maybe a Golite Hex would work, its not free standing.
http://www.ccoutdoorstore.com/golite-tents-and-shelters.html
Or a Alphamid tarp / Pyramid tent would work
http://owareusa.com/index.html
I think the best tent for high wind and snow is Hilleberg: http://www.hilleberg.com/Home.htm.
You can get them at Backcountrygear: http://www.backcountrygear.com/manufacturers/Hilleberg.cfm.
To be sure, they are not light weight, but they will stand up to weather.
Erm... that's a negative on the hammock/tarp. And I wouldn't carry most of the products made by Gossamer Gear anywhere...
I looked at the Akto briefly, but I'd like a freestanding design, or at least a design that doesn't hinge on getting a lot of stakes securely in the ground (so pyramid shelters are out.) I've had to set up my tarp on very marshy/spongy ground a number of times which has always been a huge headache, and that wasn't in high wind or very harsh conditions. I used a single wall teepee style shelter for a bike tour on the Western plains in 2005 which was NOT FUN for a wet week with 40+ mph sustained winds at night.
I estimate I have about a 130 day season to do this ride which is just a hair under 10k miles, 2k of them unpaved so I will be starting and finishing on the fringes of the season in unpredictable weather.
The only tent I have a lot of experience with is the MSR Zoid which I really like, know it to be aerodynamic, and only requires a minimum 3 stake setup. But I'm questioning if it will be enough in a long term high wind + precip situation simply because I've never had it in these conditions. I'd really like to err on the side of caution, especially since weight isn't as big an issue on the bike.
I've mostly been looking at single wall w/b tents- Integral Designs MK1, Bibler I-Tent. Seem like a good combination of bomberness / weight / space / ventilation. Anyone who's ever used one care to comment?
Clorox - you can't go wrong with a Bibler; any of their 2 door models ventilate adequately, especially solo. I've used various models on various continents for the past 20 years, and will stick to them.