Personal Preference??

[CivilAir Rugger]

I'm new to the hiking family and I know that a 2 person tent has more room and weighs more than a 1 person tent, but if I want to store my pack in the tent with me would a 1 person tent suffice? Also is it better to have a free standing tent or not?

[swjohnsey]

Ask three people get four opinions. Free standing tents are probably a little heavier but easier to set up and a little more flexible because you can pitch on concrete if you have to. Whether you get a one or two person tent depends on how big you are. There is no standard on what a one or two person tent is. With some of the non-free standing tent your hiking poles serve as tent poles which accounts for some of the lighter weight.

[Mongoose2]

Some 1 man tents will fit you and a pack (Big Agnes SL 1, tarptents, etc) while some will not. It depends on the tent size. As for free standing or not, most hikers use a freestanding due to the ease of set up and versatility. If a roomy tent is a must check out the BA SL 1, I believe it's on sale at amazon for $199

[bulldog49]

Any one man tent is large enough to store your pack. At the least, you can use it as a pillow or lay it under you feet.

[Rick500]

I can only relate my personal experience: the Tarptent Moment is big enough for me and my pack to fit very comfortably inside. I'm 5'10" and 160 lbs., and my pack is an Osprey Aether 60.

[Cabin Fever]

Like all good things in life, it depends. If you are of average size or smaller, a one man will suffice. If you are are a bigger guy like me, you might consider a two man or a larger tarp tent. I am 6'2"/220 and I have found that one man tents are too small, two man tents are too big and one man tarp tents are just about right (and light too).

[tnwolf51]

i use an ozarktrail 7x7 dome tent works perfect for all use

[Mongoose2]

Any one man tent is large enough to store your pack. At the least, you can use it as a pillow or lay it under you feet.

Any one man tent is large enough for two people if.....

[CivilAir Rugger]

@swjohnsey - I highly agree with your first statement and in this instance is what I'm hoping for.

@Mongoose2 - I do like easy

@bulldog49 - I never considered it as a pillow

@Rick500 - I'm 5'7" and 195 which I hope to drop 10 lbs. or so by my summer set off date. How's the Osprey? I was considering getting one, but someone said that they're not good quality.

@Cabin Fever - Well I used to be short and big, like 240 big. After my recent "I want to get in shape" mind set however, that's not the case. So I may end up getting the 1 person free standing.

Thank you all for you're help with that. Now onto my other things on my list.

[CivilAir Rugger]

Any one man tent is large enough for two people if.....

This is true

[Franco]

Some solo tents are larger than others...

This is the Tarptent Scarp 1.
(I am 5'8" ) as you can see I have plenty of room at my foot end. The 6' mat lays next to my MontBell pillow , about 1 foot long. The floor area is 32"x86".
When looking at floor size try to work out the usable area , don't just compare the square footage.
With most tents you lose a lot of room because of inward sloping inner/flys.
(keep in mind that you will be on top of a mat and inside a sleeping bag...
set up video
http://www.youtube.com/user/francoda...14/XWE0gx7rSXU
Franco
[email protected]

[Rick500]

@Rick500 - I'm 5'7" and 195 which I hope to drop 10 lbs. or so by my summer set off date. How's the Osprey? I was considering getting one, but someone said that they're not good quality.

I have no problems at all with Osprey's quality. It's been a great pack.

[tirebiter]

One man tent works fine- I have an MSR Hubba that I love using on short trips- but for long distance hikes I prefer to carry the extra pound of luxury for a two man. But I'm pretty picky about my sleeping arrangements... and 6'3".

[Big Dawg]

I can only relate my personal experience: the Tarptent Moment is big enough for me and my pack to fit very comfortably inside. I'm 5'10" and 160 lbs., and my pack is an Osprey Aether 60.

Same here,, very roomy. btw,, I'm 6'5", 280#'s

@Rick500 - I'm 5'7" and 195 which I hope to drop 10 lbs. or so by my summer set off date. How's the Osprey? I was considering getting one, but someone said that they're not good quality.

My experience, and most I've heard about Osprey, is complete opposite from what you've heard. Osprey is a top notch company in my book. My Osprey packs have held up extremely well!

[Pedaling Fool]

Some solo tents are larger than others...

This is the Tarptent Scarp 1.
(I am 5'8" ) as you can see I have plenty of room at my foot end. The 6' mat lays next to my MontBell pillow , about 1 foot long. The floor area is 32"x86".
When looking at floor size try to work out the usable area , don't just compare the square footage.
With most tents you lose a lot of room because of inward sloping inner/flys.
(keep in mind that you will be on top of a mat and inside a sleeping bag...
set up video
http://www.youtube.com/user/francoda...14/XWE0gx7rSXU
Franco
[email protected]

Very nice looking tent; will have to check them out.

[CivilAir Rugger]

One man tent works fine- I have an MSR Hubba that I love using on short trips- but for long distance hikes I prefer to carry the extra pound of luxury for a two man. But I'm pretty picky about my sleeping arrangements... and 6'3".

Yeah, I have a feeling that I'm going to get the Hubba. I want a freestanding tent and from what I've read, the Hubba is one of the better ones.

[Tipi Walter]

Yeah, I have a feeling that I'm going to get the Hubba. I want a freestanding tent and from what I've read, the Hubba is one of the better ones.

The Hubba is not a free standing tent as the fly needs to be staked out, meaning that you can't pick up the entire tent with fly extended and move it around. Most tents are not free standing.

In fact, there are no true free standing tents that don't require pegging as all tents must be pegged to insure security in any amount of wind. On the other hand, those tents that are completely movable once set up are few:

** Some of the Hilleberg models: Staika, Allak.
** Single Walls like Bibler and Integral Designs MK3. (If you don't use the zipped on vestibules).
** Coleman Sundome models(see below).
** Eureka Timberline and Sunrise models(see below).

COMPANY PHOTOS: The top is a Eureka Timberline(famous), the middle is a Eureka Sunrise, and the bottom is a Coleman Sundome. These are the few truly freestanding tents that come to mind, but they are not the lightest tents out there. While the Timberline looks to have several fly pegs, these are not required and the whole tent can be moved and used w/o them.

[Franco]

True...
The Hilleberg Soulo is also freestanding
Bibler had the Pinon,2 person, and the Juniper , 3 person, that were also fully freestanding, not that different from the Allak/Soulo.
BTW with the crossing poles the Tarptent Scarp is also fully freestanding, but yes I would never not peg down,somehow, any tent.
Franco

The Scarp help in the air is the same as the one I posted above. The wide angle lens make it look a lot smaller than it is ...

[FamilyGuy]

Of course the Hubba is freestanding. It requires NO pegs to stand up. You CAN pick it up and move it after removing and replacing one stake for the fly.

The definition that Hilleberg has is for marketing purposes. And we can debate it until the cows come home.

[CivilAir Rugger]

Right I realized that the fly for the Hubba needed to be pegged for the fly, but I won't always be using it. Any opinions on the Hubba before I purchase??