"yuppie" tents

[Myechtatel]

I couldn't find a thread specific to backpacking/hiking tents. I was just wondering how many other travelers use backpacking tents. I know hiking brand backpacks are becoming much more popular and it's easy to see why. They've become a lot cheaper and are much more comfortable than anything the military has to offer. So it seems that when traveling, your options as far as shelter are a tarp, a hiking tent, or a POS walmart tent with a tarp. unfortunately, when i first started traveling i made the mistake of getting a walmart tent. it was a 4 person tent because we were 3 people. the first time it rained we figured out they are far from water proof. so we ended up having to carry a tarp WITH an 8 pound tent. after a month we got fed up with it. our 3rd person left within the first week so it was unnecessarily big anyway. we eventually spanged enough money to get a nice tent. after a lot of reearch we went with the Kelty Gunnison 2.1.
Kelty Gunnison 2.1 Person Tent
We've been using it for about 2 months and LOVE it. got it for $150. it's double walled so it can be easily split up and fit in our packs. it's just 2.5 pounds for each of us which is super light. it's plenty roomy for me and my girlfriend and our dog. the two vestibules our perfect for our bags and keep everything dry in the hardest of rain. it traps warmth which is great in cold weather and can be pitched without the fly for great ventilation in warm weather. not to mention it sets up very fast and easy. even with the rainfly and footprint it takes less than 5 minutes. that's faster than any hammock or properly pitched tarp.(feel free to disagree, 5 minutes is still damn fast considering). without rainfly or footprint it doesnt take more than 2 minutes.

just wondering how many of you guys have started using these awesome tents. kelty, north face, eureka, whatever. I saw a couple when I went to the Rainbow Gathering in Ocala so I know it's not unheard of. Feel free to share your experience in hiking tents! thanks.

 

[shaggydope]

i have a 2 person tent. well, it's advertised as a 2 person but i dunno how 2 people will fit in a 6'x4' tent, especially since i'm 6'6" tall myself. it weighs maybe 3 pounds and sets up with 2 internal poles in about 30 seconds and fits myself and my pack very comfortably. it's not a name brand but it works and it's better than trying to have to find 2 trees(IMO) to set up a hammock between when you're in the city. all i have to do is find a low key spot under a bridge or near a river and pitch it. i dunno how well it works in the rain as i have yet to try it out but i have confidence that it will be fine, especially because i carry a small tarp as well.

 

[Myechtatel]

sounds like the walmart tent i almost got when i decided to ditch the 4 person tent. it was pretty light but super small. about 6 x 4 like you said. but yeah i decided to dish out an extra hundred+ dollars and get a real tent. but it's just about whatever works for you. you're only one person. two people in a 6x4 tent with a dog and two packs... not happening. the gunnison is 7.5 x 4.8 ft. plus like 12 cu ft on each vestibule. it's really the perfect tent for us and the price wasn't too bad. my only complaint is the color. dark green, brown or black would be ideal. i went over all the orange parts on the outside with black sharpie. it worked. but the gray is still lame.

 

[shaggydope]

i got my tent from Andy & Bax in PDX. if i had had the cash i certainly would have bought a higher end tent but for 20 bux i couldn't pass up the one i got. it's tough as fuck and the poles have withstood some pretty good tosses over/off stuff while in my pack.

 

[dirtyfacedan]

Andy and bax is good, and the basement of Next Adventure down the street is good too. I just use a bivy shelter. I hit up thrift shops for tents as well, sometimes i find good deals, but i usually give them away, or trade them.

 

[Myechtatel]

i did find a rainfly at a thrift store for a dollar one time but never a full tent. they are good for backpacks though. i've seen a lot of the vintage framepacks which are surprisingly good. i have a kelty trekker external frame but i like collecting the really old packs. especially external frame ones. they're so interesting. and who knows where it's been. i have a couple that you can tell have been used for traveling in the 70s. sorry, way off-topic on my own thread.

 

[chooch352]

yeah I got me one of those 2 man walmart tents,it works for me,but I travel by myself.

 

[Myechtatel]

do you carry a tarp with it?

 

[Myechtatel]

so does anyone have any experience with hiking brand tents?

 

[Ithyphallic]

I had a MEC 2 man tent for a while, it's fuckin tough as shit and has dealt with cramming 5 people into it, rolling around and stressing the poles hardcore (I've bent them back into shape more than once), carrying the entire tent, fully set up, by the fly down 15 city blocks drunk outta my face, camping on cliffs, in swamps, damn that thing's seen some bullshit.

It's still in great condition aside from a few rips I've patched with a bicycle patch kit (that works really well by the way), I only carry a tarp now though for compaction's sake.

 

[Myechtatel]

carrying the entire tent, fully set up, by the fly down 15 city blocks drunk outta my face

LMFAO! I would've loved to see that! sounds like a pretty tough tent though. never heard of MEC before but i just looked them up and it looks like pretty good stuff. do you know how much it weighed?

thanks for sharing.

 

[dharma bum]

i have a mountain hardware skyledge 2.1 and it's pretty awesome. packs down way smaller in a drybag than the one it comes with. super light weight and easy to set up. good sized vestibules on each side. a very good 3-4 season tent in most conditions. fits 2 people and a mid-sized dog comfortably.

i tucked it away somewhere while traveling before (after about 3 weeks) until i could pick it up and send it to a friend. i stuck with an REI minimalist bivy and 8x10 tarp for ugly weather. i traded up just because i really didn[t "need" that extra comfort and vestibules and whatnot compared to it's light weight and compact size, a tarp and some parachord is much lighter and compact, so i just stick with that setup. i've done a lot of backpacking before and after i've traveled around, and i've tested lots of types of backpacks, boots, stoves, shelters and purification systems. but when it comes to tarp vs. tent, tarp wins in my book. you can set one up about 50 different ways depending on the weather, it's smaller and lighter and has more than several uses.

but that's just me, to each his own. i'm sure a lot of you prefer a tent as i did at one time and more power to ya, but unless you're traveling with someone else that can share the load a little, find something simple

 

[Myechtatel]

The Skyledge 2.1 is a beautiful tent. it's basically the gunnison 2.1 but a little lighter and a lot more expensive.
if i was traveling alone i'd probably get a one person tent. i just love tents. i'd rather carry the extra 2-3 pounds and have something that keeps out bugs, animals, standing water and gives me a little more control of the temperature(using or not using the rainfly). plus when you don't have a house a tent kind of fills that hole.

 

[dharma bum]

i'd rather carry the extra 2-3 pounds

...i don't ride trains and i used to never drive, so i did a LOT of walking. after 5-10 miles, ounces seemed like pounds, so i would shed what i didn't absolutely need. but i do love the comfort of a nice tent...


[QUOTE and have something that keeps out bugs,[/QUOTE]
i just use a cheapo wall mart mesquito head net if i don't feel like closing the bivy all the way..

animals,

if in the woods.. fire. if in the city.. you've got different animals to worry about

standing water,

there are ways to set a single tart into an a frame and have plenty of ground cover (same tarp) just make sure to fold the edges UNDER, not over..

and gives me a little more control of the temperature

i got a whole shit load of little delta blankets that i got from an airport and made a nice, thick bag liner with them. also the bivy adds about 10 degrees.

sounds like you like your tent though. right on. that skyledge was a bit pricy (saved up for it to hike the AT) but i really do think that if a tent is your thing that the money is definitely worth the quality. you don't even need a footprint.. it has a built in tub!

 

[Myechtatel]

oh so you use a bivy with a tarp?

 

[dharma bum]

only if the tarp is hung above me and water is running underneath me. got to keep the bag dry! (i hardly ever zip the face net up though.. pretty much use it as a water-resistant bag cover.)

 

[Myechtatel]

i dont understand... do you carry a bivy and a tarp?

 

[dharma bum]

yep. my bivy is very minimalist (fits like a condom over my sleeping bag with no head room) and the tarp is for bad storms and whatever. i don't really travel too much anymore since i'm housed up with my girl, but i do spend a lot of time in the woods. i mainly only use the bivy when it's pretty cold, my bag is 40 degree and it adds about 10 - 15 degrees to my body.

 

[Myechtatel]

cool. but if you're gonna carry a bivy and a tarp why not just use a 1 person tent? that is cool though. i never thought of using a tarp with a bivy.

 

[spoorprint]

In the eighties, I sometimes carried a plastic tube tent.Light and easy to carry,but hard to conceal because most are orange.Use cloths pins to
pinch off the end -NOTall the WAy! and use duct tape for repairs.Use parachute cord instead of the cheap cord that comes with it.Use bandanas as "tree savers" to keep the cord from cuttting into the bark ( you tie a tube tent between trees. No protection from bugs.Dangerous if snowed on-
can cause suffication. Probably better for hitchers than freight hoppers bease of the bright color.

Then again, a tarp and a ground sheet will do the same thing.