What sort of tent?

[chippit]

I need to buy some camping gear and throw over type panniers, can anyone recommend anything  they have found to be good. I don't want to spend a fortune on a tent, it's first outing will be the bulldog bash.

[Steve Lake]

have a look at www.cpc.co.uk ,  type in tent in the search panel at the top of the page, should put up some good quality REASONABLY PRICED coleman tents, AND LOTS OF OTHER CAMPING GOODIES ON THERE AS WELL.

I'D ALWAYS TRY FOR A TENT WITH FLYSHEET AND INTEGRAL GROUNDSHEET.   I INVESTED IN A LIGHTWEIGHT INFLATEABLE GROUNDSHEET, GIVES GOOD INSULATION FROM THE GROUND AND A DEGREE OF COMFORT.

[johnr]

ive just bought another quechua 2 second tent. its the same as the old one we have been using for 8 years without it leaking a drop of water in, except that these new ones pack down to kalf the size of the old ones and so are easy to carry on a bike!

[SteveC#222]

Gelert Nikina Plus. £30ish, single pole 2 man (so ample room for 1 plus gear) packs down small - easily fits in throwover pannier. Waterproof enough for (most) British weather, mine has not yet leaked and I seem to remember Simon Morgan used one at an extreme rally in Germany the other winter.



Down sleeping bag (3 season + cotton liner) Blacks own brand packs really small. About £60 as I remember

Cheapish 6 tube blow up airbed. about £10

This will all fit in one pannier leaving the other for stove, kettle, etc.

[Richard]

I would agree with most of the choices above except for the 6 tube airbed, you will be sliding off it in all directions !

A roll mat would be sufficient but if you must then a self inflating camp mat can be had fairly cheap these days.

The sleeping bag can be upgraded for future (colder) use with an inner bag and a bivvy bag.  Have a look at the snugpak range.

There is an impressive amount of gear for sale these days, just depends how deep your wallet is, and mine is notoriously shallow.

Now we can start a row about which stove is best !  I say a Swedish Army surplus Trangia.

Richard.

[002]

Now we can start a row about which stove is best !  I say a Swedish Army surplus Trangia.

Richard.

Bollocks ! No it aint !   

Jethro

[SteveC#222]

I would agree with most of the choices above except for the 6 tube airbed, you will be sliding off it in all directions !

Yes admittedly that can be a pain, but it does pack up very small! - I've started putting the airbed in a cheap old sleeping bag liner which stops the problem.

At the risk of restarting stove wars, I use a Camping gas Tristar modified to fit inside my saucepan which fits inside the blue bag - my rally cooking is minimal, cups of tea /coffee and the odd can of something, any more than that and I go to the nearest cafe or pub!

[trophydave]

Now we can start a row about which stove is best !  I say a Swedish Army surplus Trangia.
Richard.

I have just bought one of those.It's not been used properly yet,only a test run to boil some water,time will tell.

[guest18]

Green snugpak sleeping bags are cheaper like for like than their more, erm... "civilian" colours! and they have a larger range.

Tent, nice to have a good one but practically if you're just trying out get one cheap enough to treat as disposable (unless a bargain comes up). swmbo went on freecycle recently and picked up a good 6 person tent for her guides that had only been used once(!) so worth a look there for a freebie maybe?

Personally I don't like airbeds, a nice idea but they just seem to leave you perched on a bed of cold air, better with a rollmat or if the budget will allow either a thermarest copy or ideally the real thing (they take a hammering and last, and they are comfy and warm!).

As someone else pointed out, a (proper breathable) bivi bag is a good thing. The ex army ones are good and one of the few ex forces issue things I have actually gone out and spent my own money on 

Stoves...well there's a can of worms on this forum! Most readily available camping stoves will work, most people have their own preferences! Gas is convenient, clean and available but not great if you plan doing extreme cold weather events. Primus/multifuel/white gas etc pressure stoves can be smelly/noisy and are loved by some and hated by others. they are very fast and work in all weathers though. Spirit stoves *may* be slow but are reliable and cheap(ish) often. You pays your money and takes your choice. In an ideal world borrow one until you work out what you want. :-)

[johnr]

bivvi bags, the breathable ones that is, dont work inside a tent. you might as well sleep in a bin liner. bivvy bags are designed to be used outdoors, theyre only breathable if you are in moving air, this is what makes the moisture wick away through the material and keeps you (relatively) dry and comfy. if you use a bivvy bag in a tent or out of the breeze, the moisture just stays put inside the bag and you end up feeling damp!

[Richard]

I would tend to avoid Butane canisters though, worst of both worlds.  Butane/Propane mix is okay.

I do sometimes sleep in the bivvy, leaving the tent at home.  Bit of a bugger when it rains in the morning though.

I do believe that Steffan may have the best tent option for a solo that I have seen, just about able to stand up to get changed into your waterproof bike kit.  Expensive though, my Polish Army surplus is a cheap attempt to get the same advantage but doesn't really cut it - bulky and heavy.

Richard

[guest18]

@Johnr, I'd have to disagree on that, I've used an ex army one (bivi bag) even indoors in a cold building and not felt damp.
ymmv though!

[johnr]

but goretex as with all breathable materials will only 'breathe' if there is airflow over it. thats how it works, the airflow removes the water vapour but the materials construction stops the water particles from getting in from the outside. if there is no airflow over the outside of the bag, then the material cant 'breathe' and the moisture in the air inside wont get out. if you were inside a building, i guess you werent buried inside the bag breathing out your moisture laden breath into the bag like you might do on a cold open hillside?

[guest18]

Can't say I'm knowledgable about the process, all I can say with conviction is I've never been damp/wet in one of the ugly brown/green ex army "mvp" bags. I've been using them in buildings/bashas/tents for the best part of fifteen years now and being a little bu**er I tend to slide down into the bag when it's cold(!) despite "knowing better".
I have in the past seen "official" instruction pointing out that you should never hide inside the bag with your face covered for two reasons, one is the moisture laden breath you mention making the bag damp and reducing its effectiveness (or allowing it to freeze if you are in silly temperatures!), the second is because if you fold the top over and make a half reasonable seal you can allegedly prevent fresh air getting in and suffocate yourself! (though I've never heard of it myself)
That's why "mummy" bags are designed to close up and cover everything except your face.

Regardless of all that, opinions may vary, but my suggestion is that a bivi bag can add a season to the range of a sleeping bag and the ones discussed have worked well for me and friends of mine in locations from pretty warm to blooming cold

[Richard]

I hate that enclosed feeling when you withdraw into the nether regions of the bivvy.  What many people do is use them upside down, I believe you should have the longer top on top of you, to keep the water off your face.  Otherwise any rain collects on the lower and runs into the bivvy.

I always thought, but may be wrong, that in a mummy bag you kept your nose outside (to breathe in) and your mouth inside (to breath warm air into the bag).  Not been 'moist' yet.

And wear a hat.

Richard