Tent recommendations for touring

[mudsticks]

@citybabe I recommend this one to get you started. If you decide to buy another larger/smaller/lighter/bigger tent later you'll probably get back what you paid for it.

Yes not a bad place to start.

As @F70100 says you'd be able to sell it on, for not much loss, if you spot something more to your tastes .

Pretty solid, lots of bike tourers use them.

Personally I prefer a side loader, and two porches, even just for liddle (5'10") ol me.

But that's just a personal quirk.

Something about sunsets / sunrises, wind direction, and escape routes.

You'll develop your own shelter peculiarities and peccadillos, as time goes on

 

[Crankarm]

I’m happy to pay a little more for a good tent so I’ll go for light and strong

It's that time of year again.

How much more? Still pretty vague or there is no upper limit for budget or what you are really prepared to spend doesn't matter?

How about over £510 for Nordisk Telemark 1 Carbon ULW, 756g ,
£510 for a Terra Nova Solar Photon 2, 822g,
£380 for an MSR Hubba Hubba NX, 1610g
£330 for a Hubba NX £330, 1124g,
£205 for a Vango Helium F10 UL 1P, 1066g
£120 for a Vango Banshee, 2.2kg
or £40 for an Argos cheapie, 3+kg?

 

[Andy in Germany]

This may be helpful:

 

[Crankarm]

£110, 2kg, https://www.decathlon.co.uk/quickhiker-ultralight-2-hiking-tent-2-man-grey-id_8245650.html

 

[citybabe]

It's that time of year again.

How much more? Still pretty vague or there is no upper limit for budget or what you are really prepared to spend doesn't matter?

How about over £510 for Nordisk Telemark 1 Carbon ULW, 756g ,
£510 for a Terra Nova Solar Photon 2, 822g,
£380 for an MSR Hubba Hubba NX, 1610g
£330 for a Hubba NX £330, 1124g,
£205 for a Vango Helium F10 UL 1P, 1066g
£120 for a Vango Banshee, 2.2kg
or £40 for an Argos cheapie, 3+kg?

Thanks. I like the look of the Vango Banshee and Helium too.
I’d happily pay up to £200 for a tent but probably couldn’t justify anything more at the moment

 

[Crankarm]

Thanks. I like the look of the Vango Banshee and Helium too.
I’d happily pay up to £200 for a tent but probably couldn’t justify anything more at the moment

Cool, this should narrow the choice and hopefully you should get something suitable for you from the suggestions you have already received and perhaps any more that are offered. You might consider second hand as well. You might pick up a bargain, although shops will be trying to offload stock now so likely bargains to be had in stores as well.

Vango tents are good solid tents, perhaps not the lightest, but dependable. Try to go for a tent with alloy or DAC or similar poles. Around the 2 kg mark weight wise or just under you should get something. MSR do the Elixir 1 which is around £180-185 and is pretty good.

Decathlon does good basic tents. The Quickhiker UL 2kg I linked to above for £110 seems pretty good although I've not used one let alone seen one in the flesh. They have a 2 year warranty on all their items. You might be able to see it up in one of their stores when they re-open.

Good luck.

 

[newfhouse]

Thanks. I like the look of the Vango Banshee and Helium too.
I’d happily pay up to £200 for a tent but probably couldn’t justify anything more at the moment

I bought a secondhand Banshee 200 a few years ago for £45 and have used it for several summer tours from Scandinavia to the Med. One day I’ll upgrade, but really it does everything I need well enough. As others have said, there’s no harm in getting a short tour under your belt with something cheap and getting a feel for what suits long term.

 

[jay clock]

That Decathlon one looks good and decent weight

 

[jay clock]

Is the groundsheet supplied by MSR strong enough on its own or would you recommend a hardier groundsheet for better protection. I was leaning towards the Elixir 2. Weight not a big concern so happy to go stronger.

The MSR groundsheet is fine, but less tough than a cheap hardware store one.

 

[Jerry Atrik]

Alpkit Soloist , love mine for bikepacking.

 

[freiston]

I have a Vango Mirage Pro which is really stable in bad weather and can be pitched before being pegged to the ground - which is not only handy for adjusting your position but is really useful for drying it off before packing it - I can turn it round to get both sides in the sun and I can tip it on its side to dry the groundsheet off too. It is on the heavy side and the porch isn't very big.

 

[COYS]

Alpkit Soloist , love mine for bikepacking.

Very lightweight and packs nice and small. I'm going for one of these once lockdown is over

 

[Vantage]

Could I recommend the Wild Country Zephyros 2 Compact?
1.96kg for about £100 depending on where you look.
It goes up all in one and has the one main pole dead in the middle of the tent. That helped mine stay in one piece during a test during Storm Ciara and believe me, it took one hell of a battering that night! The 2 end poles are glass fibre unless you're lucky enough to find a 2019 version in which they're alloy.
Both sides of the tent open up and the porch side has a full length opening inner door. Vents which can be opened and closed at each end of the tent give good ventilation. Tent pegs are hefty but lightweight alloy V type.
It does have its issues such as little porch space although the one person version has a much bigger porch. It uses the same size outer tent. Waking up I find that I scrape my head on the inner because the ends are so low but I can sit up OK in the middle of the tent.
It's not a bad wee tent to be honest.

 

[mudsticks]

This is my current touring tent.
A tarptent moment.
As you can see just enough room for one - no space for any extra men - but just enough for your stuff, even if you're untidy like me.

I usually leave my panniers on the bike - the thinking being that if they've survived the rain in the daytime they can do the same at night.
I keep everything that needs to be properly dry - sleeping bag, clothes, epectricals etc in dry bags anyhow.
The rest of the things have to take their chances.
This shelter comes in at just over 1kg, and slightly upwards of £200 - esp if you have to pay import duty from The States.
But very quick to erect - vital in poor weather, or if you arrive late.

I used to tour with its slightly larger, and roomier sister the Scarp.. Which is heavier too - but pretty bombproof - if I was going for more than a couple of weeks - in unreliable weather I might take that again.
But just for a few nights at a time, this size is fine.

I'm afraid nowadays with the advent of last minute cheap online booking, if the weather is truly awful on the road, I'll take advantage of any local hospitality available.

This isn't a mountain weather resistant tent - but that's ok - there are other tents available for that kind of behaviour.

 

[jay clock]

Could I recommend the Wild Country Zephyros 2 Compact?
1.96kg for about £100 depending on where you look.
It goes up all in one and has the one main pole dead in the middle of the tent. That helped mine stay in one piece during a test during Storm Ciara and believe me, it took one hell of a battering that night! The 2 end poles are glass fibre unless you're lucky enough to find a 2019 version in which they're alloy.
Both sides of the tent open up and the porch side has a full length opening inner door. Vents which can be opened and closed at each end of the tent give good ventilation. Tent pegs are hefty but lightweight alloy V type.
It does have its issues such as little porch space although the one person version has a much bigger porch. It uses the same size outer tent. Waking up I find that I scrape my head on the inner because the ends are so low but I can sit up OK in the middle of the tent.
It's not a bad wee tent to be honest.

View attachment 518269

i had a similar version called the Wild Country Zephyros 2 Lite (no longer on new market(
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYDkzkbXJpM
- different material and a friend had the non ultralight version but my impression was his version was a) less breathable and b) his main pole was longer when folded and would not fit in an Ortlieb pannier (mine did). Also the end poles on mine were aluminium. I cable tied them into place and rolled up with the tent.