What have you bought for the tent today?

[IaninSheffield]

Talking of using your pump, I've not come across mats and suchlike doing it, but I did read about a new Vango tent that uses an airbeam instead of a pole, which inflates through a Schrader valve. I was pretty intrigued but couldn't find much on the net about them.

Nice idea (Vango Airbeam Flux 200) but weighs a ton (well twice and more as much as a compact lightweight tent with poles). USP is that it's easy and quick to pitch (so meets the Hobbes 'energy conservation' test (see above)).

Saw a Vango Hydrogen air beam expedition tent pitched today. Very impressive ... especially if minimising weight is important - barely over 700g! If you have deep pockets!
I'm not keen on that form factor (or price!), but if they start to expand air beam technology into other styles (and achieve a more affordable price) I might be tempted.
<Waits for @HobbesOnTour to mention scratchy claws ... >

Edit: Doh! Forgot to mention it has a Schrader valve for inflation.

 

[Fram]

I have a Sea to Summit pillow and it is excellent

Ours lost their internal shape thingies and turned into fooballs (after 3 months).

 

[Oldhippy]

Can't decide if I like the idea of an inflatable tent. Would definitely want to see it in the flesh and a bigger one.

 

[Blue Hills]

Can't decide if I like the idea of an inflatable tent. Would definitely want to see it in the flesh and a bigger one.

I think I posted about the Vango a while ago.
After some thought I don't think there's a great advantage for the sort of tent you will be putting on a bike rack for one or two folks. Poles for those sort of tents aren't too bulky or heavy.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I can't see a price for that Vango and it seems to suggest using a pump bag to inflate and a bike pump to fine tune the pressure.
To my way of thinking after the material, the poles are the next thing to worry about, so I can see advantages of a pole less tent, all other things being equal.

However, given my propensity to not fasten things properly in the middle of the night it's easy for my mind to conjure up the image of such a tent slowly descending on top of me, perhaps with a cat or two on top😊

 

[Ajax Bay]

£600
And what's the mitigation if the airtube fails, in some way. Poles you can bodge a temporary mend.
Perhaps you could use an inner tube or two, cut in one place and tied at the open ends. Mmmm. That's another 300g.
As for blowing it up, I reckon a tube device to connect a pumped up schrader valved tyre to the inlet (schrader) valve of the 'airbeam' would be a compact and efficient way to go for cyclist use (carrying the pump anyway), rather than a pillow/bag.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

£600
And what's the mitigation if the airtube fails, in some way. Poles you can bodge a temporary mend.
Perhaps you could use an inner tube or two, cut in one place and tied at the open ends. Mmmm. That's another 300g.
As for blowing it up, I reckon a tube device to connect a pumped up schrader valved tyre to the inlet (schrader) valve of the 'airbeam' would be a compact and efficient way to go for cyclist use (carrying the pump anyway), rather than a pillow/bag.

I'm working off the assumption that an airtube failure is a puncture that I can presumably patch. If it isn't that simple then all bets are off!

Im not fully understanding their inflation process but it needs to be simple and workable in windy conditions.

I have difficulty seeing how this type is compatible with most inner-first designs, but I can see advantages for any tent that uses pole sleeves.
Inserting and removing poles on a soaking tent will be gone for one, damaged pole ends will no longer be a threat to tent material and the need to replace that elastic string within the poles is done away with. It may also be useful to those who stay mainly in coastal areas.

But £600? Steeeeeeeep!

 

[IaninSheffield]

For a 'conventional' rear rack set up, a tent with poles perhaps doesn't need a new solution, other than snapped poles ripping fabric, as @HobbesOnTour identified. For a bike packing setup, the incredibly small pack size, rather than the weight consideration, might be attractive.

The tent does come with patches for the airbeam bladder.
There are two valves for inflation: the Schrader, and one to which the pump bag can be attached - this is also the pack sack, so you don't need an additional sack.

Although I didn't see the pitching process, I imagine it's a matter of pegging the 4 corners (fly and inner together), then pump up the volume (if you'll forgive the somewhat dated cultural reference) then trim the tent. I too like the idea of not having to thread poles through sleeves.

I have seen a few outlets selling them for £539, but even then, that's getting close to Hilleberg territory. If the Hydrogens are as robust, reliable and long-lived, then fair enough ... but I still couldn't justify that cost. The shopfloor person I was talking with (not a Vango rep) claimed Vango were barely making anything on these tents; they were more a proof of concept. Whether true or not, I applaud the company for trying something new.

 

[Oldhippy]

I always strap tent poles to the bike frame and roll tent with army surplus vacuum sack, likewise with sleeping bag. I like space in a tent so don't mind a bit of extra weight as comfort beats being cramped for me. Together with four Carridice panniers I fit in all I need.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Decathlon have been doing "inflatable" tents for a while, mainly for the car camping / festival crowds.

I too think it's good to see a little innovation and I'd imagine that as with most concepts the price will come down.

I can see the whole bike-touring thing becoming a lot more popular in a post-pandemic world. That's going to be good for all of us!

 

[Vantage]

I don't really trust the concept of air tents. I mean, how stiff are they in a bad wind? I imagine that the air sleeves need to be up to a fair old pressure and that might require thicker material to withstand that pressure meaning more weight?
Do the 'poles' have their own individual air chambers or are they all connected and then inflated by a single valve? If they're all one piece, wouldn't that make finding a puncture a rather laborious process? What if the valve fails to close properly or starts to detach from the pole?
Nah, I think I'll stick with good old fashioned poled tents.

 

[IaninSheffield]

I don't really trust the concept of air tents. I mean, how stiff are they in a bad wind? I imagine that the air sleeves need to be up to a fair old pressure and that might require thicker material to withstand that pressure meaning more weight?
Do the 'poles' have their own individual air chambers or are they all connected and then inflated by a single valve? If they're all one piece, wouldn't that make finding a puncture a rather laborious process? What if the valve fails to close properly or starts to detach from the pole?
Nah, I think I'll stick with good old fashioned poled tents.

For the moment, I'm with you on poled tents, but, much like an air beam tent in the wind, I'm beginning to sway the other way.
Having recently been looking at awnings (a whole other thread I'll park for the moment), the popularity and usage of blow ups has begun to increase. For those larger shelters, you're right, they are heavier (and have a larger pack size), but their performance in winds is arguably better - a sudden strong gust may distort them temporarily, but they won't fail catastrophically like a pole might. The bladders which fit in different sleeves are isolated from one another, making punctures relatively easy to find. The (single) bladder in the Vango Hydrogen is not much bigger than a bike tyre. If the valve fails, you will have a problem no doubt, and I suspect that finding a replacement bladder out on tour is likely to be tougher than finding a pole ... at least until they become more ubiquitous. Maybe you could whack in a pole as a temporary fix!

I'm not sure why I'm trying to argue the case. I guess it's because if they were no heavier, and if they were no larger when packed, and if they came in form factors which suited me, and if spares were relatively easily sourced, and if ... if the price was competitive with poled tents, I'd definitely give one a try.

 

[Vantage]

Aha! I didn't think of bladders. That would make sense.

 

[uphillstruggler]

I don't really trust the concept of air tents. I mean, how stiff are they in a bad wind? I imagine that the air sleeves need to be up to a fair old pressure and that might require thicker material to withstand that pressure meaning more weight?
Do the 'poles' have their own individual air chambers or are they all connected and then inflated by a single valve? If they're all one piece, wouldn't that make finding a puncture a rather laborious process? What if the valve fails to close properly or starts to detach from the pole?
Nah, I think I'll stick with good old fashioned poled tents.

we have a air type tent, absolutely bombproof even in the heaviest wind and rain but ours is a family tent. I see no reason why the smaller version wouldn’t be as stable etc.

the air tube is robust too

horses for courses I suppose but if you are happy with the extra weight, then theyre a decent option

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Having recently been looking at awnings (a whole other thread I'll park for the moment),

I recall that you were looking at new tents....go on.... Start a new thread! You know you want to!