whats the heaviest tent you would tour with

[bygone era]

im 6ft1 looking for a tent for cycle touring would like to be able to sit up and have 2 entrances prefer 2 /3 berth for extra room hate being cramped I like the vango halo 2 wild country hoolie2 berghaus 3.2 I will be solo touring other suggestions welcome £150 max is 3000mm hh a good level of water resistance

 

[Slioch]

I'd draw the line at 2kg to be honest (4lb in old money). Anything more than that and you'll really feel the weight penalty once you've added on all your other camping gear. I'd certainly rule the Vango Halo out.

I appreciate it's down to finances, but I have 2 tents. A lightweight one man one for cycle camping, and a larger 3 man one for when I camp out of the car boot which is really comfortable with all the bells & whistles.

Top tip - once you've found the tent you want, have a good hunt around on Amazon/Ebay etc, because you can sometimes get last years model at a heavy discount.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I'm slightly taller than you.
My Vango Havoc 200 is a shade over 3kg. I use it if I'm going to stay 2 or 3 nights at each stop, as it's roomy (I can sit up in it) and rock steady. Only one entrance though.
If I'm moving on each night I use my Saunders Space Packer, which is a shade under 2 kgs, but quicker and easier to erect, although not as stable and my head touches the inner at night. It has two entrances.

 

[oldwheels]

Wife and myself camped regularly and went continental touring with a Black’s Good Companion. I still have it as it has sentimental value but weighed it and it was about 4.5 kilo dry. It has been replaced with several tents, latest being a Banshee200.

 

[mudsticks]

Definitely under two kilos for obv reasons - you can get plenty sturdy enough tent for touring for one at that weight.

And something easy to pitch at days end .

There's usually a lot of gear churn going on amongst the lightweight back-packing crew.
You'll get a lot more bang for your buck second hand and maybe pick up an import

Outdoor Gear Exchange on the dreaded face book - if you indulge in such profanities is a good place to start - you might get lucky.

 

[Blue Hills]

I'd draw the line at 2kg to be honest (4lb in old money). Anything more than that and you'll really feel the weight penalty once you've added on all your other camping gear. I'd certainly rule the Vango Halo out.

Some would differ with your view slioch - particularly using a one man tent - many find them cramped for one - especially if you want all of your junk in the tent with you.

Personally I think you can go up to 2.5 or 3kg.

My robens Lodge 2 (2 man used for one person) is at the upper limit of that and I don't find it a serious issue at all.

I did go a bit mad recently and buy, at a good price, a Vango Halo 300XD. That's a three man tent for just me. The XD means its super tough with hardier components right down the zips. It's aimed at marauding groups of scouts and guides I think. That I may come to regret -that is pushing 5kg!!!

I think I'll keep it for trips where I am staying put a while - and where I can bag a cheap campsite fee for turning up on a bike - then unpacking the palatial monster .

It does actually pack up pretty well - but yes it is heavy.

I don't think you necessarily need to spend a shedload of money on a tent (particularly if buying in the sale season) as a with a lot of the more expensive tents you are paying for reduced weight - and in some cases possibly too reduced - not as tough.

 

[Brains]

It depends on how many you are touring with

We took this one last summer
We left the inner and the wood burning stove behind.
We also just packed lightweight pegs

It came down to under 10 KG
One person carried the entire tent (about 6KG) in a single 20L pannier
The rest had pegs or poles or base
It averaged out at about 900g per person
And we had loads of room, we could have slept a few more people at a push

 

[Spoked Wheels]

I have a Coleman Cobra 2, my first tent, at just over 2kg it's fine for my needs, easy to pitch and roomy for a single person or a couple. The Cobra 3 at just under 3kg has two entrances.

 

[Blue Hills]

Two entrances with porches is handy even if solo. Somewhere to stash stuff you don't want in the inner tent.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

Unless you are bikepacking, it makes little sense to worry about an extra kg of tent weight. This is less than 2% of total weight and you will probably be inside the tent for a third of the time.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Unless you are bikepacking, it makes little sense to worry about an extra kg of tent weight. This is less than 2% of total weight and you will probably be inside the tent for a third of the time.

I think this is the best advice.
Priority should be to figure out what you want in and from your tent. In your case it's head and legroom. But other factors can be number of doors, material, freestanding or not, groundsheet etc. Then worry about the weight. And when budget comes into it be prepared to take your time. Get a feel for the cost of the tent(s) you're interested in and wait for deals to appear - they always will, whether second hand or clearance.

Be wary of taking recommendations from others on the internet. What works for them may not work for you.

And always try to crawl through a tent in real-life before you buy, if you can.

 

[Milkfloat]

I have a Coleman Cobra 2, my first tent, at just over 2kg it's fine for my needs, easy to pitch and roomy for a single person or a couple. The Cobra 3 at just under 3kg has two entrances.

I have the same and it is my go to tent for a bit of luxury, I save my 1 man for bike packing when I want small and light. The Cobra 2 has two entrances for the inner, but the fly only has one, so one side is used for storage.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0047T69S2

Mine weighs in at 1.9KG

I am 6'4" so the only time I share is with my 8 year old son, the rest of the time I use it solo, 2 adults would be very cosy.