1 Man Bivvy/Tent

[Staplebug]

Hi all,

I have a 5 man tent for when I go camping with the family however I also go away twice a year with the lads.

We usually go in Nov and again in Feb so the ground is muddy and I spend most of the days afterwards washing and cleaning the tent ready for the family breaks in the summer.

I have been looking at getting a smaller tent that I can use just for me and have found this:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/bedbox-ii-id_8239238.ht...

Anyone ever used one or have any other recommendations?

Thanks

[JM]

Reading the title of the thread thought you were looking for some sort of cross between a bivi-bag and/or a lightweight one-man tent.

But going by the link maybe not.

What are you doing with the tent and do you intend carrying it into the hills etc or just campsite camping/from a car?

The one linked to looks ok for a sheltered spot maybe on a campsite or similar, but would be a bit heavy to take into the hills and doesn't appear to have any guy ropes to keep it tied down in the wind.

[Staplebug]

Hi,

I'll just be on a campsite so no hiking etc.
Weight is not really an issue.
I already have the camp bed that the tent can attached to so maybe its a no brainer.

[Odie]

That's a fishing tents, looks to tall for its width and will likely be noisey and move a lot in windy conditions.

What price point are you looking at?


ETA http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/102313-vango-ban...

Edited by Odie on Wednesday 4th December 16:24

[tenohfive]

Vango Banshee 200, as posted above for £60 in Blacks (very good deal.) Cheap as chips, robust and whilst it's not the lightest tent that's not an issue since you're not carrying it. I know a few people who've used it up in the Highlands halfway up mountains so it's safe to say it'll survive campsite camping.

Either way you want a 2 man tent - one men tent or bivvies don't give you much room to store gear and are a compromise for those that have to carry their tent.

[marshal_alan]

even as a tent to doss in you want more than a bivvy/1 man canvas coffin. I use a coleman bedrock and it has lasted 3 years now mainly for racetrack marshalling, easy to pitch and weatherproof, at croft last year almost every other tent got trashed in winds... apart from mine

[jjones]

if weight isn't an issue get a two man tent, put a double airbed inside, inflate.

[paolow]

marshal_alan said:

even as a tent to doss in you want more than a bivvy/1 man canvas coffin. I use a coleman bedrock and it has lasted 3 years now mainly for racetrack marshalling, easy to pitch and weatherproof, at croft last year almost every other tent got trashed in winds... apart from mine

+1 - even when I was a hardcore 'through-hiker' I accepted the greater weight of a half decent bigger tent rather than a one man 'tunnel' or 'coffin' tent. It is worth the weight to have room to move or you will hate it unless you are utterly dedicated.
From what you say ultra lightweight isn't your style - and I cant recommend makes as my knowledge is rusty - but go for a tent you can comfortably move in, get changed in and all this while with a full pack in there with you. Big difference to your day!

[Kaelic]

I do a lot of humping around the hills near Hereford and the Breckons. I ended up getting a 2 man tent so I have somewhere to store kit and have the room to get changed and actually relax in the sideways rain!

hope that helps

[Johnnytheboy]

I'd be interested in recommendations for a very light one man tent if anyone has any.

I'm a bit fanatical about weight saving.

[Kaelic]

These are pretty small for the features they have

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-banshee-200-tent...


Easy to pack and erect etc..

[tenohfive]

Johnnytheboy said:

I'd be interested in recommendations for a very light one man tent if anyone has any.

I'm a bit fanatical about weight saving.

Budget and conditions? Assuming 3 seasons:

The Hilleberg Akto, Scarp 2, Terra Nova Laser Photon 1 are all fairly typical double skinned tents that are very light. If you're willing to go single skin then options like the MLD Trailstar are well regarded but obviously less comfortable in cool conditions. All of the above are fairly pricey though - £250-400. Then you've got ones that use trekking poles as their main support like some of the Gram Counter Gear designs.

At the budget end something like a Wild Country Zephyros 1 or 1 Lite get you down to 1.4kg or 1.2kg respectively, though personally I'd rather have the room of the Zephyros 2 Lite at the 1.3kg mark. They range from £100-200 (and certainly with the vanilla 1 you'll find them cheaper shopping around.)

Personally though I want a tent for 4 season wild camping that's light and will accomodate two people, so the Tarptents Scarp 2 is what I've got my eye on. It seems to get excellent reviews even if it is a bit of an effort importing it from the states, and with the price running into the £250-300 mark with import duty and shipping. From what I've been hearing it's just a stonkingly good tent - roomy, good for wild camping in snow and storms and coming in at 1.7kg. Though at some point I think I'll still look at the Zephyros 2 Lite for slightly lighter solo wild camping.
http://www.tarptent.com/scarp2.html

[Johnnytheboy]

Thanks for all that, will have a look into it.

[Ayahuasca]

If there are trees where you camp a hammock might do the job. I use a Hennessy asymmetric that only weighs a couple of pounds or so, includes a rain fly and mosquito net and sets up in seconds.