Its the right time to buy a new tent!
 

With the 2011 models hitting the shelves soon, you can bag a bargain now.

I have been looking at a new tent (to sleep 1, or "two man" in tent speak,) to accommodate my panniers and topbox, as well as a cooking area, but still being reasonably light but strong.

The Caravan and Camping Club have a good guide to tents.
http://www.campingandcaravanningclub...osingyourtent/

I am fortunate to live near Camping World, with about a dozen assembled 2 man tents on display.


For now here are a few bargains to be had, saving �100 or more...

I spent a good 40 minutes on this topic, with my in-depth reviews, and the had a power-cut and lost my post. So, this is just a brief summary, as I can't be bothered to do it all again..sorry!

http://www.outbacktrading.co.uk/inde...atId=saleItems
for the Vango Equinox 250,(WITH Tension Band System) �145 also the Vango Cyclone 200+ �144

http://www.norwichcamping.co.uk/tent...-200-2009.html
Vango Tornado 200 �139

http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/prodpa...=sub&sub=VANGO
Vango Spirit 200 Plus �190+�20 footprint (�180 at Kenmar)


Spirit 300+ (2 man tent) on Ebay with footprint �230- have a search.

http://www.outbacktrading.co.uk/inde...wCat&Submit=Go
Vango Cyclone 300+ �166


http://www.outdooraction.co.uk/cgi-b...ml%23a136#a136
Vango Equinox with free footprint �159.95

SUMMARY
http://www.vango.co.uk/

THESE ARE THE BEST DEALS I HAVE FOUND AT THE MOMENT.......

The Vango Equinox 250 �145 (RRP �240) 4.3kg, pack size 48x21, is suprisingly stable for a high tunnel tent, and they are a very good buy at this sort of money. Good headroom, large porch, very roomy for 1 person.Really too big for a one man tent, a two person tent,but check that you mattress's will fit. great value. You may get your bike in the porch, I HAVEN'T CHECKED. If you want a roomy 2 man, check out the Equinox 350

The Cyclone 200+ �144 (RRP �240) 3.6kg, pack 44x18, is alot shorter in height, but still has a good porch area. 1 man tent .. Lighter than Equinox.

The Vango Spirit 200 + �190 (RRP �270) 2.9kg, pack 43x15, is really a 1 man tent. Huge porch. Lighter than the other two. Very stable.

The Vango Cyclone 300+ �166 (RRP �280) 4.5kg, is only 100cm wide on inner tent at the narrow end, so if you want a two man tent, I would get at least 120cm minimum, to allow for your mattress's.�166

Outback trading is a good site to start on prices. also Gaynors and Camperlands, and the shops above
A Vango footprint adds about 400g and �30

Here's a tasty little number...

http://nomadtent.com/tents.html

That's just perfect :notworthy:

I'm pretty pleased with my Quechua tents though. But not sure you can get them outside of mainland Europe.
We have a 2 Seconds +III and a Base Seconds Full which are perfect for long camping trips where you move around a lot. But they're not that convenient to carry on the bike. So we only use those for the "bikes-in-van-ride-around-europe" sort of trips.
They are dirt cheap, good quality and very fast to pitch or pack.

For the trips on the bike we have the T4.1. Very spacious (you can actually park 2 bikes in there), more compact to pack up and still a reasonable wait to carry on the bike. Only 99.90� at Decathlon.

Ironic isn't it...... A Tenere Tent with a GS inside it!

(and it's big)

Tents are a funny thing, different people want different things, and some people want different things at different times! A winter tent isn't going to be perect for Morocco in the middle of summer, and a summer tent is going to be no use in Scotland in October

we've 4 tents in this house, a 2 man Vango Tornado (discontinued I understand now), a 3 man cheap thing, a six man single room and the family bungalow, complete with annex, kitchen and two bedrooms.


I would say look at the pack size, after all you need to be able to transport it (whether on a bike, van, car etc). If you need stand up space you can always use a tarp and your bikes mirrors to gain some height. Think about what is important to you when you camp;

Pack size ?
Weight?
Do you want fast errection and take down?
Do you want space?
Do you want a stable tent ?
Are you looking for cover or protection from heavy rain, or cold weather ?

Once you know what you want, put it in order then start looking.

Trouble is, often with tents if you pay cheap you get cheap - but not always. If you shop around, especially at this time of year you can get last years stuff at good prices (the whole purpose of Richards thread).

Camping ins't for everyone, but the riht equipment can make the difference between an OK camping experince and an awful one (for those who don't like it). Those who are natural campers will manage with a plastic sheet!

That is exactly the point. It is a compromise. If you are buying just one tent, it has to have a little bit of everything you would like, just like owning one motorcycle.

My tip is to go out to see some tents erected, that way you will come away with a good idea of what "would do".

And, if you do, don't forget that when shopping on the Web, always ask the showroom you visited if they will do a price match, it's only fair to them,...they will sometimes (and beat it in some circumstances!)

Vango Cyclone 200+ = Yamaha XT660R. Simples!
http://www.vango.co.uk/tents/cyclone-200+.html (�130 from �240, footprint �30)

I only paid �45 for mine 2 years ago. Loads of room to store your stuff etc

http://www.nevisport.com/storedetail...duct_id-834905

You stole that!!!

If you can find them, then Aztec Performance tents CLICKYYY are well worth hunting out. You will often find them reduced in price. They pack down very small, and are very well constructed. Far better than the comparable Vango offerings, in my opinion and experience.

Everyone has different priorities, so more than one tent is useful if you are that way inclined. Weight and pack size are important to me, as is being a good size inside.
I am at tent nirvana now; with a GoLite Shangri-la3 tipi for just myself, or 2 of us for a weekend, and an Aztec Camara for longer trips.

They look good Tom.....but it does get more confusing, the more brands you look at, doesn't it?!!!! There are MILLIONS out there.....I just stuck to Vango, as they were the ones I could actually see and try, before buying. I hope the Vango will be ok...

A dome tent is quicker and easier to pitch/break down on yer own, as you only need to slide two poles in and it's done.

More then happy with my old coleman tent, only drawback is the porch is tiny so there's no place to stash yer wet gear, can get me boots in there and a few bits and bobs but that about it. I did what you've done and looked at all the tents reviews etc and was going to get a coleman phad/pact tent, then one of those big outdoor stores opened up so I went along to see them pitched up. If I'd bought one unseen I'd have been disappointed, �150, good brand, good reviews etc, but just looked cheap and not much better than what I had, so I'd say go look at them pitched up before you buy.

Trouble with tents, everyone swears by the one they have.

Definitely tents to suit the job.

My current 'flying solo' tent is a Vango Tempest 200. Pack weight and build quality is great, and it was IIRC less than �80, but it is (one man) small and particularly low. It's for sleeping in, not living in.

I've got a Quechua tarp these days which I'd definitely carry if I expected foul weather and to be spending a lot of time around the campsite - consider me thoroughly converted by last year's Lakes trip :D.

The downside is the tarp is almost the size and weight of the tent again, and I suppose you could argue that I could just carry around a bigger tent. It's quite a flexible solution though.

I've also got a Black's '3 man' tunnel tent (can't remember exact model) which is used for travelling with Mrs Thumper. It doesn't pack well at all, although that matters less with two bikes, but it is enormous, both in sleeping area and porch area. When we went away last summer we took the tarp as well, and had a mansion wherever we stopped :D. It did mean the bikes looked like this though:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._5621131_n.jpg

(that's the tent on the back of the ER6 - I said it doesn't pack small)


Having seen Tom's, I am intrigued by the idea of tipis.

I had one of these, as we spoke about. Mine was blue and a DofE recommended tent. Having seen both ut's and mine there were differences in the materials used, ut's green one being far better constructed. Mind you I think I only paid �50 for mine.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/IMG_2576.jpg

I remember you admiring my erection. Fnarr.

Tipi pitched up

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...mping/tipi.jpg

and packed on the bike, yes it's all in that yellow drysac on the back

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2.../gill_ford.jpg

The Aztec Camara is a 3 man tunnel and packs nicely into a 35l drysac on the back-

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...eston_park.jpg

and pitched up at the Dragon

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...ragon_camp.jpg

I am very pleased with the tipi, but it wasn't cheap. I think it stands me at �160, you buy it all separately; the inner I paid �50 for, the fly was �110, but can be used on it's own in summer. Weight is 2kg all in.

why is this Quensha Tarp so good? Whats it for? A windbreak, cover your bike..come on, let me in on this guys

10 years is good, it looks very roomy too...does your bike fit in the Biker with the door closed?

You'll figure out why it's so good when it pisses down for the whole of the lakes weekend :D

It is huge, and really quick to put up - but ask Tenere Doug about it !!! :104:

I can confirm that it has aged well (much better than Keith), I'd say a good investmentm if you've got the space on the bike!! (although Keith did manage it on a R.. )


It comes with two long poles (and you can use 1, 2 or all three sections so you can vary the height) and lots of tie off's, it's around 3 x 3 meters and can be errected in any number of fashions from a 'roof' (picture a normal pitched roof), a rear side & roof, a tunnel over your tent, lean to from the bike, or any other way your imagination can put it up!

I saw NickW with one a couple of years ago, got one myself and it's very good indeed. I use it on the bike or even when we go off with the bungalow...

That's largely because you should be looking for Quechua, as I wrote, not what Richard wrote ;)

Quechua is Decathlon's camping gear 'own brand', so you should be looking in Decathlon.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/tarp-3243880/

err...I must have missed the smallprint when I signed up for Lakelands......I assume its an indoor BBQ then...:069:

Here's a possible bargain...Vango Equinox 350 @�99....ITS GOT NO RESERVE 7 HRS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!! I would say still a bargain at �180.....A very roomy tent, weighs 5.3 kg, (add around 500g for a footprint), and will suit those looking for a bit of comfort in a tent. I nearly went for the Equinox 250, it is pretty stable for a "skyscraper", well made, a quality tent. It has inner tension straps that go diagonally either side of the inner tent door, and at either end, (you can chose not to connect them, but they give a much greater stability in high wind). Someone here MUST buy it!!!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vango-Equinox-...item3a622e3766

only 7 hrs to go on this tent..�99 on Ebay, no reserve....just a bump for you...

I've often looked at the Decathlon tents, has anyone got one ? and are they any good ?

The Tarp is awesome, if a little heavy (well heavier than my tent) due to the poles, I suspect the tents might well be a good buy.

I'm pretty pleased with them.
See my post earlier in this thread: http://www.xt660.com/showpost.php?p=146123&postcount=3

Never used one, but you see literally hundreds of the pop-up ones on any Euro campsite (and for that matter in the Dakar bivouac). So they can't be that bad. I'm wary of the cheapest single-skin ones for the same reason as any other single-skin tent. Feck all use for carrying on a bike though.

I have a DD Hammocks tarp, chosen for being a well put together piece of kit and light. BUT no poles so I just use a single pole I have spare, or the bike.

it sold for �144.95.....a bargain! Half the retail price, 2010 model, brand new..

My new Vango Cyclone 200+
 

Here it is,in all its glory.

Was a bit fiddly threading the poles through for the first time, but everything else was easy.

The inner tent comes to the apex of the top of the tent, its raining now, so no pics of the inside yet...

http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/IMG_0964.jpg

http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/IMG_0965.jpg

http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/IMG_0966.jpg

Can you bang up a shot of it packed up too... perhaps with an XT660 for an idea of scale?

yep i will...its staying up tonight as it started hosing down... more shots of the tent tomorrow. It is very very stable, 16mph winds today and it doesnt move.

Here's my "tent" ;)

Double bed, fridge, gas burners, sink.

Bit of a bug**r to bungy it on the back of the XTX though.

http://www.xt660.com/gallery/display...p?imageid=1936

Looks quite stable as well....

here's the Vango Cyclone 200+ packed on the bike..Keith
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/IMG_0968.jpg
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/IMG_0970.jpg

yep..I have just looked your Khyam up..

Kyham Biker 60x20x20 5.8kg
Vango Cyclone 44x18x18 3.6kg

I think for the greatly increased area of your one...the pack size is suprisingly similar.

Bargain
 

On the bay at the moment, the tipi set up I have, for good money.
GoLite Shangri La3

GoLite Shangri La3 nest(inner)

currently have

1. Affectionaly knows as "the coffin" 1 man tiny tent made by blacks, slide in slide out!
2. Coleman 3 person thing i got from amazon last year in the sale for under �50 nice, pretty quick to put up/take down
3. Khyam Freelander quick errect jobby- lovely bought late last year in their sale 2010 model for �50 off. Goes up in less than 5 mins (on my own) and is nice and spacious, if the weather is bad enough there is enough room in the porch area to put my Road King
4. Another Khyam not quick errect but feckin huge sleeps 8 in four seperate rooms and a living area, got it second hand on ebay a couple of years back. yet to use it but it was a bargain!
5. Some cheap thing i found in Makro's about 6 years ago, sleeps 6 in one big room large porch used it 3 times i think!

I use different tents for different occasions, the first three are for when im on the bike, depending on how far im going, how long im staying and what the weather is gonna be like! Took number 5 to Holland a couple of years back on the back of my Buell Ully just for myself though, was very nice and spacious!