Motorcycle Camping Tents

[Razorbak]

.......................

[fish]

I've had both down and synth bags, and synth wins...especially when you forget to zip up the rainfly on your tent before the daily t-storms at Redmond and all your gear gets wet ...you still have a warm bag. Most down bags are horrible when wet.

Anyway...it's like asking which lights to get or which helmet to get...it's a very personal thing.

Here's mine...an REI Fat Cat
On top of a Thermarest Camprest...

at http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce...rrfnbr=6721580

hmmm...i notice the price is $199, but I paid $100 on sale in March. What I really like about this bag is that it's somewhat rectangular for folks like me who get claustrophobic in mummies.

So, since I get claustrophopic, I can't handle the bivy thing...it's like a body condom. Gotta have enough room to get up on yer knees and piss in a beer bottle or three, so I got one of these...a Sierra Designs Alpha CD (msrp $350...can be had in high $200s):


fish

[Myles Whitfield]

My opinion...

Buy the biggest damn tent you can tolerate to schlep around- espescially if it's more than just you. My 3 person Sierra Design 3-season backpacking tent is OK for me when motor camping, once you fill it up with helmet,stitch, boots, and sleeping stuff. 2 normal sized adults are cramped in a "3 person tent."

BTW the REI tent in your post is an exact copy of the Sierra Designs unit which was on discontinued sale from Campmor 2-3 yrs ago. CD Explorer model maybe?

If available buy the footprint- a custom "tarp" that fits underneath your tent--useful in damp camping conditions--a small blue tarp will also work in a pinch, but not as nicely.

Throw away the little pegs that come with it and buy some of those tent pegs that look like great big nails. Seal the seams of the tent before you use it. If a gear loft is available buy it too..If REI doesn't have one get the Sierra Designs version.

Carry duct tape for tent repairs. make sure the tent poles are shockcorded.

North Face tents strike me as a waste of money, but they make a nice product, and look really cool. I figure to get 2-3 years out of a tent. Use the rain fly to protect your tent from UV exposure during the day. I've slept in my SD tent in Telluride Colorado in a blizzard with a really nice North Face oversized (for us big guys) bag--and a Thermarest full length camp rest model pad--never warmer...Snow had banked up almost two feet on one side of the tent and no failure--the gear loft helps as an intenal guy wire system. The same tent with fly has withstood 50 mph gust on the beach in Mexico while tents literally all around it failed...

The downside to my tent is no good sized vestibule-the vestibule is nice cuz you can have a relatively dry transition area from your sleeping quarters tp the great outdoors--also a place to store your saddle bags for easy access put of the weather...My tent would be ideal if the vestibule was about 3 feet deeper...

Checkout campmor and see what they have on the SALE rack.

[fish]

I agree with all Myles said. My tent is actually billed as a 4-man, I think, and it fits me and my gear perfectly...plus a big vestibule. Took it camping with my boy a couple of weeks ago, and it was kinda tight. I don't really want to know about the four men who like to sleep in a tent that size.

Here are the details: http://www.sierradesigns.com/set_tent2.html

I like the SD tents. They are very well designed and manufactured, and use very high quality materials. Plus they pack down pretty small. My tent with the big honkin' nail pegs is about 10# and fits in a large H2W bag on the TOTL rack.

[Bill]

I've been using the Kelty V-4 for a couple of years. $219 at CampMor.

I seam sealed it before use and have been really happy with it so far. Supposedly it is a 4 person tent, but 2 people are reasonably comfortable or 1 with gear.



The best thing about this tent is that it has vestibules on both sides. So you can pile your outside stuff on one side and still be able to climb in and out the other side.

Also, if you orient your tent correctly to the wind, you can unzip opposite sides of the rainfly to scoop the breeze through the tent. That's nice when the weather is hot and there is a gentle breeze.

The only negative to this tent is that the poles thread in through sleeves. Probably good for stability, but it doesn't set up quite as quickly as clipped poles. It can still be put up pretty quickly when you've practiced a couple of times.

Naturally it isn't the smallest when packed, but for bike camping I've always just carried it across the seat in a H2W bag.

CampMor has the gear loft and ground cover for this one as well.

Good luck.

[fish]

Maybe we're just not thinking BIG enough. Here's what Crash used at Redmond...

[cRAsH]

... chicks dig it...

[fish]

Originally posted by cRAsH
... chicks dig it...

no shit...look at 'em all lined up...:oogle

[fish]

You just bought a tent. You live in Illinois. Aren't y'all about to have winter there?

[yellowGS]

Still trying to figure out how to haul the poles!!!!

[yellowGS]

The pic was to big ,I have an 18ft. tipi how many tents double as a garage!

[yellowGS]

HOLY SHIT !!!!!!! 319.00 Dollars

[Myles Whitfield]

Strong work on the tent Piggy...

Sorta' your own portable sty, eh?

i like the design and will consider it as a replacement candidate for the Sierra Designs I now have---individual vestibules, way cooolll....

[cRAsH]

I've been using a Peregrine for about 3 years now, and it is excellent.
My only complaint is the rainfly doesn't overlap the sides as far as I would like.
It can get cold if the rainfly isn't touching the ground because the tent itself is a lot of mesh.
WHICH melts rather easily if you wake up in the middle of the night
freezing your ass off and fire up your butane stove too close to it...DAMHIK.
Other than that, the design is great for 2 people and their gear.

[Myles Whitfield]

so wait a second....are you telling me that there aren't zip up panels behind all that mesh?

my Sierra Designs has a really large mesh moonroof, but a panel of tent material zips behind it to close it if you're inclined..

the SD is more of a 4 season tent-how do they bill the Peregrine?