Definitive ultra light cheap bikebacking tent

I know we’ve done this a lot but:

Should I get an Alpkit Aeronaut 1 or something else? That’s roughly my price range.

I’m waiting to see if a lot of people recommend the Lanshan 1 Pro, because I’m dithering over buying one and I need a push 😂

steezysixFree Member
I’m waiting to see if a lot of people recommend the Lanshan 1 Pro, because I’m dithering over buying one and I need a push 😂

Ah go on then, packs down small, weighs very little and has space to sit up in. On the down side it suffers from condensation but if you know that it’s easy enough to manage. That said the lanshan 2 is not a lot heavier or bulkier but is huge and much less prone to condensation build up. For one person I use the 1 but prefer when I’m out with either the Mrs or kiddo and use the 2.

I’m waiting to see if a lot of people recommend the Lanshan 1 Pro

I’ve got one, or something like it.

I like it for what it is, and I doubt there’s really much else in the same weight/price bracket.

Space is fine, I don’t find condensation a problem really.

I think the only thing to be aware of is that it really does rely on pegs, you’ll struggle to get away without good anchoring points, particularly if there’s any wind.

Ive not seen that alpkit in real life.  Its small.  Smaller than my trekkertent and heavier – but cheaper – a lot cheaper.  Looks a good tent but you won’t be able to sit up in it

I’ve got a naturehikle cloud-up 1.

Lots of room inside

Not the lightest, but light enough.

Can be pitched in any combination of inner, outer, and footprint depending on weight requirements and weather.

Cheap

Downsides, I’d rather a side opening tent with more of a porch.  But the tradeoff is that the Cloud-up has loads of internal space for gear if that’s a requirement so it only really loses out on wet-weather cooking.

The recent thread if you couldn’t find it, dunno if it answers your specific question though

Bikepacking tent recommendations please!

I’ve ended up with the new OEX Bobcat UL and tarp. Not tried it yet though

Do you still have to pay extra to get the Lanshan’s seam sealed? Or you have to do it yourself?

I’ll never understand why they do that. The whole F-ing point of buying a tent in the first place is to keep you dry and yet they manufacture them not seam sealed. I didn’t buy one just because of that.  They’re not that cheap or good.

Say what you see.
Naturehike Cloudup2 here.
Nice tent.

Neither my Tarptent Scrap not my SMD Lunar Solo were seam-sealed. It didn’t take me long to do so and it certainly wouldn’t put me off a tent I liked.

Henry Shires (Tarptent) had this to say on it…

Lanshan 1 Pro…

Did have to seam seal myself but it’s a bloody good bit of kit expecially considering the price. Used it a few times but biggest test was a very wet and windy long weekend in the lakes where I stayed dry and mostly warm but that was no fault of the tent!

It’s not big by any stretch of the imagination but also roomy enough to get the essentials inside and a bit more room in the porch area for the rest of the kit.

I use with a diy carbon pole setup off aliexpress but think I’ll change to something a little more adjustable as sometimes find myself finding rocks etc to get the high jsut right.

The thing that concerns me about the trekking pole ones when you don’t have a pole is that you have to bring your own carbon pole – not necessarily an issue, but trekking poles are extendable and BYO carbon poles are not. So you’d have to make sure you have exactly the right length, no? and you can’t then use the extension of the pole as a way to tension the tent.  Don’t you need something on the top of the pole to attach to the fly and something to stop it sinking into the ground?

The OEX one looks damn good but is a touch more than the Alpkit.  But a significant amount lighter.

I have mine set up with a A pole at the front with a string connecting the feet using bearbones poles and a home made CF A piece.  This allows for a little bit of height adjustment as you can shorten the string between the bottom ends of the poles.  Reduces sinking in as well 100 g or so extra and in a end opening tent makes it easier to get in and out

I have yet to see a picture of the Alpkit Aeronaut 1 that wasn’t a wrinkly flappy mess which would drive me nuts.  In contrast, the chap pitching the OEX Bobcat UL didn’t do anything special and it went up nice and taut.  Looks a bit more wobbly though due to the sail shape and ability to twist.

I can’t stretch to Trekkertent prices. The only thing that attracted me to the Alpkit was the price as it seems to be on offer.

Don’t you need something on the top of the pole to attach to the fly and something to stop it sinking into the ground?

My Lunar Solo has a reinforced sleeve to accommodate the top of the pole. If I’m camping on soft ground then I use a small plastic “foot” for it.

Bear Paws – pole feet

As regards pole length, my Bearbones pole was made to be the correct length for my Lunar Solo and I’ve not had any reason to have it shorter or longer.

I have yet to see a picture of the Alpkit Aeronaut 1 that wasn’t a wrinkly flappy mess

I was able to get it reasonable on my lawn, but it took some effort.

Not had cause to use it in the wild yet, but I can see on a less than perfect pitch it might be a big saggy.

I have a Cloud up 2, but I really don’t like the end-on entry, and the way the rain drips into the vestibule area when you open the door.

I wish they would make a Mongar 1 as I would buy a smaller/lighter  Mongar2

I already have a 2/3 person 3f pyramid tent but want something smaller and more packable when it’s just me.

Think I’ll go for the Lanshan, seam sealing is not super difficult.

For anyone that hasn’t used a pole style shelter, an adjustable pole is nice, but it’s normally easy to find a flat rock or angle the pole to raise or lower as needed!

The Lanshan is single skin, but it looks like there’s a sort of gutter to let the condensation run out. Does this work?

Anyone seen the Decathlon Trekking Tarp Tent?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/trekking-tarp-tent-1-person-mt900-minimal-editions-undyed/

@jimdubleyou any other thoughts on the Alpkit?

The Lanshan 1 Pro is basically the cheap knock-off of the Lunar Solo. It’s single skin and the groundsheet is attached by a midge netting. When pitched correctly this minimises condensation. It’s notable that the door on the Lunar Solo doesn’t extend to ground level either – also aimed at preventing/reducing condensation. FWIW I’ve only really suffered twice – once when camped in the clouds and once in a sea haar, when basically everything gets damp. A breeze is all it normally takes. I also often camp with the door on my Lunar Solo tied up, so basically using it as a tarp. That’s out of choice rather than necessity though.

“The Lanshan is single skin, but it looks like there’s a sort of gutter to let the condensation run out. Does this work?”

Reviews seem to say that water will run down an sit on the mesh, rather than drain through, unless there is a lot of it.

My experience of single skin tents is that ventilation is key, so a high pitch and keeping zips open as much as possible helps. If its very windy you can get water drops falling inside. A good idea is to carry a small microfibre towel or kitchen sponge to wipe the walls down in the morning before you start moving about too much.

In a double wall tent the condensation is still there, you just don’t see it.

The OEX ones look OK. I picked up a used Mountain Equipment Ultralight AR 2 tent from another cycling forum. About 1.5kg and two porches. Came with a tube of un-used seam sealant, might seal it prior to the KAW in September, just in case. Seems waterproof and I’ve applied tent proof to it as a precaution.

In the spirit of recommending what you have, Terra Nova Laser 2. Decent weight and surprisingly robust in strong winds. Not that spacious though but it has a wee porch bit and two side entries. I really like it

It falls down on the OP’s brief by not being cheap new, but I got mine off eBay for about £200, so quite a bit less than a new one

If I could afford a £600 tent I wouldn’t be starting a thread about £120 tents…

True, but I was more suggesting that second-hand expensive ones can be a good option, rather than a cheap new one. You do need a bit of luck to find one in good nick at the right price but if you aren’t in a hurry keep your eyes out for a bargain

If you can afford an £180 tent, look on sport pursuit for Big Agnes

They have the SL2, + a couple of other options.

*** must not buy any more tents ***

Alpkit ordos 2 is a cracking little tent.

easy to put up. 3 season, not much bigger than a bottle of wine when packed up.

and big enough for me so ideal for anyone under 6ft 4”.

If I could afford a £600 tent I wouldn’t be starting a thread about £120 tents

Mercifully, I’ve always found the Terra Nova Lasers a bit of a nightmare/very fiddly to pitch. I’ve not used the Aeronaut, but I have experience with several air beam-type tents including the Vango Force Ten Project Hydrogen thing.

The main plus is that the air beam means the tent can be stuffed into pretty much any size/shape storage as long as it’s large enough, the downside is that you’ll struggle to get the same rigidity as you would with a pole, which reduces the risk of catastrophic failure in high winds as it deforms rather than breaks, but I always worry about the possibility of total, unrepairable tube failure, which would render the tend pretty much a very large bivi bag. I had an early AirBeam actually explode on me, which has left mental scars and a maybe unfounded lack of trust.

If you’re a little wary of little known brands, you could do a lot worse than one of the Vango Heliums, which can be had for a shade under £200, and are good, solid little tents. Or, as above, Big Agnes from SP, though I’m always a little wary of the amount of mesh they tend to use on the inners, which is US heritage for you.

I have an Alpkit Soloist. The door is poor in terms of ease of use and creating a hole over the inner when open

I’m tempted be a Vango Helium ul2.

I know it’s more but it might be cheaper in the long run

If you’re getting the Lanshan you’ll need a height adjustable pole as the ground you camp on will most likely be uneven and will differ so you’ll need to adjust accordingly to get the correct set up. There are plenty of Lanshan horror stories of them failing badly if the weather turns (seam sealed or not) and its considered by many as a summer only tent.

Bikepacking and taking a trekking pole though, not for me. I’d just buy an Alpkit tent or look on eBay for something suitable second hand. A non trekking pole tent is just way easier to set up and far less faff.

Out of your price range but my Fjallraven Abisko Lite 1 tent isn’t seam sealed and doesn’t need to be due to the way they stitch the seams and has never leaked in some horrendous weather. You definitely get what you pay for. Ultralight, high quality and cheap doesn’t exist unfortunately.

If I were you I’d go with an Alpkit tent either the Ordos or Soloist. You won’t beat those for value and Alpkit gear has never failed me.

I have yet to see a picture of the Alpkit Aeronaut 1 that wasn’t a wrinkly flappy mess

Isn’t that just a feature/bug of most lighter Nylon tents Vs heavier Polyester?  Because it doesn’t stretch it’s nigh on impossible to pitch them perfectly unless you find perfectly flat ground to do it on?

The downside of polyester (apart from generally being heavier)  is even if you get it tight and smooth to begin with, will relax and sag as it gets damp.

Nylon:

Doesn’t stretch, tends to wrinkle as a result if not pitched perfectly

More water resistant.

Stronger in specific terms, but that means it’s more fragile once made into a thin material to exploit that.

Polyester:

Does stretch so doesn’t flap

More durable in the real world because it’s made heavier.

Loses shape when wet so will tend to flap anyway in bad weather.

The Aeronaut special offer has disappeared today 🙁

I’ve gone round the loop of wanting a bikepacking tent for ages, but have never got round to buying one as a) I never actually find the time to go on bikepacking adventures and b) I can’t make my mind up about what I would buy. I did buy a Highlander 1-man tent which is relatively light & compact, but is tiny with very little headroom. I’d ideally get something I could at least sit-up in.

Alpkit Soloist – the door design seems like a real flaw. It opens over the inner, so any rain/moisture falls on the inner when opening. Also, I am short but struggled to sit upright in the door entrance which put me off. Doesn’t come with footprint.

Cloud-up 1 (or maybe 2) – similar design to Soloist, but I think the door is a bit different so it doesn’t overlap. It also looks a bit taller from videos I have seen, so maybe easier to sit in the doorway. Comes with footprint.

Lanshan 1 – looks a bit of a faff to put up and would have to buy separate poles, but nice & roomy and side-opening which appeals. Don’t think it includes a footprint. Pro is a bit lighter than the standard one, but not sure I fancy the added condensation issue.

Decathlon MT900 1 person – Good shape, but maybe a little narrow. Perhaps 150mm wider would be ideal. Decent height with side opening & ground sheet in vestibule. But, would prefer in a more discreet colour & it doesn’t include a footprint.

Alpkit Tarpstar 1 – loads of room, headroom looks good and plenty of  ‘storage’ or cooking space under the fly. Needs a separate pole or trekking pole & no footprint, so both those add quite a bit to cost.

this is half price at the mo, light and cheap:

https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/vlt-1p-tent/

Single skin. Looks a bit like a Lunar Solo/Lanshan 1 Pro but without the mesh walls. I’d say that’s a recipe for massive condensation.

this is half price at the mo, light and cheap:

https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/vlt-1p-tent/

Needs a trekking pole tho

I have a small tarp and bivi, I had a miserable time when I used it first because wind kept blowing in my face and waking me up – hence thinking of a tent. Also, I am now planning a trip to the Yorkshire Dales where trees are in short supply, which would make it hard to pitch a tarp – mine is too small to sleep all the way under.  Unless it’s possible to pitch against a stone wall (of which there should be plenty) a tent would seem to be a good idea.

The Decathlon Forclaz one looks great.  It has a mini groundsheet inside the porch which looks like a brilliant idea.  A touch heavy but it really looks like a proper tent.

I am now planning a trip to the Yorkshire Dales where trees are in short supply, which would make it hard to pitch a tarp – mine is too small to sleep all the way under.

I have the same tarp issue and therefore usually take a pole (I’ve tried using the bike as a support but it means a very low pitch). In fact, it’s the same multi-part pole I use with my Lunar Solo.

Is your tarp long enough to sleep entirely under?  I think mine is not, so there’d be nowhere to put the foot-end pole.