recommend me a bikepacking tent

I am thinking I would like to have a try of bikepacking. I need a tent , what does everyone recommend.
Budget of around £100-£150

Borrow one if you are just trying things out.

Lanshan something or other, plus a carbon pole

I have one of these

lightweight and subtle, but pretty snug 🙂

-vs are the number of pegs required, can’t sit up in it, and also if it’s raining lots then the inner can get pretty wet before the outer goes on…

+vs pretty light and compact, seems robust, good price.

Alpkit one man

Soloist

These were recommended on another thread.

https://www.naturehike.com/en-gb/products/naturehike-cloud-up-1-3-person-camping-tent?variant=43051803541760

My priorities:

• outer first erection
• to be able to sit up
• bulk (or lack of) is more important than weight
• 3 season AKA weatherproof
• long enough so when laid down my sleeping bag ‘ends’ don’t touch the inner/outer

I spent a bit more, Vango Helium 1, happy with it.

I bought a tent similar to that OEX Phoxx 1 for £50 to try out the whole bikepacking shenanigans.

This one: https://highlander-outdoor.com/collections/tents-and-shelter/products/blackthorn-1-man-tent?variant=44072542863644

It’s fine, but i am probably gonna get something else. I’ve been looking for ages, but not really got any bikepacking plans on the horizon, so no real rush.

The Highlander one is very low – not great when the weather is sub-optimal & very difficult to get undressed/changed in. It was also quite bad for condensation.

Next one I get will be taller so I can sit-up inside.

I am undecided on side or front entry. I prefer the idea of side entry, but tents like the Cloud-Up 1 look ideal & are front entry only.

I’ve been looking at:
Naturehike Cloud-up 1 (or maybe 2)
Lanshan 1
Alpkit Tarpstar 1

I think you’re right @stumpy01 — the Phoxx 1 I have is restrictive, ok when the weather is not too bad and sitting outside is an option but not so good if confined to barracks due to midges or rain…

I see Tiso have a sale on tents, and this looks a good price, and has the height for sitting up in:

https://www.tiso.com/eatnz7ti0247/vango-apex-compact-10-unisex-green

anyone got one?

As above main thing you need to decide is how much living area you want inside.

You might be better served by a tarp/bivvy setup, depending what you are after.

For the same given bulk/weight you will get a larger area for sitting under with a tarp+ bivvy. However, it will probably have less bug and weather protection and also bivvys can be clammy.

In comparison if you go for a super lightweight and small tent you will get more weather and bug protection, but less room to be comfortable inside.

If you get a bigger tent then you win on weather protection, bug protection and space… however you lose on weight/bulk

(I)Weight/bulk
(II)Space to be comfortable
(II)Protection from elements and bugs

Pick any two

I have the Lanshan 1 plus, as big inside as the pro but with the benefits of a separate inner. Pitches as one which I like. Room to sit up with room inside for kit and a porch you can cook in.

I’d say the only thing it isn’t which is important to some people is freestanding.

Agree, side entrance – just so much easier than a front only – probably ignored it my previous tent was also side entrance.  I also cook inside if required, so having a vestibule is important.

I know it’s pricey but I got the MSR hubba bubba 2 man. It’s not much bulkier than my tarp and bivvy set up.

Loads of space and very small packed. I can even put my bike in one entrance for security, albeit the wheels stick out.

I got an alpkit soloist xl. I really wanted outer pitching one first that isn’t  and the front entrance is a bit annoying.

But given price v weight v room seemed the best option.

When bike packing it is just somewhere dry to sleep so does the job.

At that budget I’d buy a Vango banshee.

A tent that will take a beating and a company that stands behind their product.

You don’t get much better value than this:

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

Needs a trekking pole tho

My 2p:

A 1-man tent is hardcore if you have gear that you don’t want to leave outside. My general experience of camping is that comfort is n+1, so if there’s three of you then you need a 4-person tent.

Ultra-lightweight makes sacrifices like “yeah, we didn’t weatherproof it in order to save 12 grams.” Which is more important to you, only you can say.

You can get bike-specific tents which use bits of the bike instead of poles. You are though, obviously, bollocksed if you’re camping when not on the bike unless it comes with optional poles also.

I am undecided on side or front entry.

A long, thin tent should be pitched in-line with any weather you may be having. A front / rear entry will provide shelter from the elements when cooking in a manner which a side-entry may not. Obvs, this doesn’t matter if you don’t get inclement weather, but this is the UK.

Disclaimer, I have never bike-packed. But I have wild camped up hills and done a lot of regular camping. Other posters are likely more experienced than I.

Oh, and,

Don’t go too far on your first expedition. If it all goes to shit because you’ve made some horrible mistake or other, it’s a lot easier to recover from if your inaugural outing is your back garden.

Don’t go too far on your first expedition. If it all goes to shit because you’ve made some horrible mistake or other, it’s a lot easier to recover from if your inaugural outing is your back garden.

Oh come on, where’s your sense of adventure? When it all goes to shit is where the fun starts 🙂

FYI I have one of the phox 1 things , step up from a tarp, can’t complain

You can get bike-specific tents which use bits of the bike instead of poles. You are though, obviously, bollocksed if you’re camping when not on the bike unless it comes with optional poles also.

I’m amazed you can still buy the bikcamper. There appears to still be a **** of gullible people out there who think that would be useful. They were shit as a tent 15 years ago. Hard to imagine they got any better.

Shame as the concepts half decent just piss poorly executed.

I’m no expert, neither do I intend to bikepack more than once or twice a year plus taking my lad for the odd local ‘wild’ camp. So I went with a two man Alpkit Ordos and so far so good. I think I paid £100 second hand but unused.

If I was buying again, I’d choose something that pitched outer first but I do like having the extra space of a two man tent.

It’s been fine on the Calder Divide Trail and Jennride so far and I don’t do it often enough or far enough to get to het up about grammes.

We’ve got a 2-man MSR tent that weighs under 900gms. I wouldn’t take it bike packing though, only hiking. Weight is less of an issue on a bike so something a bit stronger, more comfortable and free standing – a Vaudé Taurus ultralight at 1750gm is our favourite but something cheap from Decathlon will do the job at 2500gm or thereabouts.

Second-hand as above will take you upmarket. But tents age so a tube of seam glue is a good buy.

a vaude taurus ultralight is a great tent we have one of them thats nearing end of life at 20 years old having been put up and down daily for most of a year.

where are you finding one of them for 150 quid . id like to replace mind 😀

leboncoin.fr. They come up regularly, you need an alert on the phone to get the cheap ones, a quick look says that they’ve sold at 129, 170 and 210e recently. There must be some equivalent second-hand site for the UK. Gumtree ?

In the spirit of recommending what you have, only used a few times but decathlon have a 1 man tent I have been really happy using long enough for me 5’10” and wide enough to have loads of gear inside, a fairly sizeable porch and enough height to sit up in, has a side door so much easier to get into as opposed to the alpkit soloist.

Dead easy to put up and only downside for me is inner first pitching.

@austy….this one?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/1-man-trekking-dome-tent-mt900/_/R-p-305777

I really like the look of it, but is it not a bit narrow? This used to be on my shortlist, but I kinda ruled it out.
I’m sure the spec says 60cm wide at the shoulder, which is about the width of my air mat.

It’s a shame they don’t offer it in a more subtle colour too, like green or brown.

@stumpy01 yep that is the one I have.

I have an exped synmat and never felt like I was too close to the side, one of the sides at the door is straight and the other side triangulated following the line of the tent outer giving more space.

this gets good reviews and is a decent price

https://amzn.eu/d/hvB9muF

I have a Coleman tent and it’s pretty solid if a tad on the heavy side.

Disclaimer, I have never bike-packed. But I have wild camped up hills and done a lot of regular camping. Other posters are likely more experienced than I.

Did you ever use the MacPac Minaret I sold you?

looks similar to the Coleman (qv) but lighter in weight and slightly more subtle colours, £95 from Halfords

https://www.halfords.com/camping/tents/olpro-solo-1-berth-lightweight-tent-785822

I’ve got one of the Phoxx 1 V2 as mentioned above.

It’s pretty light at 1.5kg. It packs nice and small due to the alu poles – bag is 31cm long, which makes carrying it on the bike easier.

It is pretty snug – you can sleep in it, but that’s about all!

For it’s intended purpose (for me anyway) of summer bikepacking, it’s ideal though.

I haven’t used it in really wet conditions yet though, and the inner pitching first would be an issue. I have got a slightly heavier (2kg) tent that pitches all in one go if it came to that 🙂 though I’m definitely a fair weather camper.

I’ve got the OEX Phoxx 2 v2 as I found the Phoxx 1 too tight for me. It’s 2.1Kg so far from light but it’s got plenty of space for keeping kit inside and gives me a good night’s sleep. I got it for £84 from GoOutdoors with a discount code. The quality is pretty good for the price.

Not so stealth ad. I’ve got a MSR Hubba 1 person tent, the original version now discontinued which I’ve not used in a long time and would let go for a lot less than your budget. In perfect condition, probably used 10 times at most.

@tuboflard

I’m interested in the Hubba 1 should the OP not wish to take it off your hands.

I’m interested in the Hubba 1 should the OP not wish to take it off your hands.

Drop me a DM @irc and if the OP isn’t interested then can sort something out.