which tent is for me?

raggie33

*the raggedier*
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
13,451
i need it to pack up in a very small bag due to ill be getting to camp site on my honda pcx 150 scotter .i am short so long as its like 6 feet wide on one side im happy. i can store my gear ina garbage bag outside tent. id like to spend under 70 bucks
 

nbp

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
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Location
Wisconsin
Do you want a true "tent"? What about getting just a camping tarp and rigging it up with cord between trees? It would keep the rain and wind off you if the weather isn't going to be too bad and will roll down to nothing.
 

MAD777

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Jul 31, 2015
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White Mountains, NH, USA
Forget the tent. Get a hammock & tarp. I did several years ago and for the life of me, can't figure out why I thought it was a good idea to sleep on the ground! LOL
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
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New England woods.
Some general tent advice.

1. Aluminum poles are better than fiberglass.

2. Must have full rain fly.

3. Cut occupancy rating in 1/2. A 4 person tent often sleeps 2.

4. Use a ground cloth but don't let it extend beyond the rain fly.

I am not sure what model tent is best for you as often sleep in a hammock. If yea find something post up a link and we will look it over.
 

raggie33

*the raggedier*
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
13,451
ty everyone i found a ozark trail 3 person tent it fits great under my scooter seat and i can still fit a latern under the seat with tent
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
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New England woods.
ty everyone i found a ozark trail 3 person tent it fits great under my scooter seat and i can still fit a latern under the seat with tent

If it doesn't have a full rain fly put a tarp over it. On some of those tents the floors are waterproof but side walls aren't. If the fly doesn't cover the entire canopy it becomes a swimming pool.
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
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Location
New England woods.

Probably one of the worst tents going. Here is a similar one my uncle from florida used. I warned him but he didn't listen. Took it on the AT around high point. Ended badly.






I would say about 4 inches of water in spots after a hard night. As the floor is 100% waterproof and walls not in the least it was going to happen sooner or later. The rain fly doesn't cover the side walls so why do they even bother?



About 4 am he crawled under my group hangout tarp.



Fire under tarp in crazy rain.



Cool White cedar swamp.



Put a big tarp over that tent or you will get soaked beyond soaked IMHO.
 

Offgridled

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 4, 2016
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5,544
Location
Southern California
looks like a good
Yes it really is a good tent . I also have the Big Agnes big house 4 with vestibule. This is another picture off the web. I bought both the tents at one of REI's parking lot sale and got them for less than half price. Couldn't pass them up.

forum image hosting

This is without vestibule hooked up. Plenty of room in this one. A car camping tent

imgurl
 

Hooked on Fenix

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
3,076
My best advice, don't go cheap. Good tents have aluminum poles, not fiberglass. They also have full coverage rainflies and real no-seeum mosquito netting. If it has fiberglass poles, don't trust it in cold weather (fiberglass becomes brittle and stiff and cracks), in winds over 30 mph, on terrain that isn't flat, or under any snowload. Full coverage rainflies are required because in rainstorms, rain doesn't fall straight down when it gets windy. If you touch the sagging nylon sidewalls of a cheap tent in the rain, it starts leaking, which is also why you want two layers of fabric between you and the elements. Cheap tents go cheap on mosquito netting so you are going to get eaten alive by bugs and will end up not using the cheap tent much because of this. If you don't need protection from bugs and only camp out on sunny, windless days, go ahead and buy the cheap tent, but then again, if that's the case, just sleep outside. You don't really need the tent. The tent I've been using lately is a North Face Stormbreak 2 tent which is $160. It has aluminum poles, a full coverage rainfly, real no-seeum mosquito netting, guylines on the fly (strengthens the tent in high winds), and multiple pole crossings (strengthens the tent in wind and under some snowload). Also has decent ventilation so it doesn't rain condensation from my breath every morning (this is a problem you will definitely have if you wrap a cheap tent with a tarp). A $3 6 x 8 foot tarp from Walmart makes a decent footprint for the tent. Hammock camping would work for your price range. Walmart has a decent hammock with mosquito netting for around $40. A cheap tarp will cost about $10-$15 at most. With a hammock, the trees are your poles so it won't fall apart and blow away. It is off the ground and under a tarp, so you stay pretty dry even in a flood. It would have good ventilation so no condensation problems. So, to summarize, go the hammock route or get a real tent, not a cheapo.
 

TheBozz

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 4, 2019
Messages
1
Get a hilleberg it will last your life unlike other stuff you'll inevitably need to replace. A Kifaru super tarp is a great option as well
 
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