Suzuki V-Strom (VStrom) Owners Club DL250, DL650, DL1000 & DL1050
Camping - Sponsored by bikerscampsite.co.uk => Camping Equipment & Suppliers => Topic started by: Juvecu on September 18, 2014, 14:31:17
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Let's get this new section started then :)
Which tent do you use when you go camping alone on your bike and why?
I have a EasyCamp Shadow 200. It's 2 man tunnel type tent with a little porch. Only uses 2 same length poles and has an outer that you can put up first and then an inner sleeping compartment that ties to the outer. Being able to put up the outer first when it's raining is good because the inner then doesn't get wet. That said, I put up the outer first only the first time I pitched it, after that I took it down together and I've always just put it up again like that. It's a lot less faff doing it that way, it saves pitching time and taking down time. The sleeping compartment has a good sized door that zips open and has a 2nd flap that can zip down so the whole door is mesh. Presumably this is for use in really hot weather, but we are in the UK and we don't really know what that's like. Still, I might use it in Morocco some day and then I'll be glad it has this feature. The little porch at the front of the tent is great. It's not big enough that you can sit in it and cook when it's raining, but it's big enough to put your boots and/or helmet in so they don't get wet during the night. Because of the porch I never have my shoes inside the tent either and I also leave cooking equipment and other things like my flask in the porch. Other than the porch another good thing about this tent is that you can pitch it with only tent pegs in all by the strongest winds. I've only ever used the guy ropes twice in all the time I've had it, the rest of the time it's been pitched without ropes. This is another time saver when you're pitching/taking it down. It's also good in the sense that you/other people don't trip over the ropes, particularly when you're a bit cold in the middle of the night looking for a hedge/bush to let water into. It's also a very easy tent to put up and take down by yourself. It's a cheap tent to buy, I think I paid £50 or so for it and I've had it for a few years now. With all those pros I think it only has one con, it doesn't pack up as small as some 2 man tents can and isn't as light as some can be, but you'd have to pay a whole lot more to find something this good that's smaller and lighter. Even so, it still fits in my Givi 55 litre top box without a squeeze.
Here's a vid that shows you what it looks like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f63D76-aDp8
In addition to the tent I now also have a tarp and a pole that I can erect to have a 'roofed' area where I can cook if it rains. I put the tarp up so it's over the tent's porch.
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I now use a Kyham Freerider
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/Bugbear2/Boats/P1000304_zps71206298.jpg) (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/Bugbear2/media/Boats/P1000304_zps71206298.jpg.html)
First erection and not fully pegged down for this trial run.
Ticks all my boxes.
I can walk into it
I can stand up in it (just) to get dressed etc, I'm too old to get dressed lying down.
Good-sized bedroom
Nice area to sit if its raining
Packs down to a reasonable size given the dimensions of it
Very well made
I could probably get most of my bike in there at a pinch :)
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After a day's riding, especially if it's cold or wet I didn't want to spend time putting up a tent so I bought one of these. It's not the biggest but there's enough room for me and my clean dry clothes. The only downside is the lack of a porch area but I have a tarp I put over the bike and peg out under which wet gear can hang.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TitXY3d7NT4
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can not post a picture but I use a hotel tent nice hot bath tv tea and coffee nice soft bed and beer in the bar ah bliss
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Hello Phil,
That sounds great but do you have to move the bed to make room for the tent and do they mind it when you bang tent pegs through the carpet into the floor?
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I use a Coleman Cobra 2, small, light and easy to use. Two poles of very different lengths, pitches in one, or outer first, I always leave them together. Well made and has never let me down, even in Scotland. I have bought an adventure tarp to compliment it, it has no usable porch area so this is a welcome addition, also, I don't have to pitch it if rain isn't forecast, saving time. It packs down so small I could push it down the front of my jacket. Top tent.
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Did you have it down the front of your jacket last week ? lol
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I carry it everywhere, you just never know... ;)
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It would be useful to see some of these tents packed up. I know some fit in Panniers and others need a Scaffold Board :)
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brockett the only problem I have is when toastin marshmallows the fire alarm goes off other than that I am dry warm and cosy
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Tut tut.
You tough northerners.
I don't know.
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Vango Omega 250 4Kg two-man tent (£190 RRP, can be had for <£150)
I'd used a diminutive 2Kg 2-man tent in the past but it's a bit bijou with me an the panniers so I bought this Vango and used it on a two-week tour in France. This model was shortlisted from about a dozen I checked out and has proven ideal for the job; in fact luxuriously roomy compared to what I had been using.
Take a look at the specs and 'pics in use' (apols for the quality, they're phone snaps).
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66630763/3rd%20Party%20Site%20Images/Vango%20Omega%20250.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66630763/3rd%20Party%20Site%20Images/Vango%20Omega%20250%20inside.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66630763/3rd%20Party%20Site%20Images/Vango%20Omega%20250%20and%20DL650.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66630763/3rd%20Party%20Site%20Images/Vango%20Omega%20250%20on%20DL650.jpg)
I bought it from Taunton Leisure who run a special tent display over the summer near the Weston-Super-Mare M5 junction. You can see the tents erected and they'll put up any tent not on display providing they're not too busy.
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sorry just can't see the fun in riding somewhere pitching a tent in a field in the rain getting wet and cold and having to cook meals on a little gas stove oh the joy :crazy: still can't beat a nice hotel or b&b warm dry and not sleeping on the floor ah bliss and getting up the next morning to a nice hot cooked breakfast now that's camping
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+1 for the Vango Omega 250. Its what I used for the Elefant and dragon earlier in the year. Cracking tent
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I bought a Vango Omega 350 for this year.
The groundsheet material is no bloody good whatsoever and it sucks up water like a sponge
Everything that touched to floor got wet.
Easy to put up and being a three person tent it is just about big enough for me with my biking gear and boxes etc.
I will use it again but I'll need to fit it out with a proper waterproof ground sheet first.
Go outdoors is selling them for about £136 at present, but I don't recommend it.
Best buy for this year was an inflatable chair but don't sit on it to cook.
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Get a 'footprint', or make your own.
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Vango Omega 350 for me too. Groundsheet surprisingly thin. But have their footprint sps also. Bone dry after a week in the lakes in June. Khyam for one night or weekend stops. Either it's getting smaller or I'm getting older!
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I used my Vango Blade 100 on my europe trip.
Fits in a standard pannier, fits me tank back and my all weather gear should I need to, boots and camping stove in the wee porch area and that's was good enough. Fine for a few days, or if your in between places, but as I was in Europe hostels were cheap, secure, hot showers and you could park the bike somewhere near the city centre without too much attention.
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sorry just can't see the fun in riding somewhere pitching a tent in a field in the rain getting wet and cold and having to cook meals on a little gas stove oh the joy :crazy: still can't beat a nice hotel or B&B warm dry and not sleeping on the floor ah bliss and getting up the next morning to a nice hot cooked breakfast now that's camping
I'm with Phil.
:)
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Camping gives you something you can't get with hotels and B&Bs, freedom. Self sufficiency is worth more to some folk than sleeping 18" off the ground, and as long as you're warm and dry what does it matter where your body lies when you're asleep? You don't remember it...
Carrying everything you need and stopping where and when you like while touring the highlands is worth more to me than the £40+ a night saved on B&B fees. Some folk just don't get it, and that's fine, but I feel sorry for them.
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I just love the challenge of making myself comfortable in a strange environment. If I had the courage, (and no midgies), to use just a poncho, bungees, roll mat and doss bag, a la Army, I would. So I've gone from a Wild Country, (as was), Mountain Quasar to a North Ridge, (Go outdoors), Col. I then added a Vango Adventure Tarp and a cheap wind shelter. All weighs about the same as the Quasar but very versatile. The tent can be up in under 5 minutes and down also in under 5. Not a whole heap of room in the tent, in fact bugger all but very cosy.
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New for 2015 a cosy home for you and your bike if you're not too worried about price.
(http://www.redverz.com/Imagery/Frontpagephotos/Ataside.jpg)
The Atacama Expedition Tent
http://www.redverz.com/ (http://www.redverz.com/)
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Haven't you been bought up to sleep in a van? It's the future :)
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New for 2015 a cosy home for you and your bike if you're not too worried about price.
The Atacama Expedition Tent http://www.redverz.com/ (http://www.redverz.com/)
Not as worried about the price as the bike falling onto me in the middle of the night.
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Be more worried about knocking bike over when trying to get out for a pee in middle of night
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Was Vango omega 350 for me, very light, packs up small, waterproof even the groundsheet in mine. I always use a tarp underneath (just make sure it doesn't protrude past the tent and collect water !).
Started using a Khyam easy-up tent, longer and weighs more, but goes great over the backseat and panniers.
I originally wanted a 'Slumit' easy tent, but they had gone out of business. I see they are back in business now!
http://www.slumit.co.uk/ (http://www.slumit.co.uk/)
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Bringing this thread back.
Just been to Go Outdoors and they still had the Vango Turini 200 there on offer for £187.47.
They've discontinued it, but basically they have changed the name and colour and hiking the price up again, so I though I'd grab one before the new one comes out.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/60092801/Online%20Pics/31692-030214160610290644931.jpg)
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-turini-200-touring-tent-p290272
Haven't set it up yet but will be giving it a go in the garden before too long.
And as all of you may have guessed, I don't give a crap if the bike gets dirty outside or gets rained on, the 'garage' bit is to sit in if the weather turns bad and storage of all the bike gear. :neen:
I bought it as we've got a Vango Spirit 200+ (also renamed) but always found it cramped for two with all the luggage and bike gear. You can't stand up in it, so it's getting dressed lying down. The mrs can kneel or sit cross legged but I can't. We're still going to use this tent and it packs very small for how big the tent is when pitched, so will fit in the top box.
But this year Jen WILL be doing her test and getting a bigger bike, and most of the times we go away together camping we go to West Wales and she goes on her bike anyway- So the rear seat can be used for the tent.
I've had Vango tents before and never had issues with the tent, my pitching has been to blame on a few occasions where the porch ground sheet was left poking out filled with water when it rained over night. (I do tend to use a £2 tarp not the correct footprint/groundsheet, so not a flaw in tent design)
My older tents (Various high street camping names, Eurohike ect) have been tried this year and all found lacking compared to the Vango Spirit which has been used more times but over a shorter time.
So I'd pay the money and Buy Vango again, and have done. :grin:
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Nice tent mate, still not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.
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yeah the Spirit was around £250 when I bought it a few years ago :crazy:
I like tents :shy: I'm a bit like Fat Rat and bikes, just with camping gear.
But you'll all be wanting to share the new one when I hang the disco ball and get the tunes going :neen:
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Bring the big tent to Marlborough later in the year Diver and we'll have a drinking party in it :obscene-drinkingchug:
Shame you got rid of that old stove, I loved watching you firing it up, should have video'd it :)
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I´ve got a Vango Halo 200, easy to set up. http://www.vango.co.uk/gb/2-person-tent/118-halo-200.html
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As requested, an image of camping gear packed away. Vango Tempest 300 plus plastic footprint, Helinox chair and Therm-a-rest ultralite cot. I've shown the cot leg semi assembled. The legs will fit into the bag semi assembled which reduces the assembly time to 3 minutes. This all fits into a Kappa/Givi 52 ltr top box external dimensions W57 D39 H31 cms. The jury is out on the cot. I got mine from Go Outdoors on special offer but when I last looked they no longer stock it so maybe there have been issues. Helinox do a bed which is bigger, heavier and even more expensive.
(http://I.imgur.com/BHIzt4T.jpg)
I use Givi 36 ltr panniers giving loads of room for sleeping bag, clothes and towels etc.
If I have company I have a bigger, Blacks Stormshield Exocet tent which fits into my Aldi/Lidl Special Buy tank bag except for the poles which for safety go into the top box.
Looking forward to next season,
Best wishes,
Ian H
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Hi all, I am looking to upgrade from my hi gear atom 3 which has been a decent tent over the past couple of years to something slightly bigger ie 4 person tent but still of the tunnel design I've cut it down to 2 tents the 1st being vango beta 450xl or the Kampa mersey 4 I really do like the features on the kampa 3 doors 1 to the front & 2 to the sides with also have mosquit nets attached it also has a bathtub style porthole groundsheet which just clips in by toggles I also like the fitted sleeves on the outside of the inner bedroom handy for storing kit. It also has a higher weatherproof rating than the vango the vango being 3000 compared to 4000 for the kampa it also has large windows to the porch area with curtains attached for privacy it is also around £30 cheaper than the vango coming in at £109 has anyone got this tent so they could give me their views on it it seams to be a very well equipped top spec tent for the money cheers colin
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http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-xl ... e=78310716 (http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-xlite-1-tent--783107?colcode=78310716)
Simple, light, small, easily erected :shock: and cheap, not the roomiest of tents (it is only for sleeping in) but add a tarp/army basha for cooking under and a bit of storage and this combination will leave more room on the bike for bottles of wine, cheese, ham and baguettes on foreign adventures pitched overlooking some stunning scenery watching the world go by and sun go down, what more would you want? :thumb: