Camping Gear.. Tents really..

[fewtrees]

Looking for a new tent.. 2 man, packs down really small, something to carry on the bike..

Any suggestions?

PS. Have a preference for Vango if I can but a similar quality is OK.

+ What is the trickest camping gadget you have?

[Rolo]

Khyam range for me, up in 1 min, just what you need in the rain. Had one now for 15 years and still lots of life in it.

[Phoenix]

Hi Fewtrees,
I can recomend the terra nova quazor its a 2 man mountaineering tent, packs small and can cope with all weather. Im a firm believer of getting the best tent you can. If the weather gets really nasty you know the gear will not let you down.
theres a great outdoor shop in Ilkley on the main Leeds road near the main street, the guy there does alot of ultra light gear for mountain marithons and knows good tents that pack light and are 4 season.
As for the trickest kit ..........I know it sounds boring but a good swiss army knife.

Phoenix

[icenian]

What is the trickest camping gadget you have?

Wide brimmed hat and midge net.

OK so it's not trick, but within 2 minutes of getting off the bike on any camp site in the Highlands, you'll lose any interest in whatever fancy toys you bring, unless you're fully tooled up against the midges!

(If you can, pitch in a windy spot.)

BTW you'll also find the wee b*ggers love petrol stations (it's the smell of those lovely hydrocarbons). If you take your helmet off, they'll have a right good feast. If you leave it on, it will keep them away - for about 15 seconds, then they'll be inside it eating you and you won't be able to get the b*ggers!

[YEN_POWELL]

Kyham defimitely. Mine stood up to a horrendous weekend of monsoon weather at the BMF with no problems at all and I will never go back to any other make cos they're so quick and easy to put up. Long live the "one touch tent".

[Lord Stig]

I have three tents, and tents certainly have their place. For me, best tent and trick piece of gear is a light weight tarp or fly sheet, rigged a la Ray Mears. It packs virtually to nothing, is easy to pitch and gives excellent ventilation. I hate the enclosed feeling in a tent, and wet bike gear in one, well.....

Downsides are 1) difficult to pitch without trees, so campsites are hard, though I rarely use them. You can use the bike as one end if needs be; 2) not so good in high winds; 3) virtually no insulation, so middle of winter isn't good (but would you really want to camp in January while on a bike trip??); 4) Icenian's carnivorous mozzies would laugh at it and then tuck in. Advantages? Wake up and smell the air! No condensation (pretty much all tents get that, and you can end up wetter than if the thing leaks). You can get a fire much closer (even inside if you use a canvas tarp and keep it small). Farts dissipate nicely; no zipped in concentrates/fresh as when the bum went pop! syndrome!

Other than that, a good Number 2 Big Knife (Yen knows what I mean).

Stig

[Lord Stig]

Oh yeah, and a deluxe Thermarest!!

Stig

[croydon@twin]

Khyam for me as well. I have a an older version of the Igloo:

http://www.khyam.co.uk/flexi-dome.asp?productID=68

Not light at 5+kgs put light enough for biking, roomy and goes up in less than a minute (really). When I go camping with my mate I have the tent up before he has even threaded his first pole. There are a couple of smaller ones in the Kyham range (Micrpak and Eiger).

I also agree about the Thermarest - worth it's weight in gold

Tony

[fewtrees]

How much did you pay for the Therma-rest? Heard they are good...

[croydon@twin]

I paid £40 for mine - not sure what model it is though. It's not one of the 3/4 length ones but it is one of the thinner, but still thick enough, lightweight ones that you can fold in half length-ways before rolling it up. Packs up small enough - about the same size as my lightweight sleeping bag.

Well worth the money IMHO.

Tony