have been looking around for a free standing solo tent with mesh walls and side door entrance in an ultralight configuration
Have looked at the Seedhouse 1, Northface, MSR etc etc but they seem really pricey but I guess youget what you pay for?
alps mountaineering has a couple of free standing tents for cheap and one looks like a knock off of the big agness seedhouse for around 75 bucks and 3 lbs 11 ounces.
Any suggestions?
the other big question is the two hoop style tents like the Eureka spitfire or the MSR zoid?. How tight can you get these things since you are staking it out and not relying on criss cross poles?
Paul
If you sew…
there are tons of good options out there. I gave up tents over ten years ago for hammocks (Hennessey) and tarps. I’ve made both, except the Hennessey, which I bought direct. For solo ground camping I use a ‘poncho shelter’ with a bug net underneath. The whole thing weighs 7 oz., handles rain fine, and doubles as a poncho. If there are trees or other support structures, the hammock is the first choice. A homemade sil-nylon tarp or single wall tent might be just the ticket and there are plenty of plans and kits. Check out www.backpacking.net for starters.
MSR Hubba Fast and Light
– Last Updated: Sep-05-07 8:36 AM EST –
also comes in 1, 2, and 3 person models.
http://www.prolitegear.com/pl_msr_hubba.html
google images "MSR Hubba"
pricey, but
I bought a solo free standing North Face tent 22 years ago. It was pricey even then, but held up to rain, high winds and kept the bugs out. It finally succumbed to mildew this year - my fault for storing it wet or it would still be going.
I will probably go with the bug net and tarp previously suggested to replace my old tent, but I certainly got my money’s worth from my old high enc tent.
I have the
2 man version of this tent, the Hubba Hubba. I love it. Mesh all around, well made (no holes in the mesh yet), and its fairly light. The two man is just big enough for one big man and a relatively small me…but I like it better with just me in it (that way I can bring my gear in.)
Plus its got an ORANGE rainfly. Gotta love the orange.
-cat
re: Zoid
I have the Walrus Zoid (the original manufacturer before MSR bought them and then continued to sell the same design under the MSR name for much more money)…
Anyhoo…
The Zoid does go up nice and taut as long as you have a good area to stake out the perimeter. If the ground is uneven or rocky, you sometimes have to get more creative and use some guy lines if you can’t get stakes in at all permimeter points, but once up it always seemed like a great tent. The vestibules on either side hold plenty of gear. I have the 2.0 and used it as a single + 60lb dog and it worked well.
I almost never camp in such small accomodations anymore, and I do prefer the ease of freestanding tents, but it for lightweight and small packing size, it is a very good tent. And while freestanding is easier, it’s really such a simple design that it’s not that hard to get up and down.
Having said that, if you anticipate camping often in either very sandy conditions or very rocky conditions, then the trouble of staking out the Zoid goes up…
Happy shopping
I am lusting
after a Hubba Hubba after I saw one at Pymatuning a couple of weeks ago. The double doors & vestibules appear to make for great ventilation on muggy evenings, a downfall of my TNF Rock 22.
As for price, you pays your money…Higher prices normally mean lighter, more exotic fabrics and poles, and a closer attention to stitching and panel fit. Lots of folks on these boards are quite happy with Eureka tents, which may not have all of the super-spiffy features but offer time-tested durability.
MSR Hubba-series tents are pricey, light, and snug. The Hubba is way too small for me.
Jim
With
high end backpacking tents you generally speaking get what you pay for. If you only spend $100 on a tent, it isn’t going to be as light or as durable as a $400 tent. That said you can get some pretty good deals on excellent tents as long as you keep your eyes peeled.
Check out the online rei outlet and campmor.com for excellent deals on many good tents.
Bibler
http://www.backcountry.com/store/BLD0629/Bibler-Tents-Ahwahnee-Tent-2-Person-4-Season.html?id=4hHWDQ2E
I have one of these, and it is bombproof in wind/rain/snow and breezy and bug free when it is hot and muggy. Did I mention, light, packs small, very easy to set up and take down, extremely well made, and very expensive (sorry).
John
tarptent
it is not freestanding, but its almost as lite as one can get
www.tarptent.com
i have the double rainbow with the optional sewn in floor
Zoid…
I too have a Walrus Zoid 2 as well as an MSR Zoid 1, they are very good non-freestanding hoop tents.
You can get them fairly tight but with most nylon tents, when they get wet, they will sag a bit. I’ve never had a problem with leakage though and you can restake them out if it gets too bad.
Jay
BD Hilight…
If not for the mesh part, the BD Hilight is a very light tent, comparable to the Shires tarptent but is freestanding, unlike the Tarptent. Also, sometimes the size is not an advantage. I have a Shires Cloudburst (old style) that is so big, it is hard to pitch in small spots in the backcountry and even at some designated campsites. Both are under 3lbs for a 2 person tent. Both are fairly pricey too, but the Tarptent is a bit cheaper and bigger in floorspace.
Jay
Hubba Hubba…
I like my Sierra Designs, but when that goes a Hubba Hubba will be my next tent. Just from observing everyone else’s tents I camp with.
My tent
I have a North Face Talus (older version).
It is a very well made, kind of heavy, sturdy, dry, poor ventilated (for Florida) tent.
It is rated for 2 person but it’s more like 1 and 1/2, lets say one person with gear.
It served me very well for a number of years but it’s a little bit of a pita to set up. My next tent will have clips and not sleeves. Unless you think you’ll need extra wind protection I would stick to 2 poles.
I’m actually looking around for a bigger tent that would accommodate me and my daughter and the REI Half Dome looks very nice. Available for 2 or 4 person with 2 vestibules at a decent price.
Hubba Hubba
If I outlive my Timberline 2 (it could happen) I surely will replace it with a hubba hubba.
Doc
boohoo to hubbahubba
recently picked up a big angnes 3-wire bivy @ 32oz its 1Lb 7oz lighter than the MSR hubba and you can throw it down just about anywhere. packed size of 5"x17"
Sierra Designs Iota
Looks like a pretty good tent for the money. I’ve had good luck with Sierra Designs tents. My Bibler is my all time favorite…spendy though.
Tent Sale
I know this is a long shot… but there is a clearance place near me that got a shipment of tents two weeks ago. I already bought three at about half price; an MSR, a Marmot and a Kelty.
http://www.cmartdiscount.com/items/detail.aspx?id=11179&store=BA
Located just north of Baltimore MD
Kem
Eureka Outlet
http://www.eurekacampingctr.com/eureka/
I would call them for what they have in stock after looking at http://www.eurekatent.com/c-2-tents.aspx.
Amazon should be having some decent sales soon.
re tents
I have a Eureka Spitfire UL, which cost me only $118 on-line, and it sets up fairly taut. It has been through pretty hard rain without a drop of leakage or splashing over the bathtub floor, though I have used it so far only on well-drained Adirondack pine woods sites. On a level site, the fly sets up with good separation from the mesh walls. It is roomier than the MSR Hubba, especially in terms of interior length and of width at waist to shoulder level. There is room for me plus several stuff bags and personal items. It is tall enough for me to sit inside, and I am 6’2". I have not yet experienced strong winds in it. The DAC A-frame is quite light but the shape suggests it might do reasonably well in wind. So far, I am very satisfied with it. Set up is not much more time-consuming than that of a contemporary freestanding tent. In fact, it sets up as quickly as my old Sierra Designs Half Moon freestanding tent, and weighs about half as much. It requires only 5 stakes in protected areas, plus two more for side guylines if expecting stronger winds. The side door is easy to enter and exit. Seams are factory-sealed. Fabric colors are pale gray and green, pleasant from inside and outside. Quality of workmanship is very good. Worth considering alongside the freestanding choices, especially if lightweight and light price are high priorities.