Tent Survey

[Miami101]

Hi again
I been using a pop up beach tent to stay out over night. Yes the cold weather was a problem for me, and like everything I have to upgrade to be able to stay out longer. I'm looking for Single to two person tent. Also does anyone know a good site for MAPS?

Please post information links etc looking forward:

[Xavier Becquer]

I've been stuck in a tent for the better part of a weekend due to heavy bugs or rain to value decent size.  Yes smaller is lighter and easier for those with smaller boats , but a decent sized tent IMHO is not where you should save the weight.  My last tent was a eureka timberline 4 that lasted 20 years and is still serviceable and does not leak.  My new tent is absolute paradise in comparison it's a north-face double headed  toad 44... on warm days you can also use it without the fly and it's awesome because you are inside of a see through noseeum dome that lets the slightest breeze in.Picture is in the hells bay chickee. For beach camping I just purchased a noahs tarp 16 with poles.  The sun is brutal on the cape.

[Juan Estevez]

Campmor has some nice tents on sale, including the Rock 22

Juan

[Jay]

I have a Rock 22 and I am happy with it. Very easy and quick to set and strike. Used the footprint from my last North Face which does not fit exactly but serves well in a pinch.  Great price at Campmor.

[Amazon Bill]

I just bought a Kelty Grand Mesa for $69 on sale this summer. Its a 2 person and hope to use it soon. Been using a small 6x7 four person tent. It fit ok on the chickee deck and was warm in the 38 degree night two years back on Roberts River.  REI is having a Labor Day sale online this week.  For charts, http://www.waterproofcharts.com/   

[vivian]

I wanted to give a review on the Mountain Hardwear Drifter 3 because it is not an overly expensive tent but withstood 2 days of drenching rain and high winds on summer trip in the BWCA. We stayed nice and dry during constant downpours and a flooded campsite. However after two days of the tent sitting in water, the bit of moisture happened when water got between ground sheet and bottom of tent floor, but nothing that threatened our sleeping bags or gear. I do advise if rain threatens to use the ground sheet INSIDE the tent instead of outside. It is also very easy to pitch and has a simple roomy design which makes that important for my needs.

Kelty Gunnison Is my other tried and true favorite low cost tent that keeps the water out and withstands Florida winter winds.

[Juan Estevez]

Thanks Vivian for your quick review, I also bought last year the Kelty Gunnison after a horrible experience with a Coleman at Bahia Honda, we had water coming in from all sides with that Coleman POS.

So far we have used the Kelty once but in good weather, but your experience with it makes me feel better.  

[Swamp Hunter]

My first tent was canvas from my childhood days as a boy scout and I used it for many, many years. From about the 60's to the 80s. It was still good when I tossed it. Some nights we just slept on the ground bundled in a bag, keeping the fire very smoky for bugs... After that, I fashioned a homemade rig, with part of the old canvas tent frame, over a sleeping cot, covered with a WWII mosquito netting and tarp for a roof. I had a few laughs but it worked great, very comfortable, with good airflow, off the ground and no bugs. I finally purchased a "modern" tent for $14.99 and I had no problems as long as I used a cover in heavy rain. I used it many years and I still have it today. I use an old canopy cover for heavy rain and a tarp underneath. Make sure the tarp is a tad smaller than the tent so water cannot easily get in between. There were times when I went to sleep without the cover because I wanted air at night and the sleeping bag got wet. Sleeping off the floor on an air mattress solved this problem.  Do you think its time for an upgrade lol?  Yea I guess its time for a better tent and I guess I am not too particular.  As long as Im in the swamp, I am happy. One thing I might mention about the open sided types, they can be very cold at night during a winter cool front .

[vivian]

I hope they still make that Gunnison model like the one I bought 10 years ago.  Overall, Kelty makes a good product for the price and for what our typical winter weather dishes out. 

Yes Dale, it's time for a new tent LOL!
 
Juan Estevez said:

Thanks Vivian for your quick review, I also bought last year the Kelty Gunnison after a horrible experience with a Coleman at Bahia Honda, we had water coming in from all sides with that Coleman POS.

So far we have used the Kelty once but in good weather, but your experience with it makes me feel better.  

[Daniel Madrigal]

I have both a Kelty Salida 2 which is fantastic and very light, as well as a Kelty Gunnison 2.1 Pro which is a little more heavy duty and spacier. I recently used the Gunnison in 30 degree weather in Yosemite and it kept me warm. No complaints about either tent so fat. I used to use a really big and bulky sports authority tent. 

[Dallas]

I have an Eddie Bauer solo tent (found it on clearance at Target for $20) that I took to Oyster Bay last Fall. I found out that no-see-um netting varies in quality. The netting was not tightly woven and I spent a night with no-see-ums in the tent. Since then I always take my much nicer Marmot Aeolos 2P (expensive but worth the money and lifetime warranty) which has tighter netting that actually keeps the bugs out. Just a word of advice -- don't skimp on the tent as it is truly your home away from home and can greatly effect your comfort level.

[Swamp Hunter]

I have a "Bug Tamer" jacket I used for the first time last year.  Its kinda hot wearing a jacket in September so I wore a short sleeve shirt underneath. Big mistake. It appears the bug tamer does not stop no-see-ums. Its great for the larger biting bugs but my arms were itching all day..

I also own a "Tree Lounge". They are no longer manufactured. I plan on sleeping high up in a tree this year in October. I have slept in trees many times before but this will be the first time I spend the entire night in the Tree Lounge.. Its gonna be fun. Its so comfortable. Its the best way to observe wildlife.  I will use the "Bug Tamer" with a longsleeve T shirt underneath. No bug spray will be needed, I hope. 

[Gary M]

I guess you can't have too many "tents". Thinking about it, I have about 5 depending on how loose your definition is.

My favorite, and most used, is a Vietnam era mil surplus jungle hammock that I have modified quite a bit. I use it for solo canoe camping. The only downside is how cold it can be hanging in humid 'glades air, even during fall or spring. It is unusable in winter.

My real tent is an old Eureka Timberline that I believe is a 3 or 4 man design. It was a "summer special" or something like that and sports almost complete netting under the rainfly. I have room for a cot, a chair, and my cooler inside and still not be cramped. They discontinued it quickly, probably due to it being too limited for use up north and the weight, but as already mentioned - its not uncommon down here to spend quite a bit of time inside a tent. This thing is worth its weight.

I also have a very large screen room- I think it is 12 X 15.  It does not have a floor, but believe it or not, the bugs don't seem to be able to figure that out. I do bring a can of spray when camping in no-see-um country, to take care of the ones I trap inside on set up. What a luxury that thing is! I take it on group trips when bugs are expected, and its not uncommon for everyone to hang out inside it almost 24/7. I usually just sleep on the ground when I take it. I paddle tandem sportsman canoes, so I have the capacity for these bigger packs.

I also have one of those tent-cots. Obviously it does not fit in the canoes but it does get used quite a bit. I have a full sized van that is half camper so I actually don't need to sleep outside at all, but I prefer to be in the fresh air and hear whats going on, so I usually sleep in the tent cot when "car camping".  Set up / take down is quick, and it is surprisingly water tight even in a squall, but the down side is how much space it takes up.

And with all of those options it seems I need another. My Eureka takes up more than half of a chickee. So, last winter I was informed by my fishing buddy that I need to get something smaller. He had room for his solo, but I think he was just jealous. But he owns the boat...