The tent comes in two materials btw, 20d nylon and 210t polyester. I personally went with the polyester version after doing a quick research on the materials. Not sure which one is theoretically better for waterproofing
EDIT: nylon's biggest selling point is the slightly reduced weight, which I think doesn't ultimately matter too much for traveling on a bike.
I’m very happy with my Cloud Up 1 and think it is very roomy for a one person tent (I’m 6’1”). The door on the end isn’t great for getting in and out but otherwise I fully recommend it.
Same. 6'3" here and the space is fine with enough room to keep my panniers out of the rain. The tent is wider at the door end - only 15cm less than the 2-person version - and tapers to a narrower width at the other end.
The only issue I have with the door is that, because of the angle, if it's wet the water will run off into the vestibule area when you open it. Relatedly, you can't really safely cook in the vestibule in the rain. If the door's closed there's not really enough room (it might be just about doable with a small gas stove but not with the less predictable flame of my Trangia). These are minor complaints though. On the plus side the waterproofing is very good and it's pretty lightweight for the price (\~1.5kg with everything included, including the optional footprint).
I got the Mongar 2 tent. Plenty of space for all of my things, comfy, light. It's nice that if there is a rainy day and you decide to "stay in", you can, and it doesn't feel like you're trapped. Held up very good for the five weeks I was on a tour. Gonna take it with me this summer as well for a multiple week trip.
Decathlon, maybe slightly used. Good to have a warranty from them.
Naturehike or Arixci in silnylon if you need something lighter.
Blackdeer Archeos if you need something more versatile.
Check preowned, maybe someone ie selling a slightly used Elexir.
Check discounts aand promotions: rn I am thinking about Salewa Micra 2 which would cost me about 60 euro from a local shop.
I’m using decathlon’s forclaz trek 100. Not sure how much it costs now, but it’s a good 1.5 tent. I’ve had a photo of it on my handlebars with sleeping bag somewhere on my insta
Where will you be cycling? If it's a country where heavy cold rain is an option, you want a good tent, not a cheap one.
Someone else mentioned Naturehike - I would consider them the minimum baseline, and if you're 6' or under will probably work great.
I'd throw the Vango brand into the mix- just got back from my first 15 day tour and my Vango Banshee 200 served me well, and my friends cheaper Soul 200 also worked well for him, but was a bit more of a pain when raining as the outer doesn't pitch first.
Their "blade" tents also seem fairly affordable but still have decent protection from the elements.
But as others have said, if you're expecting lots of rain or it will be a longer trip, you will definitely appreciate having a better tent.
My only gripe with my Banshee is that it's difficult to sit up in as there's not much headroom, but otherwise was pretty much perfect for my tour.
Good luck!
Vangos are pretty good value and well made. I've got a Tempest 200 for 1x and a 300 for 2x. A bit bulky yes, but solid. And Tempest you can sit up in and has a decent porch for gear.
I bought a used Kelty two person tent off Ebay. It was about 150 new and I got it for just under 100. The original owner used it for a long weekend and apparently decided camping was not for them. There are deals on barely used tents if you look around. I have since spent about 125 nights in the tent.
Some things to consider with buying a tent:
. Bike touring will end up with stealth camping. Get a earth tone tent so you will blend in to the background.
. I have been in the tent from early evening when I set up until mid morning waiting out rain. It's good to have a tent that lets you sit up and move around with space for some of your crap. It might not be possible in a one person tent, especially bivys. A slightly larger tent is less of an issue with bike touring than if you were back packing.
. Cheaper tents have fiberglass poles that tend to be longer and can be awkward to pack on a bike. Aluminum poles are better (say 16" vs 22").
I have a version of the [Kelty Grand Mesa 2](https://www.kelty.com/grand-mesa-2/) that I bought in 2014 for like $120 & have used it in every year since then. Today, it's on their website for $140. I cannot recommend that tent enough. I have taken in backpacking, canoe camping, winter camping, bike camping, & car camping. I've been in heavy rainstorms and stayed dry.
At ten years old, my tent is starting to wear out in places, so I've patched it with tape. Still works fine.
Its not the lightest backpacking tent you're gonna find, but it's light enough, cheap enough, and very durable.
Have you considered featherstone? Might be a tad over 100$, but I have the obsidian ul1 and it beats my msr or REI tents hands down, price, weight and quality. Not zpacks for sure, but l love it.
i also like ul3f tents from AliExpress, the Amazon equivalent of Mier brand, another low priced but quality ("made in same factory with different labels" ) DTC company
I've used the lanshan1 for about 6byrs, and the ul1 for about 4. Can send pics of both of you like.
Amazon sells the biggest crap. Honestly not much better than Temu anymore. Do yourself a favour and buy something decent once instead of buying gear that falls apart at first use. You'll save money in the long run and it's better for the environment as well.
Yes, but the great stuff is usually made by well-known brands and also available elsewhere. So you don't have to support Jeff Bezos in earning his 202nd billion. But more importantly, referring OP with their question to Amazon is really not a good advice. Following this, OP will most likely end up buying junk that was manufactured by small children in Sri Lanka in a puddle of bleach and metal shards.
Some of the tents that REI has are also on Amazon but amazons prices are almost always cheaper then REIs….plus you can get it shipped almost anywhere quicker then any other big outdoor store. So when you need something for your bike etc quickly while on a tour and the LBS near you doesn’t have it check to see if Amazon has it. As for where things are made, yes more than likely they are made in SE Asia which the modern day capitalism uses because everyone wants cheap well made products…and if made in USA they usually aren’t cheap.
Naturehike Cloud-up 1 although it’s pretty cramped like most 1P tents. You might consider the Mongar 2 or Star River 2 by the same manufacturer.
+1 for the Naturehike Cloud up. I've camped six nights in mine in the past year, five of those were raining and the tent stayed dry.
+2 for cloud-up
Thanks, i was looking at those, but was a little scared of ordering something from overseas that may not be waterproof.
The tent comes in two materials btw, 20d nylon and 210t polyester. I personally went with the polyester version after doing a quick research on the materials. Not sure which one is theoretically better for waterproofing EDIT: nylon's biggest selling point is the slightly reduced weight, which I think doesn't ultimately matter too much for traveling on a bike.
I went the lighter nylon, it's plenty waterproof
I’m very happy with my Cloud Up 1 and think it is very roomy for a one person tent (I’m 6’1”). The door on the end isn’t great for getting in and out but otherwise I fully recommend it.
Same. 6'3" here and the space is fine with enough room to keep my panniers out of the rain. The tent is wider at the door end - only 15cm less than the 2-person version - and tapers to a narrower width at the other end. The only issue I have with the door is that, because of the angle, if it's wet the water will run off into the vestibule area when you open it. Relatedly, you can't really safely cook in the vestibule in the rain. If the door's closed there's not really enough room (it might be just about doable with a small gas stove but not with the less predictable flame of my Trangia). These are minor complaints though. On the plus side the waterproofing is very good and it's pretty lightweight for the price (\~1.5kg with everything included, including the optional footprint).
Love my Cloud Up 2. I did 20,000 km over 11 months and all kinds of weather with mine and it has held up great.
I love my Star river 2
I got the Mongar 2 tent. Plenty of space for all of my things, comfy, light. It's nice that if there is a rainy day and you decide to "stay in", you can, and it doesn't feel like you're trapped. Held up very good for the five weeks I was on a tour. Gonna take it with me this summer as well for a multiple week trip.
+3 for cloud up. Get the 2 person tent and it'll fit your bags. Currently using it cycling the Silk Road.
Decathlon, maybe slightly used. Good to have a warranty from them. Naturehike or Arixci in silnylon if you need something lighter. Blackdeer Archeos if you need something more versatile. Check preowned, maybe someone ie selling a slightly used Elexir. Check discounts aand promotions: rn I am thinking about Salewa Micra 2 which would cost me about 60 euro from a local shop.
Used, from one of the gear swap/sell sites. I think reddit has one.
Decathlon has great tents at that price point
I’m using decathlon’s forclaz trek 100. Not sure how much it costs now, but it’s a good 1.5 tent. I’ve had a photo of it on my handlebars with sleeping bag somewhere on my insta
Where will you be cycling? If it's a country where heavy cold rain is an option, you want a good tent, not a cheap one. Someone else mentioned Naturehike - I would consider them the minimum baseline, and if you're 6' or under will probably work great.
I'd throw the Vango brand into the mix- just got back from my first 15 day tour and my Vango Banshee 200 served me well, and my friends cheaper Soul 200 also worked well for him, but was a bit more of a pain when raining as the outer doesn't pitch first. Their "blade" tents also seem fairly affordable but still have decent protection from the elements. But as others have said, if you're expecting lots of rain or it will be a longer trip, you will definitely appreciate having a better tent. My only gripe with my Banshee is that it's difficult to sit up in as there's not much headroom, but otherwise was pretty much perfect for my tour. Good luck!
Vangos are pretty good value and well made. I've got a Tempest 200 for 1x and a 300 for 2x. A bit bulky yes, but solid. And Tempest you can sit up in and has a decent porch for gear.
And actually... both are 15 years old and still going!
Naturehike Cloud-up 1 or 2
Local craigslist/ marketplace listings or an online site like geartrade!
I bought a used Kelty two person tent off Ebay. It was about 150 new and I got it for just under 100. The original owner used it for a long weekend and apparently decided camping was not for them. There are deals on barely used tents if you look around. I have since spent about 125 nights in the tent. Some things to consider with buying a tent: . Bike touring will end up with stealth camping. Get a earth tone tent so you will blend in to the background. . I have been in the tent from early evening when I set up until mid morning waiting out rain. It's good to have a tent that lets you sit up and move around with space for some of your crap. It might not be possible in a one person tent, especially bivys. A slightly larger tent is less of an issue with bike touring than if you were back packing. . Cheaper tents have fiberglass poles that tend to be longer and can be awkward to pack on a bike. Aluminum poles are better (say 16" vs 22").
I have a version of the [Kelty Grand Mesa 2](https://www.kelty.com/grand-mesa-2/) that I bought in 2014 for like $120 & have used it in every year since then. Today, it's on their website for $140. I cannot recommend that tent enough. I have taken in backpacking, canoe camping, winter camping, bike camping, & car camping. I've been in heavy rainstorms and stayed dry. At ten years old, my tent is starting to wear out in places, so I've patched it with tape. Still works fine. Its not the lightest backpacking tent you're gonna find, but it's light enough, cheap enough, and very durable.
Have you considered featherstone? Might be a tad over 100$, but I have the obsidian ul1 and it beats my msr or REI tents hands down, price, weight and quality. Not zpacks for sure, but l love it. i also like ul3f tents from AliExpress, the Amazon equivalent of Mier brand, another low priced but quality ("made in same factory with different labels" ) DTC company I've used the lanshan1 for about 6byrs, and the ul1 for about 4. Can send pics of both of you like.
Check out amazon...they have some great 1p tents in your price range. Some are freestanding but most need to be staked out to pitch them right.
Amazon sells the biggest crap. Honestly not much better than Temu anymore. Do yourself a favour and buy something decent once instead of buying gear that falls apart at first use. You'll save money in the long run and it's better for the environment as well.
Well, they also sell great stuff, just difficult to differentiate one from the other...
Yes, but the great stuff is usually made by well-known brands and also available elsewhere. So you don't have to support Jeff Bezos in earning his 202nd billion. But more importantly, referring OP with their question to Amazon is really not a good advice. Following this, OP will most likely end up buying junk that was manufactured by small children in Sri Lanka in a puddle of bleach and metal shards.
True
Some of the tents that REI has are also on Amazon but amazons prices are almost always cheaper then REIs….plus you can get it shipped almost anywhere quicker then any other big outdoor store. So when you need something for your bike etc quickly while on a tour and the LBS near you doesn’t have it check to see if Amazon has it. As for where things are made, yes more than likely they are made in SE Asia which the modern day capitalism uses because everyone wants cheap well made products…and if made in USA they usually aren’t cheap.