Tent recommendation

[Davey B]

This is a great place to look at kit and compare prices/weights etc..

Ultralight Outdoor Gear | UK | Lightweight Gear Specialists

Lightweight Outdoor Clothing & Gear Specialist. Massive range of Backpacking, Trekking & Adventure Racing kit with reviews, specs & advice.

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With you both having camped before, you'll presumably know whether standing height is needed or just desirable...porch space is worth thinking of...for lots of bike kit...as is tent floor space for the same reason. Sleeping length is also a factor when I'm camping as I often sleep on my back...so my height (or length when laid down) at 183cm...plus a few extra cm when my feet 'flop' as I go to sleep..plus the sloping walls of the tent mean that a 210cm sleeping space is not long enough...I end up touching the tent walls...so I look for 220cm plus. (Hope that makes sense)

 

[Sly]

Brilliant advice all - many thanks!

 

[EVskiy]

I personally love my MSR Elixir 2 (3 is also available.



It is lightweight. Easy to put up. Has a separate outer fly sheet with double vestibules. Meaning that either of two people sharing the space can get in and out the tent through their own “door”.

Remove the fly sheet and it does become a mesh tent, combine that with the tarp as you can see above in the photo and on hot nights, you can get nice bit of breeze through the tent, yet be protected from a potential shower as well as insects.

Great bit of kit! Does fit very neatly inside my Givi Outback Trecker panniers. It does work very well for me on my own. I keep my jacket and trousers inside the tent, whilst panniers go into one of the vestibules when not used on the bike for day trips.

 

[Udders]

I can highly recommend the Hilleberg Allak 3. A superb tent and absolutely bomb proof. It’s a 3 person tent but perfectly sized for two. Double doors so if the wind and rain changes direction you don’t have to re-pitch. It’s my “ go to “ tent nowadays. Pretty light for its size and packs down really small. Expensive yes, but the quality of the materials is something else.

Hilleberg Allak 3 Tent - Green

<div>For customers wanting a true all‑season tent with excellent interior space, strong winter performance and the freedom to pitch almost anywhere, the Allak 3 is a versatile and confidence‑boosting choice built for demanding use.</div>

www.tauntonleisure.com

 

[TIJ650]

I can highly recommend the Hilleberg Allak 3. A superb tent and absolutely bomb proof. It’s a 3 person tent but perfectly sized for two. Double doors so if the wind and rain changes direction you don’t have to re-pitch. It’s my “ go to “ tent nowadays. Pretty light for its size and packs down really small. Expensive yes, but the quality of the materials is something else.

Hilleberg Allak 3 Tent - Green

<div>For customers wanting a true all‑season tent with excellent interior space, strong winter performance and the freedom to pitch almost anywhere, the Allak 3 is a versatile and confidence‑boosting choice built for demanding use.</div>

www.tauntonleisure.com

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This is the Rolls Royce of tents, but also £1,500. The OP’s missus still might hate camping on bike (if anything like mine) and too hefty investment. I’d still experiment with long haul on bike and hotel/ Airbnb before splurging on expensive tent and Helinox chairs etc. My wife refused to go on bike or in tent few years ago……….win, win for me
How was I to know she wouldn’t like the Elephant Rally?!
Jokes.

 

[TIJ650]

………..I just knew Udders would win the tent status game?!

 

[Santa-2512]

For all you less is more, tiny tent brigade, if you like grovelling on your hands and knees, and looked like your trying to to do Kenny the kipper while trying to get dressed in the mornings go for it

Me I like to swing my legs over the side of the camp bed , get dressed whilst standing up, and walk out of my tent in the morning,

It's an age thing, you don't buy an adventure bike to pack light lol

 

[TIJ650]

For all you less is more, tiny tent brigade, if you like grovelling on your hands and knees, and looked like your trying to to do Kenny the kipper while trying to get dressed in the mornings go for it

Me I like to swing my legs over the side of the camp bed , get dressed whilst standing up, and walk out of my tent in the morning,

It's an age thing, you don't buy an adventure bike to pack light lol

You’re right, which is why I seldom camp with bike. My recent ethos is tent + car or bike + hotel. The OP is much younger though

 

[Robbi]

 

[Robbi]

 

[Davey B]

I can highly recommend the Hilleberg Allak 3. A superb tent and absolutely bomb proof. It’s a 3 person tent but perfectly sized for two. Double doors so if the wind and rain changes direction you don’t have to re-pitch. It’s my “ go to “ tent nowadays. Pretty light for its size and packs down really small. Expensive yes, but the quality of the materials is something else.

Hilleberg Allak 3 Tent - Green

<div>For customers wanting a true all‑season tent with excellent interior space, strong winter performance and the freedom to pitch almost anywhere, the Allak 3 is a versatile and confidence‑boosting choice built for demanding use.</div>

www.tauntonleisure.com

View attachment 424007

I like that..reminiscent of a Vaude Space 2 I had in the late 80s....(that my ex wife insisted on taking, together with my best MTB in our 1993 divorce....I'm not still bitter...honest )

 

[TIJ650]

View attachment 424014

Doubt you’re carrying that Lawrence of Arabia setup on a scooter though?! lol
Impressive

 

[Robbi]

Doubt you’re carrying that Lawrence of Arabia setup on a scooter though?! lol
Impressive

No, indeed.

We had many years of fabulous camping with that set up

 

[NeilDD]

My 2 penny worth.
Used to be called a Wickiup 4 now called a Bach 4

I can stand up inside and I'm 6'4"
Pole is telescopic and it all packs down very small
Not cheap, but will allow you to spread out

I use a 3x3 tarp as a groundsheet protector.
They used to do either a 2 person or 4 person inner

Alpine Trek

 

[Gryph]

I've done a lot of nights on a 6 week jaunt across Europe on the 1250 GSA before it went, then Le Mans on the R1200R and just back from the ABR with a Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel 2 Bikepack and it's been spot on.

They do a 2 or 3 man, but the "hotel" part is an additional vestibule that works well with the ground sheet to give you somewhere to store gear or hang out if the weather is rubbish. Importantly for me being the bikepack version it actually fit *in* the standard GSA tins, and lengthwise in the topbox on the R1200R so when exploring a city or going for a bite everything was in the hard luggage on the bike and I didn't need to worry about tent or poles getting nicked. It's semi-freestanding so works best when staked, but you only need one tiedown point for the vestibule. Also means if you've picked a duff spot in the dark it's easy to pick up as a complete tent and just drag to a flatter bit ect.

Bonus, the Helinox ground chair also fits nicely in the GSA tins / topbox and is the right height to allow 6'1 of me to still sit inside the tent at night.

 

[Udders]

This is the Rolls Royce of tents, but also £1,500. The OP’s missus still might hate camping on bike (if anything like mine) and too hefty investment. I’d still experiment with long haul on bike and hotel/ Airbnb before splurging on expensive tent and Helinox chairs etc. My wife refused to go on bike or in tent few years ago……….win, win for me
How was I to know she wouldn’t like the Elephant Rally?!
Jokes.

Nah, the better one in my collection is the Hilleberg Kaitum 3GT!
I only take that if I know I’m going to a campsite due to its 5 metre length. Obviously a huge amount of sleeping and storage area in that one. Surprisingly though its pack size isn’t much different to the Allak 3. It’s even easier to put up but isn’t free standing which is why, if I’m wild camping, the Allak 3 gets the nod.
Again not cheap but will withstand almost everything nature can throw at it. I originally bought this for a big bike Iceland trip that never happened. Hey ho.

 

[leedude03]

we ride and camp 2 up and space is always the problem we use a big agness blacktail hotel 3, it packs small and at 3kg not to heavy, the only downside is you can not stand up in it.

 

[TIJ650]

I've done a lot of nights on a 6 week jaunt across Europe on the 1250 GSA before it went, then Le Mans on the R1200R and just back from the ABR with a Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel 2 Bikepack and it's been spot on.

They do a 2 or 3 man, but the "hotel" part is an additional vestibule that works well with the ground sheet to give you somewhere to store gear or hang out if the weather is rubbish. Importantly for me being the bikepack version it actually fit *in* the standard GSA tins, and lengthwise in the topbox on the R1200R so when exploring a city or going for a bite everything was in the hard luggage on the bike and I didn't need to worry about tent or poles getting nicked. It's semi-freestanding so works best when staked, but you only need one tiedown point for the vestibule. Also means if you've picked a duff spot in the dark it's easy to pick up as a complete tent and just drag to a flatter bit ect.

Bonus, the Helinox ground chair also fits nicely in the GSA tins / topbox and is the right height to allow 6'1 of me to still sit inside the tent at night.

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This actually looks good. How much was tent and what’s the size/ weight of tent packed??

 

[TIJ650]

Google is indeed my friend. Cheap as chips and 50cm long
Probably good solution for OP cause if wifey gets attacked by ants or just gets sick of mid trip - it fits neatly in bin and only cost of swanky hotel for one night.
Great name too

 

[zerax9]

I've got a 2 man Hilleberg... love it !