Tents with "livable" vestibules, for Kermit chairs e.t.c. Any ideas?

[querc]

Originally Posted by R_W

I also am a tent + tarp guy. An 8x10 siltarp weighs a pound, takes very little space. Makes a great cooking shelter, especially if you need to keep your food downwind and distant from camp.

+1. A tarp is super versatile and in many places you don't want to be cooking anywhere near your tent. Siltarps etc are great for 1 or two people.



For bigger groups, or smaller groups if you don't mind packing a bit more volume, or if you are expecting a lot of crap weather, there are some very nice bigger tarps. I've used MEC Mantis tarps for canoe trips. It's about 7lbs, fits 6people underneath, has room to stand at the front, and keeps out bugs if you roll down the mesh. It's excellent in high winds and rain, if you pitch it the right way of course...



Good for sleeping in too. More info:

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1194889968049

[Mercury264]

Originally Posted by querc

+1. A tarp is super versatile and in many places you don't want to be cooking anywhere near your tent. Siltarps etc are great for 1 or two people.



For bigger groups, or smaller groups if you don't mind packing a bit more volume, or if you are expecting a lot of crap weather, there are some very nice bigger tarps. I've used MEC Mantis tarps for canoe trips. It's about 7lbs, fits 6people underneath, has room to stand at the front, and keeps out bugs if you roll down the mesh. It's excellent in high winds and rain, if you pitch it the right way of course...



Good for sleeping in too. More info:

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1194889968049

180 Canadian, that's like 500 US right

[NothingClever]

+1 for the pyramid tent and tarp combo.

The tent is from Mountain Hardwear. The tarp is from Kelty (smallest size).

There's plenty of room for two people and cooking kit in foul weather and plenty of room for 4 people with no cooking kit.

[querc]

Originally Posted by Mercury264

180 Canadian, that's like 500 US right

But worth every penny! Even devalued pennies

Found a pic of the tarp in action which gives a sense of scale. (near Bering STrait)

Its a big sucker, to be sure. But for a modest 7lbs, provides an unbelievable amount of living space. Good for and what not.

[Mercury264]

Originally Posted by querc

But worth every penny! Even devalued pennies

Found a pic of the tarp in action which gives a sense of scale. (near Bering STrait)

Its a big sucker, to be sure. But for a modest 7lbs, provides an unbelievable amount of living space. Good for and what not.

That is pretty nice - I like the mesh also so you can get out the way of the flies and such.

Only problem is my wingman is a cheap git so we'll prob end up with a tarp, some sticks and those head net thingys for the same overall effect

[HaChayalBoded]

Originally Posted by NothingClever

+1 for the pyramid tent and tarp combo.

The tent is from Mountain Hardwear. The tarp is from Kelty (smallest size).

There's plenty of room for two people and cooking kit in foul weather and plenty of room for 4 people with no cooking kit.

What kind of table is that? I was looking at the GCI tables at campmor, same ones that aerostich sells.

Mercury,
Yes Vango makes some really cool tents. Only problem with tunnel tents is that they must be staked down at the fly\ground cloth as well as plenty of guylines, I still love them though. I prefer the Nallo GT only because you can open the front of the vestibule aswell as the side, unlike most others.

[Zeeowh]

Originally Posted by HaChayalBoded

What kind of table is that? I was looking at the GCI tables at campmor, same ones that aerostich sells.

Mercury,
Yes Vango makes some really cool tents. Only problem with tunnel tents is that they must be staked down at the fly\ground cloth as well as plenty of guylines, I still love them though. I prefer the Nallo GT only because you can open the front of the vestibule aswell as the side, unlike most others.

Have you used the Nallo GT? I am in the same predictament in that I already have a good tent for hiking/backpacking but want something for our trip in the Americas that has a vestibule for cooking in etc if the weather turns to shit. I was pretty much sold on the NalloGT Hilleberg but then read a couple of bad reports about them on the web and was about to start a thread here when i found this one through a search. I like the tarp idea buyt doesn't really keep everything dry if its real mucky and windy. The MEC tarp is very cool but again if it's windy and raining heavily then its not enough is it?
Those Vango ones look quite good but also heavy in comparison to the Nallo GT.

Does anyone know anything about either of these brands?

What about the Lightweight trek? http://www.gear-zone.co.uk/eshop/Lig...xt---SS06.html

The Bergan is very light at 3.3Kg/ 7lbs 5oz
http://www.bergans.com/sider_eng/start.htm
and seems well priced from here http://www.moontrail.com/bergans-6003-compact-3-man.php

Man all this tent research has been driving me crazy!!

Chris

[longtallsally]

I have no experience on this stuff, but really want to see more input here. I always thought a tarp would work.

That said, what poles are you guys using to support the tarps? I shopped on them a while back and eventually gave up. If you have a decent tent, I'd think a sub $10 tarp and some poles would be perfect to park your butt and bike under in ooky weather.

[Zeeowh]

I have always used a tarp previously but last time the weather was absolute crap and we still got very wet under it although we still had our hiking goretex jackets on. I was more thinking the vestibule would allow myself and girlfriend to hang jackets/pants in to dry out overnight. Don't really care about the bike being in the weather.

Anyone know about this brand? Cheap or ok? http://www.fieldandtrek.com/product-...Tent-31310.htm

[querc]

Originally Posted by Zeeowh

I like the tarp idea buyt doesn't really keep everything dry if its real mucky and windy. The MEC tarp is very cool but again if it's windy and raining heavily then its not enough is it?

Chris

I'm definitely not an MEC salesman, but... That particular MEC tarp is definitely enough. If its pitched right, some of the lightweight tents mentioned will be blown flat and the tarp will still be standing. Its seam sealed and waterproofed to 2000mm (unit of water pressure) which is twice that of most Big Agnes lightweight tents. I've used it twice now for multiweek canoe/hiking trips north of treeline in AK and the Yukon, where it was our only 'kitchen' and shelter, other than mountaineering tents for sleeping. Rainey, cold trips. Very happy with the tarp. Some MEC gear, especially tents, I'm not crazy about, but this tarp is great.

The downside is cost, weight (compared to a siltarp for example), packed volume. And it needs to be staked and moved a bit if the wind shifts.

[querc]

Originally Posted by Mercury264

That is pretty nice - I like the mesh also so you can get out the way of the flies and such.

Only problem is my wingman is a cheap git so we'll prob end up with a tarp, some sticks and those head net thingys for the same overall effect

tell that git to get a real job

[querc]

Originally Posted by longtallsally

That said, what poles are you guys using to support the tarps?

If you can accomodate the collapsed length in your packing, these work great.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp;jsessionid=H4rvJpK9LsxtKZTNGQLN hGKh1CW9dPsvJpc9jqPzStCG2T41p7YQ!1352206242?FOLDER %3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302703001&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442410591&bmUID=1194912623096

[Zeeowh]

Originally Posted by querc

I'm definitely not an MEC salesman, but... That particular MEC tarp is definitely enough. If its pitched right, some of the lightweight tents mentioned will be blown flat and the tarp will still be standing. Its seam sealed and waterproofed to 2000mm (unit of water pressure) which is twice that of most Big Agnes lightweight tents. I've used it twice now for multiweek canoe/hiking trips north of treeline in AK and the Yukon, where it was our only 'kitchen' and shelter, other than mountaineering tents for sleeping. Rainey, cold trips. Very happy with the tarp. Some MEC gear, especially tents, I'm not crazy about, but this tarp is great.

The downside is cost, weight (compared to a siltarp for example), packed volume. And it needs to be staked and moved a bit if the wind shifts.

Is the front of the tarp where the mesh is sealed? Eg. does it have something behind the mesh to stop water/wind if the direction the weather is coming from changes? Also is the floor an extra and therefore more weight?

I guess i was thinking for the weight i could have the Hilleberg NalloGT? I agree the tarp is a good looking bit of kit though.

[querc]

Originally Posted by Zeeowh

Is the front of the tarp where the mesh is sealed? Eg. does it have something behind the mesh to stop water/wind if the direction the weather is coming from changes? Also is the floor an extra and therefore more weight?

I guess i was thinking for the weight i could have the Hilleberg NalloGT? I agree the tarp is a good looking bit of kit though.

I guess it depends on how much space you want/need. The tarp gives much more floorspace and height than the vestibule of the Nallo. I like to stretch out in an airy space if bad weather goes on for very long, compared to the confines of a tent vestibule. Like I said earlier, its really better suited for a large group (3+) and/or you have the space to pack it. For two, a siltarp for example is waaay lighter. The Nallo looks cool too -- but I don't cook in my tent so it would be wasted space for me.

No floor to the tarp, and nothing behind the netting. When the wind shifts, pull the pegs (or weighting rocks if using them), spin the tarp, and reinsert pegs.

My experience is that wet clothing doesn't really dry out in tent vestibules (or beneath tarps) if its raining, unless your wearing it. Its just too humid. This is especially so in confined tent spaces when the occupants are engaged in heavy breathing.

[dlh62c]

I've been using the Kelty Noah's tarp ,12' model. But I don't know how well It would stand aganist a strong wind. I can set up my tent under it in a light rain then move the tent to where I want to put it. I been toying with different ways of setting it up. Some other ideas would be great.
daryl

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