2010 February | Forest Freedom Camping

Season Hiking

February 28th, 2010 admin No comments

Season Hiking

What should I look for when buying a light weight two person tent for 3 season use ?

I m a novice to the camping/hiking game and want to get some kit

Here's a great site with owner reviews of tents and other shelters:

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Shelters/

One thing you might want to consider (and this is advice you probably won't get from your neighborhood outdoor shop) is a tarp or a tarptent in lieu of an actual tent. This is, as it sounds, a sheet of waterproof nylon pitched in an A-frame. A few things that a lot of people do not like about tents is 1) they're crowded and 2) they get wet overnight. In an effort to make a lighter tent, they make them smaller. Most 2-person tents will not have enough room to comfortably sleep 2 people all their gear (backpacks, etc). Many people opt for a 3-person tent instead, but that also means a heavier pack. As for moisture, we breathe a lot during the night. Our breath is full of water vapor, and that condenses on the tent walls. If there is inadequate ventilation, as there often is, we'll generally wake up soaking wet (and cold).

A tarp solves these problems. The sides are open, so there is plenty of ventilation. You also need less material to cover more area, so you get more space for you and your stuff. The other benefit is that you don't necessarily need a level spot to setup a tarp. If there's a big rock sticking up that would prevent you from pitching a tent (if it's not directly under your bed), you might be able to still pitch a tarp, as the floor is not attached. It does take some practice to set it up, but once you get it, it can be easier to use and more effective than most backpacking tents. It also weighs (and costs) a fraction as much.

One drawback of the tarp solution is that there is no protection from bugs. Some people use mosquito netting around the sides or inside the tarp to keep bugs out. It is tough to sleep when mosquitoes are buzzing in your ears, and they don't all go away at night. This is a huge concern in the pacific northwest, for example, but it doesn't matter in the desert.

Personally, I like the tarp/tent hybrid. (Check out http://www.tarptent.com for more info) These have the ventilation advantages of a tarp and the bug protection advantages of a tent. The weight is somewhere in between - my three person tarptent (HUGE for 2 people) weighs just under 3 lbs (when you include a tyvek groundsheet). That's a lot lighter than most tents. It holds up well in rain and light snow. It's not great in high wind (the newer models are better), but then again, neither are most 3-season tents. The best plan is to pick a campspot in the trees. It also does a fantastic jobs of keeping mosquitoes out (even without a sewn in floor). The other thing I really like about having a separate floor is if the weather is good, there's no need to pitch a tent. Just lay out the ground sheet and sleep under the stars.

You can get a lot more info at REI or a good outdoor shop. I just wanted to offer some thoughts that they probably won't mention.