Need a New Motorcycle Camping Tent?

Jack

This Summer I am taking a seven or eight day trip up the coast of California and then across the state into The Sierras to meet up with family to fish the lakes and streams. I currently have a 5x7 Alps Taurus 2 which is fine for a night or two, but not for a week. Iâm 6â2â and 250 lbs and with my bedroll there is not enough room to bring in all my MC gear out of the elements.

So, Iâm thinking maybe an 8x8 4-man tent with at least a 5â center height. I donât need to be able to stand straight up to change clothes, but I donât want to have to bend at the waist, either.

The packed diameter is not that much of an issue, nor is the weight. But, the main compartment of my duffel is 24â long and I need my tent to fit in that.

I have a small Coleman Cat Heater that I would use to take the chill off when up in the mountains. Weâve tried that heater in our trailer and in a 10x10 tent. Useless. But it does work well in my 5x7. Maybe it will work in a 4-man, too.

A vestibule would be good, but not necessary. One or two doors; doesnât matter. Aluminum poles are preferable.

Iâd like to stay under $200; $150 or lower would be better. But, Iâll spend more for the perfect tent if needed.

I think I like both the Kelty Trail Ridge 4 and the Big Agnes Jupiterâs Cabin 4. The Kelty is $50 cheaper but the Big Agnes packs a little smaller.

Any recommendations? Or comments on the two mentioned above?

Answer
I have a four-person 9x8 Pacific Crest Rock Creek dome tent that I used on my solo motor camping trip to the Arctic Circle in AK two years ago, and that I will be taking on my planned ride to Panama this spring. I really like it. It works great, and to me is the best combo of price, quality, size, weight, packability, and ease of one-person deployment (I have no trouble putting it up or taking it down alone). It's also very light and compact for its size, measuring right at 24" when in its carry bag.

I use a twin air mattress when I travel by bike (a comfy, good night's sleep is critical), and it has plenty of room inside for that and all of my gear with room left over for changing clothes or whatever. The height at the peak at 52" is a little less than five feet, but I'm 6-2 and it works fine for me.

My previous tent was a three-person dome, but one of the main ridge poles broke while putting it up one evening and I had to replace the whole tent in a small town on the road. I couldn't find another three-person tent since there was only one sporting goods store in that town, and it was kind of a small family-run place with a very limited selection (not complaining - there could have been no selection at all). I was a little worried about bumping up to a four person tent as I thought it might be a little too big and bulky for MC camping, and my three-person had worked so well (other than a balky main zipper).

In reality, I like the four person tent even more than my three, so the broken ridge pole was a blessing in disguise. Aside from being a bit roomier without being TOO big, the Pacific Crest is also higher quality than my last tent, which probably explains the broken ridge pole and balky zipper on the old one.

Best of all? The Pacific Crest Rock Creek is less than $60 from several sources online. I paid $69 for mine at the small town store two years ago, which I still consider a good deal for what I got, especially in a pinch.

Looking for an extreme weather tent that is still good for summer camping?

J-Bird

Hello! We are looking for a good tent for family camping. From the Midwest, so the weather can be pretty unpredictable. Summer camping trips can often go from 100 degrees+ to tornadic weather in a matter of minutes.

However, most extreme weather tents have poor ventilation and are practically stifling in hot weather. We had a North Face one (not sure the model) but ended up returning it after many sweaty, sleepless nights.

I currently have my eye on the REI Base Camp 6 tent and the Cabela's Alaskan Guide Model and XWT model tents (probably the 8 person versions)

Any experience with these or other extreme weather tents for summer camping?
We do car camping, so no, weight is not a consideration.

Also, I realize we should not be camping in tornadic weather. But we have weathered quite a few severe summer thunderstorms, and Coleman tents often do not stand up to the challenge.

Answer
Ok, I'll stick my opinion here too, I have the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6 Tent.

http://www.rei.com/product/779625

This puppy is not light by any means a whopping 20lbs and we got it on sale a while back so the sticker price was not to bad for us. It holds nicely in heavy winds and we camp a lot in Joshua tree with it. Taking the fly off it breathes well enough for us and I also use a battery powered fan at night to keep cool in it but haven't camped in scorcher weather, Joshua tree is just too dang hot in the summer.

We also have a Coleman tent, had it for years and use that for general camping for long stays. We like to use cots and to be able to stand up in the tent keeps us dry and breathes very well has the built in tarp and we set out tables and stuff for showing info to through hikers along the PCT we have been assisting in resupply for through hikers for many years. The Coleman has been a very reilable tent for us.

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Title Post: Need a New Motorcycle Camping Tent?
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