Don't Buy A Bikepacking Tent UNTIL You've Watched This!

Exploring a country on two wheel is always an exciting thing, but can be quite tedious when it comes to the logistics of it! Especially, if you are going to sleep in the wilderness!

Fret not, Hank and Conor provides you some tips on what type of tent would be ideal for your bikepacking trip!

00:00 Choosing the best tent for bikepacking
00:20 A bivvy bag
04:14 One-man tent
06:42 Two-man tent
09:16 Hammock

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[gcn]

What's your favourite method for sleeping when you're bikepacking?

[TheMachoGabacho]

For my next bike packing trip I’ll be taking a hammock and Conor. He can do double duty as a pack mule and a tree. The ultimate lightweight kit!

[adadinthelifeofacyclist]

It was too dark and late to bother pitching my tent so I slept in a wheat field in a bin-liner on my first night of bikepacking, using my bike as a pillow. It was both cold and sweaty and I forgot about the morning dew. But when I sat up in the morning I took a photo of the sunrise that won a photography competition 😊

[gaijintendo]

Top tip: make sure your multi tool has a tick remover on it. Lyme's Disease is worth avoiding as best as possible.

[iansingleton]

As an ex soldier I've slept under the stars on many occasions, when I left the forces I really didn't want to ever do it again! Fast forward 20 years and I started camping again. Cycling and camping. Its the cheapest way to travel. Off to Wales, Scotland, The Lakes hotels are expensive. It was brilliant! 3 years I did it, then on a week away MTBing in Wales we had storms every single night, it was horrendous. Through the day it was fine but we didn't get any sleep. The tent was great, it kept us dry and stood up to the wind but they aren't sound proof. That was the last time. Now I use Hostels. I really think you guys should do a film to show the UK's network of hostels, what great value they are. They're a forgotten thing. When I was growing up if you were planning an outdoor adventure the first thing you'd look for is the nearest hostel. You'd be doing YHA a great service too. Ps. Other than being a YHA member I don't have any affiliation.

[jacksonbangs]

I like to camp out in a 2 person tent with just me because then I have room to move around and get most of my gear out of the elements. Awesome video!

[kayasper]

Just go for a light weight tent. It always works, protects you from the rain, the sun, the wind, the cold and the heat and certainly not the least: the bugs. It's for all seasons and all climats.
All other solutions (like bivi bags, hammocks, etc) are just desperate ways to try to avoid buying a tent, which you will do in the end anyways.

[driewiel]

Life saver. Earplugs. Could mean the difference between a long night and a good sleep no matter how good your camping gear is. Especially if I sleep in the tent next to yours.

[pedaledur]

My go-to is a combo tarp + hammock with a small trekking matress for bottom insulation. I love sleeping in a hammock, but if i don't find trees to set up i can still use a small modified folding trekking pole with the tarp to pitch a shelter basically anywhere. I love the versatility of a tarp.

My complementary budget advice : if you have to put money on an item for bikepacking, a good down sleeping bag is where you will really feel every €/£/$ invested ; plus, you will always need one, for the rest go cheap to try and find out what you love, then upgrade :)

[SignorLuigi]

I use a one man tent that is not as high as the one shown in this video, but it packs up smaller because it has less fabric and more importantly, fewer and shorter poles. The top is made of a breathable waterproof fabric, so I don't use a rainfly. However, breatheable fabrics don't work as well when used as tent material compared to when they are use as clothing next to your skin. In certain weather conditions, condensation can build up on the tent fabric due to moisture from your body colliding with the cold tent fabric. Make sure the seams on whatever shelter you use are factory sealed. Seam sealer liquids applied by the user are not as effective and long lasting as the factory applied sealing tape. If you're claustrophobic, don't even think of using a bivvy. If you have to zip it up because of the weather, you can easily wake up from a nightmare in the middle of the evening and think you've been buried alive. Not joking. This has happened to several folks I know and it is not funny at all. Absolutely use a separate thin waterproof ground cover to separate the bottom of your tent from the ground. Do NOT extend that ground cover beyond the edge of your tent bottom or else rain can run down the side if your tend and flow underneath your tent between the tent floor and the ground cover. That ground cover can also serve as a temporary rain shelter if you get caught in a storm and want to ride out the storm with protection beyond a rain jacket. 40 year outdoor educator here. Most of what I have learned is through mistake and failure. I hope you can avoid this path I have taken! 🤦‍♂️🤣🤣🤣

[Fercough]

I use an OEX Bobcat 1 tent. very small, but I can cook in the porch area and store all my kit in there too.

Fantastic tent, used it in tough Scottish conditions. Excellent.

[ManikasKathern]

Okay, I’ve always scratched my head about the obsession around the kislux book totes and their practicality, but this one is adorable!! Congratulations

[aaronli]

Quick note about terminology: a 1 man tent sleeps 1 man, uncomfortably, with bags outside. A 2 man tent sleeps 2 men uncomfortably with bags outside or 1 man comfortably with bags inside. Plan accordingly.

[cruachan]

1 man tent for backpacking, I've got a Bivi with a bug net and a guyline to keep it off my face for bikepacking as it's smaller though. Usually carry a 3x3 tarp too, can either use half of it as a groundsheet under the bivi or cover the bike as well depending on where I am. Wild camping is legal in Scotland, but having the tarp to blend in can be helpful if you want to be a bit more stealthy.

[bikecommuter]

Regular sized tent poles no problem get a tent pole carrying case yes they are a thing and strap it to the top tube.
Bivy bag bring a large heavy duty bin-trash bag to keep your shoes, etc in at night, it can also double as a emergency poncho
I always get the groundsheet-footprints for my tents, they save wear and tear on the tent floor and keep it cleaner.

[vippassin]

A follow up video on packing to bike and the available bags for a bike would be very welcome.
Being new to bike packaging, I am in the process of buying gear for my first outing. ❤

[b.griffin]

Additional things to for:
1. A two door tent is better for ventilation and getting in and out of.
2. Make sure the tent you're getting has a rain fly, otherwise you'll be flooded next time it rains.
3. Free standing tents are easier to set up as they do not require staking in to stay erect.

[donball]

Conor, your enthusiasm for bike packing knows no bounds, you're even doing tree impressions. Brave given you're with Hank 😂

[catherinepeele]

I have both a one-person and a two-person tent that I switch between given the weather and difficulty of the tour. Wish I could get by with a bivvy or a hammock, but the extra weight is worth having my favorite sleep kit and keeping the bugs well away from me.

There's no right answer; just experiment and find what works for you.

[PoulHansenDK]

I have a 1 man tent weighing 560g the same as a bivvybag, which by the way must have the topside made of Goretex or you will be steaming inside and have icelumps forming when it is freezing.