A few thoughts on tents

Frosty

Site Supporter
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
597
Location
Spokane, WA
Bike
2020 Triumph 900GT
I went to REI looking for one of their sheets that summarizes the specs on the tents that they sell. While they still have them for sleeping bags, mattresses, etc, they discontinued them for tents. I could not find any half dome tents in stock. They were closing out the Midori 4's with an additional 25% off of the sale price (ordered at store for home delivery).

If you know what you are looking for, REI has frequent sales on returned items. People will purchase expensive equipment, use it once and return it. Some discounts as much as 80% off. You have to know when the sales are.
 
OP
OP
Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

Site Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
4,386
Location
Spokane
Bike
10 Red NT 14 FJR, 17 XT
I appreciate Chris' "research' on tents. I bought a Midori 4 on sale at REI.
Tent selection is based on what you are using it for (IMHO).
Cross country with a stop each night ... quick set up and takedown, small, & light.
Base camp with several nights (say Spearfish) ... comfort.

I use a two person Kelty Gunnison 2. Nice tent with room to sleep, but getting dressed is like making snow angels in a refrigerator box or do it outside.
The Eureka Midori 3 has plenty of room (can use mini camp chair in it) but is only 51" high.
The chief pro for me was the Midori 4 has a 60" peak. It is a big tent, but manageable pack size (YMMV).
It packs smaller than the REI Half Dome 4 (48" high) and only marginally larger pack size than the Midori 3, but still a major commitment to cargo space on a motorcycle.

We had a nice trip this year with a great base camp on the east side of Mt Rainier. Side trips to Mt St Helens and Mt Rainier National Park were made without cargo and no camp set up at night.

This thread gives everyone time to comparison shop and plan all winter. :tent3:
Wow. I just looked up the specs on the REI half dome 4. We did good by buying the Midori 4s! I dont know how they sell any of those half domes...I am sure they are good quality but with those specs, they aint talkin' to me....
I had to laugh at the Half dome 2. They pointedly showed the mummy bags foot to head to fit two people into a four ft wide tent. The first time someone curls their knees, their gonna kick the other person in the head! :rofl1:
Maybe the guys that design 17" airliner seats started the company. The pole system seems very odd, also....
 
OP
OP
Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

Site Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
4,386
Location
Spokane
Bike
10 Red NT 14 FJR, 17 XT
Agreed. Most of my gear is former hiking gear. If it is light enough to carry on my back while hiking, it is small enough to carry on the motorcycle.

I did see a tent that had a great idea. You could save some weight by using a hiking pole in place of their tent pole.

Chris
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using back packing equipment for bike touring. I am addicted to the small cooking stoves and Mountain House foods, head lamps, and down sleeping bags. I just enjoy airbeds for comfort and the space a larger tent gives me. I suffer from insomnia and have other interesting medical issues that make the added room of a 52 in ceiling most welcome. And I have cut back on packing 8 flashlights but now I bring along all sorts of MC safety clothing that takes up space. Its all good. The main thing is to get out there next summer and camp! I am going for a new record. 4 days near Flathead lake, 8 days in Eastern Montana, 6 days at Oshkosh, 9 days at Stead, At least a couple at Spearfish, and then 3-6 days in the North Cascades and Left coast. Gotta see Mt. Baker. There are also two interesting BMW rallys close by....and there is always central Wyoming....





 
Joined
Aug 3, 2012
Messages
644
Location
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Bike
Black 2009 NT700
My wife used to look something like that young lady you were sitting next to there Chris,..............about 35 years ago!!!!
To me she will always be young and beautiful as we grow old together.
Our two children are both older than the lady in your picture.
Geee how time flies.!!

Macka
 

Fieroguy

Site Supporter
Joined
May 9, 2012
Messages
154
Location
Milford, PA
Bike
2010 Silver NT700
Camping/tent question (trying to stay on topic)... Okay, I would like to ride my bike from New York to Michigan to visit family (in warmer weather, of course). At the same time, I am cheap (broke) and looking to save $$$. I figured I would go to Ohio and sleep at one of those big rest areas they have along the Ohio Turnpike. I envision pulling my bike up next to the curb out back and sleeping next to the bike. I suspect tent camping is probably frowned upon (if not outright illegal). However, I was thinking that if I was in one of those one-person tents, law enforcement may be more inclined to 'look the other way' as opposed to setting up a two-person (or more) tent and looking like I'm "camping". To those of you who have done the big 'epic rides' or traveled/camped frequently, what is the general rule at rest stops? Would staying in a one person tent or 'sleeping under the stars' make a difference? Thanks.
 

junglejim

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2,119
Location
Northern WI
Bike
Tiger 800, NT sold
I have fallen asleep at rest stops, but never attempted to camp there on purpose. I don't want to have an issue with a LEO, but more importantly I believe my personal safety is compromised. There are lots of bad guys out there and I have witnessed drug deals at rest stops. Not where I'd want to sleep.

The cheapeset camp sites are usually on National Forests, State Forests, County Forests, and some of the municipal campgrounds. Rustic campgrounds are always a lot cheaper than modern ones (think pit toilets instead of flush toilets). But they aren't on the freeways and main highways.

I use All Stays Campground Finder app to find campgrounds. Google can't seem to find public campgrounds very well. If you are a "senior" you can get a Golden Passport card for about $10 that will give you substantial discounts at National Forests, Parks, and Recreation areas. It is a real good deal. The Corps of Engineers has some nice campgrounds as well.
 

RedLdr1

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
2,570
Location
Woodstock, Georgia
I also avoid sleeping at rest stops for safety reasons as well. I can pretty much guarantee that you will get woke up by a LEO, if you're lucky, sleeping at a rest stop in Georgia. Even in a motor home, parked among the big rigs on the back lot, law enforcement frowns on anything that appears to be "camping".
 
OP
OP
Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

Site Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
4,386
Location
Spokane
Bike
10 Red NT 14 FJR, 17 XT
I have fallen asleep at rest stops, but never attempted to camp there on purpose. I don't want to have an issue with a LEO, but more importantly I believe my personal safety is compromised. There are lots of bad guys out there and I have witnessed drug deals at rest stops. Not where I'd want to sleep.

The cheapeset camp sites are usually on National Forests, State Forests, County Forests, and some of the municipal campgrounds. Rustic campgrounds are always a lot cheaper than modern ones (think pit toilets instead of flush toilets). But they aren't on the freeways and main highways.

I use All Stays Campground Finder app to find campgrounds. Google can't seem to find public campgrounds very well. If you are a "senior" you can get a Golden Passport card for about $10 that will give you substantial discounts at National Forests, Parks, and Recreation areas. It is a real good deal. The Corps of Engineers has some nice campgrounds as well.
Copy all. I had to pull my gun on a couple of guys at a Montana rest stop and on a guy in a fairgrounds parking lot. They decided to not mess with me....but I no longer sleep in my car at empty rest areas. Walmart parking lots are the best....followed by other busy places with bathrooms....
 
OP
OP
Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

Site Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
4,386
Location
Spokane
Bike
10 Red NT 14 FJR, 17 XT
Camping/tent question (trying to stay on topic)... Okay, I would like to ride my bike from New York to Michigan to visit family (in warmer weather, of course). At the same time, I am cheap (broke) and looking to save $$$. I figured I would go to Ohio and sleep at one of those big rest areas they have along the Ohio Turnpike. I envision pulling my bike up next to the curb out back and sleeping next to the bike. I suspect tent camping is probably frowned upon (if not outright illegal). However, I was thinking that if I was in one of those one-person tents, law enforcement may be more inclined to 'look the other way' as opposed to setting up a two-person (or more) tent and looking like I'm "camping". To those of you who have done the big 'epic rides' or traveled/camped frequently, what is the general rule at rest stops? Would staying in a one person tent or 'sleeping under the stars' make a difference? Thanks.
As a person who spent 14 years with the WA State Patrol, I can tell you that you are 40 years too late. There was a time when you could do this but now there are hour limits and "no overnight Camping". I wont go into why but there was a time that you could pull into a small town and ask the local police where you could pitch a tent and you still might get a positive answer, but now they have to be concerned about you sleeping in the local park with the bathrooms as there are lots of ...errr....interesting people roaming the night that would just as soon slit your throat for your money than not....but it never hurts to ask the local police. Alittle web searching will find inexpensive mom and pop local camp grounds off the beaten path. Out west, there would be many more options but with little public land back east, those options narrow. There are those who might reccommend heading up a dirt road into a woods and spending the night on private land. I would not. Look for alittle mom and pop campground and I bet you can spend a nice safe night with bathrooms on the cheep....
 
OP
OP
Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

Site Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
4,386
Location
Spokane
Bike
10 Red NT 14 FJR, 17 XT
My wife used to look something like that young lady you were sitting next to there Chris,..............about 35 years ago!!!!
To me she will always be young and beautiful as we grow old together.
Our two children are both older than the lady in your picture.
Geee how time flies.!!

Macka
Yeah, ya got that right! Time flys...a few days ago (12 years) I retired....the years just fly by now....its frightening actually, and I think because I am so busy and travel so much it makes time fly even quicker.....and my wife never ages which is even scarrier.
One thing I like about the Japanese ladies I meet (not many Japanese men follow figure skating) and the Chineese are that they are so polite and put up with all my silly questions....I carry pics of my wife and dogs and ranch, etc to show them and ask about what it is like where they live. I should ask about Japanese camping!
 
OP
OP
Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

Site Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
4,386
Location
Spokane
Bike
10 Red NT 14 FJR, 17 XT

Gosh, Chris. You don't seem so old. I don't think you look a day past 80. ;)

The "wet" Chris
I am older than dirt....here is a pic of me getting my first and only Corvette ride! I bet you cant guess the year!
 
OP
OP
Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

Site Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
4,386
Location
Spokane
Bike
10 Red NT 14 FJR, 17 XT
This is hysterical! I was putting tents away on their shelf in the basement and I saw a box with a small tent inside. I had seen it before over the years but I always assumed it was one of my wife's tents. So I took it to her and she said it wasn't one of hers...
Its a new in the box Wenzel Tahoe. A low end back packing tent. 70 in by 60 in by 38 inches. 3.8 lbs. Pack size 20 inches by 4 in by 4 in. My wife is 5' 8 in and slim so she might be able to lay crossways in the thing and fit if the real inside dims were as given, but I think for fun I will set this puppy up in the living room and see how big it really is....
 
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Messages
1,231
Location
oregon
Bike
2011 NT, 01 Ultra, 04 VLX
I must agree withJ Jim and Chris ,, in toddaays world REst aareaaa are not safe havens, beffor I retired in 2004 I hS GORREEN TO THE POINT OF NOT STOPIING IN REST AAREAS UNLESS IT WAS A DIRE EMEEERGAANCY EVEN IN DAYLIGHT. EVEEN THEN I WAS WELL INSSURED / PROTECTED!
wHEN ON A BIKE AND ALONE, OR WITH pinion we made our stops at a maajpppr well lit gas station facility. If sleep was reaaally needed and the stop didn't provide the neede break I would bitee the bullet and grab a motel room. As previously said bu Jom and cchris there aaare some deceennt nice almost safe to safe camp grroooounds but don't waait until daaark to look for one. geet stopeed early enough to get your samp seeet up aand your evening meal eeetcc taken caaare of.bacccck iiin the past I remember camping, well ssleiing out in a sleeping bag in a ciy paaarkas iin Reno ffor example wiiiith two - 4 bikes and nwwwver having a problem but that was 1968-70 whiiich wa truleeey a difffernt erra.
accturally using a better grade of motel when two -4 peop;e in group haviinng showweer and bathrooooom aavaailible as well as breaakfaast included is a pretty good deal! figurre a breaakfaast wiiith juice, coffee, waffle , fruit eeetc is going to hit you fro arroound a ten dollar bill a person room prices aarre not that ffaar oout of liiiine.LOL with the room at Bell's this year it was aaarrooound 90 per niiiight and no breakfast whhhiich was about 10-12 dollaaaars aat the local restaurant, or just *** much or maybe more for the coffee and pastry at the trendy coffee hooouse nest to motel..WE sspeent four niiightts at very nice facilities aand John set up our rooms ahead of time and we never sspent over 120 per night for very nice rooms wiith breakfasts ETC.

of vvourse you can go to the oootther end od the motel cchaiinn and spppen a loot less if that turns you on to maybe a ccup of watered down coffee as you check out. not to menntioon the night time activities that may have kept you oon edgeall night long.

Eldon
 
OP
OP
Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

Site Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
4,386
Location
Spokane
Bike
10 Red NT 14 FJR, 17 XT
It helps to be short. :D I have a old Eureka 3-person tent. I took it out the other day and everything is still fine. It doesn't have a vestibule, but there's plenty of room inside for everything...just leave the food outside if you're in bear country.

If I was looking for a new tent, I'd get this:
http://www.big5sportinggoods.com/store/details/HI-TEC-sierra-lite-2-backpacking-tent/0710107811607/_/A-5266374?_D:search=+&_D:siteScope=+&_DARGS=/store/cartridges/SearchBox/SearchBox.jsp&_dyncharset=UTF-8&siteScope=ok



Light weight. Large enough for one person. Packs small.

I can't imagine cooking inside my tent. Flames and nylon just don't mix.


And if the rain is pouring down so hard I don't want to go outside at all, I'll just "knock" on your door. :D

Chris
(the other Chris from the wet side)
Went and looked at this tent today as I was buying some boots at Big 5. Its really not a bad tent if you can live with the 45 in height. It packs a few inches shorter than the Midori 3. Unfortunately, there was a bunch of mis information on the box. It gave the floor plan as a hexagon and it says the floor is 9 ft long, which clearly it is not. It is as if the Chineese mixed up the fly coverage with the floor plan.

 

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
My Halftime 4+ is only 48" tall and works OK. The Motor is would be better, but I don't have a tent fetish like SOME people do. :)
 
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Messages
1,231
Location
oregon
Bike
2011 NT, 01 Ultra, 04 VLX
HIL. I haave BOUT THE Same diminsions in the new teent I got just pryor to the 2 012
113 spearfish trip that I hS TO CCANCCLE ON. I UAWS IT ONCE HRRE LOCCALLY AANDIT WWORKED WELL FOR ME,i ALSO HAAVE THE TEENT TRAILER THAT I CAN PULL BEHIND THE ULTRRA CCLASSIC THAAAT SLEEPS TWO PEOPLE. DEEPENDIINNG ON THE ENVIROMEENT WOULD DETERMIINE WHIICH OF THE TEEWO IS BEST. OVERAL SPACCE AND COMFORT THE TENT IS PROBABLY A FFIRST CCHOICE, BUT IF IN SNAKE COOOOUNTRY I WILL GO FFOR THE TRAILERASS IT IS ABOUT 3 FT above the ground! I DONT KKNOW IF I WILL EVER CAMP AGAIN, AND I LIKE YOU DONT HAVE A TEENT FETTISH, BUT IT Haa been lissteniinnng to CChris and his outstandiinnng reports and ccommeenttts that have helped me select LOT OF MY EQUIPTMENT.

SPEAKINNNG OF EQUIPTMEENT I Hve tthee new ccMP CCCHi from Mellow's door pprizwwwe drWING ns I hVE NOT OPPWNEDD IT UP YET TO LOOK t it. we ddidnt hVE ROOM FOR THE Kermit IIIN UN Pxkwwwd coonditiooon so we bought me CHEpie chhIR IN SPWWErdiah NS ENDEDD UP BRINGINNG IT HOMW WIIIH USSO IN ddition to theem I LAO Hvw KwAAkie cNVa chIR ns 3 or four otheeraaa in the JXXXXO TRRQVEEL TRAILERRRRSO PERHAPSYOU WILL BE SAYIINNG THAT I HAAVE A CCHAIR FETTISSSH:rofl1:

eLDON
 
OP
OP
Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

Site Supporter
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
4,386
Location
Spokane
Bike
10 Red NT 14 FJR, 17 XT
Update. At the rally this year, I brought my Midori 3 since I have never used it and Frosty brought his Midori 4.
My opinion is the same as Frosty's. The few extra cubic inches taken up by the 4 is worth it. If only for the height
that helps old people get dressed. Still, I was impressed by the 3. It sucked up my air bed no sweat and I used the
two doors with their vestibules to store stuff outside at Chris' campground. Normally with critters I wouldnt do that
but the only critters at Chris' campground were old men wandering around at 4 am seeking coffee. The tent has pleanty
of ventilation. I took a magic marker and wrote "Spearfish '17- 3 days" on it and put it away. I am still limber enough
since my back is mostly healed that I could take it out again if weight/cubic inches are important. Other than that, I will take
the 4. Driving to Oshkosh? I will take the 8x10 with carpeting! AND porta potty.
 

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
When I started camping with the NT, I bought an REI Halfdome 2+. It was a good tent, but only had a 42" center height. There was nothing wrong with the tent, but when I tried sitting in it during the rain, using my Kermit chair with leg extensions, I had to sit with my head tilted to one side. That gave me a crick in the neck.

I remembered that REI guarantees their customer's satisfaction, not just that their purchases will be as advertised. So, I called and, sure enough, they were ready to see that I was satisfied. So, I took back my Halfdome 2+ and traded it for a Halfdome 4+. It's only a pound heavier, packs almost as small and gives me a 48" center height. It made the camping I did on my Epic Ride much better.
 

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
Sitting on a chair in a tent, would make me nervous. There's a lot of pressure in four small points on the floor from the chair that might make it less waterproof than designed.

I'm not that old yet that I can't get off the ground.


Chris
LOL! I am!
 
Top Bottom