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Not sure how many campers / hikers there are here but feel free to hijack this thread for other camping / hiking talk... recommendations, experiences, etc.

I don't do any camping myself (yet), however I have been watching the Adventure Archives channel on youtube for about the past year and it is awesome.
Lots of super great videos, pro-level production quality.

Very good escape from the office day-job.

Latest:
https://youtu.be/yrJo9DI535U Point Reyes

The first video of theirs that got me hooked:
https://youtu.be/NuSWSSLQOb4 Yosemite

I'm actually looking for a recommendation for a quick-setting tent. It needs to be compact enough to fit on a motorcycle. I found a promising MSR but it was like $200 O_O

We love camping. Hiking not as much. We are more the "car camping" type. We were planning on doing a 4 day trip this weekend to General Coffee Park in south Georgia, but had to cancel due to rain. We were hoping to try out our new tent too. Alas.

Yes! I don't get the chance to do it as much as I would like but I love being outdoors.

Decent tents do cost a bit of $. Cheap tents generally don't last, and/or leak when it rains. We did a lot of camping when the kids were younger; mostly stuck to state/national park campgrounds (no back country camping). Coleman used to make really good (and reasonably affordable) tents, now they are just average.

Camping is a great way to see the country on the cheap.

DragonDaddyBear wrote:

I'm actually looking for a recommendation for a quick-setting tent. It needs to be compact enough to fit on a motorcycle. I found a promising MSR but it was like $200 O_O

I've done quite a bit of backpacking and motorcycle camping. What size tent are you looking for? How many people do you want to be able to fit and do you want to have your gear in the tent too?

My most recent tent is the REI Half Dome Two Plus. It is a 2 person tent but is extra long. It's on sale for $139.29 right now, down from $199. I've had a version of it for 5 years now and has held up really well.

general_tux wrote:

DragonDaddyBear wrote:

I'm actually looking for a recommendation for a quick-setting tent. It needs to be compact enough to fit on a motorcycle. I found a promising MSR but it was like $200 O_O

I've done quite a bit of backpacking and motorcycle camping. What size tent are you looking for? How many people do you want to be able to fit and do you want to have your gear in the tent too?

My most recent tent is the REI Half Dome Two Plus. It is a 2 person tent but is extra long. It's on sale for $139.29 right now, down from $199. I've had a version of it for 5 years now and has held up really well.

2 minimum, 4 would be better. The packed size looks just about right, might even fit in my saddle bag. What I was hoping was to find a tent that wasn't the traditional style of poles, though. I'd like something that sets up really quick. That's a good affordable option, though. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks!

EDIT: This is one I was looking at. http://www.camptents.com/shop/dome-tent-quick-set/ It's a Pinnacle 701. Looks slick.

We have a bunch of mountains around here so I have gone camping and hiking quite a few times and while hiking in and of itself can be tiresome the view when you make it to the top of some of the trails is really beautiful to look at with the mountain peaks and the areas below you.

DragonDaddyBear wrote:

2 minimum, 4 would be better. The packed size looks just about right, might even fit in my saddle bag. What I was hoping was to find a tent that wasn't the traditional style of poles, though. I'd like something that sets up really quick. That's a good affordable option, though. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks!

EDIT: This is one I was looking at. http://www.camptents.com/shop/dome-tent-quick-set/ It's a Pinnacle 701. Looks slick.

That does look slick! I've never seriously looked at the pole-less tents yet. If you do end up getting a tent like that, could you please post a review after your first camping trip with it?

Another traditional style tent that fits your needs but is a bit more expensive is the Alps Mountaineering Lynx 4-person tent. It's $200 at RevZilla. I've never used any of their tents yet but I do own and like their sleeping pads and I've been impressed with how well they have held up. As an aside, a sleeping pad can make a world of difference in comfort when backpacking/motorcycle camping. Not only are they good cushions, but they do a lot to insulate you from the ground, which is really handy when in the mountains around where I live.

general_tux wrote:

DragonDaddyBear wrote:

EDIT: This is one I was looking at. http://www.camptents.com/shop/dome-tent-quick-set/ It's a Pinnacle 701. Looks slick.

That does look slick! I've never seriously looked at the pole-less tents yet. If you do end up getting a tent like that, could you please post a review after your first camping trip with it?

Same here; that's pretty clever. Kind of a compact folding umbrella, but turned inside-out. My main concern would be how well the frame holds up if subjected to high winds, as replacing individual broken poles may not be possible.

just brew it! wrote:

Same here; that's pretty clever. Kind of a compact folding umbrella, but turned inside-out. My main concern would be how well the frame holds up if subjected to high winds, as replacing individual broken poles may not be possible.

...Duct tape, it fixes everything.

just brew it! wrote:

general_tux wrote:

DragonDaddyBear wrote:

EDIT: This is one I was looking at. http://www.camptents.com/shop/dome-tent-quick-set/ It's a Pinnacle 701. Looks slick.

That does look slick! I've never seriously looked at the pole-less tents yet. If you do end up getting a tent like that, could you please post a review after your first camping trip with it?

Same here; that's pretty clever. Kind of a compact folding umbrella, but turned inside-out. My main concern would be how well the frame holds up if subjected to high winds, as replacing individual broken poles may not be possible.

Well, it might be slick but that mechanism is heavy: the tent weighs 9 lbs; that's twice what a true 4-season 2-person tent weighs, and well over twice what a comparably-priced 3-season tent weighs (which is all most people need). That might not matter for motor-camping, but for backpacking that's a non-starter. Though it's pretty obvious from the bulk of the packed tent it's not really meant for backpacking.

Also as slick as that is, keep in mind that it's not going to be quite that slick in practice, especially when you're breaking camp. Before packing you're going to need to unclip the rainfly to get rid of the dew / condensation / rain (unless you want mold growing in your tent), and then I guess re-clip it all again before packing it up . That's no extra work than tents where you assemble the tent and the rain-fly separately, but it's no less work either.

I do get the appeal of being able to arrive and have the tent set up virtually instantly, especially if the weather isn't great. That said, I've assembled my conventional tents in the rain and the dark in not much longer than this takes (especially if you skip the staking step, as the video mostly does) -- mostly it just takes familiarity with the gear. (I wasn't that fast the first time I put it together in my living room, but by the end of a mult-day hike I certainly was).

general_tux wrote:

My most recent tent is the REI Half Dome Two Plus. It is a 2 person tent but is extra long. It's on sale for $139.29 right now, down from $199. I've had a version of it for 5 years now and has held up really well.

Yeah, REI is having their annual sale right now through Monday (tents). They tend to be pricey for stuff like this (your "camping and fishing" sorts of places generally beat them for stuff where ultra-light or climbing-Denali-like requirements don't matter) but the sale may counteract that a bit.

That's the same pole style as the new one we got. It is this one I think (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail- ... t/51718436). Popping it up in the living room took less than 5 minutes.

DragonDaddyBear wrote:

just brew it! wrote:

Same here; that's pretty clever. Kind of a compact folding umbrella, but turned inside-out. My main concern would be how well the frame holds up if subjected to high winds, as replacing individual broken poles may not be possible.

...Duct tape, it fixes everything.

Duct tape as a fix for broken fiberglass tent poles does not work well. Believe me, I've tried. If it isn't cracked all the way through (i.e. just a hairline fracture) you might get away with it temporarily, but it isn't a long-term fix, and if the pole is cracked all the way through it's a non-starter. There's a lot of stress, since it is the tension of the bent poles that hold the entire tent up.

just brew it! wrote:

general_tux wrote:

DragonDaddyBear wrote:

EDIT: This is one I was looking at. http://www.camptents.com/shop/dome-tent-quick-set/ It's a Pinnacle 701. Looks slick.

That does look slick! I've never seriously looked at the pole-less tents yet. If you do end up getting a tent like that, could you please post a review after your first camping trip with it?

Same here; that's pretty clever. Kind of a compact folding umbrella, but turned inside-out. My main concern would be how well the frame holds up if subjected to high winds, as replacing individual broken poles may not be possible.

Pole sections of fiberglass or graphite poles are easy to replace.
pole sections available at most camping sections along with new cord.

Arvald wrote:

Pole sections of fiberglass or graphite poles are easy to replace.
pole sections available at most camping sections along with new cord.

Yeah, but the pictured tent likely has some sort of non-standard fittings/hinges where the sections connect. That's the concern.

Tons of it, was a Scout leader after all...

I try to hike ~3miles +/-0.5 somewhere somewhat secluded during lunch break or on the way home, usually in about 45 minutes to not only get away from the rat race, but to get in shape also. Luckily WNY is not over-developed so there are a lot of opportunities around.

What blows me away is the quantity of fat folks, and how I see almost nobody on the trails during the week. Even during after-work hikes. It is so easy to get started, and so beneficial, and free!

So get a decent fitness watch with GPS and challenge yourself to some good hikes locally, and then the longer hikes and backpacking will come easier. The fitness watch is just to be able to compete against yourself and satisfy the nerd in you. When you are feeling up to it, toss on a backpack with some weight. It is pretty damned hard to backpack/hike without working up to it. Failing any trails, find a nearby tract with some attractive MILF/FILF gardeners and enjoy.

Example:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2716455524

I don't understand why so many tents use materials that aren't actually waterproof when silnylon exists. It's fairly cheap (<$8/yd for 2nds), most commonly ~1.4 oz/yd², incredibly durable for something of its weight (it can stretch a lot before tearing and can even self-heal a bit), and doesn't rely solely on surface tension shenanigans to keep you dry. Even cuben (UHMW-PE-reinforced unobtainium) seems a bit pointless compared to it.

As far as tents using it, I like these, though their stuff may be a bit minimal by many standards.

Yar, beats me too-- mainstream tent makers all seem reluctant to embrace silnylon or Dyneema. Boutique makers such as ZPacks, Big Sky, etc. have been much more open to it, tho. Fortunately with Massdrop, Kickstarter, whatever, a lot more boutique options are available these days.

Cuben/dyneema/spectra at least has a clear reason to be niche - it's expensive as all hell. If price were no object I'd still take basic 30D silnylon every time (even over 1.5oz cuben), but that's mostly just a personal preference for gear that lasts.

75+% of the tents I see out there would be significantly improved by at least a silnylon rainfly, which shouldn't be a bill of materials problem for any but the cheapest designs.

for the hiking campers: how heavy are your packs typically? I'd think everything you purchased would be determined by performance vs weight. tent, sleeping bag and gear could get heavy for long hikes without being very careful about which product you chose.

8 to 10 pounds base weight (doesn't include food/water) typically for summers in Colorado. It does take some care to get there, but not any particularly specialized, expensive, or fragile gear. I still use an $80 sleeping bag and a cheapo blue foam pad, for instance.

For new campers looking for tents -- The rated number of adult sleepers should be taken with a grain of salt. Unless you know otherwise, always get a tent rated for more people than you actually have. example for 2 people, get a "3 person" tent. Also, pay attention to height... I have a 2 person lightweight tent, that is perfect size for just me. However, I basically have to sit down or crawl first before getting inside... nothing wrong with that, but everyone has different needs and comfort targets.

Also for new campers, if you have very little experience, there's tons of resources online to help you understand what to bring. Plan ahead for food and make sure your cleanup isn't too complicated. If you bring a full range of heavy cast iron and your campsite won't let you clean dishes at the water spigot, you might have a rough time. I like to make a batch of soup ahead of time, and freeze it, so that the second night there's something easy to heat up and clean.

Your local outdoor equipment store generally has tons of helpful people and resources, and probably has experience with the sites you will be going to. They can give you useful info on wildlife concerns (dangerous animals, protected species, etc) and sometimes have workshops/trips where you can learn camping with more experienced people to get you started comfortably.

danny e. wrote:

for the hiking campers: how heavy are your packs typically? I'd think everything you purchased would be determined by performance vs weight. tent, sleeping bag and gear could get heavy for long hikes without being very careful about which product you chose.

I'm a taller than average guy (6ft 5in) and so my tent, sleeping bag and pad are all heavier than a lot of other people's. My pack is typically around 25-30lbs plus food. I also don't ever go for the ultralight gear since it costs way more than the weight reduction benefits me on the trips that I take.

Edit: That weight includes all cooking gear and a water purifier.

MJZ82 wrote:

For new campers looking for tents -- The rated number of adult sleepers should be taken with a grain of salt. Unless you know otherwise, always get a tent rated for more people than you actually have. example for 2 people, get a "3 person" tent. Also, pay attention to height...

Correct on both counts. I do a cot because my back hates ground sleeping. My wife prefers air mattresses.