What to look for in a jeeper’s tent?

[TObject]

I am looking for a tent for the upcoming trip to Rubicon specifically, and jeeping trips in general. What should I look for in such a tent? What brands do you recommend?

What tent do you use? Is there anything you don’t like in your tent?

While I am looking for the tent, what other camping gear would you recommend?

[Robert J. Yates]

I have a couple of the elcheapo tents (Hilary I think is the name) from Sears. They tend to last, don't cost alot and put up with some abuse. I also have a nice backpacking tent but I would never use it on a Jeep trip - to much abuse.

98 TJ Sport
D44ARB/D30Detroit/Teralow/Swampers
www.geocities.com/yatezess/

[TObject]

What is the right kind of tent for the job? Three season? Four season?

How about this one for comparison:
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catal...ail.cfm/WA1550

What construction is more desirable: Hoop Style or Free Standing?

Also, do I need Tent Footprint? (The thing that goes under the tent to protect it)

Robert, why is there more tent abuse on a jeep trip?

[Ace!]

I've been a pretty avid outdoorsman for a while and there are a LOT of things to consider. What are you looking to spend? Will you camp out when you know it's going to rain, snow, etc? Are you very space conscious (do you need a lot of room)? Will you be driving to your destination more often than not, or ever have to carry it (there are significant weight differences if it's a backpacking tent)?

I like Eureka tents for general camping because they're typically inexpensive. A-Frames are nice if you're not in too windy of conditions or space conscious, and they're easy to put up (Eureka makes a Timberline A-Frame for ~$100). Geodesic designs are better if it is going to be used in more inclement weather (windy). A rule of thumb is the more sides/panels a tent has the better it will be in inclement weather. This usually means more poles though, and more difficulty in putting it up. So, make sure you see the tent put up before you buy it, whatever you choose.

I've currently got a pricey REI 3-man tent (~$350 if I remember correctly). It's the best tent I've ever had and is great for backpacking in crappy weather. Everything is color coded (poles/sleeves), it's not the lightest but very well constructed, and has lasted me years so far, with years to come.

Check out:

http://www.campmor.com
http://www.rei-outlet.com
http://www.rei.com
http://www.sierratrader.com

Campmor and Sierra Trader used to be considerably cheaper than retail (Sierra Trader sells closeouts and stuff).

Some brands of camping gear that are nice, MSR, Sierra Designs, North Face, Walrus (most of the stuff you'll find at REI is the higher-end stuff).

"Also, do I need Tent Footprint? (The thing that goes under the tent to protect it)" - YES, it'll make the tent last longer.

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

[TObject]

Before I got the jeep I had no idea what I would be doing with it. I have no tent now, and I have no idea what wild ideas I get in my head once I am equipped.

Here are things that I am looking for: very good ventilation, good wind resistance, ok in the rain, preferably easy to set-up and take down. Weight does not concern me much, but size packed does. I don’t need a lot of room, but the tent got to sleep 2 adults comfortably. I am looking to spend as much as a good tent cost, if it is expensive so be it, I don’t have to have it right now, I can wait for good price, save for a while etc...

Is there any trouble putting ground stakes in where you usually camp?

[William]

TO,

I've had a North Face Starship extreme for about 7 years. Northern California, and southern California, it is pretty good. However, in iceland, it kicked collective but. Highwinds 30-40 knots, snow, rain... It has never failed me.

If you want, I have a backpacker magazine with the gear guide and all thier reviews. I can deliver this too you this week or next if you would like the copy I have laying around. Good reading and good info on where to get your hands on stuff.

Also, in Carlsbad, there is a North Face outlet, where you can get some stuff pretty cheap (North Face is Pricey).

The absolute best tents, money no object, are argueable Bibler tents. Top Notch.

But, the North Face ones I have and friends have used have never shown anything but good service to me.

And, I have a very good sleeping bag you can have on permanent loan.. and once I replace it with a new one, you can have it period - gratis. It's a marine cold weather one that is really comfy, it's just heavy for backpacking purposes.

3 season is best for us, because they breath better than 4 seasons do, and will serve you better in the months when it is hot and your only looking for a bug shelter and a place to change with out showing everyone your @#$@#$@#$.

Let me know and I can get the Magazine to you.

R/
William
Jeepers are never strangers, just friends you haven't met yet.

[William]

BTW, if you want a two adult tent, get a three adult. It will leave room for you, your friend, and your bags.

Why have bags in tent? Why extra room?

A three person is essentially, a two person with 1/2 person space. They sort of strech it when they talk about space.

Saves a soggy walk to the jeep, extra clothes make good pillows so you dont have to pack that too, good place to put books, gps, computer to play with at night before you go to sleep, extra room to flop around if you don't sleep strait and still.

Again, the magazine I have is a pretty good primer on Tents and camping stuff.

R/
William
Jeepers are never strangers, just friends you haven't met yet.

[William]

Ok, so I'm not shutting up.

My two cents on a tent. Robert has the right idea if you're only going to use it once or twice.

For me, I know I am going to use it many times, and in situations where it will service as life shelter.

Tents are like tires, you get what you pay for, but some are overpriced and not all that.

R/
William
Jeepers are never strangers, just friends you haven't met yet.

[speaceman]

if you are not sure what you want in a tent, you could go the cheapo route first, to see if it is what you need.

We got a Coleman 3 person, 3 season tent with reinforced floor, and it has worked so far for every jeeping/camping trip we have been on.

It sets up reasonably fast (2 colapsable poles and pegs on the corners). We have used it in the desert, big bear, Pismo, and in wind and rain. So far we've skipped the snow, but I don't think that is ever going to happen.

The best thing about it is you can get it for $40 bucks at Sportmart or Target ( I can't remember).

if it turns out you don't like it, you will have a back-up tent for friends or family and you can get yourself a good tent instead.

Grey 98 ZJ.

[mrblaine]

No matter what else you get, make sure that you can stand up in it, or nearly so.

It is not who you know, It is who knows you
Jeeps do not make jeepers, jeepers make Jeeps.
Which is more important, the degree or education?
Would you rather be animadversional or curmudgeonly? Can you be animadversional without being a curmudgeon?

[Bruce David]

A Blond and a six pack would be nice.

[Jim B]

To,

I used to have el chepo tents until I started camping more often in this sport. They work fine. The trick is not to pack them moist or wet as the seams will rot. If you have to pick up camp and pack it wet, upon getting home, set up the tent and let the tent dry.

It is important that no matter how much you spend on a tent to seal the seams once a year with a seam sealer (including rain fly). You will regret this after a few years as the rain will definitely come in.

You should also use your so called footprint on any tent. It will make it last longer. A common mistake that I often see is that campers will have the footprint sticking out by an 1" or 2 thinking that it will keep the tent cleaner or protect it more. This is incorrect as it will collect the dirt on top (also rain water) it will all travel and get trapped between the two floors. When the footprint is laid down it should not be seen, and be at least 2" inside the floor of the tent to prevent this from happening.

What convinced me to get a good 3 season tent was the fact that around 3am in one of our trips it started to rain pretty bad, everything seemed ok, no water was coming in except a bit in the corners, this was all due to my excellent seam sealing abilities. What scared us was that the wind started to kick (not to the point of being bad). The roof of the tent collapsed to the point that it touched our faces, it would spring back. I did not know how long it was going hold but fortunately it did. The next morning I saw my friend rowing out of his tent on top of an air mattress.

After looking around and doing my usual research, I decide to buy a 3+ season, 2 man (very roomy) Marmot tent. It is the only one that I found that tapes their seams so you never have to use the seam seal, they also guarantee the tent for the life of the owner. Yes it was pricey. It packs small and light and I've had it in heavy winds with no problems, has an excellent rain fly. I used this tent for about two years, I now own the slide in camper so I don't use it much. The tent stays inside the camper and gets put on the Jeep for those occasions in which I might have to spend the night. There are events and trails that sometimes I take that will not let me return to camp for the night.

Marmot has a web site describing all their models. I purchased the Swallow with ground sheet (footprint).
http://www.marmot.com/products/tents...l_swallow.html
You might want to check other models on their site. Keep in mind that the chepos will also work for you along with some of the well known names already mentioned. It would be nice to get a tent that you can almost stand inside for comfort (I miss this in my chepo tent), but it will be very hard to find one in 3 season.

Jim B.

97TJ El Niño, Mods listed on Web Site.
JJB@worldoversea.com
http://www.jeep.worldoversea.com
Jeep Rater Score: 42

[Stu Olson]

Well, call me crazy, but I haven't packed a tent for an overnight Jeep trip since I bought my Jeep.

Why the heck do you think they put reclining seats in the TJs? You sure can't use them while you are driving....DUH!

Seriously, I sleep in the passenger seat....ask the guys from the Rubicon trip. I recline it to about 60 degrees back....about like sleeping in the rocker in the living room, IMO. Nothing to set up, wind proof, water proof, just slip into your sleeping back, grab a nice comfy pillow, and call it a night. Nothing to set up, nothing to take down....a mere minute's worth of time is all you need to get set up for beddy by time!


http://www.stu-offroad.com

[Jim B]

Stu,

Great idea! What do you do with your other half? The back seat?

When I did the Rubicon I had my two older kids and my other half so I had no choice. I did sleep once in the middle of the Everglades inside the TJ with my 2 brother in laws that had never gone wheeling before. Was stuck and no one could get to me till morning, could not set up a tent in the middle of the swamp. Needless to say I went to see a chiropractor that Monday

Jim B.

97TJ El Niño, Mods listed on Web Site.
JJB@worldoversea.com
http://www.jeep.worldoversea.com
Jeep Rater Score: 42

[Wumpy]

TO,

Like Jim said, a foot print is a good investment, as it will help esp if you can't get in the habit of removing shoes before you get in the tent. Marmot tents rate very high on comparisons test ~ better than my north face one too. Marmot was the first to use the rolled seam, where they fold it over twice and then stich. Really cool.

Jim,
That rowing out story had me laughing..

R/
William

[Stu Olson]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jim B:
Stu,

Great idea! What do you do with your other half? The back seat?

[/quote]

Jim....I rent a cabin for the two of us, like at Moab!

Truthfully, we have done our fair share of tent camping together, and we typically use a $75 Sears or similar tent for that. I pretty much do the over nighters solo any more. As for seeing the bone doctor the following day....I've felt that way after a night in my tent!


http://www.stu-offroad.com

[HIGLET]

I have a cheapy Eureka 2 man tent, it's perfect for the kind of camping I do. Nice places with reasonably nice weather for me and my dog. It's easy to set up take down takes up very little space when folded/rolled and doesn't weigh too much. All that said, Williams is much nicer. Big enough to stand in obviously more durable etc etc. But I wouldn't have known what I wanted in a tent if I didn't start out with this one and see what it's missing. Needless to say I am in the market for a bigger one. I think most importantly "Size Matters" bigger is better. All of this is IMHO

Sean M Higgins
higs@higsrigs.com



2000TJ - Hey I'm working on it!

[Jeff Weston]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mrblaine:
No matter what else you get, make sure that you can stand up in it, or nearly so.
{snip}
[/quote]

Excellent advice! I've been through many tents over the years from the old heavy canvas with aluminum poles, the pup tents, the cheapie's (drugstore tents) and have been using Coleman tents lately. I don't use my tent for anything but Jeep trips or camping which is accessible by vehicle. For my needs, backpacking tents and anything sold at REI are too hi-tech/high price.

About 5 years ago I picked up a 10'x10' (5 person) Sundome]7'x7' (3 person) Sundome[/URL] tent and enjoyed the heck out of it. It was easy to put up/take down, roomy and airy (removable rain fly with mesh ceiling). But, at only 4.5' high, I got tired of hunching. Otherwise, I had plenty of room for my full size inflatable mattress and luggage.

For my birthday my wife surprised me with the 10'x10' (5 person) Sundome tent. With a 6' center height (I'm 5'10"), I can stand in the center. Although it is a bit more difficult to set up (a helper is nice when you raise the poles) it is worth the extra effort IMO. There is enough room in there to have a party! It's large door makes it easy to get an inflated mattress and other gear in and out. I'm not sure what you mean by foot protector, but the floor is made of study tarp material.Below is a pic of it:


Now is actually a good time to think about camping gear as most of the stores have end of the year sales.

Jeff

[TObject]

Oh boy, it is not easy to find a tent a person can stand in. Some tent companies don’t make tents that high. About others, people say that they are made out of lousy materials. And then if I want it to withstand wind ok...

I am thinking about this tent:

http://www.eurekatent.com/equinox.htm

How does it look?

[TJRON]

It can be hard to find a flat spot for a tent 10 X 11'8". Looks real nice though!
Ron

[TObject]

What maximum footprint size would you recommend?

[Ace!]

Footprint size will be directly related to the number of people it's designed to sleep. If you need a six-man tent the footprint will be large and there's no getting around that, unless you stack people on top of each other (which can be nice at times ). A lot of times I'm in areas where the footprint makes a difference (i.e., heavily wooded). If you are more likely to be camping in areas where there is more open space, then it really won't matter too much.

This is a nice tent, very similar to what I currently use (my particular tent was discontinued a couple/few years ago). You cannot stand up in it though. It's ~45 sq ft (almost/sorta ~7 ft x ~8 ft, although it's not a square so the square footage isn't 7'x8').

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

[TObject]

I don’t need a six-man tent. I need a two-man tent I can stand up in. Any ideas?

[William]

Sergey, you need a three person tent. Trust me.

R/
William
Jeepers are never strangers, just friends you haven't met yet.

[TObject]

Ok I trust you. I need a three-person tent I can stand up in. Any ideas?

[Ace!]

I forgot my link in the last message...but it pointed to an REI Geo Mtn 3.

I personally don't agree with the standing up in the tent comments. I don't see the usefulness of such. I probably do a different kind of camping, so I'm not saying it's the wrong way to look at things though.

I picture a two-person tent that allows you to stand up something similar to a tee-pee. I don't think I've ever seen a two-person tent you can stand up in. This is what I would imagine, although it'd fit more than two people


Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

Edit: I didn't see your previous post, so I see you're saying 3-man (which I've still never seen one you can stand in.

[TObject]

Ace, do you know how high is that tent on the picture in the 8’x8’variaty?

[William]

TO,

It's you and your bro, right?

Think you, your bro, and misc bags, camera, and etc.

R/
William
Jeepers are never strangers, just friends you haven't met yet.

[William]

Ace,

I think you look at it from a Backpacker's perspective, where everone else look at it from a haul it in a jeep and wieght be damm perspective.

I understand your thoughts on it, on my NF, it has room for me to sit up and move around. The smaller lighter tents don't have that luxury, but when your back packing, luxury isn't first and foremost.

R/
William
Jeepers are never strangers, just friends you haven't met yet.

[Ace!]

William, you're absolutely right.

TO No, unfortunately I don't. I've not owned one before, but knew someone that did and I stood in one once (different brand though which I can't remember, maybe black diamond or something). The person I knew used it almost exclusively when snow camping. He'd dig a couple/several feet into the snow, build benches out of snow, a sleeping area, etc and the tent sort of sat ground/snow level and "living quarters" were sub-ground lower (if that makes sense). Oh yeah, his had no floor, just like a tee-pee, so it was open on the bottom. I'm 5.5', so what I can stand in comfortably may not work for you.

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom