Doug Campbell

It seems that all the tents that are recommended for bicycle camping are red, orange or some other ridiculous color (my current North Face is bright blue). I understand that bright colors make sense if you are mountain climbing and may need to be rescued, but what about the rest of us that don't want to look like the circus is in town. Any good, freestanding tents in dark green or brown? Is there a product that would allow me to "paint" my existing tent and fly a subdued color without ruining the fabric?

luke.harrison

MEC here in canada makes its tarn tents in light green flys (its not great, but it beats neon yellow)

enigmagic

Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight CD is a non-freestanding, green, very woodsy tent. I reccomend it.

womble

My TNF Nebula is a nice dark green. Pity it's crap though.

A lot of the Hilleburg tents are dark green. They're a very good Swedish company, not so well known in North America.

biodiesel

try a Hennesey Hammock.
It comes in a camaflauge and being off the ground you leave no trace.
also useable on the ground as a bivy.
If you want to stealth camp your probably trying to hide in the trees anyway so a freestanding tent might not be the best idea.

NoReg

I'm not sure camo is the way to go, since it implies furtiveness, like you don't believe you have a right to be there. But if that is the way you want to go, try Cabelas, or Bass pro, they usualy have some camo tents. Moss used to have nice beige, though I haven't looked in a while.

I'm all for the Ray Way. https://www.ray-way.com/tarp-nettent/index.shtml

There are some nice tents. I think a good part of stealth camping is to be in and out before they could ever see you. So I try not to use a standard tent at all.

RWTD

I have stealth camped numerous times with an older TNF freestanding blue tent.The fly is fairly bright but the tent itself has enough mesh that it is somewhat stealthy I guess. But I don't really worry about it, darkness and some sort of ground cover provide all the stealth I need.The key is to get into the spot without being seen and then make sure there is enough cover that carlights etc. won't be a problem.I also try to leave at or before daybreak and am actually not as concerned about being seen then.

stokell

I agree. If you are serious about stealth camping you should use a hammock. In the bush the forest floor is not good to lie on. You leave a trace and then have to carry some mattress or sleeping pad.

If you are afraid hammocks are claustrophobic, try the Hennessy hammock. Some models weigh a kilo or less and fit in the space of a 2L plastic pop bottle.

jnoble123

Hennessy also makes a Hex Tarp that is the same camo colour as the hammock. It's Silnylon so somewhat expensive but lightweight and very effective for hiding the very reflective bike.

I actually bring a thermarest with me when using the hammock. Most of the time I use it as an insulating layer between me and the hammock but it's also helpful should I have to use the hammock in bivy mode.

~Jamie N

Erick L

Big Agnes Seedhouse SL are green and freestanding.

BeTheChange

When using the Hennessy in bivy mode is it very comfortable? How close is the hammock fabric to your face and can you breath easily? I'm seriously considering getting one because I have a sprinter's butt and when I sleep on the ground my knees lock out and I can't sleep well. Think the hammock would be more comfortable for me?

jnoble123

The Hennessy in Bivy mode isn't bad provided that the following is true:

1) You use small sticks/poles of some sort to keep the mesh supported above your face. Since the only weight the stick is supporting is the fly and the mesh netting then the sticks don't have to be that strong (ie. not capable of supporting your body weight)

2) Unless you like sleeping directly on hard ground you will likely want a sleeping pad that allows you to be comfortable. For this reason I still take my thermarest along just in case instead of a lighter weight insulating alternative.

The other potential concern might be the bottom entrance for getting into the hammock. On the ground this can be a bit more awkward to get into and possibly more difficult to exit in an get out now type situation.

It's too bad that you don't live close to me. I'd let you give the thing a try which is probably the best way to answer your sleeping question.

~Jamie N

gpsblake

You just need a small tent, not one specific for bicycling. I used a small bivy tent from Dick's Sporting Goods that had a green rainfly. Kept me dry but it was small. Just get one that is darker in color and you'll be fine as long as your stealth out of site of the road. Your bike is going to be the thing that is seen the easiest when stealthing due to the reflectors and such. I always laid my bike on it's side when I camped. I stealthed all 28 days of my tour and never got discovered.

https://www.campmor.com is a site I like a lot

--
Cheers,
https://biketour.ne1.net

frank the tank

Ive got one of these, which is free-standing and relatively inexpensive. also, dark green

https://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...berId=12500226

psykelnut

the best tent you can possibily get for what you need is the MSR velo it is a bit heavy at nine pounds but trust me it is worth every ounce! it has a two bike storage area and is totaly water proof!

biodiesel

9 pounds!
Thats more than half the total weight of my last tour! (And i was camping!)
No, sorry. A tent should be like 1/4 of your total weight right. So a 9lb tent means 40 lbs of gear?
Too much.

Keep it under 3 pounds.

luke.harrison

9 pounds is pretty good weight for a four season tent..... we're not talking a meshed out ultralite.

gazelle

Just got back from a 32 day 2400 mile trip in the NW and was VERY happy with my Mountain Hardware Approach tent. Light ~ 5 lbs, fly is light green, free standing, excellent ventilation and best of all it is long for us tall folks 6+. Check it out.



Scott

Bekologist

I've got a freestanding2 person four season tent that weighs 3 pounds 6 ounces and another that weighs 5 pounds 15 ounces - nine pounds IS a heavy tent, stop deluding yourself.

gpsblake

Seems a 9 pound tent would also take up a lot of room on the bike when folded up.

luke.harrison

deluding myself? man... this forum really attracts... ummm.. nice people.
whatever you think, 9 pounds aint bad, especially given the size of this thing
Id seriosuly hestiate to take a 3lb6oz "4 season" tent anywhere serious.

Bekologist

umm, made by Black Diamond, Luke. I've been using it for ski touring and bike touring both. I'm nice, but nine pounds is a pig of a tent.

NoReg

I used to work int he biz, though it was a while ago. Anyone actualy weigh those tents? They never used to come close to making weight.

All my camping gear weighs 10 pounds. I tend to think of cycle touring as a reasonably fair weather activity, and I'm not sure why one owuld need a 9 pound tent (though that is you decision). The venerable VE24 mountain dome tent that has served on Everest etc... weighs less that that, and in one version about that. So if you are below the snow line, that it heavy. I would go nuts if that 4x greater than my shelter weighs was extended to everything. That's like a 100 pound bike. If it is your main luxury, then it isn't particularly significant.

womble

4 season tent. That's snow, high winds and sub zero temperatures, right? Not exactly biking weather! The Trango 2 is less than 9 pounds, and that's designed for Himalayan conditions.

The MSR Velo isn't a four season tent anyway. The size and pole config mean that it isn't designed for high winds. The flat ceiling means that it isn't designed for snow. The inner uses a very standard 3 season tent design based on 2 poles. All the extra weight seems to go towards the massive bike porch. It would be a lot more weight (and space) efficient to carry a silnylon fly to put the bikes under.

Perhaps it's designed for security? However, camping bike tours don't typically occur in high crime rate areas (ie the inner city). In any case, bikes can be locked just outside the tent so any interference with them can be heard.

psykelnut

Right on man! That 3lb6oz tent guy can think whatever he wants but this is what works for me. It's a neutral color that blends into almost any backround and not to mention that everything kept in its shelter will stay dry. Before I go to sleep I zip everything into my tent (including my bike and my girlfriends)-I do have a sil-nylon tarp which cost $50 but its $50 of a tarp thats too light for its own good. Don't hate! Appreciate!