Ground tents... An open ended discussion
- Thread starter Mr. Leary
- Start date
The Oz stakes are not adequate for high winds and loose sandy soil. The front awning can lift off the poles and create havoc if the guy lines aren't securely staked in the ground. I replaced the stakes with 12" military surplus stakes and haven't had any issues yet.
-Andy
-Andy
buckwilk
Adventurist
Thanks, that's helpful.
Agreed on the stakes. Get the big Snow Peak ones or even the auger style sand stakes. Some guys bend the top of the pole a bit to keep the wind from removing the awning.
It's a great desert tent if you stake it down right.
Bending the tent pole metal tips to an approximate 45 degree angle helps immeasurably. Place the base of the pin in a vice then take a long wall 6mm socket and bend the tip downward, until the previously mentioned angle is achieved. When erecting the fly, position the bent tip away from the tent. I've noted this to help keep the pole to fly connection intact in stiff winds.
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WashingtonTaco
Adventurist
In Moab back in May we had some pretty high winds, that being said I had replaced all the Oz tent pegs with Snow Peak # 20 and # 30 the longer of the two were for the guy lines and the smaller was to nail the thing to the earth! Worked like a champ!
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
So I'm back in the market for a ground tent...but with some very specific requirements. I'm re-building my kit for camping off my motorcycle. I did this for a number of years with nothing more than $50 worth of a tent and sleeping bag from Wal-Mart.
Being a bit more "mature" now and wanting a little more comfort I'm looking to upgrade a bit. I've already raided all the "what tent is best for moto-camping" threads on all the applicable adventure motorcycle forums, but I'm curious about the variables those guys might be missing. It's all too easy to focus on tents that slant toward the motorcycle rider and I have a feeling these guys might be missing out on some opportunities.
For example, here are some of the top picks from those forums:
Redverz Gear Atacama Expedition Tent
$600
Lone Rider Motorcycle Tent
$600
Big Agnes Big House
$150
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Tent
$199
These tents all have some common attributes:
1. They're big. It seems most riders want to stash all their gear, and the bike, inside the tent and/or vestibule.
2. Multi-pole setup. These tents don't have lengthy setup times, but they're longer than your standard two pole 1 or 2 person tent. Multiple poles, multiple guy lines, multiple stakes. This all adds up to a larger package when broken down and a slightly longer setup time.
3. They seem geared toward the guy who wants to setup the tent and use it as a home base while riding vs being on the move and camping at different locations each day.
Here's what I'm looking at for requirements:
1. Fairly quick setup. If you've ridden all day in the rain/mud and you get to camp cold and soaking wet the last thing you want to do is spend a half hour setting up a tent (possibly in the rain). A simple 2 man dome tent with two poles is nice and quick. With just a little practice I could pitch that Wal-Mart tent I had in under 5 minutes. I'm looking for that 5 to 10 minute setup time.
2. Small-ish footprint when packed. Storage space on a bike is at more of a premium than even a two door Jeep. A tent that folds down to the size of a small dining room table just isn't going to cut it. Frankly when I know I'm riding where there are good trees for anchors I'll be carrying my hammock, but the tent still needs to be small enough to be strapped to the top of my luggage or just behind me on the seat. I'd say nothing longer than a couple feet and about as big around as a football.
3. Good rain protection. A weatherproof floor built in is a must, I'm not looking to spend more cargo space on a ground cloth. A dependable rainfly and well taped seams are a must. I'll further weatherproof whatever I get with some 3M weatherproofing spray I have, but out of the box it should be able to hold up to inclement weather. The ability to set it up with the rainfly already on would be a plus. Several times I setup that Wal-Mart tent in the rain with the rainfly going on after and the tent would already be full of water.
4. Not $500. I'm looking in the $100 to $300 range.
5. Enough room for me, a backpack and a pair of size 16 motorcross style boots. The bike does not need to sleep with me.
There are several backpacking tents that are appealing. Backpackers want a lot of the same things motorcycle guys do: fast deploying, small when packed and able to withstand the elements. My concern is that these tents are usually focused around saving weight as well, and as such are made of lighter materials that aren't as durable. Being rattled around in a backpack where the tent is somewhat strapped down is very different than being submitted to the vibrations of a single cylinder 650 hitting washboard roads for hours on end. My top pick right now is from Snugpak:
Snugpak Scorpion 2
$250
3 Pole, Fly First setup. That's one more pole than I want, but the setup doesn't look too bad. The fly first setup also means I'll keep the weather out of the main tent body. It comes in around 6 or 7 pounds, and has a good footprint when packed. Just enough of a vestibule to support a pair of muddy motorcross boots and perhaps some other muddy gear and plenty of interior room for my ever expanding self. Good for year round use and appears to be made of durable material. It receives good reviews across the web.
I've perused through all the tents mentioned in this thread (or their updated replacements), but is there any other feedback you guys would offer?
Being a bit more "mature" now and wanting a little more comfort I'm looking to upgrade a bit. I've already raided all the "what tent is best for moto-camping" threads on all the applicable adventure motorcycle forums, but I'm curious about the variables those guys might be missing. It's all too easy to focus on tents that slant toward the motorcycle rider and I have a feeling these guys might be missing out on some opportunities.
For example, here are some of the top picks from those forums:
Redverz Gear Atacama Expedition Tent
$600
Lone Rider Motorcycle Tent
$600
Big Agnes Big House
$150
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Tent
$199
These tents all have some common attributes:
1. They're big. It seems most riders want to stash all their gear, and the bike, inside the tent and/or vestibule.
2. Multi-pole setup. These tents don't have lengthy setup times, but they're longer than your standard two pole 1 or 2 person tent. Multiple poles, multiple guy lines, multiple stakes. This all adds up to a larger package when broken down and a slightly longer setup time.
3. They seem geared toward the guy who wants to setup the tent and use it as a home base while riding vs being on the move and camping at different locations each day.
Here's what I'm looking at for requirements:
1. Fairly quick setup. If you've ridden all day in the rain/mud and you get to camp cold and soaking wet the last thing you want to do is spend a half hour setting up a tent (possibly in the rain). A simple 2 man dome tent with two poles is nice and quick. With just a little practice I could pitch that Wal-Mart tent I had in under 5 minutes. I'm looking for that 5 to 10 minute setup time.
2. Small-ish footprint when packed. Storage space on a bike is at more of a premium than even a two door Jeep. A tent that folds down to the size of a small dining room table just isn't going to cut it. Frankly when I know I'm riding where there are good trees for anchors I'll be carrying my hammock, but the tent still needs to be small enough to be strapped to the top of my luggage or just behind me on the seat. I'd say nothing longer than a couple feet and about as big around as a football.
3. Good rain protection. A weatherproof floor built in is a must, I'm not looking to spend more cargo space on a ground cloth. A dependable rainfly and well taped seams are a must. I'll further weatherproof whatever I get with some 3M weatherproofing spray I have, but out of the box it should be able to hold up to inclement weather. The ability to set it up with the rainfly already on would be a plus. Several times I setup that Wal-Mart tent in the rain with the rainfly going on after and the tent would already be full of water.
4. Not $500. I'm looking in the $100 to $300 range.
5. Enough room for me, a backpack and a pair of size 16 motorcross style boots. The bike does not need to sleep with me.
There are several backpacking tents that are appealing. Backpackers want a lot of the same things motorcycle guys do: fast deploying, small when packed and able to withstand the elements. My concern is that these tents are usually focused around saving weight as well, and as such are made of lighter materials that aren't as durable. Being rattled around in a backpack where the tent is somewhat strapped down is very different than being submitted to the vibrations of a single cylinder 650 hitting washboard roads for hours on end. My top pick right now is from Snugpak:
Snugpak Scorpion 2
$250
3 Pole, Fly First setup. That's one more pole than I want, but the setup doesn't look too bad. The fly first setup also means I'll keep the weather out of the main tent body. It comes in around 6 or 7 pounds, and has a good footprint when packed. Just enough of a vestibule to support a pair of muddy motorcross boots and perhaps some other muddy gear and plenty of interior room for my ever expanding self. Good for year round use and appears to be made of durable material. It receives good reviews across the web.
I've perused through all the tents mentioned in this thread (or their updated replacements), but is there any other feedback you guys would offer?
Twin Magnolias
Adventurist
You haven't moto-camped unless you've used only a tarp. In my experience, this setup is perfect for crawling into bed right before you drunkenly pass out. That's usually a step above sleeping sitting hunched over a picnic table.
Added bonus, there's nothing like waking up hungover smelling like a mix of beer, whiskey, and motor oil, covered in mosquito and ant bites, and a general feeling of death.
(not my pic, me, or my bike, but the experience is the same)
Added bonus, there's nothing like waking up hungover smelling like a mix of beer, whiskey, and motor oil, covered in mosquito and ant bites, and a general feeling of death.
(not my pic, me, or my bike, but the experience is the same)
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
You haven't moto-camped unless you've used only a tarp. In my experience, this setup is perfect for crawling into bed right before you drunkenly pass out. That's usually a step above sleeping sitting hunched over a picnic table.
Added bonus, there's nothing like waking up hungover smelling like a mix of beer, whiskey, and motor oil, covered in mosquito and ant bites, and a general feeling of death.
(not my pic, me, or my bike, but the experience is the same)
Ha! I forgot to mention this was my setup prior to upgrading to the WalMart tent. Waking up and trying to figure out if it's you or the bike that is leaking is always fun...
I have an RV2.... wish I had an RV3.
But really the RV2 is fine; I'm a solo camper too, so I have room for my cot, footlocker, and chair. Ample space for changing and whatnot. With the addition of the side and front panels I gain an extra enclosed (for cool-winter weather) or open (fully screened) room. Counting the front and side awning an expansive amount of space for cooking and entertaining for an impromptu soirée.
OX12
travis.diller
Adventurist
I have the RV 4 with cots and thick pass, I use the snowpeak stakes and have encountered high winds, rain, and snow, it holds up amazingly!!! That being said it has a huge footprint anddoesn’t pack small. I love it! It’s great especially if weather forces you to live inside the tent. I am stepping into the RTT world for the ease of finding camp spots in the PNW forests...
travis.diller
Adventurist
steve c
Adventurist
So, I've had my CVT Mt. Shasta RTT for a little over a year now. I've camped on top of my truck exclusively that entire time.
For reference
Either it's rose colored glasses or I'm getting nostalgic, but I kind of miss a ground tent. Anything new and exciting in the ground tent game? I saw that @shiftpod is launching their new Shelterpod and Shiftpod Mini, but that's about all I've seen lately.
I've never tried an Oz Tent style one before.
Any thoughts?
For reference
Either it's rose colored glasses or I'm getting nostalgic, but I kind of miss a ground tent. Anything new and exciting in the ground tent game? I saw that @shiftpod is launching their new Shelterpod and Shiftpod Mini, but that's about all I've seen lately.
I've never tried an Oz Tent style one before.
Any thoughts?
Yes. Short answer - they're great but do have a weight and space penalty - YMMV. Members here that use them represent a variety of regions throughout North America and of course, climates and seasons. Personally mine's endured 4 season use and extremes in weather.So, I've had my CVT Mt. Shasta RTT for a little over a year now. I've camped on top of my truck exclusively that entire time.
For reference
Either it's rose colored glasses or I'm getting nostalgic, but I kind of miss a ground tent. Anything new and exciting in the ground tent game? I saw that @shiftpod is launching their new Shelterpod and Shiftpod Mini, but that's about all I've seen lately.
I've never tried an Oz Tent style one before.
Any thoughts?
In that same section you posted in there are 3 threads that contain discussions on the subject you requested more information on. To avoid plowing the same ground and waiting for replies I recommend you take a look in these 3 threads (linked below) to see if they satisfy your questions... good luck!
https://americanadventurist.com/forum/threads/looking-for-oz-tent-reviews.224/
https://americanadventurist.com/forum/threads/oz-tent-rv-2-base-camp.4748/
https://americanadventurist.com/forum/threads/for-those-with-oztents-i-have-a-question.2174/
Here's an image from 2011, with a friend and his RTT equipped Tacoma, setting up somewhere in Montana.