Which tent for winter?

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korvin karbon

Native
Jul 12, 2008
1,022
0
Fife
We prefer the understated flunkies at Claridges. For a simple functional presidential suite for those on a budget though, we occasionally patronise the Melia White House ;)

i suppose if your going to rough it with the under classes you may may as well go the full hog, i though salute your gracious foray into the "commercial" hotel world, i can only bring myself to the levels of Gleneagles

£40 for a breakfast buffet BTW, my work mate only had a boiled egg for 7 days running ( i being greedy git smuggled in a tupperware box)
 

firecrest

Full Member
Mar 16, 2008
2,496
4
uk
cheers people. Im still not sure which tent to bring, its a plus to have a light weight tent but a minus that I cant put my stuff inside it. I really cant get the nack of this light weight camping!
 

Gray

Full Member
Sep 18, 2008
2,091
10
Scouser living in Salford South UK
a decent mat and bag is defo a good start. I use a Vango dart DS 2 man tent. its only big enough for one plus some kit and has a small porch. I've used it in -8 and real bad gales and providing you peg it out with good sturdy rock pegs you wont have a problem. The main advantage is the fact that its pop up and double skin.Ever tried putting up a tent in a gale...well you can with this and its up in a couple of mins. £50 from outdoor world and Vango stuff is guaranteed for life
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
25
69
south wales
The tent is only there to keep wind, rain and snow (in the UK?) from you, the secret is to use warm sleeping bags and ground insulation plus hot food before you call it a night. Go to bed warm, and you should stay warm if you have the right sleep kit and you have fuelled your body

A tent is a fantastic way of keeping wind chill factor from your body
 

scoops_uk

Nomad
Feb 6, 2005
497
19
54
Jurassic Coast
its a plus to have a light weight tent but a minus that I cant put my stuff inside it.

That's where the money goes on the more expensive tents, being stronger and lighter at a given size.

The tent is only there to keep wind, rain and snow (in the UK?) from you, the secret is to use warm sleeping bags and ground insulation plus hot food before you call it a night. Go to bed warm, and you should stay warm if you have the right sleep kit and you have fuelled your body

That's exactly it, the tent is not meant to be a heated room, you might warm it up a bit above ambient, but it's your sleeping bag that has to do the insulating work.

Scoops
 

MikeE

Full Member
Sep 12, 2005
1,057
54
66
Essex
Slept in issue two man tents, 9x9s, 12x12s, issue bivi bag, hooped bivi and my Vango Mk2 CN which I have to agree can wet if you roll around but is great for 1 with all my gear!
I was probably warmest in the back of my command vehicle with the generator and heaters going full blast (on sleeping watch of course!) The hooped bivi and vango were the warmest otherwise!
 

Gray

Full Member
Sep 18, 2008
2,091
10
Scouser living in Salford South UK
That's where the money goes on the more expensive tents, being stronger and lighter at a given size.



That's exactly it, the tent is not meant to be a heated room, you might warm it up a bit above ambient, but it's your sleeping bag that has to do the insulating work.

Scoops
mmmmm Maybe its not supposed to be a heated room but thats exactly what it becomes. Thats why the smaller the tent the warmer it is.. obviously because your body heat, heats it up, making it a heated room or am I missing something...someone please tell me I'm wrong lol
 

scoops_uk

Nomad
Feb 6, 2005
497
19
54
Jurassic Coast
mmmmm Maybe its not supposed to be a heated room but thats exactly what it becomes. Thats why the smaller the tent the warmer it is.. obviously because your body heat, heats it up, making it a heated room or am I missing something...someone please tell me I'm wrong lol

You're right, as I said in post #4 :)

My point stands though, your body heat might raise the temperature a few degrees inside, it is not going to provide enough heat to keep you warm in the tent overnight without additional insulation.

So unless you're in a tipi with a wood burner or similar it's your sleeping bag and ground insulation that are going to be keeping you warm.

Scoops
 

scoops_uk

Nomad
Feb 6, 2005
497
19
54
Jurassic Coast
Scoops, I must admit that Optimus Crux really looks the monkeys nuts, have to get myself one of those. Anychance you can point me in the right direction.

That'll be the Optimus Crux from Tengu's "Best Stove for a BOB" thread? :)

I guess RvOps is as good a place as anywhere to get one from.

Scoops
 
E

ESLRaven

Guest
I've spent nights at minus temperatures in both bivvy (hooped) and small tent (Terra Nova Voyager) and personally I've found the tent to be warmer.

Although the tent has a larger space to heat the addition of a flysheet creates an area of still air in between inner and fly. As the air is a poor conductor of heat this acts as a kind of blanket over you, whereas with the bivvy any wind quicky convects heat away.

On a really cold day the temperature is noticably different between inner and porch and then again the outside when getting up after spending a night in the tent.

Having said all that I'm with Scoops' previous comments about insulation - I think this actually makes a greater difference than the tent or bivvy - although nothing beats a stove in a tipi to warm your cockles (until the fire goes out . . .)

Don't worry too much about condensation, if it gets reasonably cold that will freeze anyway . . . actually not sure that's a good thing :D
 

Kerne

Maker
Dec 16, 2007
1,766
21
Gloucestershire
I use a Hilleberg akto in winter and a tarp in summer - unless I am on a campsite, when i tend to use the akto to avoid strange looks and visitors peering in while I'm changing my undies!

The akto is great - compact and warm, yet big enough for you kit as well. The downside of this warmth, however, is condensation. Not a problem if you're staying put as it tends to dry out during the day, even in wet weather. But it can be a problem if you are moving on straight after you get up. I tend to separate the fly from the inner and dry the fly at every opportunity during the day.
 

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