An appeal to the tent-savvy

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koli615

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Jun 1, 2006
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hello all. Can I get some advice or recommendation on what I should look for tent-wise for a trip coming up?

I'll be starting in Jordan/Egypt for 2 weeks, then heading to Turkey for 10 days, and finishing in Iceland for another 8 days. I'll probably only need to camp during the middle east-leg of the trip to save some money. Looking for a sleeping situation that is:

cheap
compact
light-weight
allowed in carry-on baggage
easy to setup

Seems like a tall order, but I'm open to any suggestions and/or advice. Thanks a bunch!

-Robb
 
How about
153189534_620480a66b.jpg


Seriously, camping in Egypt and Jordan? A few details might be helpful. Time of year, region, number of people in your party, next of kin, etc.

-- FLIX
 
that picture is pretty much right-on. except you managed to cut-out my entire harem of homely to reasonably-alright looking girls.

I'll be looking to camp during the first couple weeks in July, mostly desert areas. I anticipate heat. and scorpions.
 
koli615 said:
that picture is pretty much right-on. except you managed to cut-out my entire harem of homely to reasonably-alright looking girls.

I'll be looking to camp during the first couple weeks in July, mostly desert areas. I anticipate heat. and scorpions.
Click to expand...

Well, I've been all over western Egypt up to the Mediterranean sea. For that region, it's a two edge sword...you'll need a decent tent with plenty of ventilation, but the ability to zip up if the wind starts blowing sand around.

Northface's Tadpole is a good tent, but with any lightweight tent, make sure you get a good "footprint" ground cover under it as that sand and rocks can be extremely abrasive to the lightweight material.

We saw several guys camped out with fiber optic/cable reels (the really large ones), plywood, tarps...simple shelters...these guys were camped out at every cell phone tower (I'm guessing security?). We stopped and gave a few items to them, but it was harsh living conditions. Plenty of flies and scorpians...the flies were worse!

ROCK6

ROCK6
 
Yes I second a good footprint. In fact, an oversized footprint, bigger then the ones that come custom sized for a given tent helps to act as a bit of a sand buffer. Also you want a tent that remains pretty stable with need to peg it down. You may not be able to peg down in the sand very much.

Here is one of the ones I own that I really like. The MEC Tarn-2. It is wind stable without pegging down, provided you have gear in it to keep it from flying a way. Pretty good at snow shedding too.

tarn2.jpg
 
I really appreciate the tips...you guys have given me some things to think about.

-Robb
 
I’m a big fan of hammock camping. Being off the ground sounds good to me with scorpions running around. A good hammock like a Clark can be set up on the ground if no suitable trees are available. Also, it has a ‘weather shield’ as well as a regular bug net. That would keep flying sand out. Having what’s needed to stake it out in the absence of trees would be advisable. I can’t see why one couldn’t be carried on. Only fabric and rope. Stakes could be another matter. The down side is they’re only for one person.

Good luck on your adventure.

G
 
Second on the Northface tadpole, and Eureka makes a similar one. ("Autumn Wind?")
Bring ear plugs to keep the sand and flies out. It can keep the buzzing at bay also.

Do not forget that some foreign airlines not only have lighter requirements for carry on luggage, but they enforce it more than the US does.
There used to be, maybe still is a company that made a backpack that folded out into its own sleeping pad, and the sleeping bag was inside with whateverequipment , tarp, tent clothes you needed. it was a really neat idea. Microlight? I will search it out and see if I can find it.
 
Personally I am huge fan of the EMS tents. Several of them meet your requirements, without the bullet proof mesh...

My Thunderlodge would be a bit big for your use, but it is now 21 years old and going strong. Decent 4 season, plenty of space and ventilation. I have one of thier Mountaineering tents too (model escapes me) and it is close to 16 years old. Neither has ever needed any sort of repair, both have been thru some of the worst weather I have ever seen. What you dont want of course is for any part of it to fail once you are in the middle of no where. :eek:

I think if I was going with you, I would look at Bivy Sacks too. I like this one, thou I don't own it, and I dont know how robust it would be in a windstorm.

If you are serious about ultra light, your going to pay a huge price for it.
 
Another big :thumbup: to the Tadpole. I have been using one for about 4 years now. Great tent for 1 person AND all their gear. Weighs in around 4 lbs. total w/ footprint.
 
Whatever tent you decide to go with, think about treating it with premethrin before you leave. It'll kill, not just repel, many of the insects you'll be encountering for up to 2 weeks. It works.

If you're looking for truly ultralight then check out:
http://tarptent.com
Henry's tents are highly regarded in the ultralight backpacking world. I've used them and they're impressive, but wind is sometimes an issue. Choose the attached floor option. The Squall 2 is phenomenal.

Another good alternative is the REI Quarter Dome, which I think is the best bang for the buck and just got Backpacking Magazine's Editor's Choice Award for 2008. I haven't used the improved versions but I've used the old style in really bad mountain conditions without problems. They're now made in 1, 2 & 3 man versions. Mostly mesh, so they breathe well and they have a light colored rain fly, making them cooler in the heat and brighter inside. If that's too much mesh due to blowing sand they make a version with less mesh also.
http://www.rei.com/product/761893

I use a Black Diamond Beta Light tarp (with the mesh body and attached floor for buggy conditions). Mine has withstood taifuns in Japan and equally bad whether on mountains around the world. It uses a silicone impregnated nylon for the fly and packs down super tiny. It's also very expensive and it uses trekking poles for the tent poles, so it's probably not what you're looking for.

Putting stakes in the sand can be problematic. You can tie your guylines to the middle of your stakes and bury them side ways (instead of driving them into the ground, which works in sand that's not too loose. If it's really loose sand you can make dead man anchor's from plastic grocery bags. Attach them to your guylines, fill them with sand (or snow in the winter) and bury them. Throw them away when you're done and it's one less thing for you to carry around with you when you're done with the camping portion of your trip.

As far as footprints for your tent, go buy some 2-3 mil plastic from your local Wallyworld to make a throw away footprint so you're not hauling all the extra weight around with you after you're done camping. Not great for the environment, but it's cheap, light and effective and would be ideal for your trip.

Hope this helps
 
After an extensivetent search years ago I can only recommend one that I know to be exellent for all environments and its the Eureka Outfitter. It comes in 4 or 6 person. I've had the 4 person for almost 10 years and its still in perfect shape.

A very important feature if you need protection from wind or sand storms is that all the screens have zippered flaps. The Outfitter has this. Its an A-frame style tent with full size zipped screenson both ends. Allows great ventilation in hot climates and seals up tight to keep heat in when it gets cold or to keep the wind blown sand out. Taped seams, sturdy floor fabric and alumonum poles make for a quality tent. My 4 person works well for two men with cold weather hunting gear or my family of 4 for car camping.

A good ground sheat that is cheap but long lasting is a piece of Tyvek house wrap.
 
I've had good luck with Kelty tents.

+1 on the footprint.

+1 on the fly that goes all the way to the ground.


Tents I currently own:
Kelty Crestone 1
Kelty Quartz 1
REI Half Dome 2
Kelty Kashmir 2



I'm about to buy a family sized tent for car camping.
 
I was in the Sinai for several months and took a trip up to Jordan too. If you are going to be there in July know that it gets to be about 128 degrees F just about every day. In the nights it drops down to about 90 degrees. Obviously, ventilation is going to be a priority. The sand is rough so you need a sturdy tent floor. I agree with a previous poster to be sure to bring ear plugs to keep flies out; the permethrin idea is a good one too.

I am not sure how you are going to have a tent that can take the extremes of the Egyptian and Jordanian deserts in July and then use it for Iceland later. I've never been to Iceland, but I can only imagine that it is still very cold in the summers. I would suggest getting one tent for the desert and another one for the Arctic. As far as Turkey is concerned, I have no experience there, but it seems that your desert tent will be OK for its summer time.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
 
If you use an oversized footprint with your tent, make sure you fold any protruding edges under the tent in the event of rain. Otherwise, water runs off the tent onto the protruding edges of the oversized footprint then collects under/around the tent.

DancesWithKnives
 
I would definitely go with this one.
Flag1.JPG

in the Mid East for sure. and make sure to draw cartoons of mohammed while around the campfire.
 
Bibler or Stephenson. Either will last 30 years, but they're not cheap. You can pick them up on ebay on rare occasion. My husband has climbed Everest and K2 and carried a Stephenson Warmilte on both expeditions.

Steph
 
exotiq said:
Bibler or Stephenson. Either will last 30 years, but they're not cheap. You can pick them up on ebay on rare occasion. My husband has climbed Everest and K2 and carried a Stephenson Warmilte on both expeditions.

Steph
Click to expand...

:thumbdn: on Stephenson's. Have one. Couldn't even handle the winds at Camp Muir on Rainier. Not sure how they can have this "100 mph winds" claim in their catalog, it couldn't have been gusting much over 50 mph up there. My friends had a Bibler: no problems whatsoever. And furthermore, Jim Stephenson was an a$$ when I called him on the phone with a few questions about sealing the tent. Save your $600 and get something from a reputable maker. OK, rant off. On to more constructive recommendations. Tarptents are great, but durability may be an issue. Look into Big Agnes, MSR, and Sierra Designs. I personally love the SD Lightning, and the MSR Hubba Hubba.
 
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