Tent suggestions

[OldLog]

For a small background. I am 70 years old and want to camp over night in a tent to do some fishing, geo caching etc. Will be doing mostly car camping no hiking. Most trips I will be doing alone. I may have one other person on occasion. I would be camping three seasons, no winters. I need a solid tent rain proof, stands up to wind etc and holds the warmth of fall. Being 70 I need something that meets sturdy and is some what easy for an old fart to set up. Suggestions?

Thanks

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Tent suggestions

I would say a small Kodiak canvas or small sringbar tent. but they are heavy. But canvas material will "hold the warmth of fall" How are you at getting up and down from your knees? Do you need to stand up in your tent? The Coleman instant tent seems to get good reviews and is easy to set up, but I don't believe it will hold any heat on a chilly IN fall night.
set up of a small springbar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k2avV1HfQk

[Phil_R]

Re: Tent suggestions

Canvas: car-camping, no hiking, comfortable, sturdy, easy to setup. If you can safely lift and carry a 35 pound bundle, a 10’x10’ Kodiak Flex-Bow should make your short list. Video: 10’x10’ Kodiak first set-up by 70 year old man. American made: Springbar 10’x10’ Traveler 5 is a bit more expensive than the Kodiak...

I use a Kodiak #6010 Flex-Bow 10’x10’ as my car-camping tent and a Springbar 7’x8’ Outfitter 3 for motorcycle camping. The most physically taxing part of setup is pounding the tent stakes into the ground. I figure 20 minutes setup and 30 minutes to break camp.

With any of these tents, separating poles and tent makes for a reasonable carry weight, 35 pounds or less.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Tent suggestions

A springbar outiftter 3 canvas tent is 34 pounds according to the website. I would have to agree that a 10X10 Kodiak would weigh more. Question for the OP, Do you plan on camping in the Indiana summer time heat and humidity? If you add a Mr. Buddy heater to canvas tents have been to about 32 degrees and been fine. Had a young kid with me and the only time she got cold was when she got out of her sleeping bag.

BTW, is anyone else having problems with the KIrkhams.com or is it just my computer. I pulled it up on my Ipod and phone, but not my laptop.

[Phil_R]

Re: Tent suggestions

A 10x10 Kodiak Flexbow is 68lbs not 35lbs.

Correct, overall weight is 68 pounds... 30 lbs. of poles, 6 lbs. of stakes, 32 lbs. of tent. No reason to lift 68 pounds. I have tent and ground cloth in one bag, (35 lbs.) poles and stakes in another. (36 lbs.)

[Mike]

Re: Tent suggestions

I would have to say that a nearly 70 lb, $500+ canvas tent would be overkill for a single senior guy who has to schlep his own gear all alone. I understand the enthusiasm for canvas tents these days, but they aren't for everybody, most especially considering the weight and maintenance of a canvas tent. Canvas tents are not only heavy dry, but if you take them down in the rain, they are massively heavy. Setting up a wet canvas tent to dry at home is a task which should be reserved for someone you despise.

Today, there are so many models and brands to choose from, that I hesitate to suggest. However there are a couple of basic things to look for that would be especially important for a senior solo dude:

• Ease of set-up: Look for tents that have clips that hold the tent to the frame rather than sleeves. This is an especially important consideration for the solo camper because poles tent to get hung-up in sleeves when you are setting up and taking down the tent. Look for tents with fewest poles. Some geodome tents has four or more poles which make set-up troublesome.
• weight: Remember that there will be times that the tent will be wet and it will weigh more than when dry (like when you are looking at them in the store). Lift the tent. Imagine schlepping it in an out of your storage area and in/out of your car

• Weatherproof; Of course, the most important reason for a shelter is to provide shelter. Make sure the rainfly covers the tent sufficiently. Imagine being in raging rainstorm and ask yourself which tent you want to rely on
• Comfort: Hogsnapper's advice to get a tent you can stand up in is good advice.
• Shape: Any shape will do, but rectangular tents are the most space efficient. Geodome tents have corners that aren't useable and usually require more poles. You are more likely to find rectangular tents using only two poles than other shapes.
• Brands: For economy, reliability, ease of set-up, and over-all use-ability, I still think Coleman offers intelligent designs for the casual camper. There are other excellent tents - Big Agnes, Eureka, The North Face, and others. Buy by design, though, rather than brand.

1. Pet friendly: Will you be camping with a dog? If yes, could your dog open the tent door by himself? My dog can open the door of my Eureka Timberline because the zippers come together at a sharp corner. It didn't take him long to figure out how to use his nose to open the door. This is convenient for me because if he has to go out to pee at night, he can let himself out AND back in again. Of course, you might look at it from another angle if you don't want your dog to be able to get in/out by himself.
2. Other: some tents have electric cable entrance doors. I never camp with electric stuff, but some folks do and if you want to have electric equipment in the tent, this feature might be attractive to you.

[OldLog]

Re: Tent suggestions

So far some pretty great advice for a total novice as far as tents go. The only so called camping I have done is in an RV. I no longer have one and do not want or need the stress of hauling one around. But I do want to be able to getaway and fish and enjoy being away for awhile.

[GlitterHiker]

Re: Tent suggestions

I'm going to toss out a different line of thought ... I've found that on quick, week-end camping trips where I'm doing other activities and just need a place to sleep, I appreciate the quick set-up of a small tent - like the REI Half-Dome. Of course, that entails a comfort level of crawling in and out of it; and you certainly can't stand up in it. Just a thought regarding how much set up and take down you want ...

Otherwise, I'll second the Big Agnes line as well.

Do you have a REI or Cabela's that you can get too? You can actually set up tents right there in the store to see what you like. You can also choose ones from their website and have it delivered to the store, where they'll help you set it up and see if you like it before purchasing.

[Mike]

Re: Tent suggestions

I'm going to toss out a different line of thought ... I've found that on quick, week-end camping trips where I'm doing other activities and just need a place to sleep, I appreciate the quick set-up of a small tent - like the REI Half-Dome. .

I go smaller too when solo camping, BUT... I notice as I get older that getting dressed in cramped quarters is getting increasingly difficult - nearly exponentially so every half-decade. Putting on pants is especially difficult in a two-man tent, and putting shoes on even more so.

I suppose age doesn't really have as much to do with it as one's own flexibility and strength. Maybe we shouldn't simply assume that a 70 year old will have less mobility, flexibility, or strength than a younger person, but it seems to be the way things are going with my body even though I am very active.

[tplife]

Re: Tent suggestions

If you don't want to lug 60-pound tents, around, go Polyester. A modern 6-man quality tent (6 anodized aluminum poles, full rain fly, dual vestibules) weighs about 25 pounds, has lots of vertical stand-up space and is designed for easy dummy-proof setup. A 4-man tent will let you almost stand up, but cuts weight by 30% and is easier to erect. Don't sweat warmth, there's really no difference in heat retention between a single-wall canvas tent with a factory coating and a double-wall polyester tent with full rain fly. Either will give you a 10-degree warmer windproof room inside. Canvas tents like those listed above are quality products but do require a bit more care when handling to avoid retaining odors or making conditions good for storage rot, but it's not rocket science. I actually prefer canvas for campsites where the tent will stay up for months at a time. Brands to consider in polyester are Sierra Designs, NorthFace, Mountain HardWear, EMS, REI, Marmot, etc. There are more brands to consider, but a comparison will show in features and price what you get for your money vs. a $100 tent.