![]() ![]() ![]() How Do Tents For Cyclists Differ From Tents For Hikers & Backpackers?īefore we start listing the best cycle touring and bikepacking tents, it’s important to explain how the priorities for cyclists differ from, say, long-distance hikers, and how that might affect your choice of tent. The morning view from my Terra Nova Starlite 2 (listed below) while leading a group traverse of the Armenian backcountry in 2019. That said, the 2022-season MSR Hubba Hubba range has unfortunately suffered from some well-documented issues with build quality, in particular splintering poles, so I’d recommend holding out for the 2023-season update of the Hubba Hubba range, and double-checking with your chosen supplier that these issues have been rectified before you buy one. If you don’t have any highly specialised requirements and you’re looking for a top-quality tent you can simply grab and ride out the door with, the MSR Hubba Hubba range is what I’d usually recommend. They’re heavily patched-up with seam seal and repair tape, but I still use all of them regularly (see the photos above). I’ve used and abused many tents in the Hubba Hubba range over the years, including a 2014 2‑berth Hubba Hubba NX, a 2012 1‑berth Hubba, and a 2010 3‑berth Mutha Hubba HP. ( Click here to skip down to the full details, photos, and manufacturer links for the MSR Hubba Hubba range). If you were short of time and you asked me to pick just one range of tents that ticks all of these boxes, it would be MSR’s Hubba Hubba range, which is available in 1‑, 2- and 3‑berth models. Got a clear idea of what kind of bike trip you’re going on? Great! Read on… And if you’re struggling to find clear answers, I’ve written introductions to the what, where, when, who and how of adventure cycle touring and bikepacking to help you. If you haven’t asked them of yourself, now’s the time to do so. Are you planning a fair-weather ride in good weather, or will you encounter winter temperatures, strong winds, high altitudes, or other extreme conditions?Īs I mentioned, there are a few tried-and-tested tents for cycling and camping adventures that have proven themselves on a massive range of journeys.īut if you want to delve any deeper, you’ll find there’s no real ‘best tent for cycle touring or bikepacking’ until you know the answers to the basic questions above.Do you plan on staying mostly at nice campsites with perfect tent pitches, or wild camping in the woods with your own stove and cookware?.Do you have racks and panniers to take bulky and heavy loads, or are you bikepacking with frame luggage, handlebar harnesses and fork cages alone?.Are you a heavyweight tourer who likes plenty of living space and room for luggage, a minimalist ultralight bikepacker, or somewhere in between?.Are you hunting for a cheap tent for a short overnight bike adventure close to home, or investing in a long-lasting tent for a transcontinental or round-the-world tour?.So before you go any deeper into researching the best tent for a cycle tour or bikepacking trip, take a moment to ask yourself: ‘Best’ means nothing outside the context of your bike trip. Inspect the camps of larger groups of riders and you’ll start to see common themes emerging in tent choice and design.īut before you get bogged down with what other riders think is the best tent, here’s one important thing to remember: Given that, it’s natural to look for recommendations from the community when choosing a tent for cycle touring or bikepacking.Īnd that’s what this post is all about – sifting through the tent industry’s offerings to help you identify which tents have found favour among cycle tourers and bikepackers. The truth is that you’ll be lucky to find a tent designed specifically with cycle tourers and bikepackers in mind. Even with the recent rise of bikepacking, we cyclists still sit on the margins, and are lucky if we get more than a quick mention in the updated product descriptions (which is more about marketing and less about tent design anyway). Instead, you will probably already have noticed that we bicycle travellers basically have to choose between tents designed for hiking, backpacking and mountaineering to meet our needs.Īnd this is a diverse market, in which you’ll find ultralight tents, freestanding tents, 3‑season and 4‑season tents, double wall and single wall tents, tents with or without awnings or footprints, tarp tents that don’t even have a floor – and at prices from next to nothing up to hundreds (even thousands) of pounds or dollars.Īnd why the industry bias towards people with backpacks rather than bicycles? Simple: the market is much, much bigger. Perhaps the biggest challenge in choosing the best tent for your cycle tour or bikepacking trip is that there’s no special category of tents for cyclists. Last updated on May 27, 2023, updating prices, images and details for the MEC Spark 2.0 tent. ![]()
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