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04-26-2012, 07:27 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Near Scipio, in Southern Indiana
Posts: 1,779
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Buying a tent is like picking an airplane--what is you mission? It only has to be very light if you are a backpacker. If you want a tent to last, skip the bargain basement stuff. I had one of those a few years ago at Oshkosh, and a wind came up as we were putting it up. The wind pulled the seams, and it leaked for the rest of the week. I was miserable, or at least as close as you can come at Oshkosh. It didn't make the trip home. I bought a Eureka Copper Canyon, not cheap, but better quality. They come in several sizes; mine is bigger than you probably need, a 1512 that will comfortably hold eight. There are pretty good prices on Amazon.
Some things to look for--"bathtub" floor, that is one that comes up the side for a distance so there are no seams at water level if it rains. Also, taped seams are far stronger, and water tight. These things don't add weight, but do add to the cost. Also, at 6'4", I can stand up in this tent, with headroom to spare.
Search on "tent reviews" and you will learn a lot. Remember that some of these people have never been in anything other than the one they are writing about, however. Put a tarp down under the tent and you stand a better chance of staying dry, also. Just don't let it stick out and catch the rain! Something else--put the tent up once to see that it is all there before you go on a trip. I brought a fellow to Oshkosh once who had a new, expensive tent. It was missing a part, and he had to make a trip to Walmart. Not a happy camper, in the literal sense.
Good luck. I consider a tent an investment. This year I will have the 1512, plus a new 12 X 20' tent. We have 14 people in our group and will have lots of room. That tent wasn't cheap either, but I expect it to last for at least ten years. IMHO, that makes it a good buy.
Bob
Bob
__________________
Bob Kelly, Scipio, Indiana
Tech Counselor
Founder, Eagle's Nest Projects
President, AviationNation, Inc
RV-9A N908BL, Flying
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04-26-2012, 07:56 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton, Nevada --- A34
Posts: 1,464
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uk_figs
As I am 6' 3" I need some head height and so far I have found two tents that seem to fit the bill, the Kelty Trail Ridge and the Big Agnes Big House 4 or 6 and they get reasonable reviews.
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I have the Kelty Trail Ridge 2-person and it's an excellent, 3-season tent. We used it at SnF. I've never been disappointed in a Kelty product that I can remember. I know nothing about Big Agnes. But, then again. I have never had an interest in a 12# tent.  Too big for small plane, backpacking, or cycling trips in my mind. But, I'm also a minimalist camper.
The other company I always check when I'm thinking about buying a tent is Sierra Design. I've always found their tents to be excellent.
__________________
Louise Hose, Editor of The Homebuilder's Portal by KITPLANES
RV3B, NX13PL "Tsamsiyu" co-builder, TMXIO-320, test platform Legacy G3X/TruTrak avionics suite
RV-6 ?Mikey? (purchased flying) ? Garmin test platform (G3X Touch, GS28 autopilot servos, GTN650 GPS/Nav/Comm,
GNC255 Nav/Com, GA240 audio panel)
RV8, N188PD "Valkyrie" (by marriage)
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04-26-2012, 08:53 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Austin
Posts: 130
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Having many years of motorcycle camping under my belt from South Texas to Canada I would suggest that whatever tent you choose make sure it has some of the following features.
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Bathtub design-a tent where the floor comes up the side several inches
Factory sealed floor seams
Aluminum frame poles series 7000
I like a free standing tent with a "clip" design. Easy to set up in the dark, and easy to take down solo. The sleeve tents I had were harder to thread the poles thru the sleeves in the dark.
I used a Eureka Backcountry 2 for about 10 years and it never failed me thru many a mountian rainstorm. Another point get a tent that is for one more person than will be camping. Ie if one person will be camping get a two person tent. Two person get a three and so on, unless you will be backpacking then get as small and light as you can afford.
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04-26-2012, 10:01 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Bay Pines, FL (based @ KCLW)
Posts: 1,955
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Regarding air mattresses... Get a Thermarest. Your back will be happy you did.
My wife has an extremely bad back & said she'd never go camping again until I bought her a Thermarest.
All is good now. 
__________________
Danny "RoadRunner" Landry
Morphed RV7(formally 7A), N20DL, PnP Pilot
1190+ hours
2019 Donation Paid
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04-26-2012, 11:18 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Davis, CA
Posts: 1,156
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Adding to the chorus... I'm reminded of something also said about airplanes (paraphrasing): the best 2 person tent is a 4 person tent. At least if you are using it for an activity where compactness and light weight isn't at a premium.
There are a lot of really nice tents on the market these days. If you want it to last, buy a major name brand, as others have pointed out.
REIoutlet.com often has great deals on tents. I have a tent fetish, in part due to too many hobbies, and I've found that all the major players have quality products. Add to that the ease of finding reviews online on just about any model you can think of...
Oh yeah, and REI house brand tents are often a good value. I have a few of them, the oldest being a gigantic "6 person" (really better suited for 4) dome tent that's almost 20 years old and refuses to die.
__________________
Lars Pedersen
Davis, CA
RV-7 Flying as of June 24, 2012
960+ hours as of June 30, 2020. Where did the time go?
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04-27-2012, 04:56 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,082
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I have done a lot of camping and own four tents. My 15 year old LL Bean 6 man dome tent is stored in a storage locker in OSH and is used yearly. It has stood up to the worst punishment in the annual storms with no leaking or blowing over. There have been a few storms where my tent became the emergency shelter when others with cheap tents found out that you get what you pay for. It's always funny to see cheap tents in the dumpster in the North 40 after the storms. Other brands I own are Mountain Hardware (18 yr old)...excellent, Kelty (10 yr old).....very good, REI (6yr old)....very good. I've also owned a Eureka which I loved until my backpacking partner lost the poles 18 years ago. They all have specific purposes and as another poster said, know your mission. The one drawback on a larger tent is going to be weight. The reason the LL Bean tent resides at OSH is that it weighs around 30+lbs making it too heavy for my RV and expensive to ship every year, plus I share the cost of a storage locker with a bunch of people so it only costs me about $25/yr.
I learned a long time ago that when bad weather hits, that's not the time to wish you had spend a few extra bucks. If you want a tent that will last, keep you dry and not blow over in 60mph winds, stick with the manufacturers known for making good tents. Glad you are at least looking at the reviews, it is a great research step.
I've tried a couple of cots over the years but prefer an air mattress. I move around a lot while sleeping and just find it more comfortable. I never tried a self inflating pad and still use a foam pad for backpacking.
__________________
Mike
JAMES AIRCRAFT.com
Flying - RV8 Hot Rod "Drone Killer"
Flying - RV8 "Look'n Good"
RV4 - FAST & FUN! Rebuilt, Flown, Sold
RV-7A Built, Flown, Sold
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04-27-2012, 07:19 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: The Beautiful NJ Shore
Posts: 409
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Years ago, on this forum, I recommended that someone go to http://www.campmor.com to shop. They have one of the largest selections of camping gear in the country and carry nearly every brand and generally have lower prices than the Box stores. If just for comparison shopping, it is a great site. You will find stuff there you didn't know existed.
__________________
Greg Piney
RV-8 2547
Empennage Done!
Beginning Fuselage Final Assembly!
(Tub finished, on to Landing Gear).
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04-27-2012, 08:14 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 08A
Posts: 9,500
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At Petit Jean I recommend the King Suite in the Presidential Lodge. No sign of water leaks, it didn't blow over in the wind, and it has an indoor campfire 
__________________
Dan Horton
RV-8 SS
Barrett IO-390
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04-27-2012, 01:05 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 1,015
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Thanks to all for the tips
Thanks for the great (and varied) inputs, my wife subscribes to the DanH approach and to her pitching a tent means throw it in the trash  , so I need to make it comfortable on the basis that she may actually try it again (but it will be the Lodge for Petit Jean this year).
After a looking at the comments and a lot of time online looking at reviews, comparison, pricing, tent weight etc etc I decided on the Kelty Trail Ridge 6, 2 doors, 2 vestibules, aluminum poles, bathtub floor, taped and sealed seams, 10' X 8' floor with 6' interior height. Weighs 14lbs. Managed to find one at Sierra Trading Post for 58% off with a coupon.
I plan on getting the footprint as that seems to be a universal recommendation and next is to decide on the Cot versus pad, we have tried the inflatable mattress approach and it reminded us of the early days with a waterbed, have never tried the self inflating pads. The inflatable beds do weigh quite a bit and are chunky and I have to be careful on my -7 about baggage weight and volume, so I need light and small volume.
This is just like the build phase, choices > analysis > personal preferences > decision > Live with it 
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04-27-2012, 03:01 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Yardley, PA
Posts: 1,334
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Self Inflating Pads
Dave,
I recommend the self inflating pads like the ones Thermarest sells. Like you said, the air mattress pads (although they're becoming popular again) are like sleeping on that raft you used to bring to the beach. Also, they're cold... even in the summer time if the temps get into the 50ies or 60ies. The Thermarest pads come in different thickness. I have a 1.5" thick pad that I find comfortable (6 foot 1, 200 lbs) even on frozen ground. I believe they're available up to 3" thick.
Have fun - sounds like a nice tent you got.
Tom
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