Roof tents

[Mark]

On the subject of Thermarests - there are numerous different grades these days - I have 2, one of the original old ones, that I use for walking, and a much newer 'BaseCamp' model - not the thickest they do, but only just - it still about 5cm thick;) - it is designed for car based camping rather than walking, and works exceedingly well. It is the extra wide , full length version, and fits the bill perfectly.

Rooftents vs ground tents? I am sticking with a ground tent - mainly because I have one, and it takes all of 2 minutes to put up (Khyam). My water proof is good enough to last that long!

Mark

[Exmoor Beast]

Great thread.

We have three ground tents, a huge dome family tent with an east and west wing as well as a 'Great Hall' for cooking and partying, we have half decent 3 man dome and a tall half dome thing that attaches to the 110 which I bought on a whim at a tent sale a couple of years ago.

To be honest I hate drying wet tents so much I prefer to leave most of the family behind and sleep in the 110. I really can't ever remember getting home with a dry tent

For UK camping I can see the benefits of rooftents.

Will

[mmgemini]

Our temporary residence........ We lived like this for six months...

Dome by Greensport.

Gazebo by Howling Moon

Awning by Eezi-Awn

Car by Land Rover.

mike

[Godlykepower]

Interesting topic.

Don't forget that if you buy a mountaineering type tent that they are designed for using for just a couple of weeks per year for a couple of years. And as light as possible.

UV degrades them significantly so that they loose their water repelancy and strength.

Trail mag (I think) tested various tents on the top of Leeds University a couple of years back, recording their effectiveness if left up for the summer.

What a load of nonsense! Perhaps if your talking about a Millets "mountaineering" tent? I am talking about "real" mountaineering tents, not the carp you can get at Blacks or Millets. Dont let the fact that a tent has a 3 or 4 season rating throw you off, as these numbers can count for nothing. Certainly a 4 season "mountaineering" tent from one of the afore-mentioned suppliers would lose its water repellency etc after extended use.............but if you spend some serious money on VERY decent kit, it can be used substantially longer than a couple of weeks a year & certainly has a life longer than a couple of years!

My North Face is about seven years old now, has been used for several weeks at a time & has endured temperature extremes from +40 to -30.

And I suppose your right.......in the next 30 or 40 years, I may have to look at replacing it.

As far as leaving a tent up on a roof for a summer in Leeds? What is this test proving exactly? By their very nature, tents are supposed to be moved every so often (its called camping!) when EVER in your life are you going to have to leave a tent on a roof for several months during a British summer??

A British summer can cause havoc to ANYTHING, let alone a tent! It may be 30 degrees one day, pour down the next, then blow a gale.....the constant changing weather can cause all sorts of problems with anything, not only a tent. It just so happens that if you buy a tent that is DESIGNED to be put through sudden changing weather, the better for you......its just not cheap.

I'll get off my high horse now! But I 100% stand by a ground tent....like I keep saying......if mine is good enough to go up Mount Everest, then it will certainly do for me on a Land Rover expedition.

Martin

[landroversforever]

Oh sorry - fogot to ask - how do Thermarests work for people like me who sleep on their sides. I find I need an airbed or my hip digs in. But I've not tried a Thermarest.

I sleep on my side, I use a foam rollmat for my hiking. I tried my friends thermarest, and I was fine (and i'm not light at all!!).

[Eightpot]

Because i have a soft top 90 a roof tent is out of the question. But it is not just the argeument of the roof but also storage as there is non in a 90

I have a off road camper trailer. Half way between a tent and a cavaan really . The biggest problem with any roof tent it that nce set up you can move your camp very easy . So if you set up camp and need some milk its a pain. Or like when we went around Aus we used to leave the trailer set up and go on day trips in just the 90 and come back to the camp and find you camp all set up and ready to relaxe. Also the arguement of fuel ecomony, but then the arguement can be the same with the trailer.

It is possible to fit a rooftent to a softop by the way - you can mount one across the rear tub, but you would need to get a bikini hood or something -

or if you have front and rear rollbars you can weld small brackets on so you can fit roof bars.

I inserted metal eyelets like you can get from an upholstery shop in the hood for the bolts to pass through. The roof bars also make it much easier to get the tent on and off.

[Gromit]

My North Face is about seven years old now, has been used for several weeks at a time

I've had an MSR Fusion 2 tent for the last 3 years.

I think it has now been replaced my a newer model. I don't always camp with the LR, so a ground tent suits me better. It's well made, very strong, reasonably light, goes up quickly, 4 season, but with lots of vents to keep the condensation down. Overall very impressed with it. And no it doesn't fall apart in the sun

Thermarest gets my vote too, along with the chair .

I've one of the normal standard size ones. Just bought one of the newer light ones that packs down to half the size. Not had a change to try it out yet. (Edit to add, I've no problem sleeping on my side on the thermarest)

I've a down bag from valandre. French manufacturer, I bought it when I was over there. Have to say it's brilliant. Packs very small and I've never been cold in it.

[EdF]

I've been looking in various camping shops in my area, Nevisport & Ellis Brigham (Fort William) and (gasp) Millets in Oban (not impressed, seem to sell cheapo 'festival tents' mainly, including a black one - how would you find it on a moonless night!), but I haven't really seen anything that suits. After a three person tent - there's only two of us, but we don't want to be cramped, with room to stand up and a vestibule big enough to stand up and cook in and with a good degree of weatherproofness.. Our knees are way past crawling around. Ease of putting up is fairly important, too. The OzTent was top of the list but it's too expensive -around £800 with the front screen accessories to make a second room and packed up it's too big (2m). Anyone any suggestions?

Just got back from the west coast and got bitten to death by midges, at night and inside our motorhome. How do the little sods get in? Killed them all with spray before we turned in as well..

We've friends who camp from a motorbike and they couldn't manage on Thermarests. I think the ability to use them is age and fitness related! (And yes, I fully expect an 85 year old to answer and say how comfy they are...). I once slept on a 4 inch foam mattress out of our motorhome but instead of being on it's proper base with sprung wooden slats, it was on a bedroom floor in a house, and I couldn't move for terminal backache when I woke up, so a Thermarest would definitely be a no-no for me!

[mmgemini]

Not an 85 year old just a young 70. Therm-A-Rests are good

mike

[Godlykepower]

I've had an MSR Fusion 2 tent for the last 3 years.

Awesome bit of kit! Very pricey, anything from MSR....but absolutely smashing gear. You certainly get what you pay for. All of my cookware is by MSR....their Dragonfly stove weighs about as much as a postage stamp, folds up to fit inside a 1 litre pot & can run off almost any fuel. Costs about £120, but when your survival may depend on an item (sleeping bag, tent, stove etc.) its well worth it.

After a three person tent - there's only two of us, but we don't want to be cramped, with room to stand up and a vestibule big enough to stand up and cook in and with a good degree of weatherproofness.. Our knees are way past crawling around. Ease of putting up is fairly important, too.

How important is the fact that you have to stand up?? If its not an absolute necessity, and you dont mind spending a few quid, then I would personally recommend possibly the BEST tent ever designed. The Quasar or HyperSpace by Terra Nova. Every Isodome-style tent you have seen for the past 15 years has been based on a Terra Nova design. The final word in tents, as far as I'm concerned.

The downside is that they cost over £600. If I could have afforded one when I bought my North Face, I would have got one without hesitating. Now that I can afford one, I have no reason to get rid of my TNF.

If money REALLY is no object.....and you HAVE to be able to stand up.....then Terra Nova do a model called the Cosmos, custom made to order, but costs.......wait for it......

.......£3500!!

I have lived in houses that aren't quite as well put together as one of these bad boys.

Starting to sound like I work for Terra Nova or am on commision now (I dont & I'm not!).....but they do all sorts of other models too. The ones I have mentioned are the expedition biased tents, but they also do general use stuff, which is probably a better price.

See them HERE

Martin

[Ivan]

EdF We have a Coleman overlander 4. Purchased it from Coleman in Australia. A nice big tent, very easy and quick to put up and it also folds down into a fairly small bag. It's not a backpack tent but it's very good. Has stood up to all sorts of weather. Includes fly (mossie) screens on all openings etc. RRP is 259AUD which is about £130 + shipping, duty and vat etc. But it still works out a fairly cheap tent. Probably be about £200 - £250 landed in the UK.

Overlander 4

HTH

Ivan

[EdF]

Thanks for the help and I'll have a look at those mentioned, (impressed with the Terras Nova's, with a lifetime guarantee but prices - wow!) but I think I may also have found a suitable tent.. On paper it's just the right size and has an 8000 hydrstatic head, the most I've seen. It's a German Tatonka Family Camp http://intranet.tatonka.com/infosys/infocgi/artinfoc.dll sold in the UK by Graham Tiso (who didn't reply to an email) and Tamarack http://www.tamarackoutdoors.co.uk/ and it costs £450. There are no dimensions on the Tamarack site but there are on the Tatonka one. We really need one that we can stand up in, especially to cook as self & wife have knee problems and can't crawl through a bivi, or kneel. Too much skiing! There's also a price issue, as I don't want to spend a fortune as SWMBO isn't keen on the 'C' word. There's no ensuite bathroom.. As for a bed, the local pub is going to loan me their bouncy castle..

[Gromit]

Very pricey, anything from MSR....but absolutely smashing gear.

I believe that MSR bought Moss Tents, when they wanted to get into the tent game.

Moss tents, by all accounts were suberb, and current MSR tents seem to be very good, if not quite up to the quality of the original.

Dragonfly stove weighs about as much as a postage stamp,

I've always been very tempted by this stove. Some day maybe, if I'm traveling into the wilds.

I've survived the last 8 years with my trusty Trangia where the only real problem is getting meths in far away places. Just takes a bit more planning.

[Godlykepower]

I've always been very tempted by this stove. Some day maybe, if I'm traveling into the wilds.

I've survived the last 8 years with my trusty Trangia where the only real problem is getting meths in far away places. Just takes a bit more planning.

You can never really knock Trangis stuff to be honest. They do exactly what they they are meant to do, fairly well.

However, if ever you are feeling a little flush, then a Dragonfly will just blow you away! I have run mine of petrol, diesel, parrafin, kerosene, meths & white spirit. Basically, if its flammable, then a Dragonfly will burn it! Like I say, they are very dear, but well worth every penny.

With regards to Coleman products......pretty much the same as Trangia. Does what it says on the tin. If you were thinking of bringing one in from overseas, then you might want to contemplate coming from South Africa, what with the 17:1 exchange rate, prices are very favourable.

You might want to try one of the two big outdoor stores over there.

Cape Union Mart or Outdoor Warehouse

Coleman was quite a succesful brand in South Africa when I lived there.

Martin

[mmgemini]

Cloeman still is Martin. You can buy it in the supermarkets. As you can Cadoc.

I bought a multi fuel Primus for our first trip. We were told that meths wasn't available. Only to find it in the supermarkets.

Now we've gone back to the Trangia. Bought a gas conversion for it. I had to drill the Trangia as mine pre dated the gas set up.

I use the small 907 I think disposable cylinders. Not had a real problem buying them. Like fuel you buy when you see not when wanted.

We still carry the meths burner and meths.

I also use a Kelly. Especially for the first cup of tea in the morning. Fuel is generally free for the Kelly

mike

[Godlykepower]

Cadoc? Do you mean Cadac?

The very first expedition tent I bought was made in SA from a subsidiary of Cadac. It was the Sunseeker Isodome (a copy of whatever Terra Nova model pre-dated the Quasar) and it was brilliant!! I actuallt still have it....I found it earlier this year when I was home for the funeral. Still looks like its only a week old.

Cadac do loads of outdoors stuff for the SA market, but funnily enough, only do gas cylinders in Europe.

I also used to keep a little Coleman "cartridge" type stove with me for trips over there. The MSR was used for climbing, but the Coleman used to live in the car for Base Camp affairs & quick brews etc.

I love it when people say things like "Ooh, you cant get such & such over there." only for you to discover its available everywhere!

[mike4444244]

I used to work in a climbing shop (a proper one not millets!) and with the MSR bumpf that they sent with the rep the had photos of one of their tents being tested with a fire engine, they blasted it at high pressure from about 30ft away and when they stopped it was fine and bone dry inside , its good stuff! terra nova are also good but you get what you pay for...

Mike

[mmgemini]

Cadoc? Do you mean Cadac?

Cadac do loads of outdoors stuff for the SA market, but funnily enough, only do gas cylinders in Europe.

I also used to keep a little Coleman "cartridge" type stove with me for trips over there. The MSR was used for climbing, but the Coleman used to live in the car for Base Camp affairs & quick brews etc.

I love it when people say things like "Ooh, you cant get such & such over there." only for you to discover its available everywhere!

Yes I do mean Cadac.

Yuo can but Cadoc over here. The shop at the top of our street sells it.

Do you know the difference between the ZA refillable culindres and the UK european ones >>

[Godlykepower]

Yuo can but Cadoc over here. The shop at the top of our street sells it.

Do you know the difference between the ZA refillable culindres and the UK european ones >>

Never really bothered with Cadac since leaving SA. It was possible to get all the great mountaineering/camping (MSR/Terra Nova etc.) gear over there, but it used to cost a fortune, and I couldn't afford it back then, so used to use Cadac & the like, out of necessity.

Since I moved here, and can afford little luxuries when I want them now, I have only ever bought top-shelf stuff when I have needed it, so I have not used a cartridge stove for many years, so was not aware of any differences between ZA & UK cylinders.

You would have thought they would have been the same?

[mmgemini]

Not the cartrige cylinmder. The large ones that you carry on the back or on the rack.

I would have thought so too but they are different.

mike

[A Twig]

Back on the tents topic, I thought I'd post something that often gets overlooked. I use a caranex SEE HERE

Had it a year now. Fraction of the price of roof tents, really sturdy and a lot bigger on the inside than they look. Fits any sort of landrover with or without a roof rack. With practice I could get the tent up on my own in 7 minutes.