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Permalink Reply by Elwood Gruschow on April 9, 2018 at 3:34am

Just like there is no perfect for everyone bike saddle there is no perfect for everyone cycling solo shelter.   My killer criteria for a cycling tent is to be free standing.  If not free standing, then look for another style or model.  Often while bike camping I had situations where relying on or even using stakes was a really poor option. 

  Another piece of advice, skip the footprint or ground cloth.  It adds extra weight.  I inspect the area under the tent before settling it up.  On my tents the waterproof coating on fly and seams has worn out before any floor problems. 

  You will have to balance the cost, size setup, size packed, weight and amount of ventilation for your own preferences.  If I had the privilege to plan a solo cycle camp in 20018, I would highly consider the REI Passage 1.   I wish I was planning a solo bike trip this year, good luck and see you on the road.

  

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Permalink Reply by LJS on April 9, 2018 at 5:58am

I have the REI Camp Dome ($100) and love it.  Have been using it for bike-packing for ~4 years so far and it is great.  Weighs ~5 lbs but collapses pretty small, could fit on a bike rack with a bungee cords very easily.  I love how it has the external "X-pole" construction.  It is super simple to put up by yourself which is a big consideration, and based on that (the outside holds it up) you don't really need stakes.

It is cheaper and a bit bigger than the Passage 1, but only about 1 lb. heavier (and $40 cheaper).  REI also has 20% off any reg priced item for members through the end of day today if you are looking to buy soon.

https://www.rei.com/product/893927/rei-co-op-camp-dome-2-tent

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Permalink Reply by Tricolor on April 9, 2018 at 6:07am

Take some kind of camping air mattress. It makes a huge difference when you sleep. Consider a tent big enough for your bags in case it rains or to keep bugs out.

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Permalink Reply by DerferMark on April 9, 2018 at 8:05am

Consider a hammock too.  Mine, with built-in mosquito net, is ~1.5 lbs. (plus optional rainfly another pound I only put up if there's a chance of rain).  I have a lightweight >50°F sleeping bag I put inside. I've never had trouble finding 2 trees to spend a night somewhere either campground or "stealth."  Any model will work but here's what I have:

$25 http://www.woot.com/offers/hammock-w-mosquito-net-earth

$20 http://www.woot.com/offers/rainfly-hammock-grey

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Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on April 9, 2018 at 10:28am

Another thing to consider is the season...If it's 80 degrees out, you may not want a sleeping bag. When I toured Hawaii, I only used a sleeping bag liner. At the time, mine was about $14. It packs down smaller than a can of beer. They make them in a few different materials, fleece, artificial silk, cotton, etc. Mine was artificial silk and worked out perfect. I've also toured with only a wool blanket.

When I toured Seattle to Key West, I took a 7lb tent. I wasn't concerned about weight, because I wanted to make sure it made it the entire time without issue. Like Elwood said, Freestanding is important. There were a few times I couldn't stake down. After 51 days the tent had one broken tent pole(the joint snapped second to last day, but I had a tube to fix it) and mosquito blood spots all over the thing. I called the company and they swapped it out for a whole new one free of charge.

IMO, don't only consider size & weight, but functionality, warranty, repairability, and comfort.

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