What's wrong with a tent? (country, route, beach, summer)
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Tents are HORRIBLE.
OH YA, it was cool, it was almost FREEZING.
when you say cold, what do you mean?
I've got a synthetic 0 deg F sleeping bag. When I use that with my all purpose tent, I'm okay with the outside air temp in the upper 30s and above. Anything below that is too uncomfortable for my taste. I was out one time when the overnight temp got to 18 and it was very uncomfortable for me. So it would seem that the "0 deg" rating on my sleeping bag should really be about "30 deg"
Anyway, sleeping out when it's chilly can be an enjoyable experience with a thicker sleeping bag. Also be sure to use wool socks and a wool cap which helps retain heat. They sell heaters for tents, so you might look into it.
asitshouldbe,
I am sorry to hear of your difficulties with tent camping. I agree with 80skeys that a good sleeping bag makes all the difference in the world when it's cold outside. I've camped with nighttime low temperatures from the low 20s on up into about the 70s, or possibly even warmer. Never have I had a problem with the temperature because of the tent.
I've also camped in all sorts of weather from sunny and warm, to cold and snowy. I've been in light, moderate, and heavy rain while camping. In a decent tent on a well selected site, even a heavy rain is tolerable, though it may not be enjoyable because there's not a whole lot to do while it's raining. At times like that, a good card game is one of the best things you can be doing.
I know you said that it started raining while you were still getting the tent set up. This is one of the hardest things to deal with when camping. I've set up tents in the rain, and it's one of my least favorite camping experiences. The best thing I've found for dealing with such a situation is knowing how to set the tent up quickly, minimizing the amount of time you're exposed to the elements. I've had the kids involved in setting up our tent the last year or two, so they know what to do to make it happen. This makes the whole process very easy and very quick for us.
When picking the tent site, look for a high flat area, not in a hole or low spot overall in the campground, and do this as even driving around the campground taking in the different sites should it rain... Also there are thermal mats to go under your sleeping bag if on the ground...to go with the good bag. Or you can get collapsible cots so you are off the ground... We do not understand the meaning of traveling light, so we would also take the EZ-up tent...collapsible open tent with roof and netted walls so if buggy or raining we could put it up over the picnic table and had some extra tarps if raining and wind blowing the rain in...we made lots of friends
Just read thru some of the posts regarding tent experiences.
Had to laugh at some as they were a little funny with the rain being the main problem.
I can sympathize a little...not very good sleeping or waking up in a wet tent. I have been there.
Some people like the experience and then there are some who hate it for different reasons.
With me ...my last tent experience was in North Korea in Jan 1952...sleeping on the ground covered with snow at 28 degrees below "0" ...no sleeping bag just my Officers field coat. They had errected a large tent for us but did not have time to clear the snow away. After all this was the front lines...in the dark with NO lights as we were going to relieve the existing unit at midnight and then take over their bunkers in the morning when they moved out. Every bone in my body ached for days.
That was my LAST tent? outside experience. Many yrs later always had a camper or travel trailer to sleep and be dry inside. Recall one time at a beach state park being next to some campers who were cooking breakfast on the tailgate of their truck next to a tent in the rain all bundled up while my wife and I were nice and dry in our trailer having had breakfast and drinking our warm coffee.
To each his/her own I say...either way is okay with me as long as the person is happy with their arrangement...go for it.
I also like to tent camp but like/need to be comfortable. I hate having to crawl in and out of a tent , struggle with tent poles, and not being able to stand up to get dressed. I found the perfect solution. It is called the Standing room 100 tent. I found it on Amazon. It hangs from one of those back yard shade canopies. It is 10x10 and has almost 9' of head room! It also has two doors so you can put two or more together. This tent is big enough for a queen size air mattress, a table, and two chairs with still enough room to walk around.
I also like to tent camp but like/need to be comfortable. I hate having to crawl in and out of a tent , struggle with tent poles, and not being able to stand up to get dressed. I found the perfect solution. It is called the Standing room 100 tent. I found it on Amazon. It hangs from one of those back yard shade canopies. It is 10x10 and has almost 9' of head room! It also has two doors so you can put two or more together. This tent is big enough for a queen size air mattress, a table, and two chairs with still enough room to walk around.
I like it.
I like the smaller popup for backpacking, riding into a remote area or canoeing where space needs to be used wisely.
I like the smaller popup for backpacking, riding into a remote area or canoeing where space needs to be used wisely.
If it's just me and a partner going backpacking, I'll take a low profile two-man tent, somewhat like a large bivvy, light and with plenty of ventilation and a removable raincover. When its clear out, it's nice to get the breeze and to look at the stars.
I have a couple of tents we use. I have a two man four season North Face Aerohead that I bought 20+ years ago and it's still going strong. Excellent winter tent, no issues with leaking but certainly tight quarters and it's pretty weighty. It's my cold weahter, high winds tent.
Then we have a North Face Rock 32 3 season tent. Also a 2 person. With the fly off it's one large screen which is really nice under the Montana summer night sky. No problems leaking with that either. Good backpacking tent.
The third is a Nemo brand 3 person tent. This is a new one for us. Interesting tent- it's as light my North Face Rock 32 but with a lot more room. I can sit up comfortably in it and it is a weathertight and wind-proof sucker! Excellent ventilation and excellent design features. Superior to anything I've seen, and I've been in A LOT of tents.
However the key to a good nights sleep lies on (pun intended) what you put on the ground. I have a Big Agnes insulated air mattress. Yes- insulated. It is super light weight, compact and oh so comfy. In cold weather I sleep in my trusty down Marmot 0 degree bag (and it is good down to that). I go with a 30 degree bag in the warmer months.
As I get older it gets a little more uncomfortable to sleep on the ground, but generally I'm warm, dry and happy if I stay in a tent.
We have a truck camper now and it's really nice to have that as a 'base camp' to come back to after backpacking a few nights.
Our son is in the Scouts, so we do a lot of tent camping. I've got a couple tents but I prefer my Xscape Vista 6 person 15X8X7 tent. It's got plenty of room for 2-twin air mattresses and lots of head room.
My camping vehicle after it dumped an inch or two of rain on us during our last trip.
I slept in my Nemo last weekend while camping with the scouts. It was 12 degrees at night and the lake was making some ice all night! Groaning a creaking..
We did some basic rapelling and set up a nice zip line. That was a fun trip! Cold, but fun!
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I also like to tent camp but like/need to be comfortable. I hate having to crawl in and out of a tent , struggle with tent poles, and not being able to stand up to get dressed. I found the perfect solution. It is called the Standing room 100 tent. I found it on Amazon. It hangs from one of those back yard shade canopies. It is 10x10 and has almost 9' of head room! It also has two doors so you can put two or more together. This tent is big enough for a queen size air mattress, a table, and two chairs with still enough room to walk around.
