Best wild camp tent?

[boatman]

I'm going to be wild camping in the Highlands for 9 nights beginning of July & decided to do a bit of a mix & match. I have a Luxe Hexpeak which makes the perfect tarp, leaving the inner nest at home & using a bivvy & groundsheet.

I may regret it once the midges come calling but it means I have a decent shelter with a lot of internal room for cooking / storage, that packs down tiny & goes up in seconds.

If I was staying more than 1 night somewhere I'd take a proper tent though

Something to consider, if you pitch / take down the inner & outer together, if it's been raining you will have a soaking tent, you need to separate & the faff that goes with it ....the chance of rain in Scotland you ask? :unsure:

I have a hilliberg which goes up in one, inner and outer and foot print. I don't put it back in the bag when I am away ,I stuff it into an Ortlieb 24L rack pack which clips onto the outside of the bike ,ie no water comes into the dry panniers.
If it's been wet when it goes into the bag ,I just put it up anyway ,let it sit a minute ,n give it a quick sponge out .
Works for me ( which is a good job as I am off to the top of Norway tomorrow (thumbs) (thumbs) )

[92kk k100lt 193214]

I cant help but think one MUST have an inner with a mesh in midge country. I never go without an inner and admittedly it's because of an allergy to stings but also it's great for keeping midges out.

ABR Ireland 2 weekends ago had some midge outbreak due to the overnight rain and wet grass but with the citronella candles and the mesh doors not a bother.

Haven't camped in Scotland but have been up the Western Isles and they definitely have a superior type of midge! Zip citronellas are a must and store them open inside your tent for good effect too.

I used a 2 man tunnel tent [Campus Tunnel 2, 4kg] for last few years, with a tarp [[1 kg plus 1 kg poles] and groundsheet [.7kg] which all up was close to 7 kilos including the tarp poles, but this year got a Coleman Coastline 3 Plus which has 3 doors [one doubles as a canopy and it comes with the poles and its own groundsheet. It is also about 7kg including the poles for the canopy door but dumping the steel pegs for alloy got it down to 6.8 which I am happy with because its less work to set up. Can be taken down all in one too, just pack in a separate bag. It is possible to go really lightweight but that means aluminium poles for about another £150 or so. On my wish list......

I actually find easier in wet weather to remove and pack all the tent inners and groundsheet into the panniers while sheltered by the flysheet. Then the only thing left is the flysheet and poles. Pop panniers on the bike then a quick decamp of the outer and poles into a separate bag strapped on is real quick, everything dry and easy to erect in the evening if is wet at your next point. Flysheet up then everything else is under cover.

Domes are better in windy weather but tunnels are easier to set up. Bigger domes are definitely 2 man for crossing poles, you can set a big tunnel on your own.

A lot depends on how long you stay in one place. I would now never have less than a 2 man with a decent area to also sit in and store panniers gear etc, at least as big as the sleeping area. The big advantage I found with the 3 man was that I could keep all my personal stuff in the sleeping area and the porch is just like a big tarp with all doors open.

Big tarp is like a sail and I find a bit hard to keep secure, in wind you must let it flap to spill the wind. I bought it for using in France to keep sun off.

[Seminole]

Coleman Cobra 2, light, packs small and easy setup, been using one the last 3 years and it's standing up well.