1 person tent

[shogun]

After being inundated with tents in the big thread I still find it a mess to figure out, so maybe this will narrow it down for me.

My son needs a small, one-person tent for ocaissional scouting trips. While I usually prefer to get good stuff I dont think this warrants a big expenditure, and I dont mind he learn a lesson first hand about cheap gear. I dont want junk, walmart kid stuff, but I dont want to drop $500 either. I am thinking under $150, 3 season. Ultra-lightweight, delicate wont cut it for kids either.

Is this possible? A reasonably durable, reasonably waterproof tent under $150?

 

[brianwj]

Try Bass Pro Shops. I picked up a 3 man tent that they call a backpacker for $50 during the Father's Day sale. It isn't light at 9lbs but it had a full cover rain fly and I only had one leaking seam after the third setup. I'm not sure they have 1 man tents but its worth a look.

 

[Ramjet]

I bought a cheap tent at Target once. I think it cost $35 or so. But what I did was seam seal it and it was a great little tent that lasted a few years of rain and wind in CO storms. Good luck.

 

[dblosch]

My first "personal" tent for scouts was a Coleman Peak1. My dad got it for me for Christmas in about 1998. It's too bad Coleman doesn't carry the Peak1 line anymore. I still have the tent, and it lives in my truck permanently now, as a "just in case" shelter.

These days, I'd give a hard look at the REI "Passage 1." It's a newer name in the REI lineup, but the design is an old standby. For $120, you really can't beat REI's return policy.


Edit: REI's outlet site has another tent that would be worth a look. The Kelty Gunnison 1.1 is 3 inches taller than the Passage 1 I pointed out above, but 7 inches narrower. The poles are also slightly larger in diameter, but it's a single "hubbed" pole, versus the Passage's 3 individual poles. I've never used a hubbed pole before, someone else will have to chime in about that. It also has a window in the rainfly...

I think I'd still lean toward the Passage 1.


:wavey:
Dan

 

[acasper708]

What about a Hammock?
ENO makes a dble nest that is great for one person. It closes shut over you when laying in it. I've been meaning to get one for a while.

 

[AFSOC]

My suggestion isn't a tent so I apologize up front. How about a USGI Gortex bivy from the military ECWS sleep system? It meets the criteria of water proof, one person and is anything but delicate. Surplus sites sell them for $25-$50, maybe you can score a complete EWCSS at a yard sale. My 16 year old son and I use them and really like them. A Thermarest sleeping pad fits inside, set up is several seconds and there are no loose pieces (stakes, lines, poles) to deal with. Depending on your son's age, he may really get a kick out of bivy sleeping and you won't worry about losing stakes of breaking/bending poles. We usually have other campers stop and chat because they are so intrigued by the bivys, many walk away saying, "I'm gonna have to get one of those".

 

[mandingo]

My brother showed me this one from ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/320760989558?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Seems like a pretty decent tent. Haven't tried it out yet. It's says it's two person but more like one person + gear.

 

[VATACO]

My suggestion isn't a tent so I apologize up front. How about a USGI Gortex bivy from the military ECWS sleep system? It meets the criteria of water proof, one person and is anything but delicate. Surplus sites sell them for $25-$50, maybe you can score a complete EWCSS at a yard sale. My 16 year old son and I use them and really like them. A Thermarest sleeping pad fits inside, set up is several seconds and there are no loose pieces (stakes, lines, poles) to deal with. Depending on your son's age, he may really get a kick out of bivy sleeping and you won't worry about losing stakes of breaking/bending poles. We usually have other campers stop and chat because they are so intrigued by the bivys, many walk away saying, "I'm gonna have to get one of those".

View attachment 127591

I sleep in one of these with a USGI bag in the bed of my Tacoma with the undercover up in good weather or down in bad weather. My feet stick out on to the tailgate, but the bivy keeps them dry even in pouring rain.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

My favorite:
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___23890

 

[wyojoe]

I picked up a small "two person" backpacking tent at Big 5 that might fit your criteria. It's fairly light, so it's easy to carry, and it's fairly small when packed, about 20" long and 5" diameter. The price was right, too, at somewhere around $40 - 50. I haven't used it for any long duration yet, but when I did set it up, it seemed to be fairly well made. I haven't had a chance to try it in the rain, though, so I can't comment about how well it keeps water out. At the time of this post, it can be found on the tent link at the Big 5 website. It is the HiTec V-Lite 2. They also have the "one person" V-Lite 1 tent, and it would probably work OK, but I'd still recommend the larger V-Lite 2. Here's the link:

http://www.big5sportinggoods.com/outdoors.html

 

[thebrassnuckles]

buy 2 usgi shelter halves from a surplus store. I know I was all about military gear when I was a sout.


who am I kidding? I'm still all about military gear...In fact, I think I'm going to go buy some shelter halves...

 

[shogun]

buy 2 usgi shelter halves from a surplus store. I know I was all about military gear when I was a sout.


who am I kidding? I'm still all about military gear...In fact, I think I'm going to go buy some shelter halves...

Thanks everybody for the links. I was all ready to drop the $120 for the REI or similar when I found a cheap ($35) military-style pup tent. He jumped all over and thats what he wants. Who am I to argue, and if it leaks he will learn a lesson.

Now about that SWAG thing, how can I rationalize that when I already rationalized the Ezi-Awn and OzTent?

 

[thebrassnuckles]

Awesome!