Camping Tent recommendations?

[Az Wingrider]

The best tents for motorcycle camping are backpacking tents. The backpacking tents are light and pack up small. I agree that dome tents are best. Also if you are planning on two people in the tent you will need a three person tent. Two person tents have enough room for two sleeping bags very close together and not much else, a three person tent will sleep two with room for some gear. I personally prefer a four person tent for several reasons. There is plenty of room for me and my gear, They are tall enough I can stand up to put my clothes on (standing hunched over but at least not having to dress laying on my back), they are a much less claustrophobic place to sit out a rainy day and lastly when packed they are not much bigger than a two person tent.

I don't know what your budget is but price is most often directly related to quality. Personally I won't buy a tent with fiberglass poles because they fracture to easily. The durability of aluminum poles is ten times better. Also I want my tent to have clips to attach the tent to the poles because sleeves for the poles will take a lot more time and will literally fail much sooner than clips. Sleeves will also drive you up a wall. I feel that a bathtub floor is necessary to prevent leaks when it rains. Also I always use a footprint or a light tarp under the tent to save wear on the tent floor.

All the features I mentioned are not found on bargain priced tents. I currently camp with an REI Camp Dome 4 which is a medium priced tent that lists for about $200.00 but can be found on sale occasionally. Alps Mountaineering makes a quality tent for a little less money and they make Two, Two Plus, Three and Four person tents.

I shop for most of my camping gear at REI and I recommend them. The personnel there are knowledgeable, if you become a member your points which amount to about 10% of your spending can be cashed in once a year on any item and anything bought at REI can be returned during the first year for a full refund with no questions asked.

After all I have said if this going to be a one time experience a Walmart tent will be a much cheaper option and will get the job done. Another option if this is a one time deal would be to rent a tent from a local camping rental store.

I hope you enjoy your motorcycle camping trip. There are a lot of bikers that feel that motorcycles and camping are a natural fit and you will meet more people camping than hoteling it.

Enjoy
Az Wingrider