Need a tent for my I.L.B.E.

[hjmoosejaw]

Well,  I got it guys! My family got this for one of my Father's Day gifts. I've been wanting one for a while now. I know we have discussed the packs a while back, and size and weight were mentioned. A lot of good advise was given, and while the size and weight things were a consideration. There were other factors that I considered before choosing the I.L.B.E. (improved load bearing equipment) Marine issued, but now a different pack was designed for them, that is more compatible with body armor. So surplus ones of these are readily available. I bought other packs at Walmart for decent prices, that are pretty sturdy, for my family. So, if we have to bug out. the load will be distributed by all, and some packs will be more geared to certain things. One may have medicine and clothing, one may have tools and food, etc. My ILBE will be geared more toward shelter, water, cooking utensils, and weapons, with some food. I want it to be geared as such, that if only one or two people are bugged out. It will be everything they need for a few days. I know lighter weight is important, but the way I see it is, traveling with a wife and daughters, we're not going to be humping it for very long treks at a time anyway. With 3 women, I'll have to sacrifice some stealth for comfort. Which brings me to the point of this thread. I will be looking for a tent to put in it. Wondered if any of you could point me in the right direction. I don't want anything that will break the bank. I'm thinking 3-4 man tent. Enough for my family to make do, but a little extra room if only one or two people need it, or to stow gear. Somewhat sturdy and dry, that's simple to set up and packs away nicely. What are good companies with fair prices? Any help would be appreciated?

http://www.alleghenyoutlet.com/alleghenyoutletpics/packs/excelllent-mainpack-ilbe-marpat-assault-setup-with-radiopouch-1.jpg

     

[JohnyMac]

Interesting topic.

Back in my back packing days we went through different periods of tent hauling and thinking until we ended up on the following.

Basically, each one of us carried a waterproof, light weight tarp. We bought the material and sowed it up our selves. We put buttons down one side and button holes down the other so we could fasten the tarps together. Than ran a 1/4" Dacron rope from a tree down to the ground. Turned the corners in at the bottom and either laid a log or used rocks along the edge to anchor down the turned in corners.

We all carried close foam sleeping pads (I was a full length kind of guy) which was the floor of the shelter. When we knew it wasn't going to rain we didn't rig the shelter at all. We laid one of the ground and just loosely pulled the extra one over us to keep the dew at bay.

If I was to do it today I would try this idea. Do you remember those tents that were one man and you blew them up? I thought they were called tube tents but I can not find one on the internet. I would position these tents into a star facing each other with a camp fire in the middle. Would need to be fire retardant.

Last, make your own as I wrote above. Here is a great site to get some idea's. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/07/28/3-outdoor-shelter-types/

You do not need to buy a back packing tent for $500-!

 

[hjmoosejaw]

Thanks for the info Jm! Yeah, I definitely wasn't looking to spend 500. I was thinking 80-100, max. Walmart has some pretty reasonable. I don't want flimsy, but I don't want state of the art by any means either. A nice in between one somewhere. I'll check out that link.

[APX808]

A tent for 4 or 5 people weights a fucking lot HJ and it takes a lot of space, I would suggest  personal improvised refuges, with a net hammock and a poncho or something like that.
I'm in a mountaineering club, and when we go out we distribute the parts of the tent among the people who is going to be sleeping in it.

[crudos]

Might want to check out ALPS Mountaineering tents. Have heard good things about them. Maybe a little out of your budget range, but certainly not on the high end. I figure, you get what you pay for with tents. Maybe instead go with multiple one-man tents where each person carries their own?

[hjmoosejaw]

Good input. Thanks guys.

[thatGirl]

The main things to worry about when purchasing a tent are the weight (which also translates into bulk) and whether or not it will leak.  Generally you'll find that, the cheaper the tent, the heavier and more leak prone (quality and design of the seems is important).  If you're not planning on using the tent unless you have to (minimal use), and you don't expect to carry it very far , or plan to put it in a backpack for someone else to carry separate of other, heavy gear (meaning you're not concerned about the weight), search amazon for what you're looking for and click on customer reviews for any tents that are interested in-- people will definitely say in the review if the tent leaks.  Keep in mind, the bigger the tent, the less effective it will be at keeping you all warmer and will likely be rated for only 2 seasons (the warmest ones!).  Here's a link to look at 4-5 person tents, many of which fit your price range:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=5+person+tents&tag=googhydr-20&index=sporting&hvadid=12972011755&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12172552521243816450&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_xpsdvlj6g_b

Now here's what I actually suggest doing, because I'm a gear-whore.  Buy a 2 person, 3 season tent for ~$100 that will be better quality, comes with a rain fly, has built-in vestibules to keep your boots and packs dry outside of the tent, and weighs 1/3 of what any big ass tent does.  At a later date, purchase a second tent when you can afford to, that way you and the wife can have your privacy and so can your girls.  In a pinch, the 4 of you can fit in a 2 person tent, if push comes to shove before you get the second one.  Ultimately, you all can spread the load of the two tents, which will be 1/3 lighter all told than 1 large tent, among all of your packs.  Tent quality and size are important if you plan to use it more than a couple of times for more than just car camping.  You can use rope and a tarp or two to set up a communal space to hang out in.  TG and I have always owned MSR and Eureka brand tents, which are fantastic brands, but slightly pricier.  Here is a link for a Eureka tent that would work for 2 person tents:

http://www.campsaver.com/apex-2-tent-2-person-3-season

You know me, always complicating things

Good luck, HJ! 

[hjmoosejaw]

Great advice T-girl! Yeah, I originally wanted a 3-4 man tent. A couple of two man ones, are a good idea too. Cost is not a problem, if, I was going to "camp" with it. I just want something that will keep us dry, is easy to assemble, and just big enough that we don't have to sleep sitting up, "IF" we ever need it. That's why I don't want to throw a bunch of money at it. Besides, maybe a couple of trial runs, it will probably never leave the BOB, unless there is an emergency. I'll definitely have a tarp. Good suggestion, about the tarp for the hangout area. I'll check out those links, thanks again!

[thatGuy]

I'm a huge fan of tarps and bivy bags.. it isn't like being indoors for sure but it is light, compact and fast.

thatGirl read her post to me and one of the things that she didn't add because she wanted to keep it focused was that shit tents are hard to set up. I can't tell you how many times I've struggled to set up someone else's cheap shit tent.

When you put good money on the barrel head you aren't just getting the materials that make the product but the R&D as well, that thought and consideration is on occasion worth more than the materials and labor.

[hjmoosejaw]

I'm a huge fan of tarps and bivy bags.. it isn't like being indoors for sure but it is light, compact and fast.

thatGirl read her post to me and one of the things that she didn't add because she wanted to keep it focused was that shit tents are hard to set up. I can't tell you how many times I've struggled to set up someone else's cheap shit tent.

When you put good money on the barrel head you aren't just getting the materials that make the product but the R&D as well, that thought and consideration is on occasion worth more than the materials and labor.

Decisions decision, I don't know. Like I said above though, other than a few practice runs, it will be just something to keep us dry, "IF" we ever have to bug out. That's why the hesitance to spend a lot. I have seen some neat things done with tarps on youtube. Here in Pa., and all around here, there are always trees around to tie tarps to. (besides using posts)

[thatGuy]

I like tarps because their usefulness doesn't begin and end at keeping you dry.

[Burt Gummer]

I'm a huge fan of tarps and bivy bags.. it isn't like being indoors for sure but it is light, compact and fast.

I'll second that.
If you've got a vehicle sure bring a family sized tent and set it up.
If all you've got is a pack you can't afford the weight.

I've recently purchased the "Terra Nova Competition 2 tarp" and it's blown me away. It's unbelievably light at a mere 24oz. It's a silent material so you can set it up move and not make a racket like you would with your standard tarp. The material while light is made out Nylon 5000mm HH type, which is extremely rugged and often used in high end Ultra light tents and bivy bags.
The construction is superb and has a center of tarp anchor for more shelter options.
Big enough for two or one with gear.

http://www.thepathfinderstore.com/competition-tarp-2-by-terra-nova-equipment/ At: $79.- 

Pathfinder Product review #10 Terra Nova Adventure Tarp

This video displays it's cheaper brother the "Adventure 2 Tarp" which is the same only the material is lower grade.  At: $54.-