Best tent under 200$
- Thread starter timtune
- Start date
Around 40 years ago I picked up a Black Diamond 3 man tent for just over $300. Just over 10 pounds, and we traveled across Europe with it, and did many Scout camps. At the time I was told that they were better quality than the Eureka, that they resembled. Sort of a hunchbacked cross between a 2 man and a 4 man. It's been a good tent, replaced the big zipper, and a pole, but you can't get them anymore. The only maintenance, is to seal the seams every once in a while. Not long after we bought it my cousin purchased a tent from Canadian Tire, and laughed at what we paid. Needless to say, we had to put them up in our tent, when theirs became a swimming pool during a rainstorm.
I keep seeing "footprint" which I think is a basically ground sheet. I would think a good tent doesn't need a ground sheet. My old Crap Tire dome tent that I had for decades had a tarp like floor and didn't require one.
Also Beastiegirl - Were you looking at the North face Stormbreak 2 & the Marmot catalyst 2? And if so which did you choose and why? The Marmot appears a little lighter and larger.
Also Beastiegirl - Were you looking at the North face Stormbreak 2 & the Marmot catalyst 2? And if so which did you choose and why? The Marmot appears a little lighter and larger.
A footprint is a ground sheet that is waterproof. It just helps protect the part of your tent that is most likely to get damaged by repeated abrasion and sticks or rocks. It also keeps the bottom of the actual tent cleaner when pitching on messy surfaces, which prevents getting other parts of the tent dirty when packing up in the morning. The number of times I have camped in the rain and had to pack up the next morning - it's bad enough that I'm packing up a wet tent... I sure don't want it to be muddy as well. I find that on more primitive sites without picnic tables, I can also keep all my other belongings clean by laying them out on the footprint while I'm loading up my bike.
I don't think my footprint will actually keep my tent more waterproof, until the floor of my tent finally starts to leak (which will be even longer because I use the footprint). I usually plan out where I pitch my tent in the first place, but quite a few times I have set up camp in the dark or in a rush and the footprint helped out. For something that prolongs the life of my tent, and packs down so small with almost no weight added to my kit, it doesn't make sense for me to not use it.
I don't think my footprint will actually keep my tent more waterproof, until the floor of my tent finally starts to leak (which will be even longer because I use the footprint). I usually plan out where I pitch my tent in the first place, but quite a few times I have set up camp in the dark or in a rush and the footprint helped out. For something that prolongs the life of my tent, and packs down so small with almost no weight added to my kit, it doesn't make sense for me to not use it.
BeastieGirl
Well-known member
I did go with the Marmot - haven't had a chance to set it up yet but it is light
My last tent was just a 2 man Canadian Tire tent and I actually don't have a lot of bad things to say about it for a $39 dollar tent. It was light and quick and easy to set up and perfect for motorcycle camping in the warm summer - but fell a little short for spring and fall camping which is when I do most of my touring. One of the fibreglass poles splintered and the Marmot has aluminum poles so that was a factor - also it seemed basically free standing -when you camp in the mountains trying to pound in tent pegs is just an exercise in futility.The shipping experience was great - 3 days from order to arrival at my front door.
I had a Canadian Tire special that worked well until one day, at a fly in, it rained overnight. It rained a fair amount. I woke up in the morning with the foot end of my air mattress floating in the rather deap end of the inside of my tent.
Shortly after I bought a Eureka El Capitan 3 man tent at LeBaron on their end of summer sale. Wonderful tent! Packed much smaller than my "2 man" Canadian Tire special. Aluminum poles. Able to fully vent in massive downpours. Two vestibules, two doors. It can fit in one of my Givi E43 side cases (if I bother to take them. I have grown to really dislike side cases.)
Too bad my wife really isn't into tenting but since she rides her own bike I am totally fine with it.
I think I turned Shane onto his El Capitan (but I thought you got a 4 man Shane?)
..Tom
Shortly after I bought a Eureka El Capitan 3 man tent at LeBaron on their end of summer sale. Wonderful tent! Packed much smaller than my "2 man" Canadian Tire special. Aluminum poles. Able to fully vent in massive downpours. Two vestibules, two doors. It can fit in one of my Givi E43 side cases (if I bother to take them. I have grown to really dislike side cases.)
Too bad my wife really isn't into tenting but since she rides her own bike I am totally fine with it.
I think I turned Shane onto his El Capitan (but I thought you got a 4 man Shane?)
..Tom
You did! Bought it Lebaron too and got the 3 person tent. I've had it for about 6 years now and I'm very happy with it.
I buy whatever plastic tarp CTC or Princess auto has on sale and cut it about the size of tent floor, as Shaun mentioned its really cheap insurance for tent protection and I'd rather roll up a muddy ground sheet than a muddy tent. In my experience a three man tent is a one man that likes some space, a two man is one man tight. 4 man could be a two man.
My next tent will have a vestibule like RedVers tents so it has no dew in the AM on the bike, I'm becoming a delicate flower.
My next tent will have a vestibule like RedVers tents so it has no dew in the AM on the bike, I'm becoming a delicate flower.
I'm kinda with you on this one. I think that putting the bike into the vestibule of a Redverz is silly, but that vestibule is magic. You can set up a couple of chairs in there, do your cooking protected from the elements... I can't tell you how many times I've woken up in the morning to a crappy day, and my options are either huddle in my tent on the ground and wait or go out into the bad weather, getting wet and trying to make coffee. Redverz' tents are super pricey, but I think they're worth their weight in gold if you're camping in iffy weather.
Ended up buying both a Marmot Tungsten 2 and a MEC Camper 2. After setting them both up in the house I'm keeping the MEC and returning the Marmot. Marmot poles had bends for more room that along with being connected in the middle made them a very unweildy bunch.
Good choice, the MEC tent should have an excellent guarantee. Also, not sure if that tent does it but you can sometimes pitch a groundsheet with the fly for hot weather camping or quick wet weather set up.
Riceburner
Well-known member
What do you use? That's all mine needs now.
Not sure what you guys are terming footprint as, but to me that's the size of the floor and a ground sheet is a ground sheet not a footprint. I use a tarp ground sheet same as shane. Protects my tent floor (especially when the ground is not nice) and it gets used as the wrap around my tent, Thermarest and sleeping bag.
What do you use? That's all mine needs now.
Not sure what you guys are terming footprint as, but to me that's the size of the floor and a ground sheet is a ground sheet not a footprint. I use a tarp ground sheet same as shane. Protects my tent floor (especially when the ground is not nice) and it gets used as the wrap around my tent, Thermarest and sleeping bag.
I was using Seam sealer that I got from MEC. About a decade later, they came out with taped seams, which made the tents a little heavier, but required less maintenance.
Footprint is a term that came out a couple of decades ago, to mean a special lightweight more expensive groundsheet cut to the dimensions of the tent floor.
Riceburner
Well-known member
Mine were taped seams that now need fixing.
Should be footprint ground sheet not to confuse with footprint. sheesh
Should be footprint ground sheet not to confuse with footprint. sheesh
