ericsmith32
Kansas City, KS
Full Member
Joined: 08/05/2005
View Profile
 Offline
|
We currently have a The NorthFace Trailhead 6 tent. Nice tent plenty of room but kinda cumbersome to put up. Got it fairly cheap though, benefits of the wife working for a disturbution hub. Next week we're going on a 2 week vacation. There's going to be 3 of us.. well maybe 2 1/4 people counting the boy. We're staying a couple places 3-4 days a few others one day. I don't mind setting up the NorthFace tent for those 3-4 day stays but those one days I'm wondering if a cheap 7x7 tent would work better? 2 light poles to fight versus 4 heavy duty poles sounds alot easier. Opinions?
Motels would probably be better but no.
04 Escape
The NorthFace Trailhead 8
|
bldrbuck
Boulder, Colorado
Senior Member
Joined: 02/11/2001
View Profile
|
If you don't like your present tent sell it and buy one that you do.
93 Ford F350 Turbo Diesel, DRW, Crew Cab. PullRite Hitch. 90 Nomad 28' 5er, 375 Watts Solar, 2800 Watt Yamaha Generator, 1750 Watt Inverter, 4 Trogan T105 Batteries, Spare tire and wheel and folding ladder. Me, wife and 2 spoiled Maltise furkids.
|
Ken2k3d
NE Illinois
Full Member
Joined: 03/29/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
That is one reason I like the designs of the Alps Mountaineering Taurus and/or Meramac tents. They are very simple 2-pole dome tents with clip-on pole connectors.
Get the versions with aluminum poles, though I used their fiberglass poles for a year or more and they worked fine. The Taurus has vestibules - the Meramac has a hooded entrances. The vestibules are nice for stowing boots or camp chairs overnight. The Taurus has less netting on the tent body to reduce direct breezes in cool weather. The Meramac has more netting under the fly to provide maximum ventilation in warmer weather.
Ken K.
w/ wife, boy, girl, Samoyed, & a really big Keeshound
(The horses & pigs have to stay at home)
2008 Keystone Freedom Lite 279TB, Reese Dualcam, Prodigy controller
2002 Tahoe 4x4
|
'tiredTeacher
Richmond, VA
Senior Member
Joined: 09/22/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
ericsmith32 wrote: I'm wondering if a cheap 7x7 tent would work better? 2 light poles to fight versus 4 heavy duty poles sounds alot easier. Opinions?
I don't know if they still make them, but a friend of my daughter's has a Coleman dome tent where the ridge poles are permanently attached. You set it up by raising a central hub, as with an umbrella, and the tent pops up rigid. Add the one pole to the rainfly and attach. Packs into a surprisingly small bag.
Wright and Penny
Tundra 4X4
Starcraft 2107
"Remember to keep it simple. You can't get away from it all if you take it all with you."
Nights camped in '07 = 48
Nights camped in '08 = 50
http://www.webshots.com/user/awellis3
|
Kamper_Kelly
Texas
Full Member
Joined: 04/18/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
bldrbuck wrote:If you don't like your present tent sell it and buy one that you do.
I second this.
If you really think you need a tent that large then, rearrange your trip to avoid one day stays.
|
|
|
windriderjr
Massachusetts
Senior Member
Joined: 03/20/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Keep every tent until it starts to rot 
I have 5 ranging from a monster 18 X 12 X 7 to a backpacking tent. Most of them get at least a weekend's use every year. I have 2 winter tents so I can invite female friends to come winter camping and give them their privacy. You can never have too many tents 
DW and I in our Gulfstream Amerilite 21MB
Chevy Silverado 2500 HD - Duramax Diesel 6.6L - Allison Tranny
"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area." - Major Mike Shearer - British Army - Basra, Iraq
|
ericsmith32
Kansas City, KS
Full Member
Joined: 08/05/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
I'd never sell that tent.. couldn't ever get another for the price we paid for it. For now might just try to use the 2 center poles which would hold up the center section. That's all we really need anyways. Next year we'll be taking more trips so we'll hold on a smaller tent till then.
|
ericsmith32
Kansas City, KS
Full Member
Joined: 08/05/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Put the tent up today and only took 10-15 minutes. That was with figuring out which pole went where and the DW not there to boss. Guess the more I put it up the faster I get.
|
shenandoahvalley
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Senior Member
Joined: 02/09/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Even though we have a TT we still keep three tents. One is a small (7x7) dome tent that sets up in about three minutes. We have a 12x12 cabin tent that takes about 12 minutes to set up, and we have a 12X16 monster that takes two people about 30 minutes to set up. Our DD's family uses them about three times a year. I guess we don't really need tents but I wouldn't get rid of them until they dry rot...you never know.
|
Merry
New York
Senior Member
Joined: 08/19/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
The more you set it up the faster you will get at it. I have three tents, small medium and really really big. I can set up the really big one almost as fast as my small backpacking tent. Practice is key
|
|
|
