Bomber, Lightweight, Freestanding Tent

"Why don't you return to your cautious world and I continue with my exciting adventerous life and then we'll talk again in 10 years and see who is happier and got the most out of it?"

Eh … so you want advice from those who know more than you do and then smash them for giving it to you? Do you know how they got to be experts? It wasn't from sitting at home on the sofa afraid to go out.

I believe there's a responsibility angle here as well, & I don't need to be a proponent of "saving people" to say so.

For example: "OP did not ask for trip advice, and it's already been said -ad nauseam. Adults make their own decisions."

I say, yes, adults make their own decisions … but you give advice on tents in conditions the original poster has presumably never experienced & for distances she has never traveled & for reasons she cannot appreciate. It's hard to see how that's more helpful or courteous. Matter of fact, it's something I would expect an expert to take into consideration when doling out advice.

If you're going hostel to hostel, sometimes camping, sometimes not, then why the need for expert advice? Or to question the advice – ad nauseam? Continue your exciting adventurous life while the rest of us continue on in our boring, cautious ones. Pick a tent at random – it will be exciting & fun! :)

Alessandra,

Gear aside, I can offer trip/destination advice if you so desire.

After graduating college, I traveled solo from California to Chile for 18 months. I visited every country in Central America, and many in South America. During this time I met several women traveling by themselves and none of them reported problems to me, though that does not necessarily mean they did not encounter hardships. Blondes seemed to draw the most attention.

I went to college in San Diego and visited Mexico at least 50, probably closer to 60 times. I have driven the entire Baja peninsula and surfed many breaks ranging from Baja Malibu to Scorpion Bay to Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca province. I have traveled solo and with friends. I have made poor choices, drunken choices, and a few stoned choices. The only time I had a problem in Mexico was I had to pay mordida to a shady cop in Tijuana. He claimed I ran a red light and in the chaotic evening traffic, I may have. I did not bother arguing.

I have made several subsequent trips to Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama. Common sense goes a long way to keeping you safe. Don't wear flashy clothes, jewelry, electronics, etc. Don't try to buy hookers, drugs, or guns.

I noticed you have not set up the PM feature, but you can send me a PM for more info. I do not want to clutter up your posts with too much info.

In summary, there are times you need to exercise caution, and other times just go for it. You sound like an adventurous traveler, so I say trust your instincts and experience and let them guide you through your journey.

As to the gear, buy it as you go. There are plenty of mercados. I never had a problem stocking up on supplies in larger towns. And when I no longer needed something, I gave it to another traveler, left it at a hostel, or donated it to a usually appreciative local.

Best of luck with your journey. Traveling is quite the addiction.

J Dos

"Eh … so you want advice from those who know more than you do and then smash them for giving it to you? Do you know how they got to be experts? It wasn't from sitting at home on the sofa afraid to go out."

And what sort of useful expert advice are there in this post exactly, a part from being offensive?:

"Ben, there's a difference between not planning out every minor detail and going "hey, I'm leaving for 18 months in a couple weeks, can someone explain tents to me" (which is to say nothing of how someone can be expected to survive that long on their own and if they can't even work Google).
All this aside, best of luck on your trip. I look forward to hearing about it. I'll be braving the treacherous West Village NYC while you're in safe Mexico."

"Blondes seemed to draw the most attention."

Amazing, I'm brunette! I'm safe! :-P
Thanks J Dos, I'll pm you.

"Bomber, lightweight, freestanding" is a contradiction. Freestanding tents blow away in a strong wind. Freestanding tents need extra poles to form the structure, which increases the weight. In my opinion, you should really get a tent that uses lines and stakes (or ties to rocks/plants etc). It will be lighter and more reliable.

Somewhere recently I read the comment "if you spend more time carrying your tent than sleeping in it, get an ultralight tent". This seems very good advice to me. You're not even going to sleep in a tent every day, so make it light and nothing fancy. Get something like a Tarptent Contrail which is light and cheap and simple, and can set up with a stick if you break the pole. There are many tents with more headroom and better condensation management and so on; but this is not a house, it's a tent for occasional camping and continuous travel.

On a similar logic I would say:

– If you *must* cook most days for vegetarian food, take a multi-fuel stove and two fuel bottles.
– If not, take no stove. Take a big metal mug that can boil water and cook, for when there is a campfire or kitchen. Fetch water for friends with stoves.

– Get a three season 30F down quilt, and a long down jacket covering your pelvis that you can wear under it. Get a 20F sleeping mat. This combination is very flexible over temperature, for a reasonable weight and bulk. Remember to dry out your down at every opportunity.
– For a short colder mountain trip, you might rent gear. Or buy an extra sleeping mat and a cheap sleeping bag locally to put on top of your quilt, then give it away when you're done.
– If a place is too cold for your gear, just don't go there. Save the mountaineering for another adventure.

In summary, don't try to carry perfect equipment around for 18 months when you might use it for a few weeks. Take what you really *need*, and improvise when you can.

+1 on not buying everything at the start. Get stuff for your first few months…then improvise. Your plans may change, you may meet people and go off on a different adventure, then come back…..

that's the point of all this, right? Just live!

For work I've had to endure LONG months away from home, never ending up where I thought I was going. Start in one place…who knows what's next?? So I learned to supply on the way. Much easier that way, and it gives you much more flexibility.

+1 on the 15-20 degree bag with a down jacket for extra oomph. You can always buy/rent another cheap one later to use IN ADDITION to the the one you have.

Alessandra,

What people do on this site (hiking in first-world countries in protected wildernesses for days at a time) is totally different than what you are planning to do. For the trip you are doing you don't need to go UL with the gear recommended on this forum. I think you will end up using your tent only a handful of times (of which you could easily avoid with some planning and social interaction), and likewise will never need to cook your own meals (for the times when there are no restaurants just eat something that doesn't require cooking). If you look at it this way you will necessarily be going UL because you just don't have to bring those things. With more locally bought things you will attract less attention and no one will want what you have. Talk to people, learn to trust the right ones, make friends, and survive.

Coming onto BPL.com and asking the questions you are asking to the group of people you are asking them to just doesn't make much sense to me. What you're are trying to do and what 99% of us do are two entirely different things. I would contact people that have done similar things to what you want to do. Go for it!

Back in 2007 I did a solo trip via bus and boat from Cuenca, Ecuador, south through Peru, across northern Bolivia, boated into Manaus, caught a bus through Venezuela and Colombia and returned to Quito, Ecuador. Granted this trip was way shorter/faster than what you're talking about, one piece of advice I can give you is to avoid desperation at all costs. When you're desperate you'll make sacrifices/ take risks that you'll later regret and may ultimately place you in dangerous circumstances. This was my experience.

What's wrong with me wanting to camp, hike and cook my own food at times and so asking advice to people who have done it for 30+ years, even if my trip won't be 100% focused on that?
I DO NOT LIKE HOSTELS, I do not like turistic places, I like the wild and the adventure and I like learning as much as I possibly can. I am into sports and I am used to work my posteriorior off.
I won't spend my money in restaurants and/or hotels, so asking questions to people who have "travelled" is pretty useless.
I am an experienced traveller and I like to live indipendently; I like to try and survive in not so ideal situations and I like to get out of difficulties on my own.
I prefer my own company and I like to explore hidden and not so friendly places and conditions. I like risks, challenges and adrenaline.
Isn't this what experience is all about?!

Also, has anyone read my initial post: "Durable, Easy and Simple, Flexible/Versatile, Lightweight, 3-season, FREESTANDING Tent for my 18 months trekking trip of the Americas (starting in Guatemala this coming June and working my way down south-both hot and cold weather)" ? Why people keep giving me parents advice, when I only asked for a tent suggestion? (I do appreciate the advice, although I'd rather have tents suggestions…)

I posted this link to your HELP question several months ago but I don’t know if you ever read it so I will post it again for you:

Here is a series of articles that include gear lists and how they felt about their gear performance Global Test Main Page

Nothing wrong with you "wanting" to camp, hike and cook your own food. Most of the places you will be going through won't have "hostels" for foreign tourists because foreign tourists only go to a few places. Your experience will not be of the "tourist" variety at all. Lots of local people travel to other pueblos and cities to visit family and do business and need a place to stay. You will stay where these people stay. You will eat where everyone else eats, at restaurants, because that is how it is done in that part of the world. It will be cheap. It will be an adventure.

I just think you have a romanticized vision of what your journey/adventure will be like. This isn't going to be a thru-hike through the wilderness. You'll be busing, boating, train hopping, flying, and hitch-hiking. My advice, based on having done something similar to what you want to do in the same part of the world, is to go without a tent and without a stove because I think it will keep your load the lightest and be most appropriate for the situations you will be facing. If you get to know people they will let you sleep in their house; and likewise they won't let you sleep outside in your tent on their land because of concern for your own safety. They will want to house you, share food with you, and talk to you. You seem to be overlooking the culture in my opinion. If this doesn't jive with the vision you have in your head I'm sorry but you asked a question and this is my advice. You can get as frustrated as you want claiming no one is answering your questions but I argue it's because your premise is not based in reality.

"I am an experienced traveller and I like to live indipendently; I like to try and survive in not so ideal situations and I like to get out of difficulties on my own.
I prefer my own company and I like to explore hidden and not so friendly places and conditions. I like risks, challenges and adrenaline."

From Panama to Colombia you will most likely take a speed boat or sail boat to cover that distance. In Colombia you can't just hike where ever you want to; there is an ongoing civil war between paramilitary forces, the Colombian army, the US army, and the FARC. This is not just some media stunt as you suggested is the case in Mexico. This is coming from someone who lived there for 3 years, had close interaction with people involved/victimized by the conflict, and did a lot of hiking similar to what you are describing. You will go from pueblo to pueblo because that is where your supplies will be. If you go another direction you will just end up in the deep forest, far away from food and supplies and close to people engaged in war. If you want to PM me about moving through Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru let me know and I can steer you to "hidden" places with a lot of adventure. You just won't need a freestanding tent and stove; I'm sorry but this is why I can't recommend one.

Liked that very much actually. Thanks!
BUT
I had a few friends doing the same thing in this part of the world and they needed a tent or a shelter, because, sometimes, they liked to camp; or they weren't offered a shelter; or it was raining like hell and they were in the middle of nowwhere; or people were offering them their backyard only; or they wanted to camp on the beach. Wouldn't I want a tent for such occasions? Also, what if I happen to want to hike?

Alessandra,

I agree with William F's post in its entirety.

I am not trying to be a parent of dissuade you from taking a trip. I traveled around the world for much of my 20s and worked as an independent contractor, teacher, writer. I went to many countries people advised me not to visit. I am glad I didn't listen to the naysayers.

As I mentioned in my above post, I am very willing to pass on destinations from my past experiences. It is difficult to recommend one particular style of tent. Between Central and South America, you will be encountering so many different conditions that it's impossible to purchase one tent that is suitable to all conditions. The Peruvian Andes, Patagonia, Guatemalan Highlands, and Panamanian islands are all different beasts. This is why I recommend buying as you go and selling or giving away what you are no longer using. I recouped much of my expenses using this method.

But if you are dead set on selecting a tent before you go, there are several worthy options from Tarptent that should suit your needs. Contact the owner, Henry Shires, outline your needs and I'm sure he'll be willing to help. Big Agnes also has decent offerings. I even used a simple, cheap blue tarp at times. Temps for the most part are not a concern in Central America as it's fairly warm throughout the year. However, once you're in the mountains, that can change quickly. Bugs are a problem year round.

There are limitations to camping solo in the backcountry in Latin America that have nothing to do with the American, or Italian media. That's a fact. As a foreigner sleeping in an expensive tent in rural Nicaragua, you will attract more attention than you prefer. Because of the nature of my personal exploration, I often ended up in remote places looking for surf and hikes. Three masked men robbed me at machete point in Southern Nicaragua, about 40 minutes outside of San Juan Del Sur. I never carry much, so all they got was $10 and my cheap flip-flops. That sucked cuz I had to hike back to town barefoot over blazing hot and sharp rocks. I have experienced similar stories in other countries. These are real things that happened to me, not some hyped-up media report. As William said, there are other parts of Latin America still embroiled in conflict. That does not mean you will have problems, many people do not, but it is food for thought.

It seems to me you are almost describing a thru-hike of this part of the world. Is that impossible? Of course not. I for one think it would make for a hell of an adventure, and probably a movie/book deal the way things are going these days.

People here have been trying to help you, and from what I have seen, have provided many useful, educational links. BPLers have recommended several reputable manufacturers for each item you are seeking. Max made some great suggestions in his first post. Weigh your own wants and needs. If something doesn't work, sell it and try something else. You may have to stay in a major city a week or two to get something shipped to you. My base away from home was a friend's house in San Jose (capital), Costa Rica.

I've been a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines in the '60s and married a Filipina teacher. Truly those were "The good old days" of that culture when it was prosperous and peaceful. Now with overpopulation (encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, I might add) there is a lot of grinding poverty and wholesale corruption of every institution. Not a nice place anymore, sorta like Mexico.

In my travels to the Philippines lately I see it has become more dangerous in Mindanao where Abu Sayef and other Muslim jihadists roam. So I go armed and with armed friends when in the boondocks.

Plus the police are only as good as your willingness to pay them to do their jobs, as it is with all civil servants in that intensely corrupt nation.

My point is that you (and I) have been lucky in our 3rd world travels. May we continue to be so lucky

Useful stuff for tropical areas:
a good mosquito net for sleeping when you're not in a tent, vital for malarial regions;
malaria medicines;
immunizations for the places you'll travel, especially for tropical diseases;
lots of DEET, treat clothes and netting with permethrin if you can find it;
knowledge of the local languages (with a year in Mexico, your Spanish should be fine);
meds for diarrhea;

water purification — filter plus aqua mira (chlorine dioxide), no practical travel filter works on viruses so you need chemicals also; boiling works but in some places you won't have fuel.

It seems like you have a long way to travel before you need to worry about very cold temps, so I'd carry a bag good for the coldest it might get before you reach the Andes. I'd also get a tent that has good netting for bugs and snakes, lots of ventilation and is reasonably cheap.

If you're in Mexico, you have local people who know more than us about the conditions you'll meet in Mexico and central America. For the kind of travel you seem to want, you absolutely need to find out about local conditions and dangers from the local people. You might even consider hiring a local guide for the most difficult places (jungle trekking or climbing high mountains in the Andes).

When I went to Peru, I thought I needed to be prepared for temps from -30F (only happens on Andean summits) to 100F (and very very humid, in the Amazon). Since I didn't have a -30F bag I brought my +20F bag and it was fine for the 4000+ meters we got to. We could have rented mountaineering equipment in Peru if we wanted to climb high in the Andes. In the Amazon it was always too hot for a sleeping bag, but insect protection was vital.

Alessandra,

There are a few threads going on with this topic so forgive me if you are already aware of this. At 6'1", you're height becomes an issue when selecting a tent.

I stopped by an REI today on my way home and in the interests of BPL foreign relations, I checked out a few tents they had set up in the store. Namely the REI Quarterdome 2, Big Agnes Fly Creek 2, and the Marmot Limelight 2. At 6'3", my head and feet were touching the sides in the Quarterdome and Fly Creek even when I tried laying down at an angle. This is without a sleeping pad so adding that to the equation will only worsen the problem.

This is a potential problem for your sleeping bag if your tent has condensation. Max, I believe, is tall and has owned the Fly Creek so he can comment on this more than I can.

Hi Alessandra,

These tents meet most of your criteria. The have models with poles on the outside (Revolution, Chinook) and models with Poles on the inner (Evolution). They also have a couple of other models I haven't checked into yet.

Check availability. I recently ordered one that the website showed as available and received it in 4 days.

I was suggested, a while back, the SMD Scout and Trekker as options for lightweight, cheap tents…do these 2 meet my current requirements (Double-walls, Durability, Ease and Simplicity, Flexibility/Versatility, compactness, 3-season, FREESTANDING and for both cold and hot weather -within reason)?

Also, for the tropics, is it best to have the inner wall of mesh or of nylon?

Cheers.

I'm pretty sure they are not double wall…I think they are hybrid/double wall. I don't think they are free standing…I think they utilize trekking poles.

Are they durable enough though?