Table of Contents
larger tents without integrated floors to act as fly tents or hot tents
see also:
- I don't sell any of these nor do I receive any remuneration if you buy them, and I have not personally reviewed all of them, they are listed here to give you perspective
Introduction
- larger touring tents with floors have a major problem in that the floor is very difficult to ensure it is adequately dry before packing up plus it risks catching fire when used with a stove
- a solution to this is to use a tent without a floor to essentially provide cover for a smaller 2P tent which does have a floor such as a 2P Mozzie tent or a swag
- in winter when there are unlikely to be problematic crawling or flying insects, such a tent could be used with a stretcher bed without an inner tent
- the absence of a floor also means the weight is reduced and allows safer use of a wood stove to make it a hot tent
- my favourite is the Mobi Garden GuanTu 15㎡ French Window hot tent (see Mobi Garden Guan Tu V (On The Road V) hot tent / gazebo)
- very versatile, practically mosquito proof, fully wind and rain protected “gazebo” with 3 French windows and doors with awnings and mesh at each end
- large enough to drive a car inside or can just back the boot of your car under one of the awnings
- easily fits a wood stove with chimney and a 2P tent inside
- snow skirt for added wind protection
- not too heavy at 13kg, packs relatively small, can be set up by one person and it dries out fast
- freestanding and can be easily moved by two people
- I would have preferred the French windows to be clear TPU for better visibility rather than the mesh but that is nit picking and the mesh would be better on warm humid nights when you want even more ventilation
Internal skirt "sod cloth" vs external snow skirt
- tent skirts have disappeared from most tents as most modern tents have fully sealed sewn in floors
- however, in tents without floors, a skirt can be very important especially in very windy weather
- a skirt has very important functions when used correctly by weighing &/or pegging the skirt down:
- reduces chance of strong winds getting under the tent and destroying the tent
- reduces dust ingress into the tent
- reduces larger animals getting into the tent such as snakes and some vermin although these may only need a gap of an inch or so
- an internal skirt has additional advantages over a external snow skirt:
- rain does not pool on top of it so it dries out more quickly
- it can be tended to from inside the tent
- BUT it can't be used as a snow skirt - although these are not really needed as snow can be piled up on the outside of the tent
- and unlike an external skirt, it can't redirect water running down the tent wall away from the tent
Tipi tents
- most tipi tents:
- do not have a floor
- have a centre pole which impacts interior space use
- need an awning over the doorway to prevent rain coming in when the door is open
- have limited standing headspace limited to a circular area in the centre
- have very good wind resistance and generally function well in snow or rain
- see tipi tents
example without centre pole:
"fast frame" tents without floors
Polaris Delphinus Lite fast frame tent / gazebo
- 3.05×3.05×2.15m cabin style; fast frame poles seem to be plastic; 19mm awning poles; 1 large white mesh window on each side with external awning / rain shield - whole window can be rolled up to make gazebo style; large mesh doors with awnings on each end; snow skirt; docking section for car;
- 16.6kg base version; 3000mm PU WH 150D Oxford fabric; partial roof fly with 150D 20,000mm PU and dark coating; two small triangular central roof mesh vents;
- https://brand.naver.com/bellenuit/products/6475216477 348,000 won on special
- opt. TPU panel for rear door adds 1.25kg 69,000won
- opt. bathtub style floor adds 6.3kg? 99,000won
- opt. windscreen 62,100won - is this the docking station? seems unlikely
- see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w85OhDtHfIo set up in heavy snow with 40cm snow fall overnight!
- cons:
- no internal blinds on the large mesh windows only roll DOWN zipped external awning which reduces privacy options significantly but at least you get great vision
- frame may not be durable in strong winds
- ?inadequate guy out points
UK Khyam Screenhub Quick Erect Shelter Gazebo
- 3x3x2.3m high; 4 removable ?TPU large doors; 150D fly;
- opt. clip in floor £87.99 GBP
- opt zip in mesh panels £117.99 GBP each
- opt. bedroom annexe £147.99 GBP
- 15kg packs to 108x27x27cm
dome style tents
- see large dome tents for a large range of such tents
- give much more head room than a tipi tent
- no centre pole means internal space is better utilised
- generally have lots of windows/doors for almost 360deg visibility and versatility
- some a geodesic designed frames for excellent storm resistance
- many can be used as hot tents with wood stoves
- most are freestanding
example
http://www.camvil.co.kr/goods/goods_view.php?goodsNo=1000000025
Tunnel tents
- most of these are NOT freestanding but some are
- many can be used as hot tents with wood stoves
- they often have a door wide enough and tall enough to allow your hatchback on your car to be reversed into the doorway ie they are “car shelters”
- they are usually large enough to allow at least a 2P or perhaps 3P mesh tent to be used inside
- see large tunnel / car tents for a large range of styles
example:
Mobi Garden Guan Tu V (On The Road V) hot tent / gazebo - this is a freestanding tent, with almost complete mesh protection, and has a stove jack plus two wide doors
Air Framed Inflatable Tents
- see also inflatable air beam tents
Gopamir Air300 TPU
- main shelter:
- pentagonal gazebo-like 30D nylon 3000mm WH; some 20D nylon DWR; air poles 2.0 Bar;
- 4.8m at widest; each side is 3m wide; walls are 1.35m high then angles to ceiling peak of 2.2m high; metal awning poles?
- angulated wide door
- optional large clear TPU zip on door 2.6×2.2m packs to 30x35cm https://smartstore.naver.com/gpoutdoors/products/7613285069 189,000KRW
- chimney can go through ceiling vent near centre of tent;
- 8.7kg incl. pump; packs to 55x30x30cm;
- optional rear inner tent:
- 75D 210T nylon 10,000mm
- plus some 20D and 30D ripstop nylon
- 4P: symmetrical with two parts each 2.7/2.0m x 1.4-1.65m
- 1.92kg
- optional floor 168,000KRW
Marquis type vertical side wide wall circus tent style tipis
MXT01 tent
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004652464979.html $AU598 plus$114 shipping
- 4.5m diam x 2.8m high; octagonal; centre pole;
- 3000mm wh cotton; stove jack; adjustable ceiling vent;
- fly has partial awnings out to each tie down point and these effectively double the footprint so you need a 9-10m diam camp site for it but can be used alone
- TC cotton PU450mm
- 1.4m high side panels each with poles: 210 Oxford PU2000mm, each panel has a floor to top of vertical wall large door;
- detachable floor: 600D Oxford PU3000mm;
- 23.5kg; packs to 88x37x37cm;
- looks like it needs at least 2 people to set up
Unusual designs
OneTigris Nebula double peaked tent
- 2.4×2.4×1.6m high but 4m wide at longest part, 40D silnylon 3000mm in Black
- 2 main vertical rear inner poles are 2.4m apart and 1.6m high;
- two very large doors 40Dmesh+fabric each can be set up as an awning (2 poles provided only and are 1.25m tall)
- 1 large side vent; no inner tent;
- the unusual design and lack of instructions makes it difficult to set up if you haven't done it before, and worse if setting up in the wind.
- 68D footprint
- 4.8kg; packs to 56x22cm;
HandyBro's The DooKan double story hot tent
- very heavy, expensive modular versatile tent with a unique double story section
- whole tent will weight almost 50kg and set you back over $AU4000 plus delivery
