Several of you have mentioned tent camping on your rides. What size/kind of tent do you use and how to you pack it? It's hard for me to see how you'd manage two up riding/camping for a very long trip. I'm anxious to hear your tips.

Thanks,

 

I use a Coleman dome tent, fits in my tourpak. Also a blow up pool floatie with a built in pillow to sleep on

 

..ok, here's what ya need..get this tent..it's new, packs relatively small, and it's lightweight..wait until it's 20% off..sign up for the e-mail newsletter adds..

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Cabella's XPG Ultra lite II. about $160.51/2 lbs.,rolls up to about 6" in dia.It is a 2 man pack tent but would be a little tight for 2 adults.Their next size up is a little bigger and a lb. heavier,but wouldn't take up much more room,about $175.I pack a twin size Coleman air mattress with the batt. operated pump.Very comfortable and a good water proof and wind proof tent.

 

I also recommend the Cabelas XPG Ultralight Tent. I used mine on a couple of riding/camping trips last summer and found it easy and quick to set up and also dry in soaking rains. I'll be camping in it for 2 weeks when I ride out to Sturgis in August.

 

You always will need a tent for one man more than you have; your gear and some room. So as well as getting the 3 man tent for me and the wife, Depot sells pieces of 9x12 painter's plastic you can use - one for the ground cover and one for the bike. But you WILL NOT be able to refold them quite as small as the machine did at the shipper's. If you camp in the Southland, you'll want a tent with full opening flyes with bug netting, instead of just little vents that don't do diddly.
I'm looking now for pool floats for mattresses. REI has some great compact lightweight, foldable backpacker's stove, coffeemakers, and compressible sleeping bags, but their tents and other stuff is overpriced yuppiecrap; you can do better.
Army/navy surplus had our bags, but most military stuff is big and heavy duty; too much for a bike.
Fleabay has some good stuff if you don't mind plastic, like the hollow handle on this knife, that has matches, compass, and the stupid fishhook and line you won't ever use - put a pair of tweezers in it; you get splinters in camp:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

I just got back from a trip from MN to SC. I read about the 'light speed' tent on this forum and got one last year. It sets up in about a minute (seriously); has the fly built in already. There's no messing with poles; you just open it up, shake it, and it pops open ready for stakes.

http://www.lightspeedtents.com/product/Maser_2/10

 

I think the LightSpeed is a catchy idea, but what is 5 minutes time when camping for a dome tent? It's not like you're on a busy schedule and that's plenty of time to get ahead of oncoming rains.
Some study will get you info on seam sealing, floor thickness, zipper types, and the usual size and weight considerations. What I found is that the sooperdooper high end tents aren't that much different from the midrange units. I almost bought the Coleman Dome because of it's guarantee - it's cheap, but some posts I saw on it regarded it as trash because of that - which may just be jealousy because of buying a high end tent making someone's nose point upward.
I think I paid about $120 for our dome off Fleabay (buy it now listing) and with 54" headroom, it's really big for two, with all our gear inside. I also like the hanging loops inside for the little 1" LED lantern (22 hr. battery life, REI) and the mesh bag for shoes/boots. IMO, a vestibule is great for wet boots, or anything that doesn't really HAVE to be inside, leaving room to cook within if it rains.
This all sure is a long way from packing a tarp and sleeping on wet buggy ground! But we were usually drunk back in those days and didn't notice too much... ...I've even slept all night on top of my bike! That would KILL me now!

 

It's not cheap but I have a Marmot EOS 2P that packs great and provide just enough room (not much more though) for two people. Planning 10 days of solo camping with it at this years Sturgis rally.

 

I have the REI Quarter Dome T2 tent. Great tent and packs up easily.

http://www.rei.com/product/761893