SMALL VEHICLE + A TENT ??

[Ken in Anaheim]

I'd appreciate comments from folks that are successfully using a small vehicle/tent combo for their "way-of-life". Have you found a tent able to stand up to the desert winds ? Any info, tips etc. ....
KinA

 

[29chico]

I'd appreciate comments from folks that are successfully using a small vehicle/tent combo for their "way-of-life". Have you found a tent able to stand up to the desert winds ? Any info, tips etc. ....
KinA

A four pole geodesic dome mountaineering tent that is sold as a true 4 season high altitude use shelter should do the trick.

The North Face ve25 is the classic example of what I am talking about.  Not cheap.  It has become known to handle massive foul weather abuse with lots of snow loading for decades now.  Probably way overkill for your your intended use, I'm referring to it as an example of how a tough tent is built.

Link:  http://www.backcountry.com/the-north-face-ve-25-tent-3-person-4-season

Need a little more room for a bit less cash?  The Cabela's Alaskan Guide® Geodesic Tent with Aluminum Poles – 4-Person would be a bit less stout but still very strong as it shares the same basic design.

Link: http://www.cabelas.com/product/camp...uts?destination=/catalog/browse.cmd?N=1100672

The more poles a tent has, and the more intersections there are of those poles, the stronger a tent is.

No matter what tent you get, use a heavy duty plastic tarp under the tent to protect the floor.  Fold the parts of the tarp that stick out from the tent back UNDER the part of the tarp that is under floor of the tent.  Make sure that 4 inches of the tent floor sticks out past the tarp that it is sitting on to prevent the tarp from gathering water and causing that water to run underneath the tent floor.  Most quality tents have an optional "floor footprint" and I like to use them on the inside to protect the top side of the floor.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Hey Ken...long time

I've seen lesser priced tents that would have worked IF they had been tied off with guy lines to solid stakes. Often there's nothing to block the wind and the tent takes a beating. 

Are you still thinking about migrating to Az?

 

[masterplumber]

I did a review a while back on my Kifaru tipi. Which is currently set up here at RTR. It will withstand wind extremely well, and gives you stand up room. But like any nylon type fabric it will degrade in the sun. I've seen people successfully use cheaper dome tents by wrapping them completely with blue tarps. It takes a bit of work to get the tarps right, so you still have some ventilation, but also create a insulating air space. Not something you want to move more than once every couple weeks, but can be done very cheaply and when the tarps wear out you just get new ones for less than $20

 

[BradKW]

Tent shopping is fun!

Basically you're going to be fine with about anything rated as a 3-season tent. I've had a very expensive 4-season tent ($500ish) and the difference is that it can be rigged for snow load. A good 3-season will be able to withstand wind just as well as a 4-season. In both cases, wind resistance has a lot to do with effective stake-down. There are different types of stakes for different terrain, so make sure you also buy good stakes for at least "sandy" and "rocky" soil...they aren't expensive and take up little room.

If space and weight are a premium, the non-geodesics are the way to go: https://www.campmor.com/c/marmot-starlight-1-person-tent
That's a great little tent, I used the Kelty version for 10yrs. Downside is its not free-standing, so minimum of 2 stakes required even on a clear, windless night. Also, ease of entry/egress grows exponentially for every 5 years you age. At 20, its the coolest thing ever. At 30, you wonder if it was always this challenging to take a leak in middle of night. At 40 you buy a different tent. At 50, you are a tai chi master and everyone envies you if this tent is still working for you.

A little more expensive is this gem: http://www.rei.com/product/827809/rei-passage-1-tent at around $200.
I had this and really liked the ease of entry and its freestanding. When you get into this class of tents you will start seeing options for fly-only + ground cloth setups. That means that on a nice, bug-free night, you don't set the tent, just the rainfly and custom ground cloth. Its always worth getting the custom ground tarp if its not included...its shaped to the tent, protects the floor, lets you set on wet ground, and unlike a generic tarp, it won't funnel rain into a lake under tent.

Decide what aspects are most important to you then compare specs. Since you're car camping, odds are backpacking weights aren't something you want to pay a premium for...an extra 3 pounds can greatly increase the size/comfort of a tent, and actually cost you less. An extra 10 pounds can get you a tent that sets itself up, just toss it