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 NatureHike Sand Dune 10.9 hot tent
- reasonably easy to set up with just one person
- optional large TPU clear front door is great for prolonged rain periods or in winter
- superb ventilation and privacy options
- rear door has small awning
- two side doors have meshed windows
- all meshed areas can be fully closed with full fabric
- optional top deck adds very useful heat protection from the sun as well as additional ember and rain protection
- large enough to house most 1-3P freestanding tents as well as a wood stove and space to spare for 5 large chairs and a card table with the front awning set up as well
- only 10.2kg with the optional top deck but no inner tent
Nature Hike Dune 10.9 without the inner tent or top deck
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 set up clam / hub shelters
"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
Tall 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:
NatureHike Sand Dune 10.9 hot tent - a very versatile free standing tent which could be used in 4 seasons
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
