Post your tents

KevinsMap

Adventurer
Since the OP said ground tents too...

I posted this in "Camping Equipment", but I'll share it here too:

I originally posted this as a response, in the thread on "What's your number one most useful cooking item?". But then, I realized that I had never really given a public call-out to David Ellis (just a mention of his work, here and there), who had built us the beautiful tent you see below. This is for you David; a very public follow-up, and our gratitude... So - in its entirety, plus a few more pics, my post and now very first thread:

Well, I do cook under the veranda quite often, so I suppose it belongs here too

As you can see below, it's a modified center pole design; A Sunforger treated canvas, 7oz. army duck David Ellis Torrent Tent. It is customized for our needs, with one-half the tent converted into a large open veranda that can be raised or lowered to contend with weather... and makes possible those Swedish pancakes, cooked on the veranda in a hailstorm :) True story, and more than once, because there is something about hail and snow that brings out the Swede in my wife :) The total footprint is 12'x14', with the enclosed part 7'x12'.

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I cannot say enough good things about this tent. It folds very compactly for its size, easily packing into our Jeep, and is quite light - roughly 30lbs - but luxurious beyond belief. It is a true "Storm Rider", including an entire night of sustained 40mph winds (50+mph gusts) in Death Valley last year. That storm took out power for 50 miles around, and cleared out or leveled nearly every tent in that area. No damage at all - It is beautifully constructed, in Durango Colorado. It is cool in full sun and warm in cold wind, and fully screened for pesky critters. It goes up in 15min, 30 for storm stakes.

Taking it down is more like 45 minutes; canvas likes to be cleaned and folded. We have "put it away wet", literally, when we were forced to by circumstances; it's actually much faster but no fun. Very heavy and you must store a canvas tent dry, and that means a stop to set it up and dry it out. So it is our "2 night tent" - we use it when we are staying in one place for at least 2 nights. But we fear no storm, or rain, or hail. It is one tough tent.

http://www.elliscanvastents.com

As for all that red furniture and linen, well, meet my wife ;-)

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Now I'm going to start my first thread with this very post, because it occurs to me that I should give David Ellis some public visibility for building such a great tent. Appropriate, too, because he delivered it to us at Overland Expo West in 2014, and I found his work on this forum!

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Edit added: Here is the tent folded into its carry bag, loaded into the jeep. it is the light tan bag with the black cross-straps at the end, just behind the drivers seat. All the stakes and poles are in that bag.

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iowalr4

Adventurer
Kodiak 10"x10" deluxe. I love this tent, except for that they say you can't pack it wet, which is a problem because we get rained on more than anyone I know.

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We camp 4 people with enough gear/supplies to camp for quite a while. The tent packs pretty large and is heavy, but it is fantastic to live out of.

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We pack the ~50" pole bag on the rack. Won't fit in the vehicle with the cargo barrier in place.

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KevinsMap

Adventurer
That's pretty awesome. I think the tent I got married under was slightly smaller :)

I blame David Ellis for my shameless self-indulgence; and truly, I would feel a powerful chagrin... if this tent weren't so dang practical and tough.

Yes, that's my excuse ;-) But I must admit, I am tempted to post it in the thread now trending "Tiny House Living" in Fireside Chat. Because I could live in this tent, pretty much indefinitely.

Now Dawn, my wife, feels no need for excuses. She is perfectly happy to carry the tent, to set stakes, whatever... so long as the pancakes are on offer, cooking up next to her chair on the veranda :)
 

Singlespeed92

Observer
I use our tents on bikepacking/touring trips as well (they're used most often of any kinda use for overnighter bike trips,with FJ Cruiser-camping 2nd,and longer bike trips rare),so they're not huge or heavy.

When going solo (or with my 13 year old son),I mostly take the Kelty Tempest 2,which as the name suggests is designed for 2 peeps (who know one another well,LOL,it's small :p )...




But for longer trips (bike) and FJ camping with my family (which includes the Wife,son,and 45lb dog,Moonlight) for a bit more elbow room,we take the Kelty Trail Ridge 3 (which has actually slept 4 comfortably before our daughter moved out this year...1/2 way there to being empty nesters here :wings::victory::( ),it's not only roomier,it has a door and vestibule on either side...




(pay no mind to the mobile home in the background,********,it's paid for so it's cheap living :camping::xxrotflma)
 

keenz

New member
I use our tents on bikepacking/touring trips as well (they're used most often of any kinda use for overnighter bike trips,with FJ Cruiser-camping 2nd,and longer bike trips rare),so they're not huge or heavy.

When going solo (or with my 13 year old son),I mostly take the Kelty Tempest 2,which as the name suggests is designed for 2 peeps (who know one another well,LOL,it's small :p )...




But for longer trips (bike) and FJ camping with my family (which includes the Wife,son,and 45lb dog,Moonlight) for a bit more elbow room,we take the Kelty Trail Ridge 3 (which has actually slept 4 comfortably before our daughter moved out this year...1/2 way there to being empty nesters here :wings::victory::( ),it's not only roomier,it has a door and vestibule on either side...




(pay no mind to the mobile home in the background,********,it's paid for so it's cheap living :camping::xxrotflma)


Paid for and cheap living is exactly all people need it's a roof over your head. Period. I say good on you!
 

nwoods

Expedition Leader

Singlespeed, you might seriously consider buying the appropriate footprint offered for your tents. That tarp will work against you in the event of rain. Since it sticks out beyond the "drip line" of your rain fly, it will collect and channel water directly under your tent, essentially creating a bathtub that your tent is floating in. Its only a matter of time at that point before that water soaks through and you get the dreaded wet sleeping bag feeling....
 

Singlespeed92

Observer
Paid for and cheap living is exactly all people need it's a roof over your head. Period. I say good on you!

LOL,truth that :)

Singlespeed, you might seriously consider buying the appropriate footprint offered for your tents. That tarp will work against you in the event of rain. Since it sticks out beyond the "drip line" of your rain fly, it will collect and channel water directly under your tent, essentially creating a bathtub that your tent is floating in. Its only a matter of time at that point before that water soaks through and you get the dreaded wet sleeping bag feeling....

Great advice for anyone new to tent camping (we're not new to tents,FWIW,been tent camping all my life,and as a family the 23 years we've been married/all my kid's lives)--Note that we do have and use footprints (from Kelty) for them,the tarps were only for setup for clean up and checking for any damage at the start of this season when I shot the pics :)
 

Lucky j

Explorer
Yeap, or just cut or fold your blue tarp smaller than the rain fly!

LOL,truth that :)



Great advice for anyone new to tent camping (we're not new to tents,FWIW,been tent camping all my life,and as a family the 23 years we've been married/all my kid's lives)--Note that we do have and use footprints (from Kelty) for them,the tarps were only for setup for clean up and checking for any damage at the start of this season when I shot the pics :)
 

Lucky j

Explorer
3rd year with my arb with a lot or rain and still no need for water proofing.

Well this is my first picture of my tent setup.
It's no tepui or arb but you know what, It did the job.

I'd plug the site I'm not sure if its allowed though.

Only complaint,
It poured. Tent was a bit damp the last morning. Actually rather damp. What are you guys using for waterproofing? Canvas sealer?

I like it though.

Glad I bought one.

I lookedd in to it for a year.. was going to buy one in the winter back when the Canadian dollar was worth something.. then it crashed and the tepui was just not a logical purchase.

Fyi,
First time setting up the annex.
Second setup was proper it was a lot tighter on the walls.
Still extremely sloppy for wind though.
 

Singlespeed92

Observer
Yeap, or just cut or fold your blue tarp smaller than the rain fly!

I've done that in the past as well. Back when I owned/drove a tractor and flatbed trailer long haul,for a few years,I even used one of those (very heavy duty for non-trucking tarp use) tarps cut to fit as tent footprints. Kelty just happened to have a great sake going "site-wide",I had a "customer loyalty coupon" I'd received from them added to that,I spent something like $200 for $475 worth of gear is how I wound up with a store-bought footprint for 2 Kelty tents this go round :p
 

Lucky j

Explorer
Hey, what ever works for you. Some people are just short on $$. I prefer the real thong my self, but you already had the blue tarp ans used it as fot print. But you found a good deal on it!

Happy for you! :)

I've done that in the past as well. Back when I owned/drove a tractor and flatbed trailer long haul,for a few years,I even used one of those (very heavy duty for non-trucking tarp use) tarps cut to fit as tent footprints. Kelty just happened to have a great sake going "site-wide",I had a "customer loyalty coupon" I'd received from them added to that,I spent something like $200 for $475 worth of gear is how I wound up with a store-bought footprint for 2 Kelty tents this go round :p
 

keenz

New member
3rd year with my arb with a lot or rain and still no need for water proofing.

See the material specs are the same across compared to arb or tepui I made to check that prior to purchase.
Waterproofing quality is clearly different.
When I initially got it I soaked it and water beaded right off it.

I've just costed the seams with uvx2 and going to spray the fly and annex down with some waterproofing.
 

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