One man tent for bikepacking

Nature hike cloud-up 1

Go for the slightly more expensive, but lighter ~£150 nylon version if you can. Although IIRC there are upsides to the cheaper polyester one, more durable, less stretchy, and polyester is naturally water resistant so will shed water it's whole life while nylon needs treating. Nylon is substantially lighter though.

It's not the lightest, and the funky design means you couldn't swap poles for carbon ones or anything. But it's pretty spacious (even for me at 6ft/95kg in a winter bag), the weights manageable, and it's on the cusp of to get much lighter you have to spend multiples of what it costs.

Terra nova laser compact - 1kg and packs small.

My mate had a oex phoxx that was snug so upgraded to a naturehike cloud up 2. The 2 isn't really a 2 but roomy for the little extra size / weight. Makes all the difference.
I had a little jack wolfskin gossamer 2 too but switched to a cloud up 2 also after seeing his. Only used mine twice but go for the better fabric. Definatley only a 3 season due to the heavy use of mesh on the inner. Mine was about 125 quid (better quality flysheet). Prices on amazon do swing a bit. For the money it seems reasonable so I went for it. Also you can pitch the fly onto thw groundsheet and then slip on the inner in foul weather (but you might not want t9 bother)
The other I almost went for was the alpkit soloist xl. They seem decent and I like alpkit stuff.

There's a Soloist in the Classifieds (not mine)

I've been eyeing up this

https://www.outdooraction.co.uk/robens-arrow-head-tent-p11223

I have the bobcat and it's been fine,at 5'11 there isn't much room head to toe, so would say 6ft + it might be a tight fit,not a massive tent inside but has a porch, easy to put up,I got mine when it was £55 as the pieces go up and down more than a yo-yo at go outdoors

Soloist just went I to alpkit sale too. 

OEX Phoxx 1 v2.

Pros...

Packs really small - width fits between brake levers.

Quick to put up - couple of mins with practice.

Cheap - I got it for £60ish.

Light for the price.

Holds up well under heavy rain and wind - North Devon I'm looking at you!

Cons...

Pretty snug - I'm 6ft and I fit ok. Just.

Inner goes up first.

Supplied 'dry-bag' is a bit rubbish. I replaced it.

I have a soloist. I tried the alpkit Bivi bag, the alpkit hopped Bivi bag and my 20 year old 2 man tent.

Bivi bag- bug crawled up my nose due to camping somewhere stupid

Hooped Bivi bag, or was light but having not quite 10cm space above my nose is too claustrophobic for me

2 man tent- good space for me and all my stuff inside out the rain.

Soloist- fine for me and my kit. Much lighter than the two man. No bugs up my nose, enough space to sit up, decent porch for gear to be out the rain. I've only had about 5 nights in it over 4 years due to having a wee one.

I'm happy to pay the extra weight over the Bivi bags. I'm sure tents the weight of the bags are possible, but I'd rather not fork out for them.

I'd buy the solosit on the classifieds 😃

https://alpkit.com/products/soloist

I'm tall. the extra 20cm length and  0.7kg less  would sway it for me.

I've got a soloist too. Nice little tent. Reasonable price. Fits into seat bag perfectly. Plenty space inside, easy to put up. I got a Soloist ground sheet that goes under it for extra protection.

Lan Shan 1. You need a hiking pole but that can be got cheap in Decathlon (£10ish).

Are we talking standard Soloist, or XL?

I have a OEX Phoxx 1 which is very small, the headroom is so low it's not possible to sit up inside, which means laying down all the time, fine in summer when time in the tent may be less but not in winter, makes for a long night...

Soloist XL + footprint groundsheet for £140 in the Alpkit sale. I'm tempted!

Lan Shan 1. You need a hiking pole but that can be got cheap in Decathlon (£10ish).

You can buy collapsible alloy/carbon poles for them too that'll fit into frame bag. 

My mate had a oex phoxx that was snug so upgraded to a naturehike cloud up 2. The 2 isn’t really a 2 but roomy for the little extra size / weight. Makes all the difference.

I'm inclined to agree, but the 1 isn't actually that much smaller. The 2 is a cosy 2, the 1 is a 1 + all your kit.

The Aeronaut 1 and the Soloist are both in the sale at £120. What are people's preferences of the two? After looking at the Aeronaut in store the other week I was really impressed with how small it stuffs down. Longevity might be a concern?

Ive got an OEX bivvi bag, an OEX Phoxx 1, an Alpkit Hoop Bivi and a NH Cloud up2. Dont really like the phoxx, its only a bit bigger (internally) than the the hoop Bivvi , but quite a bit heavier. The hope bivvi is decent but still quite big for what it is, there's enough space round my head to to sleep in comfort. Its not that much smaller (when packed) than the Cloud up 2 though, which is a good tent and I really like it. As described above its a cosy 2 really or roomy 1. It came with a foot print which you could ditch if you wanted to go superlight. Its cold though, the inner is mostly mesh. So for me its the normal bivvi if I want to go super light, then the Cloud up 2 for everything else. I keep the other 2 for the kids or will use the hooped bivvi if I know the midges will be bad!

Am tempted by an Aeronaught 1 at that price though...

I've a Snugpak Journey Solo

Pt2 of a vid. Pt1 shows setting up, internal size etc.

Im 6'3" and its long enough for me.

Its kind of a cross between a bivvy and a 1 man tent. Quite low to the ground, but not super low like a hooped bivvy.

Before you buy check the extra weight of a two-man. Then consider how long a cheap tent will last before the seams come unstuck or the ground sheet becomes porous even if never used. I use a two-man 870gm MSR when walking and a two-man 1750gm Vaudé on the bike or for Winter walking. Neither were cheap but the Vaudé is the tent I've used for longest that is still weatherproof.

+1 on longevity and strength.

My Alpkit Delta is / was a cracking tent. But it took real care to keep going. The groundsheet was punctured about 5 times, the fly started to tear and in stronger wind the whole thing was just a carrier bag (some of which was the Delta's design, but a lot was thin, stretchy material).

My old Macpac and new Robens while heavier just shrugged off wet and windy weather, the groundsheet doesn't need a second thick protector etc.

What's that saying about lightweight, strong, cheap and pick two?

You can buy collapsible alloy/carbon poles for them too that’ll fit into frame bag. 

I got one made by some eBay place to the specific size so that it would go in frame bag. My Lan Shan is a teepee style and not one man, although it is decent quality, light and cheap. The seems needed sealing though which easy enough to do put a bit of a pain.

Lan Shan 1. You need a hiking pole but that can be got cheap in Decathlon (£10ish).

Dreadful tents. Not seam sealed and there's so many reviews of them failing in bad weather.

Interesting that no one has asked where (mountains, campsites, etc) and what time of the year it'll be used, which is a key question to ask before blindly recommending some cheap crap tent.

Interesting that no one has asked where (mountains, campsites, ect) and what time of the year it’ll be used, which is a key question to ask before recommending some cheap crap tent.

Intended use is a bit of light bikepacking in spring/summer - Peak District campsite/one night wild camp. Weather can turn crappy even in summer atop Kinder et al though, although we may not go that high

Priorities for me (for bikepacking):

Outer pitch first, able to sit up, long enough for my sleeping bag not to touch the inner, lack of packing bulk and  3 season as live in Scotland.

I bought a Vango F10 Helium 1 man after lots of looking around and having experienced the perfect tent (Phoenix Phreerunner goretex tent) previously that fell apart.  There were better tents but I set a £200-250 budget.

I dislike front opening tents, they're a PITA when it's wet IMO.

Always use a groundsheet/footprint and with the Vango you can leave it fully 'assembled' and put it up in one go with outer, inner and footprint all attached.

Pole length isn't an issue for me, as tall and consequently have XL framed bikes with long top-tubes and frame bags and while I'm not bothered about weight, the Vango is light (less than 3lb all in with footprint and extra pegs).

I'd definitely go for a tent you can sit up in.
I bought a Highlander Blackthorn 1 tent just to try out bikepacking a couple of yers ago.
It's a cheap, basic tent (think I paid about £55) which is all I was really after, but for me it is too low - and I'm a short arse.
You can't sit up in it, which I found awkward once we'd stopped riding & had pitched up. It was also a real struggle getting dressed the next morning in the tent.
They also do an XL version of it, but it's only marginally taller.

I keep looking at the Cloud-up 1 or 2 to replace it, but don't really have much opportunity to get out for backpacking overnighters, so I keep putting it off.

Decathlon do a good looking one man tent, although I feel that it is maybe a bit too compact - it's very narrow inside, and it's not a great colour for discrete camping - it's a pale grey colour, rather than a drab green or brown.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/1-man-trekking-dome-tent-mt900/_/R-p-305777?mc=8545744

I dislike front opening tents, they’re a PITA when it’s wet IMO.

I've just bought a new one for that reason. Climbing in and out after a long day in the saddle always seems to risk setting off cramp!

If OP wants something that's a fraction of the price of the Bobcat, and half the weight, but is still a 'tent' rather than a bivvy, how about this?

https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/vlt-1p-tent/

blindly recommending some cheap crap tent.

Ahhh good old STW.

Q: Recommend me a budget tent for occasional use.

STW: anything short of sub 1kg and £600 is crap and you'll get laughed out of Camp2 at Everest.

Before you buy check the extra weight of a two-man. 

I'd second that. A lot of ultralight stuff is sized small to cut weight and often the two-person versions are snug as hell for two, but make a really nice, roomy one-person tent without a massive weight penalty. Also, if you're going really light, factor in the extra weight/cost of a lightweight footprint - your ultralight groundsheet fabric will thank you for it.

I'm not massively bothered about sitting up headroom, but a lot of solo tents - eg Vango Helium - are designed with low headspace at either end, which I hate. I really don't want the inner fabric to be six inches above my nose when I'm lying down in a sleeping bag, I just find it unpleasant and mildly claustrophobic, YMMV.

I've not used any of the super budget stuff, but mid-market kit from Vango and Alpkit has generally been a good balance of weight, quality and durability ime. A mate swears by the Terra Nova Coshee as a tough little backpacking tent - currently sub-£100 in the outlet section of their website. Not the lightest at 1400g for the Micro, but not insanely heavy and an established brand, even if some people hate them. I find the Lazer stuff faffy and overly complicated tbh, but the cheaper range is actually simpler and arguably better for it. 

If you win the lottery, Hilleberg stuff rocks, but is a little heavy, Nordisk is lovely and light but still strong, but mad expensive too. But that's way off topic. 

Pole length isn’t an issue for me

Humble brag much.

Ultracheap tents are just landfill waiting to happen. Spend a bit more, store it properly when not in use. I spent a lot of time in a slightly larger version (I'm 6'4") of this in some fairly challenging weather. Not perfect but easy to use.

https://flic.kr/p/ff8ZPd
https://flic.kr/p/ff1fSv
https://flic.kr/p/ffg4ys

I purchased a Tarpstar 2 (got one in the sale from Alpkit) for my west highland way trip last year.  I only managed to try it out a week before I started and that was in good weather, so I was very nervous before the trip.

I used the tent over a 10 day trip, 7 of these were used for the WHW so it was a mixture of campsites and wild camping. We had 3 nights of horrendous weather and I was very nervous on the first night sat in my tent.  As it happens the nervousness was wasted energy.  The tent stood up to a lot of abuse from the weather, both wind and rain.

The tent stayed upright and the inside was dry, it did the job very well.  Its not that heavy, it does require a pole.  I have only used it once on a bike packing trip, the only downside is that its a little bulky for the bikepacking bags, other than that its been a great tent.

I used a few weeks back in the Berywns where we all had a sleepless night due to the ferocious winds, again it stood up and did its job!

My plan was to use it for the trip and then sell it, but I have decided to keep it.  I  am so glad I didnt take my Lunar Solo!

But as with any equipment it depends on when and where you are going to use it.

I’ve got a soloist xl to dip my toe in the water of cycling with a tent.

It’s ok. It’s well made. It keeps the rain out. At 6 foot 4 I can lie down in it and sit up. Getting in and out is a PITA as the door is too low. Even worse in the rain as the door over hangs the sleeping area.

In think it’s good for the money. But if I keep camping by bike I’ll spend more. Probably similar weight but more space and a side opening

Anyone used the Vango Hydrogen F10 with the inflatable arch?

Anyone used the Vango Hydrogen F10 with the inflatable arch?

I've used one a few times. On the plus side it's very light, the inflatable arch is quite stable - you need a pump to inflate it properly, but hey, you should have one of those - and it pitches quite easily, all in one as the fly and inner are interlinked. Reasonable amount of room, but not exactly spacious from memory. The fabrics are, unsurprisingly, very thin and feel a little flimsy - you'll definitely want a footprint to protect the ground-sheet unless you like living dangerously, an extra - checks google - 21 quid and 170g. 

Also they've done that thing of supplying stupidly light titanium wire pegs, which would be great for keeping your hair in place, but have all the holding power of a paper-clip, so you'll probably want to upgrade those for something more substantial.

It is stupidly light and packs very small, the inflatable arch is good for bikepacking use,  but I had proper nagging doubts over how robust it would be in rough conditions, though to be fair, there's no pole to break and by the time you've added a footprint and proper pegs it's not quite as stupidly light as it was, though still pretty impressive. 

My gut feeling about it, was always that it had gone a little too far down the ultra-lightweight rabbit hole to the detriment of durability, but timing and circumstances meant I never got to use it in really poor conditions. I know at least one person who bought one for ultra-light bikepacking and seemed a bit meh about it too.

Sorry, limited help I guess.

If you can find one on ebay or wherever, Aldi did "Adventuridge Hiking Tent" a few years back, £20 at the time and a very decent design, one hoop, side door and 1.5kg. More than adequate for summer weekends.

Sorry, limited help I guess.

Not at all. I've always been curious about them, but there's very few real world reviews out there, and they're expensive.

I thought that the inflatable arch was a good idea for bike packing.

I thought that the inflatable arch was a good idea for bike packing.

I think it is. Nemo did a hooped bivi using one years ago and that was similarly very stuffable. Mike Hall used one on his round the world trip. Means you're not restricted by pole length. The other approach is the one Terra Nova uses on some of its compact tents, where they've used shorter section poles to reduce dimensions, though obviously you can't stuff them.

The other good thing about inflatable beams is that in really rough conditions, they tend to deform then spring back rather than failing catastrophically. Also ideal for bikepacking as you'll be carrying a pump anyway. Oh, I think it might be a Schrader rather than a Presta valve on the Vango, which could be irritating if your pump doesn't cater for both types.

I have been using an Alpkit Soloist for the last 4 years. As a first tent for bikepacking it has been excellent. It’s light, packs small and is easy to erect, but has its drawbacks:

The standard model is quite short. I’m 6’ tall and only just fit in it. 

The front entrance door is a terrible design. Too low and hangs inside the tent when opening. Not good when it’s raining.

I have now ‘upgraded’ to the Alpkit Jaran 2. It’s not much heavier than the Soloist (800g extra) but has much more room, a taller ‘ceiling’ and 2 side entrances. 

I got it for £130 in a sale at the start of 2023. At the time the rrp was £180. Unfortunately it looks like they have hiked the price quite a lot and it’s now £250!

STW: anything short of sub 1kg and £600 is crap and you’ll get laughed out of Camp2 at Everest.

Or, recognising the reality of buying the *cheapest possible* tent rather than looking to balance cost, reliability/durability and weight.

I don't think anyone has suggested a £600 tent, perhaps spending £150-200, not £80-150 is sensible and sustainable...

I’m planning a running trip over a couple of days, and was going to use running poles during the day, so a tent that uses trekking poles seems obvious. Am I being too risk averse thinking that if I snap a pole whilst running my tent is compromised?

if I snap a pole whilst running my tent is compromised?

No, you have a right big bivvy bag.

I have two trekkertents - ultralight walking pole tents.  Not cheap and long lead times but a lot of stability and space for the weight.  Stealth1.5 which is a big one man tent 700g without poles but including pegs and a drift custom which is a big two man tent IKg without poles.  I have some CF poles which add 300g ish.  Both tents with solid cloth inners.

For bikepacking the trrekking pole tents have less advantage and tend to be compromised in other ways.

I almost bought the Snugpak one from FB marketplace the other day for £100 used once, but I spent all my pocket money on car suspension components instead.

Wild country zephyros 1 compact user here, got it in a sale years ago. Packs small, goes up quickly, not the biggest but I got the footprint which gives you a bit more non-grassy space.

I also bought a Vango Banshee 200, many many years ago.  Its the only tent I have never sold on, the only downside for me (now that I am older) is that I cant sit up in it.

Yes its a tad heavy and bulky, but bang for buck its great, also it has withstood some of the worst conditions I have ever camped out in, in the Lakes.