[Closed] Tent for Iceland camping

I don't think I'd trust a Halo in really high winds - if that's a real possibility I'd be looking at some sort of fully geodesic tent. The obvious one is the Quasar, but Vango Force 10 has similar (F10 MTN2), Alpkit Kangi is very similar to a Quasar, MHW TRango 2 ditto etc.

A well pitched good quality tunnel pitched properly and end on to the wind will probably work too, but a mountaineering geodesic is going to be your bombproof option though it might feel like overkill for car camping.

There's nothing wrong with Vango as a brand, but probably not that tent from their range.

I’ve got and old but incredibly solid North Face Mountain 24 tent which is bombproof. If I were car camping and wanted something that was pretty much guaranteed to survive a gale, that would be it.

Doesn’t get used much any more as it’s not particularly spacious and if I’m car camping I’d rather take something bigger I can stand up in. Think it’s been replaced by the Mountain 25 now but that’s what I’d be looking for, some sort of base camp tent.

I had a Halo 300 for a couple of years and it's great bang for buck - but it's not so good in high winds, and got flattened once camping rough in Wales with my now-ex-girlfriend inside it - oh, how she laughed...). I'd echo comments above about geodesics - and NOT three pole semi-geodesics, of which I've had a couple, and they're a poor compromise.

Can't really comment on that particular tent, but I've camped down to -20 a bit in Norway.. yes, wind is a problem, but it's a geodesic so at least it won't go down flat, as a hoop tent might.. I do observe it doesn't have a flysheet that is long enough - wind will get underneath that and make it decidedly chilly in the tent. Best tent I've used for actually 'living' in was a HellsportPatagonia

what's the nighttime temp in degC ?

Will campsites be open?

One particular problem is that it's dark all the time so expect some long, dull nights... you can forget playing on your phone, iPad all night as it's so cold they'll shut down in a couple minutes 🙂

Thanks all 🙂 Min night-time temp is probably down to -5 degC.

There are probably 20 or so campsites which are open all year round.

Are the geodesic tents fairly easy to put up?

Cheap pop up one is my suggestion. Preferably down the aisle with the cereals in it as it is quieter

The Halo 300 isn't geodesic, it's just three poles, a glorified dome tent. I actually now have a Halo 200 for the very rare occasions I stay on a campsite. It's better because the poles are shorter and there's less fly to support, but for winter Atlantic weather I'd be looking at a Quasar clone - and I say that as someone who spent several Highland winters living out of a tent.

Alpkit Kabgri would be a good shout.

My limited experience of Iceland was pretty devoid of grass. Would imagine some camping even in campsites might be on the shale and stoney side so I'd be carrying a DIY or bespoke footprint too.

Keep the Halo.

They're pretty bombproof in my experience.

Are the geodesic tents fairly easy to put up?

Yep. Usually have colour coded poles and sleeves. Always easier with two of you especially if it is windy or raining and it’s inner first. Quasar is also a good shout.

We used a Vango Spirit 200+.

I'd make up some fabric "pegs", a few of the campsites we used were basically solid rock for ground and you needed to tie down the tent using rocks. So having the patches lets you use the rocks as pegs.

@whitestone Good idea, thanks for the tip 🙂

I have an Alpkit Kangri I've used in Greenland, Iceland and Scotland. Wind resistance was one of the reasons I bought it, and I've had it in Force 8 without any problems. It's very similar to the Quasar but was about 2/3 the price. The gap at the bottom of the flysheet is for ventilation, otherwise the inside of the flysheet just becomes drenched in condensation, which drips on the inner. The main disadvantage is that it's erected inner first, so if it's raining the inner gets wet. I've usually found a pause in the rain to put it up, on the occasions I haven't it does dry out fairly quickly, but a good thick sleeping mat to keep your bag off the floor is useful. On hard ground, it only needs two pegs (or rocks) at each end to hold the porches out, although I would also want to attach the guys if it's going to be windy.

Doesn’t get cold in Iceland, have you been there in winter?

I did a lap of the island a couple years ago and was seeing -17 during the day, and that was normal. It was not toasty at night. The wind is bad enough car rental insurance doesn’t cover the doors as they’ve had enough of tourists letting go and breaking the hinges.

Or the paint ! It's not just the wind it's the volcanic dust that comes with it. Mind you, the wind is something else.

Something that doesn’t need to be pegged well for a good pitch.

You're on Singletrack therefore you must have a VW T6, Berlingo or heaven forbid a Merc estate. Just kip in that instead?

We used a roof top tent when we went in July a couple of years ago.

There for a week and it blew a full Gale
all week with an average temp of 3 degrees. Luckily it was comparatively warm on the last day @6 degrees. In July.

Stunning landscapes, the waterfalls were in full spate but blimey! Camping there in Summer was the same as camping in Scotland in Feb. It was frankly a miserable holiday, yet by far and away the most expensive one.

I don’t want to think what it would be like doing the same Holiday in Winter.

I camped for a month in Iceland. It was wet and windy. I don't think I've ever been wetter and at the time I was doing regular trips to Scotland etc for winter climbing and the like. The rain is a bigger memory than the wind so make sure what ever you get gives you enough space for wet gear and the like. It (unsurprisingly) also comes in sideways so make sure the fly extends low down.

The rock is also very abrasive so some sort of ground sheet protector (or a sacrificial tarp if you are in the car) is highly recommended.