Light Kit Tent
What should I look for when buying a light weight two person tent for 3 season use ?
I m a novice to the camping/hiking game and want to get some kit
Here’s a great site with owner reviews of tents and other shelters:
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Shelters/
One thing you might want to consider (and this is advice you probably won’t get from your neighborhood outdoor shop) is a tarp or a tarptent in lieu of an actual tent. This is, as it sounds, a sheet of waterproof nylon pitched in an A-frame. A few things that a lot of people do not like about tents is 1) they’re crowded and 2) they get wet overnight. In an effort to make a lighter tent, they make them smaller. Most 2-person tents will not have enough room to comfortably sleep 2 people all their gear (backpacks, etc). Many people opt for a 3-person tent instead, but that also means a heavier pack. As for moisture, we breathe a lot during the night. Our breath is full of water vapor, and that condenses on the tent walls. If there is inadequate ventilation, as there often is, we’ll generally wake up soaking wet (and cold).
A tarp solves these problems. The sides are open, so there is plenty of ventilation. You also need less material to cover more area, so you get more space for you and your stuff. The other benefit is that you don’t necessarily need a level spot to setup a tarp. If there’s a big rock sticking up that would prevent you from pitching a tent (if it’s not directly under your bed), you might be able to still pitch a tarp, as the floor is not attached. It does take some practice to set it up, but once you get it, it can be easier to use and more effective than most backpacking tents. It also weighs (and costs) a fraction as much.
One drawback of the tarp solution is that there is no protection from bugs. Some people use mosquito netting around the sides or inside the tarp to keep bugs out. It is tough to sleep when mosquitoes are buzzing in your ears, and they don’t all go away at night. This is a huge concern in the pacific northwest, for example, but it doesn’t matter in the desert.
Personally, I like the tarp/tent hybrid. (Check out http://www.tarptent.com for more info) These have the ventilation advantages of a tarp and the bug protection advantages of a tent. The weight is somewhere in between – my three person tarptent (HUGE for 2 people) weighs just under 3 lbs (when you include a tyvek groundsheet). That’s a lot lighter than most tents. It holds up well in rain and light snow. It’s not great in high wind (the newer models are better), but then again, neither are most 3-season tents. The best plan is to pick a campspot in the trees. It also does a fantastic jobs of keeping mosquitoes out (even without a sewn in floor). The other thing I really like about having a separate floor is if the weather is good, there’s no need to pitch a tent. Just lay out the ground sheet and sleep under the stars.
You can get a lot more info at REI or a good outdoor shop. I just wanted to offer some thoughts that they probably won’t mention.
side light with round tent.wmv
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Oakton EcoTestr pH 2 Waterproof pH Tester, -1.0 to 15.0 pH Range $57.95 Simply dip and read— the orientation of the display means no need to turn your head or tilt the tester. This low-cost meter is perfect for most applications. The single-junction electrode is recessed to protect against breakage. The unit offers up to three-point calibration with auto-buffer recognition for quick calibrations, automatic temperature compensation for accurate reading under chang… |
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Coghlans Table Cloth- Heavy Weight Vinyl 54 X 72 Inch Sewn-In Easy Edges Wipe Clean $10.18 Coghlans Table Cloth, Easy to wipe clean…. |
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Emergency Sleeping Bag, Survival Bag, Emergency Zone Brand, Reflective Blanket $2.79 Emergency Zone Brand. The Emergency Sleeping Bag is made of the same Mylar material as our emergency blanket but is formed into a sleeping bag to prevent heat loss even more efficiently. The bag retains 80 percent of body heat and is wind and waterproof. The bag measures 36 x 84 inches…. |
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Quake Kare Emergency Thermal Blankets (4 Pack) $2.89 This compact blanket provides warmth (retains and reflects up to 90 of body heat), a waterproof and windproof shelter barrier, and a covering to help reduce shock when someone is injured. Emergency thermal blanket to be used as emergency shelter. Also great for camping, hiking, and surviving the cold outdoors. Excellent as liner of sleeping bag…. |
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Emergency Shelter Tent, Reflective Tube Tent, Cold Weather Emergency Shelter, Emergency Zone Brand $6.49 Emergency Zone? Brand. The Emergency Tent is a lightweight and compact emergency shelter. It is wind and waterproof and easy to set up. It is 8 feet long and roomy enough for two people…. |
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Complete Apollo HVLP Turbine Mini-Mist® Sunless Spray Tanning System with a Pint of 8.5% DHA Solution with Medium Bronzer, 4 Solution Variety Pack (1 Pint Total), Tanning Tent and Accessories $379.96 Complete System Includes: * Apollo Model T100 Mini-Mist Professional Tanning System o Powerful U.S. 120 Volt Turbine Air Pump Unit with 10 Foot Air Hose and Professional HVLP Spray Application Gun. Also includes a Detailed Instruction Manual * 1 Pint of Ocean 8.5% DHA Sunless Tanning Solution with Medium Bronzer o Our most popular solution Ocean 8.5% DHA tanning solution works best with fair to me… |
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Camping Cake Kit with Light up Tent $7.50 Cake Topper… |
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Professional Airbrush and Turbine Spray Tanning Tent Booth with Nylon Carrying Bag plus a FREE Ocean Sunless Tanning Solution Variety Samplers Pack (4 Solutions – 1 Pint Total) $83.95 Setting up the Tanning Tent is simple, as you just need to remove the Tent from nylon carry bag and it easily springs up into an instant SPRAY TANNING BOOTH! Professional Tanning Tent Features and Specifications: * Dimensions: 42″ L x 42″ W x 84″ H and has a strong but flexible frame that has resistance to bending out of shape. * Entry opening is 6′ 2″ high and nearly 3″ 6″ wide providing plenty o… |
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Interfit INT322 Pop Up Light Tent kit with 2 fluorescent LampHeads and Stands $250.00 This kit offers an easy and effective way of eliminating unwanted reflections and shadows when photographing small and medium sized objects. by utilizing daylight balanced cool lights that give a very soft light and a 36-Inch pop-up light tent is the perfect solution for product photography. The light tent comes complete with a removable blue background cloth and a front panel that has a slit in i… |
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Interfit INT323 Pop Up Light Tent Kit with 2 Fluorescent LampHeads and Stands $337.55 This kit offers an easy and effective way of eliminating unwanted reflections and shadows when photographing small and medium sized objects. by utilizing daylight balanced cool lights that give a very soft light and a 48-Inch pop-up light tent is the perfect solution for product photography. The light tent comes complete with a removable blue background cloth and a front panel that has a slit in i… |
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LB-48 48 Light Tent $121.94 Cube shape measures 48”x48”x48” and comes with one removable midnight black and one removable snow white sweep to provide complete separation from item being photographed. Also includes carrying case and velcro/metal clips. Removable front panel for ea |
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LB-28 28 Light Tent $88.94 Cube shape measures 28”x28”x28” and comes with one removable midnight black and one removable snow white sweep to provide complete separation from item being photographed. Also includes carrying case and velcro/metal clips. Removable front panel for ea |
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LB-20 20 Light Tent $51.94 Cube shape measures 20”x20”x20” and comes with one removable midnight black and one removable snow white sweep to provide complete separation from item being photographed. Also includes carrying case and velcro/metal clips. Removable front panel for ea |
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3 Light Kit Umbrella $174.95 The Smith-Victor KT1500U Thrifty Kit is designed to fulfill basic lighting requirements at an exceptionally affordable price. The kit features two 32” shoot-thru white umbrellas, two UM-6 umbrella mounts, 5/8” light stand adapters and Smith-Victor’s Raven RS8 8’ light stands. The “through-the-reflector” umbrella mounting system places the umbrella close to the optical axis of the light for optimum control; while the reflectors are chemically etched for maximum light dispersion. |
