Solo tent or should I be an optimist?

[whattodo87]

They all say that a 3 man is a 2, and a 2 man is roomy 1 but is that true ?

Backstory - I recently shared my bucket list of sunsets and wild camps with a male "friend" and I appear to now be thinking of him when I'm purchasing my tent as he's wanting to come along for the ride !?! This is a very casual "friendship" and I'm not intending on anything more.

Also with regards to company - i do have 2 children so there might be a possibility that they/ one of them come me one day - but do I consider them now, when they aren't showing any interest, or should I plan for the future ? 🤔

The tents I'm looking at aren't the cheapest (buy cheap by twice) so would appreciate your opinions on the MSR hubba or elixir if anyone has any.
I like the headroom and the star gazing / removable fly - but how realistic is that for the
Uk ??

Or is there an equivalent dome tent that I could consider ? 🙏

You should assume that the “men” they use for measuring tent capacity are short, and all sleep on their sides.

How big are you? If you are petite, a one man will do There won’t be much room for friends though. Casual or otherwise.

I don’t think you will get much use of any double skin tent without a fly UK, however popular they are in the US. The thing to check with tents designed for the American market is that there is somewhere to cook and store wet gear under cover. US manufacturers often seem oblivious to rain. The two tents you mention seem fine on that score. Judging from some of these reviews, they do seem to have a bit of a reputation for being a bit leaky.

https://www.msrgear.com/ie/tents/backpacking-tents/elixir-2-backpacking-tent/10331.html

Well my sons 3 man tent only just fitted him and his kit in.
You really need to go to an outdoor tent place and see the size of them. Photos are very misleading.

I’ve got a two man vango which is perfect for just me.
They don’t seem to take into account that you’ll have any kit when they size up tents. OK if you can leave things in a car but a pain if you are hiking.

DDs share a 2 man tent if there is somewhere else for their bags... they are 10&12 and skinny.

DH and I usea 4 man for the 2 of us, and there isn't much space around the double inflatable mattress.

I like a 4 man with a porch to myself. Def wouldn't go smaller if you've got a friend in you don't intend to snuggle, or possibly a couple of kids.

But yes you def need to go and look at actual tents

3 man tents are very small but big enough for one

I like a tent I can stand up in

We have the MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 man which is plenty big enough for two including gear (we have hiked and wild camped with it). Really good head room and we have slept “under the stars” with it too. We’ve also used it in bad weathers. We can use the “porch” area to keep dry when using a stove. Obviously it’s not huge, you can’t stand and you’re not going to be getting camp chairs or anything in it, but that’s not what it sounds like you’re looking for. We have a larger, cheaper two man with porch for “car camping” and we still tend to use the MSR tbh as it’s really really easy to pitch.

Thanks for the replies ...

I suppose I'm looking for a tent to do a zillions things; big enough for 3 but lightweight for 1.
Windproof up-to 100mph and to stay waterproof forever !
Stylish and sexy looking 😂 and not to break the bank !! But that doesn't exist and if it did - it would be constantly out of stock !

Realistically - I'm after a fair weather tent - as I'll only be going for 1/2 nights on my own, (or with my young kids or a +1) and only going 3hrs drive max from my house, so if the weather is bad, I won't go.

I think I'm going to find somewhere that sticks the MSR and go and quiz them about it.
I know some reviews are skeptical about its performance but 🤷‍♀️

Tent sizing assumes the occupants will be carrying it and all their gear so won't need much space. It really depends how much stuff you will be taking and whether you just want it to sleep in or whether you will be spending significantly time in there. Wind resistance generally decreases with size.

If you can I would go to a camping shop and have a look at them erect. You may have to travel a bit to find one large enough to have tents on display but it is the best way to get a real understanding of how big they are.

I've never heard of the MSR Hubba but it's described as a backpacking tent and looks very low. Good choice if you're backpacking maybe but you said you'll be driving so I'd get something with more headroom.

How about a 3-man Outwell tent? Can't comment on style or sexiness though 😂

Decathlon do good tents. I bought a 3 man tent for DD for Reading festival. It's very easy to carry and put away. It's well designed actually and is double skinned. Do not buy a single skin tent

If you have decent drybags and are freecamping you can leave a lot of stuff outside.

My daughter and I share a 5 man tent.

Get the biggest tent you can manage.

Update:

I purchased the MSR elixir 2 and I love it !!!
It's not massive inside but it has 2 huge vestibules for storage.

I love how light and airy it feels inside, and the headroom of the dome.

Just need some decent weather now so I can give it a test on a mountain 😬

Thank you to all those who replied and happy camping !

You should check their outlet offline. Ads can be misleading. They will look like they can fit in 3 people but in reality 2 people can barely fit in with their kits.