• Big Agnes, Black Diamond, Helsport, Hilleberg, GoLite, Kelty, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, MSR, Nemo, Roben, Stephenson’s, Sierra design, The North Face, Terra-Nova, Vango, Vaude, and Wild Country.
  

• On the high quality/ expensive side: Hillberg, Terra Nova, Black Diamond
  

• More affordable but still good quality: Kelty, Vango and Wild Country

Recommendations from CycloCamping.com: We particularly like Terra Nova, MSR and Wild Country but we also recommend Vaude, Marmot, Black Diamond and Big Agnes. Why? Because we field tested them and were happy with the performances, because they have the best reviews from the bicycle touring community, and most important, because we believe that they are the best suited and most reliable tents for bicycle touring. These brands are recommended with objectivity; as one can see, there are several recommended brands that CycloCamping.com does not actually carry (most likely because the manufacturer doesn't sell to online-only store, sometimes a brick and mortar store is required in order to be an authorized dealer).


Why do I need a good tent?

• A good tent won't start leaking after a few weeks. Sleeping in a waterproof tent during a storm is fun, but can be an absolute nightmare if you know your tent is about to leak.

• Cheaper tents have weak poles that break easily.

• Broken zippers are common problems in less expensive models. There is nothing you can do once the zipper is broken. The tent become pretty much useless.

• Cheap tent have cheap waterproof coating and the tent floor will be leaking very early. Waking up in a paddle is not fun.

• Cheap tents also have poor ventilation, so condensation builds up very easily. Not only condensation makes the tent miserable and very uncomfortable, it also allows mildew to grow which prematurely deteriorate the fabric (not to mention the negative effect on health).

Related Articles

How to choose the right bicycle touring tent?
Tips & tricks when using your tent
How to make your tent last many years longer?
Free standing tent (geodesic) VS. Non-free standing tent (tunnel)
Understanding waterproof coatings/ratings (in mm) on tents fabrics
Bivies/Hammock/Tarps: An lighter alternative to tents



 

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