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I'm interested in buying a 1 or 2 man tent for touring. I came across the "Catoma tent" range and
they appear to make a great product for this application.
Do any of you use a Catoma Motorcycling tent or have you had practical experience
in using these tents? Is the packed size of the 2 man model very much larger than the 1 man?
What other manufacturers can you recommend that make bike camping tents
cheers Jeff.

Unless you are 18, or sleeping with someone who is 18, buy a 4 man tent. It is big enough for two, you can dress in it, and spread out all your crap. It packs about twice as large and weighs about 1.5 times as much. It is well worth it when it starts to rain. Little tiny tents are really tiny and its not like you are packing it up a mountain on your back.

I camp a lot and do recommend spending a little money on the tent. Coleman or one of those folks makes a $50 version of my tent. They do look similar, but mine goes up in a quarter of the time and stays up through the storm. Having said this, you would think I remember what kind of tent I have, but I don't.

Jeff ,I bought one of these recently .It's very good quality , light and small .I'm entirely happy with it .Bivouac offer free freight to the US for it too .http://www.bivouac.co.nz/gear/camping-a ... -tent.html

G'day Jeff. I had a look at a couple of YooToobs of the Catoma Lone Rider and others. The design is very clever and they are very quick to erect. That is a nice feature when it's pissing down. An important factor to consider is ventilation, particularly in Oz and even more particularly where you are in the Deep North. A separate fly and the ability to open up vents low down and high up to get airflow can be really important. I do a lot of camping and have found my Oztrail 3 man to be particularly useful in this regard.



There are vents both sides just above ground level. A zipped flap can be opened to allow air to enter and there is a lot of mesh to the inner shell that can be opened or closed. I've camped in very hot conditions (we can get daytime temps of 45C down here) and also very cold (-6C, etc). In sub-freezing temps that ventilation can be even more important due to the problem of condensation.

Another important thing is having a vestibule for cooking when the weather turns bad. The vestibule in this one is not big but it is adequate. I can sit inside the tent and have something cooking safely under cover in the vestibule on a gas stove.

I think a 3 man is about the minimum size for one bloke and gear when it's wet. I can also take my sweetie along for comfortable summer (dry) camping, and we fit just fine.

My tent cost $90 (on special - $130 rrp, I think). I've erected it at least 60 times, have always slept comfortably and have had no problems with things falling apart. It is very robust in high winds and has never leaked. It takes about 5 minutes to erect and about 10 minutes to pack up again. Pack size is 500 long x 230 diam.

It depends very much on what type of camping you intend to do. I'd say the Catoma would make a very suitable bedroom for quick and easy camping when you are doing a long haul and time is important. If you like to hang about in one spot for a few days like I do, consider the comfort issues over speed of erection. I hope this helps.

Edited to add: Jeff, if you are heading this far south at any time, give us a shout. We have an accommodation network happening and love having an excuse to organise rides and rallies. Cheers.

Best listen to Charlie , he actually knows what he's talking about !!

Not familiar with Catona tents. Tent technology has really come a long way. For me compactness and light weight are most important. If you can get a very small package with two doors and vestibules, I find that style, best for keeping gear covered in the wet, and being able to access all your stuff from the inside of the tent. You'll have gear outside of each door covered by the vestibule, with one door as the exit with less stuff. Just my 2 cents.

This Coleman Exponent is no bigger than a loaf of bread. It uses only one pole and has two doors and vestibules. I have survived dry in severe downpours many times. It's aerodynamic shape lets the wind by. The rain fly is waterproof but the entire tent, except for the floor, is mesh, which means it ventilates. It's called a two person...but I don't think so.

How about the Aldi $40 tent. It's worth at least half as much!


Charlie's tent, or close to it...free post...http://www.campingcentral.com.au/produc ... Tent.htmll Can't go wrong there....

Anaconda have a sale on right now...try ..the Spinifex Coolum Dome tent for less than Gillardos 70. It actually looks more like Charlie's tent than anything in the OZtrail range.


http://www.anaconda.com.au/Product/Camp ... umDomeTent

ZM ,would that tent of your be similar to this ?

http://www.wildearth.com.au/vango-heliu ... p-389.html

Sibbo wrote:ZM ,would that tent of your be similar to this ?

http://www.wildearth.com.au/vango-heliu ... p-389.html

It does look similar but it has only one door and vestibule, which could be a problem for storing gear. But remember I don't use saddlebags so I need to store all my gear in my tent. My tent also has the disadvantage of not being free standing. It must be pegged to work but it only uses one short pole. The helium does look like it has some good features though. It weighs under 1Kg. If you look at Charlies it's 4.5 Kgs and would be suitable for a retirement home.

Mines reasonably light at 3 kg and simple to pack .As long as you have the space it's not a problem to have bigger gear although the Helium 100 , the smaller version of the one above is tempting .Small and very light , nice for packing on your back .