Looked at loads of reviews on this tent, (as quite fancy one myself)and this was a really good, laid back, straightforward look at this bit of equipment. This tent makes many compromises is several areas; but I personally think they've got those compromises right, to make a budget tent, with good pack size, good weight, good quality, and good dimensions..for the money! If you want a robust, but simplistic little shelter; at the end of a days adventure; for very little money; (compared to some tents out there) then this one's for you! Thanks for taking the time to film and share this post. Take care buddy!
Looking at this for my first bikepacking adventure but wondering if it would be too small for a week-long trip which could include rainy days and cooking on a stove? Trying to keep costs down especially with needing to buy all the other equipment too. Thanks for the review!
If you wanted to cook when its raining you would need a way of holding the door up as it would be to small to cook with the door closed. I have just got back from the great north trail using it and find the inside space plenty big enough. I don't bother cooking though
Hi, Im planning to really up my game this coming year and get out as much as possible from spring to winter. I had a 2 man tent before and a rack and pannier setup... it was too heavy for me. I was thinking about getting the alpkot hooped bivvy. As someone with a lot of experience would you reccomend it or this alpkit tent? Many thanks
So i don't have experience with alpkits hooped bivy but i did for years use the aqua quest hooped bivy, which is similar and id say probably a bit easier to live with and better as it has options to lift it of you as it has guy attachment points and it is really well made, i literally lived in it for about 3 months through the winter. it also as a bug net so you can leave the rest open if you know its not raining and at 6ft6 i felt i had enough room. However hooped bivis and bivis in general id say are more for the just crashing anywhere for a few hours here and there. if you were going to use one as your main shelter you would probably want to pair it with some kind of tarp. This tent is good for the price and it does pack really small but you have to factor in if you can live with the front door it can be a pain especially when it is raining.
got the very same (not XL) , 3 trips in and bad weather, now changed to MSR exilir 1 more room for one and can now get out of wet gear without a fight...
@@KeepSmilingAdventures lol yes it can be I also use this tent with a DD tarp for storing the bike and cooking or use the OEX bobcat 1 great little tent bit heavier than the soloist but both great tents. Thanks for the reply mate keep up the great videos enjoying them 👍🏻
Great review buddy..I'm planning to go on my first bike packing trip..I was contemplating between the soloist and the nature hike cloud up 1..Did you use a sleeping mat in conjunction with the sleeping bag?
They look basically the same tent, the only reason i wanted to try this one is cause they had an xl version. Typically tents are to short for me. But its been good on the trips i have used it on so far. I dont actually bother with a sleeping mat, never used one and never felt the need for one
Yeah i think the normal size would probably be fine I'm 6ft6 and its just about long enough for me. So if you wanted the little extra room could go for the bigger one as it doesn't have the biggest of porches. And there isn't much of a weight penalty and its packs down really small.
Hi mate - loads of detail, good video. Have to be honest, if I was in the market for a tent you didn't sell it to me. I do like that you can pick it up and move it though. I was doing some emails - did you say what sleeping mat you use? I do need to invest in a good light / warm sleeping bag. But I can't believe how expensive stuff like this can be - you could buy a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat and spend £1000 easily.
Hi Tim thats good I'm not in the market to sell you one, just show it in action. 😄 I don't actually bother using a mat. Never have used one. I literally used to strap a sleeping bag to a backpack and just sleep in a field no bivy just a cheap synthetic bag. when i first started doing multi day rides You definitely could spend that easy, but depending on what you already have you could buyer a cheaper less warmer sleeping bag and combine it with a warm jacket. Thats what i had been doing for years. And when i went around the coast of Britain i just bungee cord a cheap synthetic bag to my bars. Id say just use what you have got until you decide what and where you want to spend your money on.
@@KeepSmilingAdventures You know what I mean LOL - you didn't sound 100% convinced. It looks like it could catch the wind and I'm not liking that end entry. Still, lightweight is often 50% of the battle. I'm liking my Phoxx II, need to actually get out and bloody sleep in it now!
Yeah so for me I don’t always use a tent and a big reason for that is that don’t normally make them long enough for me. I thought this one would be a good one to try because it’s actually made for taller people. And at a ok price point, I already new it would be a bit annoying to get in and out, openings like that always are. And I was a bit concerned about the wind with the shape, but to be fair I used it the others night and it was really windy and it’s was fine. You just need to think how you are pitching it which is true for all tents. I would love something like the six moons lunar solo but at around £300 and prob not long enough it’s just to much money for something that I won’t use on every trip. Personally my favourite bit of kit has been the aqua quest hooped bivy, for me it was the perfect balance of speed and ease of setting up/taking down, still stealthy like a normal bivy but with a nice side opening and nice head room and could also lift the lower of your bag with guy rope. Packs small and only has one pole. And that cost me £99 but I can’t seem to find a uk supplier any more. You should get out for a night mate the nights have warmed up since last week 🙌
Like the tent. I have one myself and it has never let me down, wind, rain, sunshine it’s my cozy safe place.
Looked at loads of reviews on this tent, (as quite fancy one myself)and this was a really good, laid back, straightforward look at this bit of equipment.
This tent makes many compromises is several areas; but I personally think they've got those compromises right, to make a budget tent, with good pack size, good weight, good quality, and good dimensions..for the money!
If you want a robust, but simplistic little shelter; at the end of a days adventure; for very little money; (compared to some tents out there) then this one's for you!
Thanks for taking the time to film and share this post. Take care buddy!
alpkit claim 4.2degree minus comfort on this bag.. is it any close to reality? i doubt..
Looking at this for my first bikepacking adventure but wondering if it would be too small for a week-long trip which could include rainy days and cooking on a stove? Trying to keep costs down especially with needing to buy all the other equipment too. Thanks for the review!
If you wanted to cook when its raining you would need a way of holding the door up as it would be to small to cook with the door closed. I have just got back from the great north trail using it and find the inside space plenty big enough. I don't bother cooking though
Hi, Im planning to really up my game this coming year and get out as much as possible from spring to winter. I had a 2 man tent before and a rack and pannier setup... it was too heavy for me. I was thinking about getting the alpkot hooped bivvy. As someone with a lot of experience would you reccomend it or this alpkit tent? Many thanks
So i don't have experience with alpkits hooped bivy but i did for years use the aqua quest hooped bivy, which is similar and id say probably a bit easier to live with and better as it has options to lift it of you as it has guy attachment points and it is really well made, i literally lived in it for about 3 months through the winter. it also as a bug net so you can leave the rest open if you know its not raining and at 6ft6 i felt i had enough room.
However hooped bivis and bivis in general id say are more for the just crashing anywhere for a few hours here and there. if you were going to use one as your main shelter you would probably want to pair it with some kind of tarp.
This tent is good for the price and it does pack really small but you have to factor in if you can live with the front door it can be a pain especially when it is raining.
You can sort of see the aqua quest hooped bivy in this video th-cam.com/video/qTaPcGUI1Kw/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=KeepSmilingAdventures
got the very same (not XL) , 3 trips in and bad weather, now changed to MSR exilir 1 more room for one and can now get out of wet gear without a fight...
fair I don't really find it to hard to get changed and stuff once in but im not a fan of the front entrance, would rather a side entrance.
Great review . It's much easier if you sleep head at door end that way there's plenty room I have same tent ⛺ 👍🏻🚴♂️☀️stay safe out there ....colin
Yeah i do typically sleep head by the door, not a huge fan of the front door though is a bit of a hassle getting in and out.
@@KeepSmilingAdventures lol yes it can be I also use this tent with a DD tarp for storing the bike and cooking or use the OEX bobcat 1 great little tent bit heavier than the soloist but both great tents. Thanks for the reply mate keep up the great videos enjoying them 👍🏻
I like it, stealthy too
Great review buddy..I'm planning to go on my first bike packing trip..I was contemplating between the soloist and the nature hike cloud up 1..Did you use a sleeping mat in conjunction with the sleeping bag?
They look basically the same tent, the only reason i wanted to try this one is cause they had an xl version. Typically tents are to short for me. But its been good on the trips i have used it on so far. I dont actually bother with a sleeping mat, never used one and never felt the need for one
@@KeepSmilingAdventures thanks for the reply..I'm 5'11..will the regular size be adequate for me do you reckon?
Yeah i think the normal size would probably be fine I'm 6ft6 and its just about long enough for me. So if you wanted the little extra room could go for the bigger one as it doesn't have the biggest of porches. And there isn't much of a weight penalty and its packs down really small.
Hi mate - loads of detail, good video. Have to be honest, if I was in the market for a tent you didn't sell it to me. I do like that you can pick it up and move it though.
I was doing some emails - did you say what sleeping mat you use?
I do need to invest in a good light / warm sleeping bag. But I can't believe how expensive stuff like this can be - you could buy a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat and spend £1000 easily.
Hi Tim thats good I'm not in the market to sell you one, just show it in action. 😄 I don't actually bother using a mat. Never have used one. I literally used to strap a sleeping bag to a backpack and just sleep in a field no bivy just a cheap synthetic bag. when i first started doing multi day rides
You definitely could spend that easy, but depending on what you already have you could buyer a cheaper less warmer sleeping bag and combine it with a warm jacket. Thats what i had been doing for years. And when i went around the coast of Britain i just bungee cord a cheap synthetic bag to my bars. Id say just use what you have got until you decide what and where you want to spend your money on.
@@KeepSmilingAdventures You know what I mean LOL - you didn't sound 100% convinced. It looks like it could catch the wind and I'm not liking that end entry.
Still, lightweight is often 50% of the battle.
I'm liking my Phoxx II, need to actually get out and bloody sleep in it now!
Yeah so for me I don’t always use a tent and a big reason for that is that don’t normally make them long enough for me. I thought this one would be a good one to try because it’s actually made for taller people. And at a ok price point, I already new it would be a bit annoying to get in and out, openings like that always are. And I was a bit concerned about the wind with the shape, but to be fair I used it the others night and it was really windy and it’s was fine. You just need to think how you are pitching it which is true for all tents. I would love something like the six moons lunar solo but at around £300 and prob not long enough it’s just to much money for something that I won’t use on every trip.
Personally my favourite bit of kit has been the aqua quest hooped bivy, for me it was the perfect balance of speed and ease of setting up/taking down, still stealthy like a normal bivy but with a nice side opening and nice head room and could also lift the lower of your bag with guy rope. Packs small and only has one pole. And that cost me £99 but I can’t seem to find a uk supplier any more.
You should get out for a night mate the nights have warmed up since last week 🙌
@@KeepSmilingAdventures they have warmed up and got very damp! But I might just get out this weekend
Aha yeah it has i just got back yesterday from doing the king alfreds way and got pretty lucky mostly the rain kept missing me 😁
The North Face Stormbreak 2 very good tent cant complain had it 2 years now the only thing that i did not like poor pegs