Tenting in the Gren - not a RTT

[parb]

Hi,

I'm in the american west and often go out to the desert areas of Nevada, Oregon etc. It often is over 100F in the summers and very cold in the winters.
I'm too old for a RTT and i've been looking at ground tents that can handle the heat and which are tall enough to stand up in.
The gazellle T4 gets pretty good reviews but locally the burning man folks (and the forest fire teams) all seem to like the Shiftpod as a great tent.

Those tents are pretty long when packed, the shiftpod III is 77" long when packed, and the Shiftpod III.XLS is a whopping 94" packed.
I have not yet taken deliver of my car, but i wonder if someone who has a trialmaster can advice me if these tents fits in the back with a seat folded or if they are simply too big?

at 68lbs and 100lbs respectively i think they are a bit too heavy for me to hoist them up on the roof for storage even though i would prefer to not having to have one of the car seats folded (i put the dog in the back seat).

Could i trouble anyone with a measuring stick to push the passenger seat to its rearward most position and measure how much length i would have to the trunk door with the seat folded? and if you don't mind doing the same with the back seat upright so i know the length to the trunk door with the second row seat upright?

Thanks a bunch! Adventure awaits next year

 

[Trialmaster]

That looks like a great idea! If no one has measured by the morning (UK time) will do it.

 

[parb]

Thanks!

 

[Tom D]

I think the Yurt is the king of tents. they don’t pack up small but they are really great so live in. I know they guy who makes these, they are made the traditional way with steam bent ash poles and trellis. You could transport one in a grenadier, with the poles on the roof..

https://redkiteyurts.com/yurt-sales/

 

[DenisM]

Hi,

I'm in the american west and often go out to the desert areas of Nevada, Oregon etc. It often is over 100F in the summers and very cold in the winters.
I'm too old for a RTT and i've been looking at ground tents that can handle the heat and which are tall enough to stand up in.
The gazellle T4 gets pretty good reviews but locally the burning man folks (and the forest fire teams) all seem to like the Shiftpod as a great tent.

Those tents are pretty long when packed, the shiftpod III is 77" long when packed, and the Shiftpod III.XLS is a whopping 94" packed.
I have not yet taken deliver of my car, but i wonder if someone who has a trialmaster can advice me if these tents fits in the back with a seat folded or if they are simply too big?

at 68lbs and 100lbs respectively i think they are a bit too heavy for me to hoist them up on the roof for storage even though i would prefer to not having to have one of the car seats folded (i put the dog in the back seat).

Could i trouble anyone with a measuring stick to push the passenger seat to its rearward most position and measure how much length i would have to the trunk door with the seat folded? and if you don't mind doing the same with the back seat upright so i know the length to the trunk door with the second row seat upright?

Thanks a bunch! Adventure awaits next year

Try https://www.theineosforum.com/threads/plan-dimensions.12411703/ Post #2 (divide the mm by 25.4 for ")

 

[Tazzieman]

Nobody has suggested a swag/stretcher tent?
Maybe Americans haven't heard of them but they are popular in outback/desert Australia.

 

[parb]

Try https://www.theineosforum.com/threads/plan-dimensions.12411703/ Post #2 (divide the mm by 25.4 for ")

I saw this but to my eyes it looked like it measured the length to where the load barrier is attached?

I wanted to get the distance along the floor to the part of the rear seat that sticks up from the floor when folded.
Or if it folds completely flat to floor then i'd like to see the length to the first row seats when in the rear most position.

 

[DenisM]

I saw this but to my eyes it looked like it measured the length to where the load barrier is attached?

I wanted to get the distance along the floor to the part of the rear seat that sticks up from the floor when folded.
Or if it folds completely flat to floor then i'd like to see the length to the first row seats when in the rear most position.

Ah! sorry... you don't get a flat floor when the (fixed) second row is folded down. It's different from the 2 seat "utility" (N1) version in that regard...which has a flat floor I understand all the way to the front seats.
When you fold the passenger bench seats there's still a rise of 8-10 inches from the floor of the cargo area.
I had not seen the Shiftpod before so it sparked my interest. What a tent!!
(I'm not inclined either to climb on the roof to sleep these days, being a "renegade septuagenarian" ... ) however I found that Shiftpod have released the Shiftpod 3 "mini". If it was available in Aus. for a reasonable price I reckon I'd be in the market. It could be accommodated either in the Trialmaster or on the roof (30lb) and 44" packed. Given its thermal properties it would cope with the heat and especially near freezing temps. in the winter for outback desert trips ... ok for me and "the missus"...
Had you considered the Shiftpod 3 mini?

 

[Inez]

Lots of options, have a look at this:

Experience the revolution in outdoor living | Thule | United States

Tailored for comfort, primed for adventure, and designed to utilize your vehicle in a whole new way.

www.thule.com

Like my Grenadier..."coming soon" lol

 

[Jeffrey]

Parb, tents that you can stand up in are just big, heavy, and long when packed. You would open up a world of choices if you gave up the notion of standing up. I'm happy to sit in a tent for the few minutes I'm in it while still awake. My 2 person packed tent is about 7" diameter and about 20 or 22" long. My one person tent is even smaller. Easy to setup and of course easy to put in a vehicle.

 

[ChoppaMC]

Parb,
I have been using one of these for hunting and fly fishing in some fairly harsh conditions over the past 5 years or so. The stove and tent are light comparatively and modular(floors/liners). And you can stand up in the center of the tent.

Hot Tents & Tent Stoves Made in Colorado

Performance hot tents for any adventure. Handmade in Colorado.

seekoutside.com

 

[parb]

Thanks for the tips. I'm getting older and more and more into the creature comforts... Standing up isn't required but I sure like the idea of being off the floor a bit more then in my youth when sleeping in a pad was a good experience. And standing up, or having a chair to sit in with an open vestibule while it rains is such a lovely experience.

I also seen this tent which seems legit. It's like the shiftpod but made more for outdoors than festivals. https://rapiddeploymentshelter.com/products/the-tent
The quality looks pretty good on the few reviews I've found. And it's not silver which frankly I prefer. But it's a bit heavier.

I haven't made up my mind yet, packaging it into the gren with too much compromise is high on my list. What I like with these tents is the rapid unfold and fold processes.

I talked to the rds CEO over email and he basically designed it for a queen size air mattress with enough space to move around 3 sides.
He thinks I can put in 2 twin mattresses (I often go exploring with my close friend but that's def not a sharing mattress type of friendship...). I'm not convinced that this shape actually meets what I like. Then again shiftpod III looks pretty good and it can be linked if it rains.

I'm thinking I need to consider something more classic like the gazelle type of tent. What I like with that tent is that I can partition it into two rooms. What I dislike is that it looks like it takes that typical time to get it setup. And it looks cold in inclement weather.

I guess I'll keep on looking and taking input.

 

[bigleonski]

Maybe have a look at the Oz-Tent which is available in the US.
They will need to be put on the roof racks as they pack long, but they are good quality and very quick to set up. Also lots of different size options and extensions etc.

Oz-Tent

 

[Jeffrey]

If you were to use a Yakima style roof box, you can fit in all your creature comforts. I know what you mean. I'm not in my 60's any longer and I now have a 4x4 Sprinter van fully built out. Too comfy!

 

[andremacd]

Kodiak Canvas 10 x 10 ft. Flex-Bow VX Canvas Camping Tent

Kodiak Canvas 10 x 10 ft. Flex-Bow VX Canvas Camping Tent for family camping

kodiakcanvas.com

Exceptional quality tents.

 

[Tom109]

@parb - most have covered the important parts. But something that springs to mind when you say “quick” or “rapid” deploy, you usually are giving up other nice features. I like to use the tent for sleeping and spend all the rest of my time outside. And for lounging around camp, get an awning and a couple good chairs. Last point, Winter tents make a bad Summer choice, same the other way around. Best to figure your target season and start there.

@Tazzieman - I can’t quite figure out the popularity of the swag. Feature-wise they seem way to hot and claustrophobic.

 

[Tazzieman]

@Tazzieman - I can’t quite figure out the popularity of the swag. Feature-wise they seem way to hot and claustrophobic.

There are 1 star up to 5 star swags.
Sleeping on a bed roll 30m from the edge of a croc friendly river with the potential of snakes and wandering buffaloes ( yes I've been there) is different to a swag with mosquito mesh, built in lights , fan and stereo with a stretcher bed to keep you away from water and creatures!
That said, we have a 2 star swag which with decent mattress is OK, just, for special occasions, in certain weathers.

 

[ErnieB]

Have you considered the AluCab roof conversion?

 

[ErnieB]

After 4 years of camping in an AluCab rooftop tent (I've both the 3.1 and 3R. Great tents!!!). I've decided to keep my Grenadier build minimalist and keep the weight way down from my last rig. That being said, I've decided not to use a roof top tent and build out the interior to sleep inside the vehicle. This will involve removing all or part of the rear seat and adding a platform. Goosegear has a new platform that allows for storage underneath. Keep the weight down and you can't beat the interior to buck the weather and any other adversity you may encounter (bears, drunk campsite visitors in the middle of the night, no set up or tear down..etc..).

 

[Logsplitter]

I’m all for going back to basics with the ground tent, a decent army type camp bed and a comfy mattress. You have the the flexibility of setting up camp and using the vehicle as you want without folding up a roof top tent. That said if we can find a solution for an auxiliary fuel tank on the petrol version we would then be keen on a lifting roof conversion such as an Alucab. At the moment we carry extra fuel in Jerry cans on the roof which wouldn’t be compatible with a lifting roof. With no solution to that then we will just stick with tried and tested ground camping and save a lot of money that we can use on more travelling.