One man light weight backpacking tent
A one man light weight backpacking tent is
tiny, and it's really only going to be large enough for one
person. However, it will keep you dry in the rain and help to
keep you warm on cool nights, as long as your sleeping bag and
bedding system are of high-enough quality¹. And like every
modern camping tent, your light little one-person shelter
should also have insect-proof netting to keep out mosquitoes or
no-see-ums (midges) if you expect to encounter these pests
anywhere on your travels.
Suited for the serious lone hiker, backpacker
or cyclist, a 1-man lightweight backpacking tent will
weigh less than 4 lbs and take up very little space in
your hiking kit. I own an old Black Wolf Ultralight, which
weighs 3 lbs 14 oz. I bought it secondhand at a garage
sale here in Sydney. The chap selling it had bought it for
his bicycling trips. I did try looking this model of tent
up on the Internet without any success, so it must be old.
But there certainly used to be such a model. (See the
photo.)
This lightweight tent is a quality product. You can tell
because it has metal alloy poles (actually it uses one long
u-shaped pole along its length). It even has a small vestibule
area where you can stow your backpack and shoes /boots next to
you, inside the tent out of any rain, yet outside of your
insect netting and the small sleeping area.
¹ If you have a cheap synthetic sleeping bag
and you try sleeping out in any camping tent with it, the
chances are very high you're going to spend a sleepless
night with your teeth chattering from cold. You might just
get away with it using a poor quality sleeping bag on some
hot summer night (just maybe), or on a mild
night sleeping in an RV or camper. But in a tent you
need extra insulation from the cold damp earth that is
underneath you. A good sleeping bag and a foam camping pad
or air mattress of some sort are a very wise investment.
In very cold weather, a good sleeping bag and a shelter
will save your life. See also, I'm too cold to sleep at night and be
warned.
When light weight is still too heavy, there are camping
enthusiasts who specialize in ultralight backpacking.
|