- Time of past OR future Camino
- CF in spring and winter, Portugues, Sanabres: 2024
Except it isn't waterproof, which - to me - is one of the main reasons to have a tent.
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Could this work? only 1.61 lbs. Including the mat.
Other than color, It checks all your points.
Therm-a-Rest LuxuryLite Cot Bug Shelter
price $90.73
View attachment 75809
Since there seem to be a lot more people interested in camping on the Camino than before Corona times, I have been thinking about ways to make the Camino more tent-friendly - without the negative impact some would expect. With this I mean no loss for local business, no littering problem, and still keeping the "pilgrim spirit" / "Camino feeling".
Would anyone be interested in a seperate thread for that? Like, for collecting ideas about how this could be done without too much effort, and as inexpensive as possible for those who would have to make the changes (albergues, towns), so that there might be a real chance of it happening some day...? (One can dream!)
Then I'd start one.
In my opinion, goal is to avoid virus especially in dormitory. And to book a full room when single is expensive. The main problem with camping is water (beverage, rope cleaning, hygiene). For equipment, have a look to PCT hikers on YouTube. Everything explained by pros. But, camp is a lonely experience...I will first readily admit I am in the camp of using local hostels and hotels. Just to help with the economy of those who have put their lives and savings into providing amenities to pilgrims for years. That being said I also think you are going to stuck with carrying a small camp stove and provisions to cook at night and breakfast. I don't see carry-out every evening as viable option. So now the Camino is sounding more like the AP of PCT. Someone recently posted a photo of a poncho set up as an bivy, that's okay unless it is cold or rainy. Don't get me wrong but I personally want to provide support to the life in the villages where I stay and relish the regional dining.
Some input from albergue owners would be very helpful as well. Maybe getting as many as possible to agree to host tenters (not campers) on their grounds.Since there seem to be a lot more people interested in camping on the Camino than before Corona times, I have been thinking about ways to make the Camino more tent-friendly - without the negative impact some would expect. With this I mean no loss for local business, no littering problem, and still keeping the "pilgrim spirit" / "Camino feeling".
Would anyone be interested in a seperate thread for that? Like, for collecting ideas about how this could be done without too much effort, and as inexpensive as possible for those who would have to make the changes (albergues, towns), so that there might be a real chance of it happening some day...? (One can dream!)
Then I'd start one.
The weights quickly add up. From my current equipment collection:
None of these are anywhere near the absolute minimum. While I am not planning any new purchases here, it would still be interesting to see what others, including serious ultra-light practitioners, would need to add to their normal camino load.
- tent, mat, pillow - 2.7 kg
- cooking stove, pot and fuel ~800 gm
- tarp rigged to create an open sided hootchie with mat and pillow ~ 850 gm
- bivvy bag ~ 700 gm
My list had options for different levels of shelter. I wouldn't take all three.Hey Doug - nice list. What is the deal with a tent and also a bivvi bag??
Tent – 21 oz / 595 gm Gossamer Gear, The One (Using a tarp shelter, would save about 6 oz/170 gm)
Quilt - 11 oz / 311 gm Enlightened Equipment Revelation: to my specifications
Mattress - 13 oz / 368 gm Nemo Tensor
Stove - 2 oz / 57 gm Kovea
Fuel - 4 oz / 113 gm Various, Isobutane canister
Mug - 3 oz / 85 gm Toaks mug. Cooking and eating
Totals: Around 963 g / 34 ounces
Just to play with Dave's numbers a bit... he mentioned he wouldn't probably bring a stove so one can eliminate that weight, and if he stayed at albergues he'd probably need a sleeping bag/quilt of some kind anyway as I don't think many will have blankets in the near future, so really he'd be only adding just over 2 pounds to have the ability to sleep outside whenever he chose. Seems like a very acceptable weight penalty to me!
I have been doing the camino frances in week long stages. Started SJPdP October 2017 and on my last trip reached Villafranca del Bierzo. I have wild camped a few times following LNT principles. Most times I used the albergues. For wild camping my 3F UL poncho is also great as a tarp. I also use a thermarest xtherm sleep pad, a light ice flame down quilt and a very light tyvek bivy bag. I have had no problem setting up late and leaving early from rest areas on the camino. I am hoping to be back in September to carry on from where I left off.If I were taking a shelter, it would be a tarp-based shelter and not a tent, but that's because I am comfortable with rigging one up quickly. However, using a tent (which would be the Gossamer Gear The One model at $245 usd):
Tent – 21 oz / 595 gm Gossamer Gear, The One (Using a tarp shelter, would save about 6 oz/170 gm)
Quilt - 11 oz / 311 gm Enlightened Equipment Revelation: to my specifications
Mattress - 13 oz / 368 gm Nemo Tensor
Stove - 2 oz / 57 gm Kovea
Fuel - 4 oz / 113 gm Various, Isobutane canister
Mug - 3 oz / 85 gm Toaks mug. Cooking and eating
Totals: Around 1.3 Kg / 3.4 pounds
I would not plan on doing any cooking, though. I would be eating and drinking at bars, restaurants, etc like I would on any Camino. So I would skip taking cooking-related gear which would decrease the weight carried. I just included them to keep things "what if" consistent.
My list had options for different levels of shelter. I wouldn't take all three.
I have been doing the camino frances in week long stages. Started SJPdP October 2017 and on my last trip reached Villafranca del Bierzo. I have wild camped a few times following LNT principles. Most times I used the albergues. For wild camping my 3F UL poncho is also great as a tarp. I also use a thermarest xtherm sleep pad, a light ice flame down quilt and a very light tyvek bivy bag. I have had no problem setting up late and leaving early from rest areas on the camino. I am hoping to be back in September to carry on from where I left off.
interesting to see what others ... would add to their normal camino load
In general, I think there is a lot to be learned from the through-hiking community here. The tent I recommended above was from a video by a through-hiker that was basically "How to kit yourself out for your first through hike for under $500 all in because you don't yet know if you are going to enjoy it so you don't want to invest in the expensive equipment, but you don't want something that will prevent you from enjoying it, too". It seems to me that through hikers probably have a lot of experience in finding the right amount and types of equipment for camping that (a) isn't too terrible to carry all day walking and (b) isn't too hard to set up in potentially inclement weather when you are very tired at the end of the day. Might as well learn from that experience.
Of course, someone doing the Camino won't necessarily need everything a through-hiker needs. We likely won't need cooking gear, for example (although some through-hikers also travel without cooking gear). We can generally expect to be in a populated community with restaurants, bars, washrooms, etc. at the end of the day. But I think it is likely to be a good taking off point.
(Written as someone who has not through hiked, although he has watched some YouTube videos by through-hikers.)
wow, I love that tree tent.Hi David, I hope to walk the Primitivo in September and I was thinking of a lightweight tent. I now have a tree tent in mind. It's super lightweight but not cheap. An American company called Tentsile, they have an office in England, make them https://www.tentsile.com/collection...-1-person-hammock-tent?variant=31296763985993
The camping gear totals 0.9 kg and comprises:
570 g tent 2 person (me and my pack) - 2015 Zpacks
115 g pegs and pole - 2015 Zpacks (second pole is a trekking pole repurposed)
220 g inflatable sleep pad - 2015 Therm-A-Rest
For those worried about weight, then you could maybe use a baggage service if you knew where you would be staying. Not something I'd want to do myself (yet), just a thought.
Obviously a more expensive tent is better for many reasons, but for those who can't afford it then a really cheap tent can be a viable alternative, my last one lasted 3 two month summer trips, so that 6 months of camping for £25 only leaked slightly in one top corner easily fixed and survived a massive hail shower which broke a pole, again easily fixed, The only reason I got rid of it was because mice ate it when it was stored in the attic.
Really! Well you learn something new every day.In Scotland it's not uncommon to walk the West highlands way and have your baggage transferred then weight is not such an issue.
Quite quickly my old body says: "you need to stop this and find a mattress". Maybe just my problem ...
I might have seen you,!Really! Well you learn something new every day.
The last time I was on the WHW was in 1980 with a cotton tent, wooden tent poles, an old frying pan and a wool army blanket, my rucksack weighed more than me. Folk have it so easy today.
Really! Well you learn something new every day.
@Bumpa, I am sure I am at least a day or two older than yourself. It is, of course, your right to tell us what your camino problems are. But it is not your right to project your problems onto others.
@davebugg I checked out the Gossamer Gear the one a while back when you mentioned it in another thread. At that time they were out of stock but I received an email this week that they are available again. You can pre-order now and it will be shipped by June 15th. That's unfortunately too late for me I'm afraid. I was thinking about walking a week or so before I open up the albergue in July. And the 595 gr you mention is only for the shelter, not for the stuff bag, stakes, etc. One thing I do like about The One is that you can use your walking poles to set it up.
https://www.gossamergear.com/products/the-one
I've just sorted myself out with a polycro groundsheet. I've reinforced the edges. Duct tape applied to the corners and rivet openings put through them. That groundsheet will be used with a light tyvek bivy bag, down camping quilt, thermarest xtherm pad and if necessary I will use my 3F UL poncho as a tarp. Poncho supported by the trekking poles.For tarp-based shelters, using my trekking poles, I use polycro sheets, which are tough as nails. A full sheet of 96" x 120" weighs about 3.5 ounces, and costs about $12.00 usd. I have a sheet that I've used off and on for 3 years now.
I've attached stick on tapes with rivet openings ($2.50), for locations where I use micro tent pegs ($15.00) and trekking poles, and a length of dyneema-core guyline cord (2.0 mm, $15.00). With pegs, line, permanently attached rivet tapes, and a silnylon stuff sack for it all, it all weighs around 8 ounces. As packed, it takes up no more space than a sport drink bottle.
I do not include the weight of trekking poles or poncho-groundcloth, as I carry those anyway for use in their normal roles.
Because of the existing laws, I would not wild camp in Spain, but utilize available yards and garden spaces at alburgues, hostals, and other permitted sites. That would give me plenty of access to toileting and washing facilities.
I do my backpacking at home. For Camino, I prefer to sleep indoors along the way. Private rooms in alburgues or at casa rurals, hostals, or hotels suit me just fine.
On the Camino I started from StJ ,and walked with two Portuguese ladies part of the way,one of the ladies husband drove the car to the next stop,then cycled back to meet them,they walked all the way to Burgos like this!A digression I hope the moderators will gloss over.
My four Glasgow rellies have also walked the West Highland Way. At least three of them have, in what seems to be true British styles. The fourth is the driver. She takes them to the days start point, then drives on to the agreed end point for the day and reads from the veritable library assembled for the purpose. On pick up she drives them to the B&B booked several months before. The next day she drives them to yesterday's stopping point, then drives on ... . That days B&B may be the same as yesterday's. And a mobile phone allows them all to change some details on the fly.
As I understand it the walkers carry no more than a rain coat and maybe one extra layer and a few sandwiches for lunch. And, of course, a mobile phone.
It would not have done for the Duke, sir.
Have had 10+ years of great experiences backpacking in the Sierra with 2 Big Agnes tents and inflatable pads, they're very good quality and hold up well but are on the expensive side, which pays for their excellent post-purchase customer service. During a month's cycling trip in Ireland we carried a very basic single wall urethane coated tent, using it 5 nights including in rain, when we couldn't get B&B's - we were comfortable, no show-stopping condensation. If going cheap, beware coarse seams - slack tension or less than 8 stitches per inch won't remain water proof, even if seam sealed.Quick two cents worth. Now is an excellent time to buy a quality tent at significant discounts as retailers try to get rid of inventory to bring out new models, while sales are lacking due to COVID. My criteria for a lightweight tent includes: tents that ventilate well, have a fly and waterpoof seams, quick to pack or setup, are somewhat durable and have enough room for me and my pack under cover.
Often the lighter the tent, the more fragile the screen, poles and material may be, so I always look at the reviews of others to see how the tent measures up. Most UL (ultralight) tents really require a 2 man size for a single person, or 3 man size for two. Note I didn't mention a footprint as requirement, since footprints are typically heavy. Go to any hardware store (or find some used at a building site) and get 7 foot square sheet of Tyvek "building wrap". Strong and super light and will protect your tent floor from sharp rocks etc.
My favourite two tents I own are my Hubba Hubba (2 man) from MSR and Copper Spur UL2 from Big Agnes. Both tents can be pegged down of set up standalone on a platform. Setup in under 5 minutes. Both have thousands of popular reviews online. I'm 6' 2" and fit comfortably with room to spare. Both weigh in at around 1.3kg, and pack up very small (size of 2 litre bottle). Should last many years of caminos or hikes.
I've just sorted myself out with a polycro groundsheet. I've reinforced the edges. Duct tape applied to the corners and rivet openings put through them. That groundsheet will be used with a light tyvek bivy bag, down camping quilt, thermarest xtherm pad and if necessary I will use my 3F UL poncho as a tarp. Poncho supported by the trekking poles.
I own a Lanshan 2 tent. Great tent. However for the camino I prefer the lighter option of a poncho tarp. I can usually keep my overall pack weight under 8kg. For food I use local cafes/bars and shops. Every few nights I stay in an albergue.Lanshan is definitely my choice of all the one-person-tents I've seen so far. Thanks for the suggestion
I won't need it for any thru-hike but could be very handy in post corona circumstances and especially on less walked Caminos (warmer months only) which I'm interested in. Also I don't plan to sleep in it in bad weather especially in rain or after walking whole day in rain with all the gear and clothes wet. Nope
Great tip. I will try that.Sounds great, and you are getting well sorted out.
I do not know how large your poncho is, so I have no ability to determine if it will give you the amount of overhang needed to allow rainwater to shed far enough away from your sleeping area to keep it from running back in. That is why, when I use a tarp shelter when backpacking (of if I used on on Camino) I don't double up my poncho as a tarp, but only use it as a ground cloth.
Polycro can be a bit slick and cause sleeping bags, mats, etc to slid around while moving in your sleep. If that is a problem for you, try spraying a light coating of an anti-slip coating onto your groundsheet. I've used this product before, but there are other products that will work as well. Again, just a thin spray of film. And the spray doesn't have to be even. Even spraying a grid pattern, with a checkerboard pattern will work.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UDCC8K/?tag=casaivar02-20
Excellent!Yes, I see your point and commiserate with you, 'sigh' indeed - why on earth should they think they can have a bed even if it is a howling storm outside - I mean, they did choose to bring a tent so obviously they should use it.
But it isn't just pilgrims with tents, is it. Think of pilgrims who earn more money than us, why, their pockets are probably full of Euros, what on earth are they doing in a refugio taking the last bed when a Parador is only a few yards away - so selfish. Why are they clogging up the Camino by walking anyway? Surely they can afford a taxi?
Then! Think of the unfair advantage tall pilgrims have! As they have longer legs they have a naturally longer stride so tend to arrive earlier than short people - is this fair? Seems to me that if a refugio becomes full then tall pilgrims should be asked to leave - anyway, with their long strides they will get to the next place much easier than a short person would.
and then - what if the tall pilgrim is of normal healthy weight? and what if the short person is not just short but fat as well? Is this fair?
My idea is to stop tall normal weight pilgrims leaving a refugio for at least an hour after short pilgrims and two hours after short fat pilgrims have left - surely this would be much more fair?
Top tip for pilgrims carrying a tent: - tent bags tend to be roundish, long, and narrow - before leaving home have a local artist paint it to look like a large loaf of bread - this way if your tent bag is discovered when you are in a refugio the other pilgrim will just think that you like bread - oh, though that may become a problem if they are hungry and ask for some of it. *sigh*
But sometimes those albergue mattresses are not as supportive as we need them to be.and now, well, unless it is high barometeric pressure, they ache - and they really ache after a couple of nights if I don't get a good support under me for sleeping
Pop up tents usually have rigid fiberglass poles or similar, so don't fold small! And having a single skin, no peg, cheap tent to my way of thinking is just asking for miserable nights. Better to spend money on a good quality lightweight tent. I do have a lifetime of bushwalking experience!Hi – I have been thinking about tents for Camino - idle thoughts
Now, I don’t want to get into the rights or wrongs nor the legalities or illegalities, would rather leave that out for this thread … but, when the Camino does open again I do think that there will be more tenting pilgrims. I will certainly be packing one onto my first aid trailer.
So – to me there are a few main requirements - I would be interested to hear other views
1. It has to be light – for obvious reasons really.
2. It will be a dome or pop-up tent as it has to be free-standing, that it will stand up without pegging down.
There are many refugios with concrete/wooden verandahs, porches outside churches with stone floors. There are countless businesses along the way with car parks that close early evening and don’t open again until 8 or 9 the next day. There are tarmac Pelota squares in many villages ...
Again – this is not about the legality, but thinking about it, not camping on farmland could be a much better way forward. And something like a dome tent doesn’t have to be pegged unless there is a strong wind.
3. It has to be cheap.
The reason I have for this is that it will only be used for, what, 35 days max? And in Santiago could be given to a homeless person. Also, if it is is damaged, lost, stolen – who cares if it is cheap?
4. As it has to be both cheap and light I think that a single skin tent would do – if it gets a little cold and this causes condensation for a few nights .. is that important?
5. It will be small (to be light) but has to be big enough to keep footwear and pack inside.
And that is it really
Oh, 6. It should be blue with yellow waymarker signs spray-stencilled onto it.
I could be completely wrong here but I don’t think anyone has to spend a fortune on a tent with all gizzmos and super strong Himalayan waterproofing and maybe half a kilo, a pound, lighter – but can one can budget this? And how light is ‘light’?
@Bumpa, I am sure I am at least a day or two older than yourself. It is, of course, your right to tell us what your camino problems are. But it is not your right to project your problems onto others.
I was very much looking forward to returning to la-haut-Marne in north-east France in early April and continuing my trek to Rome. Not only did I have a list of hostels but also a list of camp-grounds along my route and would prospect towards the end of each day's march when necessary. For the latter two instances the tent, coat, mattress etc you can see in post #124 above are always in my pack, even for training trips around my region.
And so I wish you kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going when you can).
It was simply an attempt to add to the conversation.
Absolutely, camping isn't for everyone. Heck, albergues are not for everyone. Just as you can't get the rest you need on an inflatable mat, others find they can't get the sleep they need in a dorm. Ours is not to judge them. I think the issue that you raise hasn't been discussed here because the thread is primarily of interest to and aimed at those for whom camping is a possibility. It is generally only those who find camping an acceptable alternative who will be considering which tent to bring.As someone who has through hiked the Appalachian Trail and various trails in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, I would like to draw attention to an issue, other than the tent, which may be a problem for some here.
I have an excellent Big Agnes single person light weight tent but have not used it for a few years. My problem, as I age through my seventies, is what do I rest my weary bones on in the tent. I have tried to consider the weight, size, comfort of different materials. I find, increasingly, that I cannot walk required distances over a number of days while sleeping on a camp mat, be it inflatable or foam. Quite quickly my old body says: "you need to stop this and find a mattress". Maybe just my problem, but I think not.
Exactly.I think the issue that you raise hasn't been discussed here because the thread is primarily of interest to and aimed at those for whom camping is a possibility. It is generally only those who find camping an acceptable alternative who will be considering which tent to bring.
... tent should be a really light one.
I am thinking along these lines, too. I want to try tenting along the camino before the floodgates open, and I have answered the weight problem by deciding to use my bicycle.
But there are some unanswered questions still.
2. I hope to NOT have to carry cooking gear. Where this will leave me coffee-wise each morning will be another challenge. I am ready to eat out of boxes and tins if I have to, but I will whine.
We’ll need more information. Are you going on the Camino or will you be camping closer to home? If not on the Camino then where? What’s the terrain, the climate? Are you going on your own or will you be sharing a tent? Will you have to carry other equipment and if so how much? Will it be an overnight trip, a weekend, or longer? If you live near an outfitter it would be a good idea to go in where you will be asked these questions and they will be able to help you based on your answers.Next week I will go camping. I am confused about which tent is good?
Thanks for sharing!I carried a tent on the Via Francigena (pilgrim route to Rome) through France- a route which called often for carrying food and 2 litres of water - but still easily managed to keep weight below 10kg all in - including tent, cooking stove, food and water and sleeping bag. However, as I like camino walking in winter - my winter camino kit is over 8kg because of carrying warmer gear and extra food, it didn't seem too much of an adjustment. And just to note I am a 5'3 woman.
I have a terranova 1-person laser competition which is lightweight but not ultralight weight. The cost of buying a tent and how much you will use it have to be taken into account! Cheap tents tend to be heavier due to the material used. There are ways to reduce weight - but some are costly, while others will reduce comfort. It will take some research as to decide your weight, comfort and cost ratios if you feel that camping is suited to the camino route that you are planning.
My current camino plan will see me once again carrying the tent in spring 2021 heading from Cherbourg down through France as accomodation is more limited on this camino route but there are quite a few campsites.
That depends on where you are camping. I've camped in deserts several times without tents and without issues. I also know people who camp in areas where there are plenty of trees using hammocks instead of tents. And the one time I stayed in a campground on the Camino I didn't need or use a tent, as they had cabins for peregrinos.Tents are an essential and most useful piece of camping. if you going to camping you must know how to use a tent.
Or a tarp. Or a bivvy bag.Tents are an essential and most useful piece of camping. if you going to camping you must know how to use a tent.
@JonyWest that's an interesting assertion. There certainly was a time, and some places, when a bed could be found by asking around the bars, the railway station, the Guardia Civil post or by tracking down the Mayor. Though throughout the modern revival that has applied more on the less travelled Caminos than on the Frances. It was the method I relied on in the early '70's - though I tended to avoid the Guardia if possible. Post-Covid, realistically Intra-Covid, I don't think the old days of a spare bed in the Widow's house is going to be much of an option. I'll still not be taking a tent but I'll be taking my sleeping bag, my mask, and a big pinch of salt.If you arrive at a town where the albergues are full, you will have other (better) options than being forced to camp. Just by asking around town, you will most likely find a spare room or bed to sleep for the night.
I'd love to hear more about your Caminos with the donkey! I would think sometimes it might be hard to find a place to pitch a tent on the camino.JonyWest, some of us like camping. I've walked a few Caminos, some with a donkey, some without. I like my tent. Each to their own.
Hi David, I live in Australia and have camped the 88 temples in Japan and spent a few nights in tents on various Camino’s. I buy a 2 person Dome tent from Woolworths or Kmart for about $15 it is just about 1 kilo maybe under. If there is 2 of you one can carry the poles and the other the tent. It is wise to buy one of those self inflating air beds and pillows they are quite expensive but very small and make a comfortable nights sleep. I give my tent away at the end of my journey. I don’t worry about it being legal or illegal to camp I find a nice flat spot in amongst the trees and when I leave you would not know I have been there. No cooking of course.Hi – I have been thinking about tents for Camino - idle thoughts
Now, I don’t want to get into the rights or wrongs nor the legalities or illegalities, would rather leave that out for this thread … but, when the Camino does open again I do think that there will be more tenting pilgrims. I will certainly be packing one onto my first aid trailer.
So – to me there are a few main requirements - I would be interested to hear other views
1. It has to be light – for obvious reasons really.
2. It will be a dome or pop-up tent as it has to be free-standing, that it will stand up without pegging down.
There are many refugios with concrete/wooden verandahs, porches outside churches with stone floors. There are countless businesses along the way with car parks that close early evening and don’t open again until 8 or 9 the next day. There are tarmac Pelota squares in many villages ...
Again – this is not about the legality, but thinking about it, not camping on farmland could be a much better way forward. And something like a dome tent doesn’t have to be pegged unless there is a strong wind.
3. It has to be cheap.
The reason I have for this is that it will only be used for, what, 35 days max? And in Santiago could be given to a homeless person. Also, if it is is damaged, lost, stolen – who cares if it is cheap?
4. As it has to be both cheap and light I think that a single skin tent would do – if it gets a little cold and this causes condensation for a few nights .. is that important?
5. It will be small (to be light) but has to be big enough to keep footwear and pack inside.
And that is it really
Oh, 6. It should be blue with yellow waymarker signs spray-stencilled onto it.
I could be completely wrong here but I don’t think anyone has to spend a fortune on a tent with all gizzmos and super strong Himalayan waterproofing and maybe half a kilo, a pound, lighter – but can one can budget this? And how light is ‘light’?
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