Gear review - Tent

zelt Aldi (Adventuridge)   double wall tent   3 persons   5.25kg   Ø20x65cm   Euro 29.95

I bought this tent, even though my old tent (see below) was still in good conditions. The reason why I bought it is that it has a vestibule, which is clearly missing on my old tent. A large vestibule is a important part of a tent, as I learned on my travels by motorcycle.

  

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The Aldi-tent is cheap, but the quality is really good. It is water proof, and the only problem I had with it was a torn rubber band in the tent poles while putting it up for the first time, and bend poles after a weekend in more than 35C heat. In both cases I got a entire set of poles for free as a replacement. The poles are made of fiber glass which is a little heavier than aluminium, and it can't handle heat as well, but don't forget: The tent costs Euro 30, not Euro 300!

The original stakes are quite weak, therefore I made stronger ones from Ø6mm stainless steel. They are much heavier than the originals, but one can actually use a hammer to pound them into the ground.

A double wall tent has a clear advantage; In summer one can just put up the inner tent. The web lets in even a small wind to cool things down, but no mosquitoes. The web is tight enough to give at least a little privacy. If it rains one of course puts the rain fly over the tent, but also when it is cold, as the warm air stays under the rain fly.

The vestibule is important to me, because there one can put the boots, the wet rain gear, the camping stove, and also the dirty panniers, if one wants to ride a day without them.

I think a 3 person tent should be the first choice, even for single travelers, since one has enough space to spread out the luggage in the tent, and one can comfortably sit out a day of monsoon rain. For safety reasons I can only advice against cocking inside the tent, or the vestibule, even if one is tempted to do it on a rainy day.

Conclusion: I absolutely recommend the Aldi-tent from Adventuridge. Good quality for a very low price, what else do you want.

A similar Iglu-Double-Wall-Tent 3 Persons is available at Amazon.com.

  

  

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Aldi (Adventuridge)   double wall tent   3 persons   5,5kg   Ø20x65cm   (about 1995)

This was my first tent, bought before I owned a motorcycle. As a first tent it of course shouldn't be expensive, since I didn't know how often I would use it at all. In the end I used it over many years, and on many motorcycle trips. The tent poles at the entrance still show the camping site stickers from Iceland. I still have the tent as a "reserve tent', and it is still usable, no problem.

A similar Dome Tent 3 Persons is available at Amazon.com.