The North Face Mica 12 Lightweight tent with and without flysheet

The tent isn’t exactly cavernous but its big enough to sit up in and as long as you’re not too much more than 6ft you shouldn’t struggle. Again the vestibule of the tent isn’t big but considering the tents light weight and its intended use it’s more than adequate for cooking, storing wet gear and fitting in a 65l rucksack. The inner has quite a few mesh pockets which always come in useful for helping to stay organised in a small space. Glow in the dark zip pulls also help increase livability. The tent is also compatible with the north face gear loft although fitting one does drastically impact available headroom.

The vestibule door is angled well which provides a drip line well away from the inner which makes it easy to get in and out without letting any damp in. The tent is well contructed with strong yet lightweight DAC Featherlite aluminium poles in a sturdy “kickstand” arrangement. The bathtub floor is fully taped which provides even greater security on very wet ground. The High-low ventilation design of mica 12 works well to help expel moisture vapor and prevent interior condensation.

Pitching the Mica 12 is easy when you know how with microclips and colour coded poles, although some of the pole clips can be a bit fiddly and it can only be pitched inner first.  We’ve made the following video as a guide to pitching the north face mica 12.

Video guide of how to pitch The North Face Mica 12

Pros

• Lightweight
• Stylish
• Reasonably priced

Cons

• Can only be pitched Inner first
• Cramped if you are much over 6′

Summary of the tent

The North Face Mica 12 is a good 3 season ultralight tent ideal for anyone who wants a more comfort than a bivi but doesn’t want to take the hit of carrying extra weight.

Entries Open for LAMM 2010

Entries are now open for the 2010 annual, two day mountain orienteering event, known as the LAMM: Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon.

Held every year in Scotland since 1994, LAMM is a trail running and orienteering event for pairs, with overnight camping at a remote location. To ensure fair competition and add an air of mystery the location is always kept secret until the last minute!

LAMM 2010 is to be held on Saturday 12th to Sunday 13th June 2010. The cost is £80 per team. In addition you must have a Sports Ident card. To enter the 2010 LAMM event and buy a Sports Ident card, click here.

Martin Stone and all at the LAMM team recommend entering the mountain marathon as soon as possible to avoid disappointment:

We have another great area lined up in one of the classic mountain areas of the Scottish Highlands with a scattering of big hills. Our planner this year is Andy Spenceley, who planned the excellent routes at Inchnadamph 2006, Glenfinnan 2008 and was our controller at Kintail 2009. Competition for places in the LAMM is now very keen and the event is always oversubscribed.

To cater for differing abilities there are several different courses: Elite, A, B, C, D and score course.

• Score course – Saturday 7 hours, Sunday 6 hours
• Elite and A courses will be similar to previous events
• B course will be positioned mid-way between 2008 B & C courses
• C course will be positioned mid-way between 2008 C & D courses
• D course will be positioned mid-way between 2008 D & Novice courses, with less technical controls than the other courses.

The score course is limited to the number of hours shown above, and competitors choose which orienteering controls to collect.

Lowe Alpine Outdoor Gear

Unsurprisingly, the main sponsor of the LAMM event is outdoor gear manufacturer Lowe Alpine, whose gear highly regarded by adventure racers, hill and mountain runners and participants of many other outdoor sports. If you need any trail running gear, a rucksack, waterproofs, thermal wear or any other outdoor kit, it can be found at CheapTents.com!

Although the event takes place in June, event organisers warn competitors not to be complacent about the weather and how serious the Scottish Mountains can be. Taking enough trail running outdoor gear is vital, since the freezing level can be at between 800 and 1000 m, even in the summer. It can still snow!

Please bring a selection of heavier garments to the event so that you can choose appropriate clothing/tent before you start. Please don’t make the same mistakes as in 2004 and come to the LAMM with only Summer equipment.

Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon 2009 – Kintail

The 2010 LAMM Mountain Marathon will follow a similar format to previous years events, with big mountains being the order of the day. The 2009 event took place in Kintail, starting at Morvich, Shiel Bridge, on the main A87 road between and Kyle of Lochalsh and Invergarry. The mountains known as the five sisters of Kintail are a famous landmark in the area. Those in the elite section had the pleasure of orienteering checkpoints at either end and either side of the five sisters!

The Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon 2009 took place around the Five Sisters of Kintail. Source: Flickr by Graham Lewis (Grinner).

Around 1000 competitors took part in the mountain marathon, which took place in the mountains north of Glen Shiel. Many of the hills there are very steep with lots of rock, so there was more climbing than usual, however the courses were made a little shorter to compensate. There was even an orienteering checkpoint at the summit of a Munro.

The prize for the leading Elite team was more punishment: a free entry to the Swedish Bjorkliden Arctic Mountain Marathon (BAMM), inlcuding flights and accommodation. This was won by Andy Symonds and Jethro Lennox.

A red kite By Sue Trantor, courtesy of rspbimages.com

Being out in the countryside hiking, camping and climbing often gives us the opportunity to see wildlife. A most impressive sight is that of a bird of prey circling high above, in the clear blue sky, sightings such as this have at times been rare, but thanks to the hard work of individuals and societies such as the RSPB something is being done to conserve an important factor in our ecology.

The RSPB is currently running a campaign to protect birds of prey by creating more awareness and hopefully more respect for these creatures. CheapTents.com asked John Loder, an RSPB Campaign Talks Officer to tell us all about the campaign and how we walkers, campers and climbers can get involved and do our bit to help preserve a better future for these magnificent birds.

John is a volunteer, and is passionate about the RSPB and the important work that is done, he gives up his spare time to travel the North West of England giving lectures, talks and tutorials to all types of people on the work of the RSPB, its’ campaigns, how people can help and the pleasure that is gained from giving up time for others.

Interview With John Loder, RSPB Campaign Talks Officer

Since 2003, nearly two thousand incidents of bird crime involving or targeting wild birds of prey in the UK have been reported to the RSPB.
John Loder RSPB Campaign Talks Officer

CheapTents.com – The focus of this interview is to talk about the RSPB’s Birds of Prey Campaign, can you please tell us how this came about?

John Loder: “The Society feel it is the right time to bring the plight of our birds of prey (also called raptors) to the public’s attention. There have been some successes recently, think of the spread of ospreys, and the spectacular increase in red kite and white-tailed eagle numbers due to re-introduction schemes – all very high profile. But behind this is a tragic story of the systematic killing of many of these birds, by shooting, poisoning, trapping and nest robbing. Since 2003, nearly two thousand incidents of bird crime involving or targeting wild birds of prey in the UK have been reported to the RSPB.”

CheapTents.com – What are the aims of the campaign?

John Loder: “Put simply, we want the killers of these birds to stop it; to obey the law of the land. Often the illegal killing occurs in remote locations and is therefore difficult to detect. We want to ensure that:

• Birds of prey continue to be fully protected.
• The law is properly enforced so those choosing to break the law are punished.
• These criminals know that public opinion is against them: that society is watching.
• We have a stronger voice to help to protect these magnificent birds and allow everyone to experience the joy of seeing them.”

This peregrine falcon was trapped in the Midlands, tragically the RSPB got to this bird to late, the distress and pain on it's face is obvious and it had to be euthanised. This is one of the reasons for this campaign. By D Bromley, courtesy of rspbimages.com

CheapTents.com – Why does it matter if we are losing birds of prey, what value do they have?

John Loder: “Firstly, we all know about biodiversity – as creatures at the top of the food chain, birds of prey have their role. Persecution of birds of prey invariably has knock-on effects to the food chain

Environmental indicators – birds in general have been recognised as excellent indicators of the health of the environment and birds of prey have played a role in this. Think of DDT in the 1960’s – the danger of this chemical in agriculture was picked up very early when studies into the decline in birds of such as sparrowhawks found that it made their eggshells thinner, causing them to break during incubation. The connection was “If that does this to a bird, what is it doing to me?”

‘Heritage’ is a common buzz word nowadays, and names of birds of prey have found their way into our cultural heritage – just think of eagle, hawk, falcon, merlin, all used to imply excitement and speed, and used as a name for racing cars, fighter aeroplanes, and aero-engines. On the other hand there is a champion beer called ‘Hen Harrier’ produced in the Forest of Bowland – it is difficult to imagine that just a few years ago.

[The] hen harrier is known as Britain’s most threatened bird of prey…research has shown that the natural population in England should be around 200 pairs, but there are only about 15.
John Loder RSPB Campaign Talks Officer.

There is a value that can be quantified in financial terms – the pleasure people take from seeing birds of prey has been turned into financial gain where tourists are attracted by the possibility of seeing these spectacular sights. People flock to Mull and Skye to see white-tailed eagles. I persuaded my family to visit Mull recently, and we played our part in bringing in £1.6m extra to the island that year. Later on that same holiday we visited Loch Garten, one of a number of viewing sites run by the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts to encourage people to visit places where the fabulous osprey can be seen raising their own families. 290,000 visit osprey sites every year, bringing in £3.5m.

Significant numbers of visitors visit mid Wales to see red kites at Nant yr Arian and Gigrin Farm. Peregrines bring in £0.5m to the Forest of Dean, and the 8 peregrine ‘Date with Nature’ sites have 120,000 visitors per year. The vast majority of these sites are in remote rural communities, bringing much needed revenue.”

CheapTents.com – How will an increase in Bird of Prey populations affect other endangered species of birds and small mammals that they hunt?

John Loder:  “By definition, birds of prey do what it says on the tin – they prey on other creatures. They can be sub-divided, however, into those that eat carrion and those that eat live prey, although raptors are opportunists and will eat a bit of both if it presents itself. Red kites are mainly carrion eaters, but that didn’t stop them being wiped out by the turn of the last century. Hen harriers, peregrines, and golden eagles are all persecuted in upland areas for the same reason – because they eat game birds, most notably red grouse. In some circumstances, grouse may form a major part of their diet and they can take a sizeable proportion of the shootable surplus of grouse. Conservation bodies, however, attribute declines in red grouse populations to a combination of the loss and deterioration of heather moorland, disease, and increased predation by foxes and crows, rather than from bird of prey activity.

There are misconceptions out there, and they have been around for hundreds of years.
John Loder RSPB Campaign Talks Officer.

Peregrines are persecuted by some members of the racing pigeon fraternity, but research has shown that 86% of pigeons lost each year fail to return to their lofts for reasons other than predation by birds of prey.

Similarly research was conducted to investigate the loss of songbirds by the poor old sparrowhawk and other raptors. Surprise, surprise, then, when they concluded that there was no evidence that birds of prey had population effects on songbirds.

Declines in farmland birds, and many of these fall under the ‘endangered’ banner, were mainly down to changes in our farmland practices having a detrimental effect on their habitat. So there are misconceptions out there, and they have been around for hundreds of years.”

CheapTents.com – What species are endangered?

John Loder: “As creatures at the top of the food chain, the natural order of things means there will never be vast numbers of birds of prey. Some species have always had low numbers for many years as our islands are at the extremities of their natural range. Others such as the white tailed eagle, osprey and red kite have relatively low numbers in most areas, but are recovering from near extinction a few decades ago, as a result of lots of TLC. But those that concern me most are the goshawk, golden eagle and hen harrier.

The white-tailed eagle, the largest bird in the UK. By Ian McCarthey courtesy of rspbimages.com

The goshawk is a bird of the forests, looks like a sparrowhawk on steroids, and has been systematically persecuted in the Northern Peak District to just a handful of pairs.

The hen harrier is known as ‘Britain’s most threatened bird of prey’. Recent research has shown that the natural population in England should be around 200 pairs, but there are only about 15. This year was a particularly bad one, with only about 10 pairs breeding successfully in England.

The word ‘icon’ could have been invented for the golden eagle. The ultimate predator, symbol of the Scottish moorland, but again their numbers are being kept artificially low by poisoning, nest destruction and shooting, and there are just over 400 breeding pairs in Scotland.”

CheapTents.com – What direct actions are the RSPB doing to increase bird of prey populations?

John Loder: ” The programme of reintroductions may catch the headlines, but the resources needed are mind-boggling. This tactic of ‘pump-priming’ the populations of red kites has been very successful and now needs less attention. We seem to have got the recipe right for the white-tailed eagle, and there are hopes that an English population can be established soon. Protection of birds and nests is the priority for the RSPB Investigations Unit, that works closely with the Police and other agencies in rural areas. On a more day-to-day level, the RSPB recognises the value of input from farmers, and carries out a vast amount of research, education and co-operation on wildlife-friendly farming.”

golden eagle….numbers are being kept artificially low by poisoning, nest destruction and shooting, and there are just over 400 breeding pairs in Scotland.
John Loder RSPB Campaign Talks Officer.

CheapTents.com – Our readers spend a lot of time in the outdoors, is there any general advice that you can give them as to the best ways and times in which birds can be seen whilst hiking in the countryside?

John Loder: ” Birds are more likely to be heard than seen, so use your ears. Practise learning the songs and calls of common garden birds first – early mornings are the best time. Get yourself a cheap bird book that will fit in a map pocket. Compact binoculars don’t have to be expensive, and I use mine to help find a path when I’m out on the hills. Oh, and if you’re walking and birdwatching, go with like-minded people, as you do tend to stop fairly regularly.”

CheapTents.com – In the most popular walking areas in the UK which birds of prey could we expect to see?

John Loder: “In the Cairngorms the ospreys are returning to the lochs if there are plentiful fish stocks, and up on the moors there is the merlin, which is like a small kestrel, and the rare hen harrier, which has it’s stronghold in Scotland. If you’re lucky you may spot a golden eagle soaring at height. But they do have peregrines – they nest on the crags; listen out for the youngsters’ high pitched calls.

A Harrier. By Chris Gomersall, courtesy of rspbimages.com

In the Lake District, ospreys are back in Bassenthwaite, and the lowland woods have sparrowhawks, which are secretive ‘ambush’ predators. You’ll spot buzzards in many rural areas, they can usually be seen soaring on the thermals, but they have a taste for insects so are found in the fields.

Mid-Wales is a haven for red kites, and on many of our coastal paths look out for kestrels hovering, and there’s a possibility that you will find peregrines here as well – they move to the estuaries to chase waders in Winter.”

CheapTents.com – As walkers/wild campers or climbers how can we minimise our impact on birds and wildlife?

John Loder: ” We now have the ‘right to roam’, but you have to be sensible and follow the Countryside Code. Many of the upland species of birds are ground nesters, so keep to the paths and ensure dogs are on a lead in the nesting/lambing season. I have an 8 metre lead: it gives the dog plenty of freedom and he learns not to pull after a while. As an ex-climber, I know that most of the routes are away from nests, but the tell-tale signs are a bird calling in distress. You will normally hear/see this at the bottom before you start.

The common sense stuff about litter applies, as birds can get tangled in fishing lines or swallow plastic bags in the water.”

CheapTents.com – If out walking and I saw someone obviously trapping or hunting birds of prey. What should I do? Is there an emergency phone number or do I just phone the police?

John Loder: ” If a matter is urgent, telephone the police, RSPB or appropriate agency. If your concern is regarding animal welfare or domestic animals, contact the RSPCA or your local wildlife centre.

If you would prefer to speak to somebody call the RSPB on 01767 680 551 (England and Wales) or 0131 311 6500 (Scotland). Lines are manned 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. Messages can be left outside these hours.

There is a form on the RSPB website that you can use to report a wildlife crime to the RSPB. The more information you can provide, the more useful your report will be. Although it may be distressing at the time, try and remember a few salient facts, like: when, where, bird species, description of the suspect, evidence etc. Photographs are useful, however do not put yourself in danger.”

CheapTents.com – Finally, How can people help the campaign or get involved?

John Loder: “It’s easy – visit the RSPB Birds Of Prey Campaign homepage and then ‘sign the pledge’. By law you have to be 18 or over, and we will send you a free Birds of Prey booklet in the post.

If you’re in the North of England you may want me (or one of my colleagues) to give an evening presentation on the Birds of Prey Campaign to your local group – it doesn’t have to be a walking or conservation group, and I don’t charge a fee! Call the RSPB Denby Dale office on 01484 861148 and leave your details. And finally, thanks for giving me the opportunity to show how birds of prey are not only great to watch, but also have a vital role in maintaining the balance of our natural world.”

For more information please visit our update Blog readers help to protect Birds of Prey!

The RSPB and Critically Endangered Bird Species

The RSPB does a lot of work to raise awareness of critically endangered bird species and tries to restore declining bird populations. A lot of this work is done in conjunction with the BirdLife International. A large amount of money is raised for bird conservation through the annual Birdfair at Rutland water. Previous international campaigns have focussed on Rimatara Lorikeets, Gurney’s Pittas and the Albatross as well as many other species. For the past three years the main focus of BirdFair conservation has been on the Lost and Found campaign which hopes to verify whether certain critically endangered bird species still exist and where they are. In doing so effective conservation efforts can be made.

Wild Camping

On the matter of wild camping, I do this routinely on multi-day walks and now that I have disengaged myself from the restrictions of a working life I have time to tackle the many long distance walks that excite the imagination and itch the footfall.

Freddy Phillips High Street summit - Freddy Phillips ©

Personally, I quickly worked out that B&B options were beyond my pocket, and campsites seem to be ratcheting up their charges as well; £8-£10 per night is not unusual, and it mounts up. On longer walks, say four or five days out, I will use the occasional campsite to enjoy the amenity of hot water and a shower. But I always feel out of place surrounded by tents and caravans and often noise, cars and too much coming and going take away any pleasure in the experience. So I decided to take up “wild-camping” and I have been doing this for a couple of years now.

During 2009 I have completed The Dales Way, The Abbey’s Way, The Ayrshire Coastal Path, The Ribble Way, The Inn Way to Northumberland and the excellent Tour of the Lake District. I have wild-camped throughout without incident or challenge. Clearly, camping and overnight costs have been eliminated completely but much more important to my mind is that by camping on or near the route the essence of the walk is maintained, the wild-camper keeps close to nature and there is an element of satisfaction that comes from the ability to move uninhibited across wild or open country making independent decisions about where to spend the night. My preference is to walk until sunset and then keep my eyes open for a convenient spot but sometimes an idyllic pitch presents itself and I can’t pass it by, coastal walks are particularly prone to this hazard. My guiding principle is to attempt to leave the land in a better condition than upon my arrival if at all possible, in other words I will leave no litter and pack out any I find. I don’t worry too much about the legal niceties; wild camping in the Langdale Valley would not be tolerated (but I have bivouacked there) whereas up on the high fells presents no problems, and I which I prefer.

I always try to be completely out of sight and find the edges of woods and the junctions of stone wall provide good pitch opportunities and I like to get up and away as early as possible. I never camp in a field with any livestock, cattle can be curious and dangerous, sheep present no problems of that kind but they do attract the attention of shepherds.

Sweeping view of Mosedale Cottage - Freddy Phillips ©

I always carry a bivi-sac which I use as an outer cover on my sleeping bag, and that gives me the additional confidence that if at the end of the day I find myself in a place where a tent would be highly visible, I have the option of spending the night in my bivi sac, which requires minimal countryside cover to ensure privacy. I have used it a few times and in summer is a pleasure in its own right, another part of the great experience of “touching the land”

Finally, I don’t think it wise to campaign for legalisation, my own experience confirms that regardless of “law,” wild camping  done with care for the environment and reverence for property is both feasible and trouble free. Wild campers have generally come to their craft through a mature process of love for the countryside, which we seek to enhance and nurture though a more intimate experience of long trails and the far horizons of our remaining and inspiring wild and lonely places. I do not believe an argument could be won with landowners that Joe Public can camp where he or she likes and attempts to do so may lead to a more effective prosecution of the current legal status quo, which by benign design or tolerant neglect is very favourable to Going Wild, let’s keep it that way.

We’d like to thank Freddy for getting in touch and sharing his insight on wild camping.

If you want to voice your opinion on anything just leave a comment below. Want to write your own post? then email us at blog@cheaptents.com

Best Ever Outdoor, Hiking, Climbing and Gear Posts!

In order to celebrate this achievement we have compiled a list of our favourite blog posts from the year. Some our posts are informative, providing useful information about gear, outdoor pursuits and travel. Some posts provide ideas about where to go hiking, climbing, cycling and mountain biking. The interviews with outdoors professionals provide an exciting incite into the adventures of people who take outdoors sports to the extreme and/or travel to the remotest parts of the world. And some posts are about things that are just plain daft! This brings me nicely onto…

If you go down to the woods today…

The bear sleeping bag was created by Japanese artist Eiko Ishizawa. It is certainly creative but not one that we would recommend for a camping trip to the Scottish Highlands, or to anywhere else for that matter!

Dreaming of Mountain Biking in Aberdeenshire

Continuing on the theme of daft, we like this post about mountain biking in Aberdeenshire. It started off as a strange dream and unfortunately did not progress much further. However, if I take my mountain bike up to Aberdeenshire in the future, I will know where to get some excellent off-road action: Kirkhill Forest Mountain Bike Trail.

Worst blog post ever? Nunataks!

Watch out for these guys! Source: Flickr by lucyfrench123

Yes! This is the worst blog post ever, but it is Ryan’s favourite and it does make us chuckle. That says a lot about our sense of humour here at CheapTents.com!

So, what is a nunatak and why does make a bad blog post? It has something to do with an awful joke and an even worse artists impression!

Running the Marathon des Sables for Charity

From the “light hearted” to “not for the faint hearted”. The Marathon des Sables (MDS) is a 243km running race across the Sahara desert. You need to be extremely tough and dedicated to even think about attempting it. The MDS is the equivalent of 6 marathons in 6 days. Temperatures can reach up to 120 degrees. The terrain is rough, uneven, stoney ground and 20% of the distance is covered on sand dunes. You have to carry everything you need apart from water since it is a self sufficient race. It is commonly dubbed as ‘the toughest footrace on earth‘. In this post Andrew McMaster, tells us about his preparation for the Marathon des Sables 2009.

Interviews on the CheapTents.com Blog

Over the course of this year we have interviewed a number of athletes, explorers, adventurers, climbers and and outdoor industry professionals for the CheapTents.com blog. Firstly we must say a big thank you to all of these people who have given their time up to tell us inspirational tales and give us an insight into their lives! It is extremely difficult to decide which of the interviews are our favourites, but after much debate we have selected those of Paul Bride, Mikael Strandberg, and Dixie Dansercoer.

Paul Bride – Explorer & Outdoor Photographer

Paul Bride is an adventurer and photographer. Paul has travelled the world, going on adventures in India, Nepal, Canada and Vietnam. In this interview he tells us about his passion for photography and how he finds himself in places that he might not return from.

Paul Bride, Ice Climbing in the Rockies

Mikael Strandberg – Legendary Explorer and Adventurer

Explorer and adventurer Mikael Strandberg has travelled by horse, foot and skis through Patagonia, West Africa and Siberia. Mikael spent much the time on these expeditions travelling through uncharted territories, meeting people from different cultures and whilst in Siberia, eating raw, frozen fish.

Dixie Dansercoer: Polar Explorer and Expeditionist

Both the Arctic and the Antarctic are the passions of polar explorer Dixie Dansercoer. Dixie will use any method to explore the extremes of our planet: from mountaineering to mountain biking, from running to powerkite-skiing and from sailing to wind- and kitesurfing. The latest project that Dixie Dansercoer is spearheading is called (Ant)Arctic Matters. This is a travelling expedition that aims to showcase the beauty of polar regions and in doing so, will help us to understand and protect these globally important environments.

Dixie Dansercoer Kite Surfing in the Antarctic

Wild Camping – the law, and the pro’s and con’s…

From the inspirational to the informational, we like to provide useful resources for people who are going out camping, hiking, climbing, biking and of course, advice about outdoor kit. Whilst we have a good deal of knowledge and personal experience in these subjects, we do additional researching for our posts and always find out a thing or two.

The pro’s and con’s of wild camping post shed’s light on the advantages and disadvantages of wild camping, and offers debate on whether it is legal and acceptable. A useful read for anyone thinking of going wild or mild camping.

Where do the MSR Hubbas get their name?

And on the subject of outdoor gear, we like to recommend our favourite bits of kit, point out our favourite technical features and mention favourable third party reviews. There are some special questions, however, that require us to contact the manufacturer to find out some answers…like what on earth is a Hubba?

There are selection of lightweight MSR tents with Hubba in the name. The unique design of the pole system provides the answer. But there is more to this saucy post than the answer to what is a hubba.

Hiking in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco

And finally, this post about hiking in Morocco is a favourite mainly due to the photographs of impressive scenery in part of the world that most people would not normally think of going for a walking holiday. The combination of steep sided valleys, high mountain plateaux, remote villages and a completely different culture has put the Atlas Mountains on my list of places that I wish to visit.

Here’s to the Future

There are many other exciting, interesting, informative, inspirational and daft posts on the blog. Why not take a look through our history archives or search for topic that interests you – you never know what might find!

The first year of the CheapTents.com blog has been a success and long may it continue!

Bicycle Touring

This short post is an introduction to a pass time enjoyed by millions around the world, but if you thought that it was just a case of stapping your tent to your bike and cycling into the sunset then think again, cycle touring requires planning and preparation. This can be done independently, by groups of cyclists or commercial holiday companies, there are many questions to consider such as;

Preparation is vital, so its a good idea to check the weather forecast. Image By Dr Marcus Gossler

• Where are you going to go?
• Are you going to explore off the beaten track, or stick to Cycle routes?
• Who are you going to go with?
• For how long are you going to go away for?
• How far will you ride each day and how Fast?
• Are you healthy enough to do this?
• What do you need to take with you?

A Good Starting Point

So, you have decided your going away and taking your bike? However, as with any form of exercise it is advisable to see your GP who can asses your fitness, advise you on your limitations and help you make realistic goals.

There is very little point planning a cycle tour and buying equipment if your bike will take you round the world, but your legs wont take you round the corner!

Before embarking on your first adventure John Houseago of cycletourer.co.uk advises that it is essential to have a short trial run, so you can get an idea as to what you may experience on a longer trip.

Types of Bicycle Touring

There are different types of Cycle Tours, the three that follow is not an exhaustive list and there is a great deal of overlap but it will give you an idea.

Lightweight Touring

The rider carries the minimum of equipment they need such as clothes and essentials, accommodation and food is bought as they travel.

Self-Supported Touring

The cyclist carries everything they will need for their break, including food, cooking equipment, clothes and a tent for camping.

Supported Touring

A motor vehicle carries most of the rider’s equipment meaning greater distances can be travelled and more home comforts can be taken, and if your feeling lazy strap the bike to the van and put your feet up!

Each form of touring has its own advantages and disadvantages, and is a personal choice as to the experience you may want to undergo. It is also a point of argument as what may be lightweight or Self-Supporting. To me lifes essentials are a four poster bed, flush toilet, Sky Sports and they may not be to someone else! Although Im not sure if Therm-A-Rest have released the roll up four poster bed, maybe next year.

Stating The Obvious – A Bike Is Needed

Without stating the obvious a bike is pretty important in a cycling holiday. The type of tour you undertake may mean you need to think about the type of bike you use, if for example you were doing a Supported Tour an ordinary road bike will be fine as you will not be carrying a lot of weight on your bike, the more weight you carry the sturdier the bike needed, so on a Self-Supported Tour it is recommended to use a Touring Bike and fit it with panniers, this is something that your local cycling store should be able to help you with or log onto Why Cycle for information about bike types.

Touring Bikes are sturdy and more sutied for Self-Supported Tours Source Ron Divine

Safety is vitally important when cycling, it goes without saying that you should wear a helmet and take protection against the sun as the wind will cools, but you will still burn, SPF clothing is a very good idea as it protects is stylish and versatile.

And Finally For Now

We all have different wants and needs so there can not be a one cap fits all approach, at Cheaptents.com we hope to provide you with some useful information, in this, and forthcoming posts, to make your choices easier, and take a little trepidation out of Bicycle Touring.

In the next post I will examine some of the questions associated with Touring and in particular Self Supported Touring, namely, shelter, sleeping equipment, clothing and accessories.

MSR Windpro

MSR Windpro Stove

The MSR WindPro stove is one of the most efficient and versatile stoves available, as the name suggests this MSR Stove preforms brilliantly in the wind. Due to the fact this stove has a remote burner, you can safely use a windscreen around it without dangerously enclosing the fuel canister. This massively boosts stove efficiency and the remote burner also offers better stability with large pots than other canister-mounted stoves which makes finding a place to set it up easy and allows you to swap out an empty canister without moving a hot pot.

MSR Windpro Pros

• High heat output
• Low Maintenance
• Usable with windshield

MSR Windpro Cons

• Doesn’t work in very cold conditions

MSR Pocket Rocket

MSR Pocket Rocket Stove

The MSR PocketRocket stove is an extremely lightweight and compact canister mounted stove. The stove is a popular choice for mountain marathons and adventure races. This MSR stove also has an awesome heat output boiling 1 litre of water in about 3.5 minutes. The flame controls are also easily operated wearing gloves, as well as being easily adjusted from a simmer to a boil. The main disadvantage of the MSR Pocket Rocket is the fact that due to the fact it is canister mounted you can’t use a standard windscreen as it would cause heat to build up around the canisister which could be quite dangerous. The Pocket Rocket can also be quite unstable at times. The quickclip wind shield that this model features does seem to provide some protection from light winds but performance suffers greatly in high winds.

MSR Pocket Rocket Pros

• High heat output
• Lightweight
• Low Maintenence

MSR Pocket Rocket Cons

• Difficult to use in windy conditions
• Doesn’t work in very cold conditions

MSR Whisperlite Internationale

MSR Whisperlite Internationale

The MSR WhisperLite stove is a strong, reliable and versatile multi-fuel MSR Stove. It burns almost anything including white gas, kerosene, and unleaded petrol, making it perfect for backpacking and traveling especially in more remote parts of the world. The stove itself is easy to use (once you’ve read the instructions) you simply pump the bottle to build up pressure, release some fuel into the priming cup and light it. When you flames start to die down then you can open the control valve until you hear a slight hissing and then you’re cooking. This process is slightly more complicated than that of a canister camping stove although I personally rather like it. It feels like you build up some sort of relationship with the stove and get to know how it likes to be treated! The most frustrating thing about the MSR Whisperlite is the simmering control, its very fiddly to get right at first but once you do its no more difficult than any other stove. The other issue with the stove is that when using less clean fuels like petrol or kerosene the whisperlite needs to be cleaned regularly to maintain optimum performance, this is a simple procedure especially with the shakerjet.

MSR Whisperlite Internationale Pros

• Reliable
• Can burn almost any fuel
• Works well in all conditions
• Fuel efficient
• Can be stripped down and maintained in the field

MSR Whisperlite Internationale Cons

• Learning curve
• Awkward simmer control

To sum up it all comes down to personal preference and what the stove is going to be used for, for longer trips I prefer the MSR Whisperlite Internationale due to its reliability, efficiency, ease of obtaining fuel and the fact that I find it easier to judge how much fuel I need and have used. For shorter trips or competitions were weight is a concern then I would go for the pocket rocket its lightweight and lights instantly making it ideal. While the MSR windpro is perfect for people who wants the ease of use of a canister fueled MSR Stove while having stability and being able to use a proper windshield.

Midge close up: source imarsman - flickr

The term Midge doesn’t refer to a specific insect it is a general term for very small (about 3mm) flies. There are about 40 midge species in the UK but very few which bite humans. The most common of these biting midges is the Culicoides Impunctatus or the infamous highland midge.

In the case of the Culicoides Impunctatus both the female and the male are vegetarians, until the female becomes pregnant and then like many human females she develops cravings, in this case for blood. The female must get a blood meal two to five days after being fertilised to give the offspring a good chance of survival.

Midge Repellents

Repellents protect you in two ways. The repel them from a distance by masking the smell of your body so that midges can’t find you so easily. The second way they protect is by changing taste of the skin to make you seem like a much less tasty snack. A good repellent should provide both these types of protection.

Chemical Midge Repellents

DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide) is one of the most popular and effective chemicals used in midge repellent however some people experience irritation or an allergic reaction to the chemical. If swallowed DEET is toxic you should careful when applying to the hands or face.

DEET enters your bloodstream through the skin. In some rare cases people will suffer side effects from the chemical ranging from rashes to severe muscle twitching. As a precaution manufacturers recommend that DEET should not be applied to areas of broken skin or around the eyes.
DEET is an effective solvent and may dissolve some plastics, rayon, spandex, other synthetic fabrics and leather so make sure to take care when applying the repellent to your new waterproof jacket.

Natural Midge Repellents

Natural midge repellents use various essential oils like Eucalyptus, lavender and lemon to achieve the same aim. Peoples results with these generally vary although the main benefit is that they are much less likely to cause a reaction or any long term damage. The final plus point is that they make you smell nice, which is always a plus after a few days hiking.

Midges at sunset : source mavska - flickr

Other ways to avoid midge bites

Aside from commercial insect repellents, there are 100s of ways that people claim will prevent the midge from attacking. I’ve listed some of my favourite below, although some may be more effective than others.

• Cover up bare skin. Long sleeved shirts and trousers will help. Insects can bite through tight fitting clothing so wear loose garments. It has been shown that dark colours attract biting insects much more than light colours.
• Avoid being out around dawn and dusk as this is when midges are at their most active.
• Many people claim that Avon’s Skin So Soft Body Oil is a very effective repellant and there have been stories in the past citing its use by large numbers of the British army.
• Eating Marmite before and during your time near midges is also meant to repel them although I’d personally rather take my chances with the midges than have to eat Marmite.

How does everyone else keep midges at bay, leave a comment and let us know

What is a Hubba?

The Hubba name is something we (MSR) came up with, based on the tent’s unique hub and pole frame. The “hub” is the circle that connects various tent poles sections together, thus cutting down on the total number of poles needed. In the photo below, you’ll see how the pole branches out into two legs–the sections join together at the hub.

Where the hubbas get their name.

So, for the original Hubba selection of tents, we used Hubba for the single-person tent, Hubba Hubba for the two-person tent and Mutha Hubba for the three-person tent. We were attempting to be clever with those names. 

What about the HP?

In 2008 the Hubba HP tents where released, this isn’t an affiliation between MSR and the manufacturers of the tasty brown sauce, which would be very odd and I’m not quite sure what the result would be!

What do you get if you cross a Hubba with HP Sauce?

The Hubba HP tents are “high performance” versions of the original Hubba tents. These tents are lighter, stronger and warmer, designed for people who need a warmer tent for early spring/late autumn camping, and for camping in sandy areas. They have exactly the same footprint, height and interior volume as the original Hubba series, but feature less mesh and more advanced fabric for increased protection from the elements. These tents are available in single, two-person and three-person versions.

The MSR Hubba range at a glance

Here’s a quick summary of the Hubba range, for more information have a look at our ultralight tent page.

All the Hubbas are 3 season tents although as I mentioned earlier the HP range do preform better in colder conditions.

Do you have any other bits of outdoor that you wonder how they got their name? Let us know and we’ll get in touch with the manufacturer for you and try to find out.

Thermarest neo air mattress

The other main selling point of this mat is it’s size, when deflated the NeoAir takes up the same amount of room as a 1 litre water bottle. The NeoAir has an R-value of 2.5, which is slightly warmer than the ProLite which has an R-value of 2.2, but not quite as warm as the BaseCamp which has an R-Value of 6.2 . This means the mattress should be warm enough for 3 seasons but not quite up to preforming in very cold conditions. (The R Value is a measure of thermal resistance, so the higher the value the warmer you’ll be at night)

The other thing that struck me about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir was the fact unlike most thermarests, it is not self inflating. The good thing is it doesn’t take much effort to inflate and only takes a few minutes. The mattress is easy to deflate by opening the valve and putting weight on it, which forces most of the air out.  Then you fold into thirds length ways and start to roll it up, pressing out any excess air as you go.

The material used in this neo air feels very thin but also quite strong and thus shouldn’t have any problem coping with use over the years. My main criticism of the material is that it makes a crinkly noise which could become very annoying especially if you’re a light sleeper. It also has a slightly sticky feel to it which combined with the horizontal baffles prevent you from slipping off in the middle of the night.

Overall the the Thermarest Neo Air is a great, lightweight, small warm and comfortable mattress.

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Pros

• Very Light
• Extremely Compact
• Comfortable

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Cons

• Noise made by material
• Not Self inflating
• More expensive than other Matresses

We’ve got the NeoAir on sale now at our outdoor equipment shop so go ahead and have a look.

Here’s a table with all the figures, so you can easily compare the size and weight of the various models.