Since we're riding and not backpacking (where size and weight are critical), I would go for a larger tent, i.e. at least a 3 man. Better to have a little extra room than not. I have a 4 man and the extra room is great for my camp chair and all my gear. In reality, a 4 man is barely enough room for 3. The extra room is nice if you need to hang out for several hours during a hard rain.
A few recommendations...
clips instead of sleeves to attach the tent to the poles... much easier setup IMO.
two doors... promotes good airflow.
aluminum poles... they're lighter (easier to handle) and last longer.
make sure the fly covers all the way to the ground, all the way around.
Of course, these are my personal choices, but are at least some things to consider. Also, here's a good discussion on tents...
Guess what!?! Shopping for a tent! :D Doing some research. Searched through big number of posts on this and other forums, as well as amazon/youtube reviews. The list is huge and to shorten it I need your help. So, to make it short I need your help: How big tent you're using? Thanks for your help.
Edit: I posted this originally on NT-Owners.org and thought I'd post here as well. People are always asking me why I like camping so much and how I can camp on the bike, what are the tips and tricks to it? Well, everyone is different and I can only provide the tricks that I've learned in the...
I'll second everything @paulcb said. Think of it this way. You stop for the evening, set up your tent and unroll your sleeping bag on your thermarest. Your mc jacket and heavy pants are slung over your bike, helmet hung from the handlebars and it starts to rain. You grab everything and throw it in the tent, take off your boots under the fly and crawl in. Where did all the room go? That two person tent barely has room for you now. I have a 4 person tent just for me, and its great - I can just about stand up inside and getting dressed in the AM is not the lie-on-your-back-and-pull-your-pants-on struggle it used to be.
The Ajax appears to be discontinued by Marmot - its not on their website with their other tents and a search there comes up with 'no results for your search'. the two tents are very similar, but not identical. Marmot's says it has two vestibules, the off brand's footprint shows one. Regardless, Marmot is a premium brand and no doubt charges more for the name, as well as construction and features.
A huge difference in some of the Marmot tents are poles that are straight as opposed to curved at the lower end which creates more usable space by straightening up the lower 18 inches or so of the tent. If Kevin_56 says the 2 man with that feature is plenty big enough for him, believe it.
My last 2 cents. A 1 man tent is designed to SLEEP 1 man, a 2 man tent, 2 men, etc. If you want storage for all the crap we carry on a bike, yes, you must go up a size or two. Marmot has attempted to help with that by creating more usable space with their pole modification.
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