Bikamper bicycle tent?

I looked around but didn't find any previous mention of this in the forums--has anyone heard of the Topeak Bikamper before? My boyfriend, who has been researching getting into bicycle camping/touring just stumbled upon it on the REI website:
http://www.rei.com/product/732405

A few things strike me as impractical: it lives on your handlebars, where I would imagine you'd want a much more immediately practical handlebar bag (I guess you wouldn't HAVE to keep the tent there while you were riding, but it would still force you to swap it out with your regular handlebar bag), and you can't have a pitched tent and a functional bicycle at the same time. Also, you think if they figured out all that crazy geometry, they could have included a way to keep your chain dry. :rolleyes: Regardless, it's still kind of a neat idea... *shrug*

ETA: I'm just now noticing that all the provided pictures have mtb's. I wonder how/if it would work with drop bars. Interesting.

I looked at this tent last year myself. After looking at it a bit, I ended realizing that I could buy a lighter weight tent simply by buying a backpacking tent. (which I already have) Great idea though!

That seems like a really cool idea! I think for mtn biking it would be more practical. Once you set up camp in the wilderness, it's not likely you would need your bike to do much- you could go hiking to explore, play, etc.
However, with a road bike, when you set up camp, you might want to ride to the store, or go explore the area- and your bike would be all tied up (literally).
Plus, for $200, you could get a really light freestanding backpacking tent (like ridebikeme said). I do like the idea, just not sure of the practical use for road touring.
Just my thoughts. Thanks for posting that tho, as that's the first time I'd seen something like that. Pretty clever!

If you go to topeak's website, they have a second version of the tent. It's slightly smaller, maybe 10 cm or so smaller... But, it's freestanding. It uses tubes for support. Like a mountain bike tube at one end and a small 16 insh ish one on the other end. You use a pump to inflate it. If you used it while mtn biking then the tube could be a spare for the bike. They say that you could use a patched tube for the tent too. Then it also has a few stakes and cables to tie it down too.

In the images that I've seen illustrating the tent, they show it on the handlebars or on top of a trunk rack.

I think that I too would look for a backpacking tent, though the bikamper models sound cool.

This tent looks interesting. I wonder how much it costs, though...
i just threw a dollar store shower curtain secured by a couple of clothespins over my bike.

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Originally Posted by Zen

i just threw a dollar store shower curtain secured by a couple of clothespins over my bike.

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I hope you didn't have much wind. Guess you didn't have to worry about condensation, though.

Pam

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Originally Posted by PamNY

I hope you didn't have much wind. Guess you didn't have to worry about condensation, though.

Pam

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Not to use as a tent,is that what you thought? No,to keep my bike dry!
I used a tent for me :D :D :Di

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Originally Posted by Zen

Not to use as a tent,is that what you thought? No,to keep my bike dry!
I used a tent for me :D :D :Di

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Yes, that's what I thought. Must be time for bed. Glad you had a tent.

Pam

This tent looks nice for bike camping - freestanding with shelter for your bike also. http://www.rei.com/product/779410

Here's two photos of my bike and an 8x10 silnylon tarp turned into a very functional shelter. I did this in the back yard and haven't actually camped with it. It would be fine unless the bike was muddy, and then it might be messy crawling past the bike into the shelter.

On my last bike camping trip, I used a silshelter, which weighs 14 oz, plus 2 oz poles. It's a tent-shaped tarp, like a floorless tent. I also often use a hammock and tarp, no poles needed but it weighs more than the tarp alone.

Here's a picture of my Silshelter on the C&O Canal trip. It was October so not much problem with bugs. I did have slugs on my gear one morning, though. If it had been summer, I would have brought my bug bivy http://www.trailspace.com/gear/adventure-16/bug-bivy/.

Deb- that mountain hardware tent sure is pricey, but MAN what a great idea for touring!!!!! If I were going cross country I'd definitely snap that tent up. What a brilliant idea to not have to worry about the bike in the elements- and nice space for all the bags with it. Cool!
I like the setup you had for your bike and what you used on the C&O. :)

That mountain hardware tent is really neat. We spent about that much on our MH tent and they are so well made it was worth every penny. I am not sure I would for 1 person. We pretty much car camp and just put the bikes in the car for sleepy time but I like Deb's methods.

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Originally Posted by DebW

Here's a picture of my Silshelter on the C&O Canal trip. .

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But there's no fly or floor. If it rains you're SOL and
I don't want snakes huddling next to me for warmth:eek:

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Originally Posted by Zen

But there's no fly or floor. If it rains you're SOL and
I don't want snakes huddling next to me for warmth:eek:

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I was lucky I wasn't camping in the rain. My groundcloth was not much wider than my sleeping bag. I only saw one snake the whole trip, so wasn't too worried about that. It was sure nice to have light pannier. :) :)

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Originally Posted by Zen

This tent looks interesting. I wonder how much it costs, though...
i just threw a dollar store shower curtain secured by a couple of clothespins over my bike.

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Wow, that looks nice. I googled it and found it for $300. Bit more than something from the dollar store, but worth it if you're doing a lot of touring or backpacking!

Sarah

This is what I've done when I've car camped on long trips lately.

Put up the big dome tent. Move all gear and bikes into tent. Blow up the mattress. Put it in the back of the Element. Sleep warm and dry no matter what. ;)

I even have reflective insulation for the inside of my windows, which I put up for privacy and insulation. I can turn on the radio in the car when I want to hear the weather.

Karen

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Originally Posted by Tuckervill

I even have reflective insulation for the inside of my windows, which I put up for privacy and insulation. I can turn on the radio in the car when I want to hear the weather. Karen

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Do you have reflective insulation for the side windows? I like sleeping in the car when I arrive at the campground late. I've never succeeded in attaching anything to the side windows. I use rental cars, so every car is different, and the car seat cover (for dog) and other amenities are a new adventure on each trip.

Any tips on covering the windows would be welcome.

Pam

I use this reflective insulation. It is kind of like a bubble wrap sandwiched between two pieces of tin foil, but it's stiffer.

I cut it to fit inside the windows of my Element, which has convenient sunken windows which allow the insulation to stay up there with friction. That would be hard to do with a rental car.

So I have another idea based on what I do with my sunroof. For my sunroof in the hot summer, I put a piece of window screen on top of the car and hold it down with little magnets. You could do the same thing on the outside of a rental car. Carry a tarp or even just fabric pieces, cover the windows from the outside and put a bunch of little magnets around them to hold them down. You'd likely want them to be waterproof, since it would be no fun to have soggy fabric to put away. There are some parts of some cars that magnets won't stick to, so that might be a drawback. But you should be able to at least hang them from the top.

Think that would work?

Karen

Magnets! Great idea. That should work well; I can try it with inexpensive blue poly tarp which I have plenty of. The reflective material looks interesting, too.

Thanks!

Pam

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Originally Posted by Zen

But there's no fly or floor. If it rains you're SOL and
I don't want snakes huddling next to me for warmth:eek:

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Good point about the snakes--yuck! I'm not one to be afraid of snakes but that doesn't mean I'd want to share my sleeping bag with them... I was thinking about experimenting with tarp camping on a backpacking trip or two this summer but the critters are definitely a potential issue as is rain. The hammock-camping idea is also intriguing, especially given that at some campsites you have to pitch your tent on a wooden platform which is HARD (pitching the tent on it as well as sleeping on it)! Has anyone done either/both of these and have recommendations? Sorry if this is a bit of a thread drift...

I don't have one but hammocks have a pretty good rep.
DebW has one and they get raves on the C&O Canal group site.

I love my hammock. Quite comfy. It's tarp camping off the ground, so no crawly things to worry about, and no hard wooden platform under your back. I made my own, using directions you can get from the book sold on this site: www.speerhammocks.com. You do have to worry about keeping your backside warm, so either a foam pad inside or quilt-like insulation outside and underneath. Here's a picture of the cocoon-like insulation I made for the outside of my hammock.

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Originally Posted by DebW

I love my hammock. Quite comfy. It's tarp camping off the ground, so no crawly things to worry about, and no hard wooden platform under your back. I made my own, using directions you can get from the book sold on this site: www.speerhammocks.com. You do have to worry about keeping your backside warm, so either a foam pad inside or quilt-like insulation outside and underneath. Here's a picture of the cocoon-like insulation I made for the outside of my hammock.

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Looks comfy! I ordered a hammock with attached bug netting from Amazon; it was on sale and seems like it should be decent to try. Only bummer is that I looked at the weight of the whole system (hammock, tarp, stakes/guylines) and it's slightly heavier than the tent I have. However, that tent is very cramped and hard to pitch on the platforms without it sagging, plus the platforms are uncomfortable. I'm thinking the extra few ounces are a reasonable trade-off, though just tarp camping on the ground would be over a pound lighter and that would be nice...but then there's the possibility of random critters in one's sleeping bag or waking up in a puddle if it rains. With the foam pad in the hammock, do you just use the regular kind you would use on the ground? Seems like it would be awkward... That quilt thing you made looks pretty cool but how hard are they to make?

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Originally Posted by Jolt

Looks comfy! I ordered a hammock with attached bug netting from Amazon; it was on sale and seems like it should be decent to try. ... With the foam pad in the hammock, do you just use the regular kind you would use on the ground? Seems like it would be awkward... That quilt thing you made looks pretty cool but how hard are they to make?

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Closed cell foam works well inside, preferrably wider than you'd use on the ground. Some people use Thermarests, but they don't conform to the hammock and can pop our from under you. The Hennessey's are quite popular and work very well. Some companies make underquilts to fit them. For a top-entry hammock without permanent bug netting, a wide sleeping bag with an opening at the feet can be used like my homemade cocoon.

The best tent I found is the Big Agnus. I got the 2 person. My son is using it now in Japan and it comes with 2 vestibules and he puts his Bike Friday in oneside and panniers and other gear in the other. it only weighs 4 lbs. When I went over and travelled with him for a couple weeks, I brought along a larger attaching vestibule that has a pole and extends the tent so that I fit my regular size bike in (with the front wheel removed) along with his bike. With 2 of us and all of our gear it was cozier, but definitely comfortable and dry and very light weight. He has come to love the tent and I know I'll never get it back, so I told him it could be his graduation present! The only problem is that he needed to get a new stuff sack for the tent as the very light weight fabric of the one it came with ripped from bungies. This is not a cheap tent, but a great investment, esp. if you camp anywhere you find yourself, not just in campgrounds and want to keep your bike safe and dry. (and with REI 20% coupon and dividend, it brought the price down.) Here's a picture: http://www.rei.com/product/748015

Thanks for the reflective insulation idea... makes me want to go buy a car, almost! Steep and Cheap had a one-person sierra design tent on sale (something like http://www.sierradesigns.com/tents.display.php?id=19 http://www.sierradesigns.com/images/.../19_1_2_sd.jpgbut I suspect something they're discontinuing, since I got it more cheaply than that).


I like the bike trailer turned tent idea here:

http://www.tonystrailers.com/mobileshelter/article.php http://www.tonystrailers.com/mobiles...9585-24361.jpghttp://www.tonystrailers.com/mobiles...9585-24362.jpg

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Originally Posted by DebW

I was lucky I wasn't camping in the rain. My groundcloth was not much wider than my sleeping bag. I only saw one snake the whole trip, so wasn't too worried about that. It was sure nice to have light pannier. :) :)

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ahh you make camping look so easy. I think I like this one: http://www.tarptent.com/squall2.html

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Originally Posted by madscot13

ahh you make camping look so easy. I think I like this one: http://www.tarptent.com/squall2.html

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The tarptents are very nice. But pay attention to pole options. Most of the tarptents expect you to have trekking poles along to use as tent poles. So add poles to the weight and and make sure the pole length fits in your panniers.

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Originally Posted by DebW

The tarptents are very nice. But pay attention to pole options. Most of the tarptents expect you to have trekking poles along to use as tent poles. So add poles to the weight and and make sure the pole length fits in your panniers.

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yep, you gotta have poles. they have optional poles that break down to 15- 20 inch lengths and weigh just a couple ounces. I had the same hesitation but for hiking I wouldn't want to go any distance without poles and for biking a few more ounces won't hold you back. The two person tent with optional poles is still lighter than other tents.