How to Choose the Best Tent for Motorcycle Camping & Travel

Choosing the best tent for motorcycle camping isn’t simply about finding the lightest thing you can strap to a bike. Packed size, living space, weather protection, ventilation, durability and ease of pitching matter just as much. After hundreds of nights camping from motorcycles, we’ve learnt that a good travel tent needs to pack small without becoming a miserable little nylon coffin.

This guide digs into what actually matters: tent fabrics, waterproof ratings, pole design, packed size, weight, ventilation, liveability and the details that separate a good backpacking or compact travel tent from a cheap weekend shelter.

The Basics: What’s important when choosing a tent:

• Intended use: Where and in what season?
• Structure/features: Freestanding versus stakes, vestibule, double or single-wall construction
• Capacity: How many people and how much gear do you need to fit inside?
• Weight / Packaging size: Your tent should be as light as possible while still meeting your purpose, capacity, structure, and cost requirements. Compact packing size of tent to fit into a pannier or duffel bag on the back of a motorcycle. 
• Time travelling, durability and ease of pitching and packing, and how many times pitching and packing on the trip.
• Price.

We pitched and packed our tent across Africa for a total of more than 340 days, nearly every day. A few hundred nights in tents eventually teaches you what matters, what doesn’t, and which clever-looking features become bloody annoying after three weeks on the road. Motorcycle travel has its own unique challenges compared to other sports or adventures when it comes to shelters:

• Pitch and pack tents nearly every day for weeks or months on end. They need to be hard-wearing and be able to handle being pitched and packed more often.
• Fewer parts, and less to get lost.
• Poles must be able to take the stress of being pitched continuously.
• Be freestanding and be able to pitch quickly.
• High roof as we spend more time over the period inside the tent and need the headroom.
• Liveability – Must have more space and an overhang vestibule.

The most suited tents for motorcycle use would be either a one-man tent or a Bivy for a short trip or a one-man double-wall tent for long trips or the two/three-man double-wall tents. Most weigh less than 2-3kg and pack really compactly.

A Technical Guide to Backpacking, Travel and Compact Camping Tents

Types of tents:

Bivy’s & tarps: A bivouac sack (also known as a bivy, bivvy, or bivi) is an extremely small, lightweight, waterproof shelter and an alternative to traditional tent systems. It is used by climbers, mountaineers, hikers, ultralight backpackers, soldiers, and minimalist campers.
Double-wall tents have three parts: (1) an inner tent with a waterproof floor and a non-waterproof roof, (2) a waterproof outer tent rain-fly, and (3) poles. Double-wall tents come in three varieties: self-supporting, freestanding, or Tunnel tents. This combination works very well.
This type is in our opinion the most suited for motorcycle use. With waterproof-breathable fabrics like Gore-Tex, single-wall tents came into being. These are even more lightweight and also pricier. If not designed properly, single-wall backpacking tents can have more condensation problems.
These tents also come in front entrance, side entrance, and both side entrances.

* 4-season: all-weather backpacking tents for the heaviest snow and rain, the fiercest winds, winter backpacking, or mountaineering.
* 3-season: suitable for the worst weather of spring, summer, and fall
* Convertibles: designed so you can leave out a pole or zip out a section or panel, converting four-season into three-season
* 2-season: generally best for mild weather conditions; “ultralight” backpacking tents often fall into this category
* Minimalist shelters: may or may not be considered a “tent”, tarps, etc.

Understanding tent jargon

* Vestibules: A vestibule is an extension of the rain-fly that goes out beyond the doorway and down to ground level. They’re extremely handy, and they allow you to store your pack and gear out of the rain without taking up room in the tent. In really bad weather, you can cook on your stove in the vestibule. That way you don’t have to worry about carbon-monoxide fumes in an enclosed tent. You can often get by with less internal floor space if you have a good-sized vestibule.

* Hydro-static head: For any fabric to be considered fully waterproof, it must be able to withstand the pressure of a column of water 1000mm high without leaking. This is classed as a hydro-static head rating of 1000. These ratings are used to describe a tent floor’s waterproofness.

* Doors: Very lightweight tents often only have a single door. That’s fine, but 2-person tents with 2 doors give each sleeper a separate entry and exit point so you can come and go as you, please. This is nice, such as if your companion wants to turn in early while you stay up to do some stargazing or just drink more beer. Also more user-friendly than crawling into a tent-like mole.

* Poles: Virtually all premium backpacking tent poles are made of aluminium 7001-grade Alu and shock-corded together. Older or cheaply made tents use fibreglass poles, which is best to try to avoid. One important thing about poles, however, is the length of the sections. The longer the sections, the harder they are to pack inside small spaces. Look for tents that use DAC poles or Easton poles, for example, you can be assured it will be a good-quality tent and they used quality materials. There are plenty of other brands, but these are renowned for high-quality poles.
Repairs: It is easier to cut an aluminium pole and use it again than trying to fix a carbon pole.

* Structure: Most lightweight tents these days are “freestanding”, meaning no stakes are required for setup. Freestanding tents often have fewer poles, so they’re lighter. Hammering poles into hard ground or rocky ground can be a massive pain in the ass. A freestanding tent also helps if you’re tired or lacking time, arriving at a campsite late … this happens more often than not. Just insert poles, throw in your gear, and ignore the slightly loose walls.
Furthermore, freestanding tents are also easier to move around and find a good flat area.

* Tent floor fabric: The floor must be waterproof fabric for obvious reasons; you don’t want to swim in a shallow tub of water 4am in a rainstorm. The coat that ensures the tent’s impermeability and the material itself will wear out over time. The floor hydrostatic head must not be less than 4,000mm as a good start, but 10,000 mm is suggested and used in higher-end tents as a water column. For the floor, fabrics like polyester, laminated polythene or nylon with TPU coatings are recommended.

Polyethylene is used for cheap budget models. The difference between a polyester tent floor and polyethylene or TPU-coated nylon is a bit like comparing technical outdoor fabric with a plastic tarpaulin. Both keep water out, but they differ hugely in weight, flexibility, feel and packability. A 40-denier nylon rip-stop floor with a laminated thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) coating of 10,000 mm is a good option.

* Footprint & Groundsheets: Tent footprints are made for your particular tent model or floor shape. You place it beneath your tent to reduce wear, a tear and possible ground moisture seepage. Cut a footprint from a sheet of clear painter’s plastic or buy a cheap tarp from outdoor shops. It’s cheaper, lighter, easily replaceable, and of course, guaranteed absolutely waterproof.

* Capacity/Size: Lightweight tents are made for 1-man, 2-man, and so on, but the real internal space varies. Most tents sold by Walmart or budget tents are more suited to small Asian postures and once-a-year weekend or festival sleepovers.
The average Westerner and a partner will not really find comfort in a 2-man tent. So it’s best to opt for a 3-man tent, especially if you want to keep your gear inside. It is always a good idea to size up.

* Mesh panels: This feature is a crucial aspect for African or hot climates to use. Tents intended for milder conditions typically make ample use of mesh. Some lightweight tents offer all-mesh canopies, a lovely place to spend a night under a million stars. Mesh alleviates stuffiness inside a tent. There are also different mesh densities, so make sure the mesh is not too dense; otherwise, it will restrict airflow. But if the mesh is too coarse, you might find mosquitos and midges, often called “no-see-ums” or gnats, getting into the tent.

* Ventilation: Condensation is a huge problem in tents. If enough builds up, the moisture could pool into drops of water and will start dropping on you and your bedding. The antidote: Easy, get a tent with good ventilation. Meaning more mesh panels and vents.

* Weight: What are considered “lightweight tents? What is considered heavy? The more living space, the bigger and
heavier the tent, also depending on the fabrics. When comparing tents, look for high square metres and low weight. Don’t automatically discount a tent due to above-average weight. Internal volume and floor space may be a bonus. As well, you may want less mesh for warmth, or more poles for strength, or a larger vestibule. Everything is a trade-off. Some of the higher-quality brand 3-man tents will weigh around 2.5kg to 3.5kg.

* What about height? Height is really secondary because motorcycle tents are always going to be low profile; you’ll be sitting, crouching, or stooping. It is worthwhile to search for a tent with a high roof. It makes life a lot easier to live in.

* Fabric: Lightweight tent floors and flies are made from, in increasing order of performance, coated polyester, coated nylon, and Cuben fibre. Cuben fibre is too expensive, and we would rather leave that out. Nylon is generally stronger and more abrasion resistant than polyester. Both materials require a coating to become waterproof. A fabric’s denier (D) is a rough indicator of its weight per square area. The lightest tent fabrics are 10D, most tent floors are made of 40-70D, and expedition duffel bags are made of 650D.

* Ripstop nylon: Woven with a doubled thread at regular intervals, it prevents rips from spreading and is often used in tent canopies. It is a touch lighter than taffeta nylon (a common, high-durability floor material) and gets used for floors in low-weight tents. The weight reduction of such lightweight fabrics is fantastic, but using such feathery fabrics requires users to take extra precautions to minimise abrasive surfaces.

* Polyurethane (PU) coated fabrics: PU is the coating of choice for all budget tents because it is the cheapest way to achieve a waterproof fabric with reasonable durability in cold and wet conditions. Unfortunately, the PU coatings found on less expensive tents are susceptible to chemical breakup, which eventually leaves the tent non-waterproof. The best mountaineering tents and some tarp inserts have PU formulations with polyester, which makes them highly resistant to hydrolysis.

* Silicone elastomer-coated nylons are used on all high-quality backpacking and mountaineering tents. SilNylon is highly water repellent, elastic, and UV and temperature stable. SilNylon is considerably stronger, lighter, and more durable than PU-coated fabrics. It’s also much more slippery than PU. Silicone is widely regarded as the best coating for nylon fabrics used for packing tents. Unfortunately, for the budget-conscious consumer, silicone is pricier than PU.

* Fabric weight and yarn size: Two common measurements you’ll see in tent fabrics are Denier (D) and Tex (T). They measure the weight of a given length of yarn, rather than the actual thickness of the fabric.

• Denier (D) = the weight in grams of 9,000 metres of yarn. So, a 1D yarn weighs 1 gram for every 9,000 metres.
• Tex (T) = the weight in grams of 1,000 metres of yarn. So a 1 Tex yarn weighs 1 gram per 1,000 metres.

---

In both systems, a higher number generally means a heavier and usually thicker yarn. However, a 40D fabric isn’t automatically stronger or more durable than a 20D fabric because weave, fibre type, coatings and construction also matter.

What is the best option then? In general, unless you know you will be venturing solo AND lightweight a lot, we recommend looking at the 2-person tent so you have more options, or if you are two people, get a 3-man tent.

---

Decitex (dtex) works much like Denier and Tex. It measures the weight of 10,000 metres of yarn in grams. A higher D, Tex or dtex number generally means a heavier and usually thicker yarn, but it does not automatically mean a stronger or more durable fabric.
For example, a 150D fabric uses heavier yarn than a 70D fabric, but a well-made 70D nylon can still outperform a poorly made 150D polyester. Fibre type, weave, coatings and especially UV resistance all play a big part in how long a tent fabric actually lasts.

* Pegs and Guy Lines: A guyline point is a reinforced, patch-like area on the tent to which a guy line can be permanently attached. The guy-line is then pulled taut and tied or looped to a stake. During rain, this keeps a wet rainfly from sagging onto the canopy. In wind, it can reduce a fly’s tendency to flap.

Keeping a rainfly taut and separate from a canopy aids ventilation and reduces condensation buildup. Try and use the best quality stakes possible; the low grades will bend even in soft soil.

* Pole Sleeves or Pole Clips Poles?:  These connect to canopies via clips, sleeves or a combination of the two. Pole sleeves help distribute fabric tension over a larger area and thus create less overall stress. Sleeves offer a stronger pitch, but, particularly during rain, threading poles through them can be a pain in the arse. Pole clips are easy to attach and usually allow a larger gap between the rainfly and the tent body. This improves ventilation and minimises condensation.

* Seams and Seam Sealer: Nearly all top-brand backpacking tents today come with factory-taped seams and require no sealing of their tiny sewing holes. As a tent ages, seam tape may become frayed. If so, apply a seam sealer to plug any tiny fissures that appear along seams.

* Colour: Why a really pimp daddy colour? One usually only needs a bright colour for an emergency and has to spend extended time inside your tent while rescuers search for you. Rain-fly and canopies that use lighter, brighter colours tend to keep tent interiors brighter and cooler, something that can lift moods during extended tent stays. Traditionally, rain-fly have featured earthy colours in order to remain unobtrusive and reduce the visual impact on the surrounding scenery. The lighter colours also keep the tent cooler inside.

* Liveability: How much comfort we need and want varies highly based on our experience camping, how much time we plan to spend in our shelter, and what we believe to be an acceptable level of protection from the elements. Double-wall tents are more comfortable than shelters. For motorcycle use, it is always a good idea to have packing space inside the tent in addition to the people inside.

MSR has an excellent article explaining the quality and different fabrics and characteristics of the fabrics here:

Quality Tents vs. Discount Tents:
Why buy a brand-name tent when bargain tents are available at chain stores?

• Durability: Tents from quality-conscious brands generally use better materials, such as aluminium rather than fibreglass poles, stronger fabrics and better stitching. They are designed to cope with repeated use, but that durability comes at a cost.
• Design: Bargain tents sometimes use heavily coated fabric not only on the floor but also high up the walls. It saves money and helps waterproofing but can drastically reduce breathability and increase condensation.
• Interior space: More sophisticated pole geometry can create steeper walls and noticeably more usable interior space without making the footprint much larger. You rarely see this level of design in bargain tents.
• Weatherproofing: A waterproof fabric rating alone does not make a good wet-weather tent. Seam construction and sealing, fly coverage, bathtub floor height, ventilation and how well the fly sheds water in wind all matter.
• Quality of components: Zips, buckles, pole hubs, clips, guy-line adjusters and attachment points seem insignificant until one fails halfway through a trip. Better tents generally spend money on these less glamorous bits because they take a surprising amount of abuse.
• Packed size and weight: For motorcycle travel, this can matter more than the advertised number of occupants. Better materials and pole designs can produce a strong, liveable tent that packs considerably smaller without simply making everything paper-thin.

Examples of tents best suited for motorcycle travel, whether for long-term or short overland adventure expeditions:

Tents with room to park a motorcycle.

Just a thought on the type of tents where you can park your motorcycle in a separate part.
-They tend to weigh the wrong side of 5kg. It does not sound like much, but it is double a normal tent. 
-Those tents pack the size of a crate of beer. Which is also double the size of a normal tent.
-If you need a tent with space, simply buy a normal bigger-sized tent which will still be less weight and size than those sold as bike tents.

But security? If you need security for your bike, you are better off not camping at the place. The tent does not offer security. As for normal security and being obscure, we have used a normal 4mx5m tarp with carabiners to cover the bikes in parking areas or just make them less visible. You can also use a dedicated bike cover. All of which cost less than the tent and have more than one use.
But a sandstorm? Those tents are not going to stand in a sandstorm; we saw tents blown to pieces in Patagonia and Sudan. Upright tents that are only designed to shelter a motorcycle are not made for severe use in extreme weather conditions.
But I can work in a tent in the rain? You can also do that by setting the tarp as a roof over the bike in the rain or to stay out of the sun.
Here are a few reasons to rather carry a cargo tarpaulin on motorcycle adventure travels rather than an apartment block which looks like a tent:

---

Some AdvMoto-Travel tent examples:

These are just samples of tents that are well-suited for motorcycle travel. Obviously, the needs of a couple vs a solo traveller, vs a person needing an entire house are different. 

Article updated: April 2020