I’ve spent a night or two in a tent. Typically, I go for a big one person tent and I’ve always been happy. On my last solo bike ride (New Orleans, LA to Philadelphia, PA) I carried my Big Agnes tent, the Emerald Mountain SL1. On one of my many climbs, I realized that I am using my tent for just one reason (sleeping) and therefore I do not need a tent that is a size of a boulder. So going compact was cool. I started to think about what I need from my next tent (it is kind of simple), a one person three-season tent- it must have a window (or two), be smaller and lighter than my previous tent, have enough room to fit all of my panniers, and be free standing. Two tents immediately came to mind, the Mountain Hardware GHISALLO 1 and the North Face MICA 12. At that time I got to the top of my climb and parked my bike for lunch. On a full belly of rice I decided on the MICA 12. Fast forward five months and I got my tent. Yes, it is a tiny tent- I need to cut my toenails so that I can fit in it (I am 6 feet tall) and when you don’t stick the tent down, it kind of looks like an 80 year old man’s face. Don’t get me started on the window. I love the small attention to details, but to wake up every morning to, "NEVER STOP EXPLORING," is annoying. I love the tent, it is not perfect, but neither am I on the other side, it is a light and fast set up. It’s got a stealthy look (if you are into stealth camping), I love the glow-in-the-dark zip pulls, multiple pockets (one above the head and on the side), and I like the venting system on the fly. The first night that I spent in the tent I lost my camera and all night I was laughing about it. For me, it is just what I am looking for in a solo touring cycling tent.
BOTTOM LINE: if you are under 6 feet tall looking for a compact and fast tent, the MICA 12 is a damn good choice.
Hi Kristin,
ReplyDeleteBraggin' Rights is a good idea for the Demo Program.
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my side on the MICA 12
ReplyDeleteI’ve spent a night or two in a tent. Typically, I go for a big one person tent and I’ve always been happy. On my last solo bike ride (New Orleans, LA to Philadelphia, PA) I carried my Big Agnes tent, the Emerald Mountain SL1. On one of my many climbs, I realized that I am using my tent for just one reason (sleeping) and therefore I do not need a tent that is a size of a boulder. So going compact was cool. I started to think about what I need from my next tent (it is kind of simple), a one person three-season tent- it must have a window (or two), be smaller and lighter than my previous tent, have enough room to fit all of my panniers, and be free standing. Two tents immediately came to mind, the Mountain Hardware GHISALLO 1 and the North Face MICA 12. At that time I got to the top of my climb and parked my bike for lunch. On a full belly of rice I decided on the MICA 12. Fast forward five months and I got my tent. Yes, it is a tiny tent- I need to cut my toenails so that I can fit in it (I am 6 feet tall) and when you don’t stick the tent down, it kind of looks like an 80 year old man’s face. Don’t get me started on the window. I love the small attention to details, but to wake up every morning to, "NEVER STOP EXPLORING," is annoying. I love the tent, it is not perfect, but neither am I on the other side, it is a light and fast set up. It’s got a stealthy look (if you are into stealth camping), I love the glow-in-the-dark zip pulls, multiple pockets (one above the head and on the side), and I like the venting system on the fly. The first night that I spent in the tent I lost my camera and all night I was laughing about it. For me, it is just what I am looking for in a solo touring cycling tent.
BOTTOM LINE: if you are under 6 feet tall looking for a compact and fast tent, the MICA 12 is a damn good choice.