Firstly I'm a new member and a camping novice, so apologies for any daft questions
I'm thinking of buying a Quechua 2 Seconds II for a 4 day trip to watch the Formula 1 at Silverstone. I've had a pop-up tent before, love how simple they are to use and this Quechua has got some very good reviews on this site. The only thing that's worrying me is the diameter of it when packed, at 65cm. I don't drive so carrying a pack of that size could be quite impractical on the train and buses. I was just wondering if anyone has ever travelled with a pop-up tent without a car, how easy/difficult it is, whether I could bungee it onto my pack without being blown around while looking like a turtle etc.
Thanks in advance
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I'm not sure about the above tent but our Quechua has backpack straps on the bag so it can be worn like a rucksack, but I would of thought they were all like this.
As stated, a small 2 man tent does not take much longer to put up than a popup & for your purpose as you will obviously travelling with a reasonable size backpack for the rest of your gear I would say it makes more sense to take a tent that packs down into a small cylinder.
Quote: Originally posted by EmTheEmu on 25/5/2011
I don't drive so carrying a pack of that size could be quite impractical on the train and buses.
I wouldn't worry about it. When the exams finish and the festivals start the train stations, tube and buses are full of people with impractical camping gear. I think it brightens up the walk across the concourse. It only seems to worry the suits in a hurry!
------------- Ollie
2016
Monplaisir - Provence
Camping Les Gorges du Loup
The Seconds II doesn't have backpacking straps, but it might be possible to find a backpack to suit. It've seen reports of one of the Quechua backpacks used to carry the smaller (55cm) Seconds I bent into a more oval shape (without the original packing). I used to have a rather wide backpack where the II probably would have fit - one of those baggy, entirely unergonomic cheap things found at discount outlets.
It's only the bulkier Seconds tents coming with backpack straps (my two base models have them), and it feels like a giant turtle shell on my back While they're helpful for transport between parking site and camping, I couldn't imagine squeezing through crammed train alleys and bus doors with it. But compared to the II of your choice, the Base Full/Base 4.2 are heavy and huge.
It's up to you to consider whether the huge benefit of nearly instantaneous shelter in torrential rain makes up for the somewhat impractical shape of the packed thing while travelling. If you're changing transport a lot on the trip, and can't fit it into a backpack, it could be a bit uncomfortable. Not for the weight-and-bulk minimizing crowd, but I've seen a lot worse equipment carried on trains.
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