![]() For this reason I would say that if you want the best Wayfaring shelter in the world, look to the USA. There are more people making independent livings from it there, rather than being simply gear salespeople as the UK’s smaller scene seems to necessitate. America has a far bigger market, and consequently a much better small and mid-sized scene for backpacking kit manufacturers. Both these sites are for US kit, but the language and tech they discuss applies to UK products too. ![]() ![]() Backpackinglight are the most technically advanced reviewers I reckon. Outdoor Gear Lab are a good place to start. There are many resources online reviewing tents, tarps and bivys. ![]() Consider re-proofing it - with fabsil for tents, and with a wash-in nikwax for bivys. Whatever you have, practice setting it up in a park or garden first. Ask friends and family if you can borrow something. It’s a mixed up marketplace… What is usually true is that all this gear is expensive, so first of all, look to what you already have available. Some tents are basically tarps, and some have multiple opem doors. Please note - this is all generalisation. It can also allow a sense of greater immersion in the environment. This modular approach to shelter can offer more varieties of appropriate use. And a tarp is a sheet of waterproof material you can rig into a roof (and/or floor & walls). A bivy (bivvi/bivi/bivouac) is a sleeping bag cover (usually waterproof, sometimes with mosquito netting built in). The main alternative to a tent is a bivy bag and tarp. Plus they give you space and privacy to get dressed without contortions in the morning, or read a book at night. However, tents typically have room for a person (or 2/3/4) and their luggage, and come with built-in insect protection. If you are taking Sanctuary at a sensitive place, pegs in the ground can be inappropriate. Another disadvantage of (most) tents is that they weigh a lot, and (usually) require pegging into the ground to stand up, limiting their uses. So be sure to get one that is not lurid bright colours (unless you are only sleeping in campsites) as this will make you feel less creep-up-on-able. This means that the noise of a beetle walking by can sound like a human marauder about to pounce. Inside a tent you can often enjoy the ostrich-like illusion of invisibility. Like a high-rise penthouse flat on the seafront, you get great views while everyone else gets a view of you. Tents are often far more visible than those inside might hope. As does built-in ventilation, usually from the peak or the lower corners. Sleeping beside water makes for a damp atmosphere. Choosing where you pitch is a lot to do with this. What this means, is how much condensation do you want to feel when you touch the sides? In the UK, we have a damp climate, so single skin tents can suffer from condensation build-up. You have the choice of single skin vs double skin tents. A failed tent is a lot of useless litter to carry to a bin. Be careful of the cheapest tents, they are often more like models of tents than actual tents, and will not function when wind and rain come a-knocking. A tent can be best if you are walking in a group, or with children or animals, in exposed and harsh conditions. ![]() And they are usually very good at shedding weather. The advantage of tents is that they (often) come with mosquito net and floor, and offer 360 degree privacy, allowing a ‘hideaway’ of sorts. Tents are a very diverse range of structures, and can cost from £20 to £1500. This sort of gear is expensive, but a b&b costs £75+ per night, so carrying your own home quickly becomes a bargain in comparison. Thank you! Wayfaring Shelters If your Wayfaring journey will see you sleeping under the sky, you will need to bring a shelter with you. Buying from the pictured links helps sustain my website without costing you extra. ![]()
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