In further preparation for the upcoming overland trip into Europe this year, it was time to look at my tents. I own a few tents but only two of them see regular use: the Hilleberg Staika 2 man dome tent, which I’ve now owned and used constantly for the last 30 years:
and a North Face Trailhead 6 which is now about 9 years old and is the tent of choice for family trips.
The latter is a fairly large and heavy 6 man tent, whilst the former is a free standing 2 man, 4kg tent that is ideal for camping in areas where the ground is rocky or solid, as it doesn’t require pegging down. This has been my goto motorcycle tent but after 3 decades I think it’s served its purpose incredibly well, but I’d now like something that will give me a tad more luxury, and space to park the bike in at night.
Enter the RedVerz Atacama 2. In size and weight this tent sits somewhere between my existing two tents with a 7kg packed down weight. That’s more than I would normally consider for motorcycle touring but I figure I can lose 2-3 kilos of other less important gear and enjoy the added space the Atacama has to offer over the Hilleberg.
There will also be times when my son and I will tour together in the future, so having a tent that sleeps 2 comfortably is important and to a great extent, that’s why I’ve chosen the RedVerz over the Lone Rider MotoTent.
Many baulk at the idea of housing the bike in the tent over night but I personally like the idea and on a couple of short trips I’ve hauled the Trailhead 6 with me and done exactly that. By the coast it helps prevent the bike being covered in a sticky salt/saline solution every morning and I like that it keeps my expensive bike and kit out of the lustful eyes of potential wrong’uns..
I’ll endeavour to make a quick first time setup video and walk around in the coming few weeks and then write a more extensive review on my return from Europe in June/July this year.
These tents are not cheap. The RRP is £579 here in the UK and if you add the garage groundsheet and awning kit you’ll be well over £700 all in. To add context to that, the Trailhead 6 was about £800 as I recall and that was 9 years ago. The current Hilleberg Staika is virtually identical to my 30 year old model and currently retails at over £1300 GBP. So, whilst not cheap, the RedVerz should be reasonable value if the quality is up to that of Hilleberg and North Face. I actually got lucky and managed to pick up a lightly used one (including the garage groundsheet and awning kit) for £300, so I’m definitely not complaining about the price and if the Atacama 2 serves me anywhere near as well as my trusty old Hilleberg, I’ll be a very happy camper!
Where to buy
RedVerz (US)
Adventure Bike Shop UK
I’ve often thought about a garage tent for the convenience but might only go for one if I planned on an extended stay in one place…using it as a base camp more or less.
Yep, I’ve had the same thoughts but I figure if I’m away for more than a few days then this will be a far more comfortable proposition than my Staika. It will be more painful to put up and dismantle for single night camp ground stays but TBF, once you’ve done it a few times no tent takes particularly long to put up or take down.