Today we are wrapping up an 18 day moto-camping trip using the LoneRider Gear moto-tent. There are other reviews of this tent out there but we wanted to give an honest opinion of it after using it for over two weeks. LoneRider gear did not provide the tent, I think we paid right around 500 Euro for it in Germany.
We’re going to talk about the good and the bad. Set up, tear down, durability, things we liked and things we didn’t like about the tent.
Set Up
Setup turned out to be pretty easy. There are just three poles to put in and then you’re staking out the corners. After that it’s just adding more stakes and four tie-outs. After doing it a few times we have setup time down to somewhere between 5-10 minutes without rushing it. However, what we did discover is that after a long day of riding, setting up this tent was the last thing we wanted to do. So while it’s not hard - when it’s hot and you’re tired it isn’t any fun.
Tear down
Again, this was fairly easy. The nice thing here is the bags provided by LoneRider are actually big enough to fit the tent in. It doesn’t feel like you’re trying to cram a huge tent into a coke can sized dry bag. We appreciated that. This made tear down basically just popping out the stakes, then the poles. These each have their own bags. Next, we lay the tent flat, fold and then roll it. From there it fits pretty easily into the stuff sack.
Setting up the tent and tearing it down is not hard, it’s just time consuming and too much for after a long days ride.
Durability
We used the tent quite a bit and had no real issues with the tent itself. The stuff sack does have a hole in it now from where it rubbed against the luggage rack, but everything else has held up great. Over the last couple weeks we have experienced wind, rain, and a lot of sun, the tent handled it all without issue. Everything about it screams well made.
Things we liked
The interior tent concept is great, it cuts down on condensation and gives you a place where two people can easily sleep. The interior tent can be kept closed so you don’t have bugs getting in as you’re going in and out of the tent. The second thing we really liked is the garage concept. We never put the bike in there but having that space to set up a sitting area for the evenings was great, especially when it provided shade.
Things we didn’t like
The tent is too heavy and too big. Don’t underestimate its size when you buy it. It is way more than one person would need for a camping trip. We sacrificed a lot of space on the bike for this thing, and I don’t think we would do that over. Secondly, the interior tent gets very hot. There isn’t any ventilation on the top of the tent and that means all the heat from the sun just sits in there. I would recommend when they update the tent to add more ventilation. We would also have liked more interior pockets, especially in the interior tent.
In Conclusion
There you have it, an honest review from two people who have actually spent a lot of time in the tent. The takeaway, If you have room for the tent and two people to sleep in it, it’s a good tent. If You’re going to set it up and tear it down every day, you’re probably going to hate the tent after a few days. If you’re just riding somewhere and staying put for a few days you’ll be grateful for the space. Being able to stand up inside it is great and a game changer when you’re at a public campground and need to change your clothes.
This issue I have with the tent is not the quality or design. The problem is the marketing. This is not a moto-tent. It is too big, and you will end up sacrificing too much space that you could use for other things.
All of that being said, we would probably not purchase the tent again. It was too much for us and our style of moto-camping, we would however probably take it car camping if we didn’t already have another tent.
We really hope you have found this useful. There are many reviews out there from people who were given the tent, or who haven’t spent a great deal of time in it. This is our perspective. We planned a trip in some ways around this tent, and we regret that.
Keep the rubber side down.
Matt
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