Outdoor brands are starting to take notice of the specific needs of bikepackers, most notable the complications of trying to transport a tent on a bike. Sea to Summit has adapted its top Telos TR2 backpacking tent and made some key adaptions to compete with the best bikepacking tents.
The three-season Telos TR2 backpacking tent will sleep two and has all the same features and dimensions as the existing freestanding backpacking Telos TR2. That means there are doors on both sides, Lightbar for illuminating the interior and hangout mode. That said, hangout mode - which tips the rainfly outer back to create an open shelter - requires trekking poles or something similar to prop it up.
The tent uses a 15D Sil-PeU rainfly with a 20D Sil-PeU floor which doesn't require an additional groundsheet unless you want added protection from sharp rocks or sticks. Sea to Summits Tension bar pole structure broadens the top of the tent to maximize inside space and the tent has a tapered footprint, measuring 134cm at the head, 109cm at the feet and 215cm in length.
The key consideration was to increase the packability of the tent. The best bikepacking bags offer a huge range of storage options however most are not particularly suited to carrying long items. To better fit in frame or handlebar bags, Sea to Summit has reduced the featherlight DAC pole length to 12-inches.
The tent packs away into two waterproof 400D dry bags to keep your packed tent protected from mud and bushes. The dry bags can be shared amongst fellow campers or for more flexible mounting options for better weight distribution on the bike.
The dry bags have Hypalon reinforcement panels to give more attachment points and Sea to Summit includes four 625mm TPU Stretch Loc Straps with the tent for securing it to fork legs or a rack.
Sea to Summit quote the pack size as 15x22x30cm and a claimed pack weight of 1914g. The tent will retail at $649 and is expected to be available in Spring and we'll have a full review near to its release.
