YouTube Video Thumbnail

The Ultimate Test: Bikepacking in Wind and Rain with a £50 Tent

Posted by Gav Grayston.
First Published Aug 2023; updated Aug 2023.

I take the Easy Camp Energy 200 Compact on a bikepacking trip. And the weather wasn't the best.

I've been planning this bikepacking trip for a while.

I was going with my lad, but last-minute changes (teenagers have a busy social life) meant I was doing this solo - and just as well, as the weather was horrific for summertime.

Watch the video to see what happens!

YouTube Video Thumbnail

The Tent

The tent I took was the Easy Camp Energy 200 Compact, which has a neat design for bikepacking.

At the time of writing, you can get this tent for just under £50 from a couple of camping shops. That's an amazing bargain!

This is a summer 1-season tent, and really just for occasional use.

It's an ideal budget tent with plenty of features to try summer adventure camping.

It's an ideal budget tent with plenty of features to try summer adventure camping

Packing onto the Bike

The tent fits neatly to your handlebars, with the poles on the bike frame.

Unfortunately, the suspension on my mountain bike meant I couldn't take my panniers.
I always want the bike to take the weight rather than me, but that wasn't the case this time, and I took my large hiking rucksack.

I didn't need to take all that stuff... but I had bought some new gear to bring and test. Oh, and a couple of beers. 😉

The Campsite

This is a back-to-basics campsite. It's almost wild camping but with the convenience of water on tap (one tap) and some toilets (composting toilets).