Comparison of Heimplanet tents

Small Tent (The Fistral)

• About 2 minutes to inflate with small pump.
• Makes its full shape only after using at least two stakes.
• Great for single-night stays and time spent mostly on the bike in unpopulated areas.
• More risky because far more equipment needs to stay outside under the tent flaps.
• Not good for remaining indoors during rainy days, due to low ceiling and lack of room.
• Great weight-to-space ratio.
• Decent for rain, not great for snow.
• Line of pockets at front is good for small items but additional after-market hanging storage should be added.

Note that in all the photos below, I have attached a large Heimplanet tarp to the side of the Fistral, creating a enormous vestibule. (See postscript at the bottom of this post.)

Medium-Small Tent (The Kirra)

• About 2.5 minutes to inflate with the small pump. Can easily be inflated and then staked down after.
• Needs at least three stakes to take its full shape.
• Easy to move and reposition even for one person.
• Interior can be cleaned by picking the entire tent up and shaking it with the door open.
• Vestibule is relatively large.
• Ventilation is not great.
• Quite good weight-to-space ratio.
• Much more spacious on the inside than you’d expect. Two adults can sleep in it easily.
• Good in light wind, but heavy wind requires multiple guy lines attached to elevated terrain/objects, e.g. a fencepost.

Medium Tent (The Cave)

• About 3 minutes to inflate with small pump. Can easily be inflated and then staked down after.
• Least reliant on guy lines and stakes; keeps its full shape without any.
• Easy to move and reposition even for one person.
• Interior can be cleaned by picking the entire tent up and shaking it with the door open.
• Four pockets, two on each side, make a division between sleep gear and outside gear.
• Poor weight-to-space ratio. Almost twice as heavy as Fistral with 2x the space.
• Single round door is small and very awkward to use.
• Relatively poor ventilation.
• Vestibule area is relatively small but reasonably secure from rain.
• Good in rain and wind and snow without using guy lines.
• Extremely good performance in high wind when staked down.

Large Tent (The Backdoor)

• About 3.5 minutes to inflate with small pump.
• Decent weight-to-space ratio. Twice as heavy as Fistral with 3x the space and a higher ceiling.
• Pocket arrangement has indoor/outdoor division, same as the Cave.
• Large enough to deploy a large bed, unpack gear, and comfortably use a chair at the same time.
• Almost enough vestibule space to enclose an entire bicycle!
• Semi-reliant on guy lines.
• Good in rain and wind and snow if guy lines are used.
• Has a very large footprint:
  • Too large for almost all indoor deployments.
  • So large it may upset other people competing for space.
  • Difficult to find a patch of flat ground this large.
• Color scheme matches my bike!

Very Large Tent (The Nias)

• About 4 minutes to inflate with the small pump.
• Requires laying out with four stakes before inflation, but additional stakes are optional.
• Each side is large enough for two adults to sleep comfortably, as long as they face towards the inside door. Three could fit (total of six), but it could get awkward.
• Average weight-to-space ratio.
• Average ventilation. Large mesh door but side flaps are small.
• Enormous central area for storing gear. Almost wide enough for two loaded bicycles side-by-side.
• Extremely large footprint.
  • Too large for indoor deployment.
  • So large it may upset other people competing for space.
  • Difficult to find a patch of flat ground this large.
• Too heavy to be practical to bike tourists.

Based on the above, it seems to make the most sense to travel with the Fistral through remote areas, use the Kirra for more rural camping, and use the Backdoor only when traveling with three or more companions.

This is a little disappointing, since the Backdoor is luxurious to use. Lots of ventilation, tons of space, room to work inside, a giant vestibule for cooking… It’s too bad it weighs so much, because if I’m going to be living in a tent for months at a time, I’m going to need a place that can feel like a home.

Postscript: A giant vestibule makes the Fistral an ideal one-person touring tent!

Since my first few rounds of using the Fistral I’ve discovered that it’s possible to clip a lightweight tarp to one side of it and use the tarp to cover a bicycle parked parallel to the tent, with most of my gear still on it.

With the tarp attached, the Fistral is basically a good-sized one-man tent with a rear vestibule that’s larger than the living space. When the edges are staked down on opposite ends of the bike, the entire bike forms the outside wall of the vestibule, keeping the contents – bike included – safe from rain, and easily accessible through one of the doors in the tent. It’s also ventilated enough for cooking.

With the bicycle visibly concealed and staked down it is far less likely to be snatched by thieves, and I never have to worry about a wet seat or chain when I pack up in the morning.

I’ve deployed this tent dozens of times over multiple trips and years, and it’s worked brilliantly.