Andy: Topeak Bikamper: or the thing you shouldn't buy because it is dumb.

What a shiny pretty clever idea; a tent that utilizes the bike frame itself in lieu of poles. That should save space and weight. What a convenience.

Unfortunately, the convenience stops in the idea stage. The practical implementation of the Topeak Bikamper Tent is severely flawed. It is made out of shoddy materials, is difficult to set up at night, and I have found that though it looks pretty cool after you finally get it self up, the hassle and lack of comfort are not worth the style.

It seems clear that Topeak got this great idea, but did not understand the basics of tent building. I have, in using the tent one time, had multiple clips and hooks snap, the rainfly fails to fully cover the tent, and the carrying bag is too small to fit the rainfly and the tent after you take it out of the case. In fact, after I had removed the tarp and just had the tent in there, the strain on the seems of the bag have caused a few inches of stitching to come undone.

On top of all this, this is my second Topeak Bikamper Tent. The first one that was shipped to me had many holes in the material of the tent. I sent it back immediately and incorrectly assumed that it was a fluke.

Oh, by the way. The second time I took the rainfly out of my Topeak Bikamper bag, all of the sealant tape fell out in a dusty mess. It was totally disgusting.

That being said, REI was very good about accepting the return of the original tent and I have high hopes concerning the return of the newer one.

Do not buy this tent. It's pretty, but it is seriously flawed in design, comfort, and durability.