New bow on order, Check... Next item, a quality tent for back country in the Rockies. If we get drawn, I plan on being in an elk camp with 4-5 other guys for 7-10 days. It sounds like they have used individual tents all under a large canopy in the past with a separate cooking tent. I'm trying to decide between getting a good 4 season 3 man tent or springing for an outfitters canvas or synthetic tent. The plan is to go in with 4 wheelers and a full sized support 4x4. Foul weather is a possibility. Thoughts?
Sounds like you aren't going to far in with all the 4bys. Any way. Check out kifuru. Tipi
Alas, don't have horses and the engines will get us to base camp. The rest will be all us... The Kifuru stuff looks great! I love the idea of high tech light weight and minimalism.
Thanks,
If you are hunting from a camp that you can drive in don't be frugal and buy a confortable 4 man tent,good for a single man with enough clothing changes.
Otherwise if you really make some backpack hunting choose a good 1 man ultra light tent,it will cost you more than the bigger tent but in this case weight and quality will be much more important.
I went with a Big Agnes..
Yep, Big Agnes.
I back county hunt for elk every year and have found the MSR hubba 1 to be the best choice. It is a one man tent with a vestibule. it is very light, I will also take a amall 6x8 tarp from the hardware store for cooking and storing gear in bad weather.
We had a 12' X 14' Kodiak Canvas tent at base camp when we went. I chose the Hubba for spike camp also.
It rained, sleated or snowed 9 days we were there. We'd run a Big Buddy for a while before we went to sleep and we were warm until the morning.
for base camp i have a 12x14 canvas wall tent. there is nothing better the being able to stand up in a tent. first year we took a dome style tent. we had moisture problems and very cramped. last 3 years with the wall tent we have had no problems. wall tent for base camp for sure, but you are talking some money
for spike camp i have a one man msr tent. less the 2 lbs
Where is back country that you can take a 4 wheeler too! If it has a road to it then it's not back country yet. I'd go with a big tent and a good cot if you can drive to your camp spot. I have a pop up and sleep in a bed when my wife is along and a cowboy bedroll when she's not. Both are equally comfortable to sleep but the pop up is sure nicer in the morning trying to get dressed. My buddy has a wall tent with wood stove and cots, have to admit that was a pretty sweet set up.
Since you are taking in a truck I would look into a Kodiak Tent, I researched tents pretty heavily this last year and decided to try out the Kodiak. It has turned out to be the dream tent. The best tent I have ever owned and that's a bunch of them. It is a heavy canvass tent though.
God bless, Steve
If I was you I'd go with a go-lite SL5, big enough to use at a basecamp for just you or another guy or two. Also, if you remove the nest it is light enough to backpack with, something like 2 lbs. 11 oz without the nest. I stayed in one last year and the ability to stand up when getting dressed and during a real bad snow storm was invaluable. The best part is, its $300 shipped
I had a 4 man kifaru tipi with a stove and it was nice but if it rains, it was nightmare to take down and move. It really added weight. I was probably carrying 70lbs when changeling camps. I went with a Hilliberg Akto and a tarp. The hillibergs have a built in rain fly.
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This is a Kifaru Sawtooth, it's really a nice two man tent, a great roomy one man tent, and for emergencies it will fit 4. It weighs in at 4.8 lbs, that is with the poles pegs.
I didn't have my Ti wood stove yet, so it's not in the picture.
Good luck.
when im base camp hunting, i don't think anything compares to a wall tent with stove. can dry clothes, room to stand, good in weather, the list goes on.
for backpacking i use the MSR hubba. dandy set up. i do like the looks of the kifaru with stove though.
X2 on the golite shangri-la 5. For $300 you can use it with or without the nest. If money is not an option, go with a quality wall tent.
X three on the Hubba. Sounds like a wall tent would be better since your hauling it all in a truck.
MAP
I like my Tarptent double rainbow for bivy hunting. Haven't tested it in bad weather but set up is great!
I have an Agnes, a strong wind broke one pole and bent an other when the tent flattened. These guys have withstood everything from snow storms to hail and near misses with a couple of tornadoes. They are both made from Egyptian sail.
(http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/pavanldb/longbows/ad70533c-b2be-4e04-9c0a-f58a73c18c6f_zps77d58fa9.jpg) (http://s872.photobucket.com/user/pavanldb/media/longbows/ad70533c-b2be-4e04-9c0a-f58a73c18c6f_zps77d58fa9.jpg.html)
If I'm carrying camp on my back I use a Kifaru Super Tarp.It weighs 20 oz.
Tim
Thanks all for your suggestions! For base camp hunting I'm leaning towards a Davis framed wall tent, or a Alaska Tent & Awning wall tent or Alaskan Oven. I've always wanted to be able to run a wood stove in a tent for those chilly nights. For spike camp, the Kifaru gear looks amazing and the go-lite SL5 is also on the short list. I do like the idea of running a stove in spike camp but there is always my whisperLite gas stove to heat up H20 and meals. Fun to think about while we get dumped on with 6-12" of snow today...
Best wishes,
KSPete
Pete...I've got a 14x16 wall tent from Davis Tent and it's hard to beat for a base camp. I bought that size to accomidate 4 guys but it's usually just me and my brother in it. It will easily handle 4 but is luxurious for 2. The customer service at Davis is as good as it gets also. If you have any questions, give those guys a call and they'll take care of you. If you watch their website they run monthly specials that can save you several hundred dollars. I heat the tent with a 4 dogs stove. It's a really great combo. But remember...this is base camp. It's very heavy and takes time to set up.
For backpacking it's an ultralight solo tent and a good sleeping bag for me. I have no interest in messing with a stove when backpacking but to each his own.
A lot of guys have mentioned the Kodiak Canvas tents on here. The thing I'd add to that is you need to check out Springbar tents. They're the original tent that Kodiak Canvas knocked off and took over seas. Springbar is made right here in the US. I wouldn't own anything else.
I will say one more thing. if your doing a base camp style hunt, NOTHING is better than a wall tent. it just feels like elk hunting lol..
If you decide to go canvas look into the "Springbar Tent"Made in Utah and bomb proof. I had an outfitter tent before and switched to the Springbar. I can set up the 10x14 myself in a matter of 15 minutes. It only takes that long because there are so many stakes. Kodiak is the China copy if it.
Whichever tent you go with, I'd strongly recommend looking closely at the vestibule space. You can keep all your gear dry and cook under it if need be. Also make sure you put a tarp in your gear to hang in camp to duck under if the rain or snow shows up. I've had the MSR Dragonfly 2 man for a dozen years or so. The vestibule is larger than the inside of the tent. It weighs in at around 8-9 pounds, but well worth the weight. But this tent only goes in 7 or 8 miles into the WIlderness area so weight isn't that big of a deal. For camping up on top of the mountain with the elk, the heavy stuff stays behind...
Good luck
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This is a Soulpad 13 foot diam with a center post easy set up for one person. Plenty roomy for 2 plus gear. I made a vestibule for it but can't find any pics right now. The tent has been trough some amazing wind and rain and cold Elk camps.
I've got a 5 meter version of the tent that Bjorn posted. I haven't had it in the weather he has but it's a great tent and you can set it up in minutes.
homebru
For base camp- canvas tent hands down. If you want smaller than a wall tent the Davis Herder is good. I can get 3 guys comfortably in mine with cots.
I think the Kodiak is more than a Springbar knockoff. It has many improvements. Love my kodiak.
i have the 5 meter bell tent pictured above- best tent i have ever been in- TONS of room- handle wind exceptionally well, very affordable- about $700- delux version- awesome zip out groundsheet.
one person can pitch in minutes literally.
lay out on ground- peg the perimeter down, take the centerpole into the tent- push it up-voila!!!
time 1 to 2 minutes.
get people and gear inside- one person goes around outside doing the short guy ropes- another minute or two done.
i use a simms folding stove in mine.
do i love it---you bet!!
stayed in quite a few wall tents, and lived in a military tent- but this is my favorite!!
besides a bear can never trap you in the corner!!! :D
For base camp near a truck I use a Cabela's 8 man Alaskan Guide tent with a big vestibule.It holds up very well in strong winds.If I need to pack in a ways I use a Kifaru 6 man tipi
Tim
Those guide tents look awesome, ifwe could just get a stove into them!!!
I would love to build one out of a super light canvas, and set it up with a small collapsible wood stove.
I'm going to put a stove jack in the vestibule for a wood stove or a Nu Way propane stove
Tim