Camper or Tent? Which do you Prefer?

ChuckC · March 21, 2015, 11:10:00 AM

I am leaning more and more towards a camper, but I really don't like the campers of yesterday. I would like a bare bones, very lightweight, smaller (not tiny) hard sided camper, pull behind or slide in. Are there any like that made ?

ChuckC

Dorado · March 21, 2015, 01:21:00 PM

I have seen a pop-up camper with hard sides I'm not too sure what it was called though. I found this if you're interested.
Flagstaff T12 Hard Side Series

Izzy · March 21, 2015, 01:45:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Dorado:
I have seen a pop-up camper with hard sides I'm not too sure what it was called though. I found this if you're interested.
Flagstaff T12 Hard Side Series

I saw those at the camper store last week. Not cheap and not for people over 5' tall. Even the sales girl said that it made her feel claustrophobic.

Izzy · March 21, 2015, 01:45:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Dorado:
I have seen a pop-up camper with hard sides I'm not too sure what it was called though. I found this if you're interested.
Flagstaff T12 Hard Side Series

I saw those at the camper store last week. Not cheap and not for people over 5' tall. Even the sales girl said that it made her feel claustrophobic.

ChuckC · March 21, 2015, 02:16:00 PM

ew. . . those are small. I am over 6' tall. I could sleep in that but not much else. I am still looking.

Thanbks !
ChuckC

Otto · March 21, 2015, 03:59:00 PM

Tents all the way. My first canvas tent lasted 35 yrs. I doubt if a camper could last that long.

tom cunningham · March 21, 2015, 05:44:00 PM

Hey Chuck. Do a search for "Flip Pac Camper Shell" I'm 6'1 and it gives me 7 feet of headroom. I've had mine for 13 years and won't be without one as long as I own a truck. If I think I need more...rarely..I hook up my trailer behind it. Tom.

Cootling · March 21, 2015, 05:47:00 PM

I have a 35 year-old 16-foot Scamp trailer, a wall tent, and smaller tents. The Scamp is the clear winner. Lightweight and very comfortable in any weather, and I can just hook it up and go. Being able to lock it is important, too, in some areas where, sadly, I no longer feel comfortable leaving a tent camp.

Most places, I don't have any trouble towing the trailer. The only real negative is that I cannot take it and also tow my boat.

Cootling · March 21, 2015, 05:55:00 PM

Camp on a prairie turkey hunt with my daughter, who was then just 8 years old. Safe and comfortable!

Roadkill · March 21, 2015, 06:43:00 PM

Jumping Jack The best of both. I heat mine with my lanterns and it works well down to 0

Izzy · March 21, 2015, 09:23:00 PM

Those Jumping Jacks look good for warm weather but how can you beat falling asleep to the warmth and crackle of a wood stove? I may end up buying a $1000.00 pop up down the road for quick solo trips and shoots but for a multi day hunt Im going wall tent.

bucknut · March 22, 2015, 11:40:00 AM

We have a 7x14 cargo trailer with cots and a homemade canopy that we use as a base camp. We take one man Tents and spike out, Coming back every 3 days for food and a shower. Camped for years in tents, but a terrible storm in 06 broke us of that. 10 degrees with 50 MPH winds at 10,000' nearly froze us to death. Not to mention all the snow. We really like this setup for severe weather situations. It also gets all your gear to the mountains dry.

ChuckC · March 22, 2015, 11:57:00 AM

Ameri-lite has a super lite version, nice but more bare bones. I have no idea (yet) the cost) but they sound substantially lighter.
CHuckC

myshootinstinks · March 23, 2015, 08:36:00 AM

Do not currently own a camper but have used both camper & wall tent.
For short term camps the camper is better, easy to set up and go. We usually set up wall tents on public land in Sept and leave the whole outfit though the hunting season. In Wyoming you're supposed to pull out after 21 days but we've left large camps set up for up to 60 days and no one bothers our stuff. IF, I can leave the camp a long time I prefer the big tent with a woodstove but it's too much work to set up for just a few days camping.

Kevin Hansen · March 23, 2015, 10:07:00 AM

This has been an informative post to read back through. Lots of interesting set ups and the information goes nicely with another thread from a couple weeks ago regarding safari trailers.
Keep on sharing!

Rick Butler · March 23, 2015, 05:52:00 PM

After 40+ years of tent camping I got a very sweet deal on this camper last spring from a fellow MLA member. Works great for shoots and hunting.

Dorado · March 23, 2015, 06:11:00 PM

I saw a hard side pop-up today and couldn't help but thing about this thread. It was a small one like what Rick Butler posted, but has hard sides. They had a rack on top with a basket for luggage but could be used to toss a deer or other game on. Wish I could remember what the dang thing was called.

Kevin Hansen · March 23, 2015, 07:29:00 PM

Originally posted by Dorado:
"I saw a hard side pop-up today and couldn't help but thing about this thread. It was a small one like what Rick Butler posted, but has hard sides. They had a rack on top with a basket for luggage but could be used to toss a deer or other game on. Wish I could remember what the dang thing was called."

Dorado,
By any chance was the hard sided pop up you saw called an Aliner? If not, I'd still be very interested to know what it was you saw.

limbolt · March 23, 2015, 09:41:00 PM

Little 13" Scamp Camper has really served me well.

Dorado · March 24, 2015, 12:12:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Kevin Hansen:
Dorado,
By any chance was the hard sided pop up you saw called an Aliner? If not, I'd still be very interested to know what it was you saw. [/QB]

It wasn't an Aliner. It looked like a regular pop-up camper that had hard sides. It was at some campgrounds next to where I was taking a walk. I'll be heading out there again today and I'll take my camera with me. If I see it I'll take a picture of it. This thread has me wanting to get me a pop-up camper.
It looked a bit like this only newer styling and looked a little bit bigger.