1 person+gear 4 season tent/shelter deciding

[mtnelkhunter]

I used the x-mid 1 this summer (not much moisture encountered but did see some windy nights) and picked up an x mid 2 solid that I am planning to use this year on third rifle. I think it would be a decent late season hunting tent. My only hang up with both is the relatively large foot prints - I had previously been using the SG skyult tarp and the small footprint is great when you hunt with camp on your back. But that thing is short and way way less livable.

 

[Noobie]

Never heard of using a heating stove for backpacking. What type of stove is used? Chimney? Wood burning?

 

[sierracharlie338]

Anyone use a Big Agnes tent? I think the Copper Spur is the one I see mentioned most often. Curious if anyone has first hand experience using it on a backcountry hunt.

Eric

All the reasons below are worth listening to. I was seriously considering one of these until I had the chance to put my hands on one. I couldn't bring myself to pay that kind of money for that fragile of a tent. Is it lightweight? Yeah absolutely. Would it stand up to serious backcountry hunting in 3+/4 seasons? Not imo.

I went with a Nemo and have been extremely happy.

I have the 1p tucked away somewhere. It's a good lightweight tent. I wouldn't buy the footprint, maybe just use tyvek.

A cheaper alternative is Paria Bryce 1p, though they've been out of stock for a few months now probably because of YouTubers.

Way to fragle,had two and got rid of both.

I have one. I like it, but not a four season tent.

 

[Noobie]

Anyone use a Big Agnes tent? I think the Copper Spur is the one I see mentioned most often. Curious if anyone has first hand experience using it on a backcountry hunt.

Eric

Actual test, guy bolted a plywood base to the top of his truck, 'staked' some tents down, and drove 30, 40, 50 mph etc. until tent failure.

Big Agnes Copper Spur: 30 mph OK 40 mph snapped pole (bent in half) permanently.

 

[southpa]

You don't "NEED" a tent stove. Frankly I've really only seen it in hunting circles, and hunters tend to be really bad backpackers. I hunt the same western states that everyone else's does, during the same times and the only stove I have for my food. A lot of my hunts are 6-10 days in field. Expedition, bivy styled hunting.

Technically you don't need a lot of things but they make your outdoor endeavors much more enjoyable and tollerable. A stove in late October or November at 9k feet, after a long day of glassing in 8 degrees, with wind chill and 15 inches of snow does a lot for morale. A toasty warm night of sleep keeps you on the hill a lot longer than multiple frigid nights and mornings. It's amazing what only a few hours in and out of the elements next to a warm fire can do for you.

OP, lots of good advice here. Pick a 4 season system that fits your budget and weight likings and you cannot go wrong. Nowadays, there are many shelter systems that can fit anyone's price and or functionality needs.

I love my floor less shelters. No issues with center pole rigidity in even the nastiest of winds or precip. Stoves are a wonderful addition for late season stuff. Tipi systems with nests or floors or stove compatibility are so modular. If we don't have flat spots we kick out tiers. Steep country isn't gonna be any easier to the footprint of an actual tent than it is to a tipi.

 

[dfanonymous]

Technically you don't need a lot of things but they make your outdoor endeavors much more enjoyable and tollerable. A stove in late October or November at 9k feet, after a long day of glassing in 8 degrees, with wind chill and 15 inches of snow does a lot for morale. A toasty warm night of sleep keeps you on the hill a lot longer than multiple frigid nights and mornings. It's amazing what only a few hours in and out of the elements next to a warm fire can do for you.

Technically, it's not enjoyable if you have to carry it any distance. Especially when you start at 9k and are walking in to 11k. That was my point. Backpacking…

 

[Nimrod]

I'm 6' tall and the Sawtooth lets me get dressed standing up.

This is a requirement for me anymore, an old fat guy really appreciates the ability to stand up or sit comfortably in my tent. While I don't do much winter camping anymore I do hunt pronghorns in Wyoming every chance I get and needed something that would stand up to the high winds typically encountered. I got a Big Agnes Seedhouse 4 and it is nearly perfect for my needs, while it's not a lightweight back packing design I have packed it in a little way with no problem. I should also mention that there are a lot of rattlesnakes where I hunt so a sewn in floor was a requirement. No option for a stove but I have used a buddy heater in it a few times in bitter cold weather but condensation can be a real issue with propane.

 

[ericbc7]

It sounds like you need 2 tents, one for backpacking and one for stove tenting. I am not aware of one that does both well.

 

[WoodswalkerPNW]

I have been experimenting with the Seek Outside Cimmaron tent with a half-nest and a small U-turn stove. So far pitched in various places on our property due to my wife having broken her femur 4 days into deer season in '22 and now on the second surgery in a year to fix it. We have PNW woods, a cleared mini-ridgetop that gets a good deal of wind. So far it's made it through wind up to 45 mph (bringing down trees not that far away), Western WA torrential rains and what snow we have had over the last 2 years with few shortcomings.

I originally bought it for a high country trip, that didn't work out, as I was heartily tired of sleeping in an Outdoor Research bivy and essentially cold camping with just a jet boil and a canteen cup for a week plus in the late elk seasons. At 60+ I am slowing down a bit and the small.comforts of a warm space with enough room to move around have become apparent. As long as both of us stay healthy, I plan to return to the high country for deer and elk next fall and give the tent a true test.

 

[Philward]

I have a Hilleberg Nallo3, ~6lb, warms up well with a small propane lantern. Add a tarp over the door to keep water and snow off it and it could work well. Not a super lightweight tent though.

 

[Mike Matteson]

If you insist on it being 4-season, then it's guaranteed to be heavier than a 3-season. My choice for a big tent: North Face VE-24 or 25. For a small tent the Black Diamond ElDorado. Either will stand up to major storms at altitude. I used the Eldo up to 17,000' on Denali. Bombproof.
These days though, I'm going in the direction of the hot tents. My hot-tipi weight is under 2#, plus 10# for the stove.

Absaroka 4P Tent

The Argali Absaroka 4P tent was designed for lightweight backpackers that want a lightweight, fast pitching tent that can be pitched in a wide variety of terrain. Made with a 20D silpoly ripstop fabric, the Absaroka is a spacious four person tent that is stove compatible and designed for 4...

argalioutdoors.com

Stay away from Luxe…the US distributor turned out to be a ripoff.

I would for sure get the flooring type. Still need a sleeping thro pad.

 

[southpa]

Technically, it's not enjoyable if you have to carry it any distance. Especially when you start at 9k and are walking in to 11k. That was my point. Backpacking…

I wouldnt assume the OP was talking about a 4 season shelter for non backpacking use. Nor would i need a TI stove for non backpacking use. If you're hiking from 9-11k in a backpacking scenario in late october/November I really don't know how you plan to survive without warmth and shelter. You're likely needing snow shoes and will have to melt snow to drink. How many people are thinking it's a good idea to not have a fire in the conditions I've outlined. I doubt many people in history are wanting to be in those conditions without some sort of heat source. Enter the Ti stove.

A 1.5 pound Ti stove is not that big of a deal to carry. Especially when it can save your life

 

[dfanonymous]

I wouldnt assume the OP was talking about a 4 season shelter for non backpacking use. Nor would i need a TI stove for non backpacking use. If you're hiking from 9-11k in a backpacking scenario in late october/November I really don't know how you plan to survive without warmth and shelter. You're likely needing snow shoes and will have to melt snow to drink. How many people are thinking it's a good idea to not have a fire in the conditions I've outlined. I doubt many people in history are wanting to be in those conditions without some sort of heat source. Enter the Ti stove.

A 1.5 pound Ti stove is not that big of a deal to carry. Especially when it can save your life

I've done it plenty. It's a whole sport. Mountaineering. Before that, the military's cold weather survival. Of course, to tie it all back to the topic, I take what I know, and I have applied it to my hunts and 4 season backpacking. You don't always get fire, sometimes your layers and staying dry just have to do.

That said, I wasn't aware of a 1.5 lb total weight stove. I know it's tricky as it's the stove pipe measure about 1.5 lbs per ft. All the other hardware adds up and the stove it's self has its manufactured alleged weight.

Then you have this bulky item (in backpack terms) you have to pack, on top of all your other winter gear, plus just regular gear, plus food, plus hunting gear? Might as well get a snow mobil with a trailer at that point.
Idk, 1.5 lbs is a lot…assuming it's JUST 1.5 lbs imo..

 

[southpa]

I've done it plenty. It's a whole sport. Mountaineering. Before that, the military's cold weather survival. Of course, to tie it all back to the topic, I take what I know, and I have applied it to my hunts and 4 season backpacking. You don't always get fire, sometimes your layers and staying dry just have to do.

That said, I wasn't aware of a 1.5 lb total weight stove. I know it's tricky as it's the stove pipe measure about 1.5 lbs per ft. All the other hardware adds up and the stove it's self has its manufactured alleged weight.

Then you have this bulky item (in backpack terms) you have to pack, on top of all your other winter gear, plus just regular gear, plus food, plus hunting gear? Might as well get a snow mobil with a trailer at that point.
Idk, 1.5 lbs is a lot…assuming it's JUST 1.5 lbs imo..

If you don't get fire it's by your own choice. Nobody is getting awards for hiking up to 11k feet in 2 feet of snow and sleeping in the cold with no heat source. If you're pack system isn't adequate to pack a ti stove system I'd look into a new one as I really dont see how that's an issue. Whether admitted or not the extra weight you'll pack in layers and heavier down bags to make it in negative temps will easily add up to the minimal weight of the Ti.