Tents

I'm looking to go elk hunting in a new area this year and from the research I've done so far (have not scouted in person yet) is that there is a ton of Pine Bark Beetle killed trees... this obviously makes it nearly suicidal to try and set up a tent in the forest especially in a storm with wind. So I'll be looking for open meadows but then loose the cover from the wind.

I do not think I'll be buying a new tent this year, but will definitely be staking out the guy lines to the mid portion of the tent. I would assume any new tent is going to have these but I would check the details to make sure the rain fly has plenty of guy line attachments.

Also thinking about your comment about horses and tent weight not being critical. I would go with a 4-person if you have the choice. It sure is nice to be able to fit 2 guys plus all gear IN the tent rather than just under the vestibule if a big storm blows through. Keeps gear warmer at night too, like my water filter element that will freeze outside (and crack) I can keep it in the tent covered by some clothing and it never freezes.

I have found that 3-person tents are just big enough for 2 guys to sleep comfortably with only a small amount of room left over for gear.
Pretty much my thinking which is why I'm looking mainly at the 3-4 man units along with the 2 man units that have two pretty roomy vestibules.

The biggest problem of course stepping up the 4 man tents is that the cost goes up dramatically for the extra size.
 
wildrose
take a look at the mountain hardware trango 4
it's one stout tent, and very roomy.
Thanks. That's also one I've been looking pretty hard at. I've never owned or even seen one of their tents other than online but I have had some other Mountain Hardware gear and I'm extremely pleased with the quality and functionality of it.
 
It's not the tent your looking at but I have a Kelty Typhoon 2 which is an expedition type tent. Materials are "stout". The design is kind of low and wide to withstand strong winds. I really don't like this tent because setting up/take down is a big pain. Because of the materials they use for the pole sleeves, the poles catch and come apart easily when threading them through the sleeves and there is a lot of sleeve material (for strength) to get the pole out of when it all goes wonky. I'm almost inclined to try electrical tape on the pole joints to hold them together during assembly. No joy in foul weather set up. It's very strong once set up but it's a thing to watch out for in a new purchase. These expedition type tents are tanks in the wind and buck snow as well as anything. The color is a plus when looking for your camp in the dark. My tent is a little sparse on ventilation so condensation can be a thing but it is very warm. Rainfly is thick and covers almost the whole tent. I think if I were to get another one, I'd get it through a retailer like REI or Cabelas with a good return policy just in case my practice set up revealed something I didn't quite like. As far as having a good tent in rough weather goes, they're probably all you'll ever need and then some.

I've been using a small three man tee pee with stove lately. The walls get a little saggy and the shape slightly restricts up the available head room away from the center but I can use a small colapsable stool to sit on near the center pole when making dinner. The lack of floor contributed to my clothes looking a little on the dirty side after a week, even with a makeshift ground cloth under my bag but the stove... that stove really makes a difference. It's another thing that takes a little time to set up but there seems no regret for the additional time needed. I can lay in my bag in the morning, open the stove door, start a fire with materials set up the night before and the tent is t-shirt comfortable in about 5 minutes while I begin to brew coffee. On my second cup of joe, I can boil water on top of the stove or cook my breakfast without the need of an additional stove and just add a little water to my bowl and have hot water to wash the plate and a second time to wash my face and brush my teeth with hot water. There's a cloths line at the top of the tent to hang the washcloth. The floorless tent enables me to bring lots of wood in for fires without resupplying from outside. Although the stove needs tending about every 15 minutes, I can take care of all the night time duties without a coat for a couple of hours before settling down for the night. The tee pee is drafty because the sides don't necessarily seal on the ground. Since my bag is warm enough, it's not a problem and I sleep well. The strength of the tee pee in the wind cannot be compared to a expedition tent however is seems more than adequate in windy conditions although I have used it mostly in timber. Still, I think it would be plenty strong on a windy ridge. Just stake it down. The shape sheds snow but because it lacks a skeleton for support (advantage expedition tent), you may need to wack the sides of the tent when you wake up to shake the snow down and push it away with your boot when you go outside. Like all tents, there's condensation despite the stove or maybe because of it. I think the biggest down side to tee pee's with a stove is I get a little dirtier and that would probably be resolved if my tent was a little bigger so I could step when reaching for things instead of putting a knee down. I think if I was stuck in my tent due to weather, the tee pee might be preferable because I could stay occupied tending the stove in just a shirt and slippers (I bring slippers along) and sit on a little stool near the center and read a book without hitting my head on the roof instead of hunkering down in my bag all day till it was time to tend the horses.

I think for "dry" the expedition tent is the ticket. I think for "warm" anything with a stove gets the nod.
 
It's not the tent your looking at but I have a Kelty Typhoon 2 which is an expedition type tent. Materials are "stout". The design is kind of low and wide to withstand strong winds. I really don't like this tent because setting up/take down is a big pain. Because of the materials they use for the pole sleeves, the poles catch and come apart easily when threading them through the sleeves and there is a lot of sleeve material (for strength) to get the pole out of when it all goes wonky. I'm almost inclined to try electrical tape on the pole joints to hold them together during assembly. No joy in foul weather set up. It's very strong once set up but it's a thing to watch out for in a new purchase. These expedition type tents are tanks in the wind and buck snow as well as anything. The color is a plus when looking for your camp in the dark. My tent is a little sparse on ventilation so condensation can be a thing but it is very warm. Rainfly is thick and covers almost the whole tent. I think if I were to get another one, I'd get it through a retailer like REI or Cabelas with a good return policy just in case my practice set up revealed something I didn't quite like. As far as having a good tent in rough weather goes, they're probably all you'll ever need and then some.

I've been using a small three man tee pee with stove lately. The walls get a little saggy and the shape slightly restricts up the available head room away from the center but I can use a small colapsable stool to sit on near the center pole when making dinner. The lack of floor contributed to my clothes looking a little on the dirty side after a week, even with a makeshift ground cloth under my bag but the stove... that stove really makes a difference. It's another thing that takes a little time to set up but there seems no regret for the additional time needed. I can lay in my bag in the morning, open the stove door, start a fire with materials set up the night before and the tent is t-shirt comfortable in about 5 minutes while I begin to brew coffee. On my second cup of joe, I can boil water on top of the stove or cook my breakfast without the need of an additional stove and just add a little water to my bowl and have hot water to wash the plate and a second time to wash my face and brush my teeth with hot water. There's a cloths line at the top of the tent to hang the washcloth. The floorless tent enables me to bring lots of wood in for fires without resupplying from outside. Although the stove needs tending about every 15 minutes, I can take care of all the night time duties without a coat for a couple of hours before settling down for the night. The tee pee is drafty because the sides don't necessarily seal on the ground. Since my bag is warm enough, it's not a problem and I sleep well. The strength of the tee pee in the wind cannot be compared to a expedition tent however is seems more than adequate in windy conditions although I have used it mostly in timber. Still, I think it would be plenty strong on a windy ridge. Just stake it down. The shape sheds snow but because it lacks a skeleton for support (advantage expedition tent), you may need to wack the sides of the tent when you wake up to shake the snow down and push it away with your boot when you go outside. Like all tents, there's condensation despite the stove or maybe because of it. I think the biggest down side to tee pee's with a stove is I get a little dirtier and that would probably be resolved if my tent was a little bigger so I could step when reaching for things instead of putting a knee down. I think if I was stuck in my tent due to weather, the tee pee might be preferable because I could stay occupied tending the stove in just a shirt and slippers (I bring slippers along) and sit on a little stool near the center and read a book without hitting my head on the roof instead of hunkering down in my bag all day till it was time to tend the horses.

I think for "dry" the expedition tent is the ticket. I think for "warm" anything with a stove gets the nod.
Thanks.
 
I won't tell you this is the best but it has worked on a few Colorado back pack hunts. A friend of mine had one we used one year we had three people in it. It was crowed but worked and I thought enough of it I went and bought one for my Son which I still get to use. Kelty Grand Mesa 4 person.
My tent when not back pack hunting is a Cabelas Alaskan Guide tent 6 person and this tent has seen so serious winds in South Dakota during a thunderstorm. This is my tent for Elk hunting in Western states when I'm not caring it.
One for carrying and one for packing in.
 

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I won't tell you this is the best but it has worked on a few Colorado back pack hunts. A friend of mine had one we used one year we had three people in it. It was crowed but worked and I thought enough of it I went and bought one for my Son which I still get to use. Kelty Grand Mesa 4 person.
Sorry for double posting just trying to get couple pictures posted.
 

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If you are looking for the hands down best foul weather tent available. Alaska Tent Tarp :: Arctic Oven 8 with Vestibule
They aren't cheap or light and they are far from budget minded but they are hands down the biggest baddest tents on the planet. I've spent a few nights in this exact on the in and stormy weather, keep in mind hurricane force winds begin around 70mph and in Alaska that's just a windy day. We never got wet or cold they are serious piece of kit.
http://www.alaskatent.com/oven/ao8extvest.html
 
I won't tell you this is the best but it has worked on a few Colorado back pack hunts. A friend of mine had one we used one year we had three people in it. It was crowed but worked and I thought enough of it I went and bought one for my Son which I still get to use. Kelty Grand Mesa 4 person.
Sorry for double posting just trying to get couple pictures posted.
That's ok, the in camp pictures are always more fun than the catalog ones anyhow!

Thanks. I've been looking at those and a couple of other Kelty's as well.

My problem is that I'm a cheapskate and would like to find one that does everything I need which of course never quite works HA!
 
If you are looking for the hands down best foul weather tent available. Alaska Tent Tarp :: Arctic Oven 8 with Vestibule
They aren't cheap or light and they are far from budget minded but they are hands down the biggest baddest tents on the planet. I've spent a few nights in this exact on the in and stormy weather, keep in mind hurricane force winds begin around 70mph and in Alaska that's just a windy day. We never got wet or cold they are serious piece of kit.
http://www.alaskatent.com/oven/ao8extvest.html
I've looked at those, thanks.
 
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