What type of shelter do you use most often for backpack hunting during rifle season?

[Troutslayer2]

I have been using single wall 3 and 4 season backpacking tents but I am going to try a hot tent this season. I must be getting old because the idea of waking up in single digit rifle season temps and crawling out of a bag and into frozen solid boots just doesn't do it for me anymore.

 

[Danehunter]

Troutslayer,
You could not need to "crawl... into frozen solid boots if you:
1. Buy boots with a removable liner, like felt pac boots.
2. Wear 3 mm seam sealed closed cell neoprene divers' socks (US Divers brand) over thin poly liners These are VBLs (Vapor Barrie Liners) to keep the liners dry all day and thus warm all day.
3. Remove the liners and store in the foot of your sleeping bag overnight.
4. Remove the neoprene VBL socks, turn inside-out and let dry for 15 minutes then tor in foot of sleeping bag.
5. Put stinky, wet poly liner socks in a ZipLoc bag and don clean poly socks
6. Don heavy wool "sleep socks" and get some zzzs.

NOW you can have a morning with warm feet!

Eric B.

 

[Troutslayer2]

Troutslayer,
You could not need to "crawl... into frozen solid boots if you:
1. Buy boots with a removable liner, like felt pac boots.
2. Wear 3 mm seam sealed closed cell neoprene divers' socks (US Divers brand) over thin poly liners These are VBLs (Vapor Barrie Liners) to keep the liners dry all day and thus warm all day.
3. Remove the liners and store in the foot of your sleeping bag overnight.
4. Remove the neoprene VBL socks, turn inside-out and let dry for 15 minutes then tor in foot of sleeping bag.
5. Put stinky, wet poly liner socks in a ZipLoc bag and don clean poly socks
6. Don heavy wool "sleep socks" and get some zzzs.

NOW you can have a morning with warm feet!

Eric B.

Yeah but who backpacks in pac boots? I think my feet would sweat like crazy in neoprene liners but maybe that would work for some. This season I started looking into the overboots that they use on Everest but I never ended up getting a pair. I think the hot tent is going to work great, not just for warm feet but warm everything including coffee.

 

[Danehunter]

True, your feet do sweat but you don't notice it. All you notice is warmth. Many people including mountaineers and backcountry ski campers have been using not only VBL socks but entire VBL clothing over a light poly base layer in very frigid temperatures. And some use a sleeping bag VBL fo keep it from getting heavier and damper every night. "Airing out" a sleeping bag in freezing weather is not an option B/C the moisture freezes before it can dry.

Who backpacks in felt pacs? Well if it's cold enough you do. Otherwise you need boots like my plastic backcountry ski boots with removable liners. Sure, a hot tent will help dry out boots but they won't dry completely and will be colder each day as the insulation gets wetter.

You can not use VBL socks and suffer or use them and have warm feet all the time.
BTW, those Everest boots are expensive as he!!.

 

[Awin321]

Im using the firstlite kodiak and love it. its a little heavey at 5lbs but it holds up in the snow.

 

[GT123]

Been using a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2(?) for a number of years. Its the green one. Very light and all of my hunting is multi-day on my back. The SD is not free standing, only drawback in my opinion. Enough room for two if you like your hunting partner. Usually we split who carries rifle and who carries the tent.

 

[ponderosa11]

I have a Black Diamond Mega Light that is awesome, but I often grab my Marmot 2-person 3-season tent for short trips. It's reasonably weatherproof and just really convenient compared to a floorless shelter.

I do think floorless is the way to go - every serious outdoorsperson should learn to go floorless and experience the outdoors that way as much as they can. But I am not going to argue for it the way some people do, as if it's all upside and no downside.

 

[7718sallee]

I got a seek outside cimmaron last year and it was great for 2 people with plenty of room. I even packed it solo and it wasn't too heavy although I'm looking at some lighter one man options. SO trekking pole connector works like a champ and saves from buying a dedicated center pole

 

[warboar21]

Currently I have a Marmont 3 person 4 season tent. It's held up in some heavy winds, rains, and a good snow storm that dumped about a foot of heavy wet snow. I'm looking into going with a lighter weight Tipi and light weight wood stove.

 

[longestrange]

Freestanding 3 man (or 2 plus gear) 4 season everest quality tent. Had it for decades and never had anything fail. Fly has a waterproof bucket extending 1' above ground. Can be setup above treeline. Poles slide into sleeves on the fly so no stress points at clips. Last trip ended with a blizzard hitting 3 AM at 10000 feet, had no issues, warm. Can get a vestibule for changing/cooking and has guy lines for additional stakes if needed. Sometimes don't use any stakes at all but people have been blown off glaciers. You can pile up snow blocks or rocks to help with wind. Use a cheap sheet of plastic under the floor to prevent dirt, pine pitch, punctures etc. Weighs about 9 pounds, and if you can't pack that (esp. with a buddy) best to stay home. Cost a lot back in the day but cost/year is almost nil - spend more on ice. Firm believer in buying quality and enjoying the very best whilst saving money in the long run. Can be setup with just the fly for bugproofing. Got it from a brand that has gone total earth shoes/climate change activist and won't do business with them anymore. Just look at everest base camp pics and you'll see rows and rows of similar tents.
Thermal rest pad under a -40 deg. 600 loft down bag that I store in a very large sack but packs into a very small one. You will want a down bag that has no sewn-thru seams or it will be useless. Washing it is a very tricky task due to the fragile compartments. Have had it for decades as well.
Boots are Norwegian welt with vibram soles. Very heavy leather. I seal the stitches for the soles and wax the leather above. Are on their second set of soles. Use gaiters for brush, snow etc. Those boots with the glue-on soles - have had similar soles melt apart out in the desert.
Keep the Isobutane cannisters for the stove in the sleeping bag. Isobutane is better than butane for the cold, both are much lighter than propane tanks.
Internal frame pack that converts to essentially one very large compartment for hauling out game.

 

[rmagnus]

In base camp it's a wall tent. I carry a pretty light weight 2 man 4 season tent when I plan to stay out for 2-3 nights. Holds up well in the snow. Usually hunt at 7-10K feet in CO late in the year and snow is just something you have to deal with

 

[Danehunter]

For 3 season use I got a new (gen. 2) Tarptent Notch Li Dyneema fabric solo tent. It has double walls and is held up with my hiking poles or I cut two sticks so I canusel my poles during the day.
->Never used it in the winter yet but it would withstand a medium snow load when it is all guyed out and staked down. WEiGHT: 1 lb. 9 oz. with 4 MSR ground Hog stakes.
I've added 4 stake loops to the fly hem using Dyneema tape circles under larger Tenacious Tape circles to reinforce where the loops are sewn on the fly edge.

Also I dyed the inner tent green to give me more shade and privacy as Dyneema is translucent.

 

[Danehunter]

BTW, Although Dyneema is much stronger than silnylon and does not absorb moisture I don't recommend it because it is damnably expensive, more than 2X what a silnylon tent is.

 

[cohunter18]

Just got a Seek outside tipi with stove. Have not had a chance to use it yet.