Danehunter
Well-Known Member
Re: What type of shelter do you use most often for backpack hunting during rifle seas
EXTREMES IN SHELTERS
OK, we have "Mad Mt'n Mike's" very basic floorless single wall tent to "mnhunter's" heavy dome tent with a vestibule. That's EXTREMES in weight and protection.
ME? I land much more toward MM Mike's weight with my ->->->
->->TARPTENT MOMENT DW with ripstop inner tent option.
It's a double wall one person tent with two vestibules and two doors. Weight is 32 oz W/O crossing pole and 36 oz with it. I use the optional X-ing pole if I expect heavy snow or high winds. This tent will keep out spindrift snow and be tall enough to easily sit in. You can cook inside this tent's vestibule in a storm (max ventilation recommended).
I totally agree with "mnoland", we all need to become LIGHTWEIGHT backpackers. Why?? Because, unlike the usual backpacker we are also carrying a scoped rifle, ammo, and field dressing gear (and likely heavier warm clothing).
STOVE: Trail Designs titanium sheet Caldera Cone Sidewinder with either ESBIT fuel tabs or the wood-burning Inferno insert or both. By using wood with this stove I only have to carry some Vaseline soaked cotton balls for tinder and get my fuel from Ma Nature. Finger sized twigs are the size of fuel needed. The Inferno woodburning insert makes it a gassifier stove which means it burns most gasses from the wood and thus is very hot.
My pot is a matching size (required for Caldera Cone stoves) 3 cup aluminum pot & lid. Inside the pot nests a cut down Ziploc 'fridge bowl and plastic measuring/drinking cup.
A long handled Lexan backpacking spoon is my only utensil other than a tiny Gerber lockblade knife.
SLEEP SYSTEM: Western Mountaineering Megalite down bag (factory "overstuffed" to 20 F.) plus I wear synthetic insulated (Thermolite Micro) jacket and pants over heavy weight polyester long johns. This system and a balaclava on my head easily keeps me warm to 0 F. I also can take a down "topper" that Velcros attatches and covers the entire top of my bag. This lowers the temp range to -15 F.
GTX hunting parka, zipped up, goes over the foot of the bag to keep it dry when it touches a damp tent wall.
My mattress is a Thermarest Trail Pro with my hunting pants under it on the tent floor.
Never been cold with that mattress setup even in -5 F. temps.
UPDATE: I now use an REI FLASH Insulated air mattress that weighs only 15 oz. It has a 3.7 R rating (the Trail pro has 4 R) so it's OK to at least 0 F.
IMHO insulated air mattresses are the way to go. The FLASH also comes in a "winter" version with a 5.3 R rating. Plenty warm enough for very cold weather camping.
PACK: Here I confess I carry a heavy (7.5 lbs) Dana Designs Terraplane because I haven't bought a lighter large winter pack. But when I do I'll order a custom designed ZIMMERBUILT pack or a GRANITE GEAR pack at around 4 lbs. max.
Those are my "BIG 4", tent, stove/cookset, sleep system and pack
My rifle is a stainless steel Browning A-Bolt W/ BOSS muzzle brake system and a 30 mm tubed Burrris Black Diamond 4-12 X scope.
UPDATE:
->My new winter bag is an LL Bean -20 F. down bag, size Long (to store water & other stuff at the foot). The down is treated with a good water repellant (Down Tek).
->My new mountain rifle (deer sized game) is a 6.5 Creedmoor Browning X-Bolt Pro and SWFA SS 3 - 15 x 42 scope. I use 143 grain Hornady ELD-X factory rounds (soon to be hand loaded)
Eric B.
EXTREMES IN SHELTERS
OK, we have "Mad Mt'n Mike's" very basic floorless single wall tent to "mnhunter's" heavy dome tent with a vestibule. That's EXTREMES in weight and protection.
ME? I land much more toward MM Mike's weight with my ->->->
->->TARPTENT MOMENT DW with ripstop inner tent option.
It's a double wall one person tent with two vestibules and two doors. Weight is 32 oz W/O crossing pole and 36 oz with it. I use the optional X-ing pole if I expect heavy snow or high winds. This tent will keep out spindrift snow and be tall enough to easily sit in. You can cook inside this tent's vestibule in a storm (max ventilation recommended).
I totally agree with "mnoland", we all need to become LIGHTWEIGHT backpackers. Why?? Because, unlike the usual backpacker we are also carrying a scoped rifle, ammo, and field dressing gear (and likely heavier warm clothing).
STOVE: Trail Designs titanium sheet Caldera Cone Sidewinder with either ESBIT fuel tabs or the wood-burning Inferno insert or both. By using wood with this stove I only have to carry some Vaseline soaked cotton balls for tinder and get my fuel from Ma Nature. Finger sized twigs are the size of fuel needed. The Inferno woodburning insert makes it a gassifier stove which means it burns most gasses from the wood and thus is very hot.
My pot is a matching size (required for Caldera Cone stoves) 3 cup aluminum pot & lid. Inside the pot nests a cut down Ziploc 'fridge bowl and plastic measuring/drinking cup.
A long handled Lexan backpacking spoon is my only utensil other than a tiny Gerber lockblade knife.
SLEEP SYSTEM: Western Mountaineering Megalite down bag (factory "overstuffed" to 20 F.) plus I wear synthetic insulated (Thermolite Micro) jacket and pants over heavy weight polyester long johns. This system and a balaclava on my head easily keeps me warm to 0 F. I also can take a down "topper" that Velcros attatches and covers the entire top of my bag. This lowers the temp range to -15 F.
GTX hunting parka, zipped up, goes over the foot of the bag to keep it dry when it touches a damp tent wall.
My mattress is a Thermarest Trail Pro with my hunting pants under it on the tent floor.
Never been cold with that mattress setup even in -5 F. temps.
UPDATE: I now use an REI FLASH Insulated air mattress that weighs only 15 oz. It has a 3.7 R rating (the Trail pro has 4 R) so it's OK to at least 0 F.
IMHO insulated air mattresses are the way to go. The FLASH also comes in a "winter" version with a 5.3 R rating. Plenty warm enough for very cold weather camping.
PACK: Here I confess I carry a heavy (7.5 lbs) Dana Designs Terraplane because I haven't bought a lighter large winter pack. But when I do I'll order a custom designed ZIMMERBUILT pack or a GRANITE GEAR pack at around 4 lbs. max.
Those are my "BIG 4", tent, stove/cookset, sleep system and pack
My rifle is a stainless steel Browning A-Bolt W/ BOSS muzzle brake system and a 30 mm tubed Burrris Black Diamond 4-12 X scope.
UPDATE:
->My new winter bag is an LL Bean -20 F. down bag, size Long (to store water & other stuff at the foot). The down is treated with a good water repellant (Down Tek).
->My new mountain rifle (deer sized game) is a 6.5 Creedmoor Browning X-Bolt Pro and SWFA SS 3 - 15 x 42 scope. I use 143 grain Hornady ELD-X factory rounds (soon to be hand loaded)
Eric B.
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