Ya Gotta Have A Tent To Hunt!

[medic68]

Looking for anyone with experience using Cabela's tents. Have three kids 4-8 and summer's here. Looking for opinions or critiques on tents to sleep five. Will be using it for fishing and the elk hunt here in Utah. Been looking at the "Outback Lodge" at Cabela's. It's 12 x 12 and at $350 won't break the bank BUT am I better served stepping up to an all canvas tent even though I won't be using it in the dead of winter?

 

[troy fairweather]

as a kid from about 97 to 2010 ,y family and my rends family went camping at yogi bear and i camped a lot when i was in junior bassmasters. we had 2 of the large cabelas tents, i think they were 8 to 10 person.they were good tents and we used them of years. don't know about the new ones but they were good. if i camped again, i would use a military style tent.

 

[George P]

Looking for anyone with experience using Cabela's tents. Have three kids 4-8 and summer's here. Looking for opinions or critiques on tents to sleep five. Will be using it for fishing and the elk hunt here in Utah. Been looking at the "Outback Lodge" at Cabela's. It's 12 x 12 and at $350 won't break the bank BUT am I better served stepping up to an all canvas tent even though I won't be using it in the dead of winter? View attachment 839027

If all you are talking about is sleeping, that design should do OK but there's not a lot of standing/head room. What happens when it starts to rain one day and everyone is in the tent?

 

[jmr40]

I was tempted to buy that one. I think it is a good tent. But I caught this one on sale several years ago and bought it instead. With plans to use it for future western hunting trips. If there is any chance of heavy snow, rain or wind I think the Alaskan Guide tent will hold up better. The enclosed vestibule is big enough to place a 5' folding table on for cooking if it has to be done inside. This is 12X12 as well and plenty roomy for 2 people and cots. 3 can make it work, but 5 would be a bit crowded even though it is rated as an 8 person tent. Without cots you could squeeze 5 in there, but it would be tight.

I haven't used it as often as I'd planned. A couple of times hunting here in GA and this trout fishing trip last week.

I carried it to Colorado for elk season last year but found a cabin to stay in at a good rate. I didn't have to drive any farther to where I hunted than I would have if I camped. I was hunting solo, but my wife came along for company and to help pack out meat if necessary. Unfortunately her help wasn't needed and she was grateful for the cabin.

I'd suggest multiple tents for 5 people. One larger one for eating and socializing and a couple of smaller tents for sleeping.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Cab...del-Geodesic-person-Tent/1571266.uts?slotId=0

 

[DM~]

My wife bought a Cabelas tent a few years ago...

She has been camping in it in the summer and the fall, she really likes it.

DM

 

[H&Hhunter]

Looking for anyone with experience using Cabela's tents. Have three kids 4-8 and summer's here. Looking for opinions or critiques on tents to sleep five. Will be using it for fishing and the elk hunt here in Utah. Been looking at the "Outback Lodge" at Cabela's. It's 12 x 12 and at $350 won't break the bank BUT am I better served stepping up to an all canvas tent even though I won't be using it in the dead of winter? View attachment 839027

Should be fine for a light duty base camp style tent. To heavy for packing and probably won’t stand up to really nasty weather but for the price it should be an okay tent.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

For my money it's tough to beat a Whelen design

or for Winter, it's tough to beat a Baker


They don't have to be canvas, and they are tried and true designs. I've seen Baker tents fitted with small heating stoves, and I've seen them combined in pairs for an even larger tent in bad weather.

A little less roomy but better I've found for dealing with windy conditions is a Wedge with double doors so that in warmer weather you can open it like a Baker. I'd suggest an oversized wedge for a little more headroom.


NONE of the above are "packable" as canvas tents, although I know folks who love their canvas Whelen for canoe treks..., for packing I use a tarp that I fold into a lean-to with a ground cloth.

LD

 

[MCgunner]

^^^^That's not a tent, that's a lean to^^^^

I haven't owned a canvas tent since my youth in the 60s. Modern materials are lighter, won't rot, don't HAVE to be dried out when you get home, all around better IMHO.

I'm too old and beat up for tents anymore, have a travel trailer and call that "camping". I hunt in the woods back of my house, but do a trip now and then which doesn't require camping anymore. Not that I didn't like camping, just can't do it anymore. I enjoyed some of the public hunting I've done, not for deer necessarily, but small game, doves, and such. Do it while you can and raise your kids to love the outdoors. There'll come a day when you just won't be able to do it. Comes later for some, seems to have come early for me. I'm 66 and feel about 90.

That pictured Cabelas tent looks like a really nice one to me. I used to tent camp off my motorcycle, so was more into back packing equipment, but did have one cabin tent. It was just a Walmart purchase, 100 bucks, but was nice.

 

[Axis II]

I used to camp for weeks at a time and I'll say this. Spend the money!!! If your going to encounter rain get the Cabela's Alaskan guide. Enclosed canvas tents will roast you out in the summer. If its going to be chilly get a good sleeping bag and something to get you off the ground. I cant think of how many times my cheap tent leaked at the seams or condensation and made my trip miserable. I agree with the others on making everyone else share a tent. 8 man tents are more of a 4 man. We had a 10man and with two single air mattresses and some totes it was very crammed.

 

[desidog]

I spent a number of summers living in a tent as an Audubon warden; before concluding that I like birds best in a cream sauce.

Major consideration is how easy is it to deploy when it is getting dark, windy and raining.

 

[1KPerDay]

Major consideration is how easy is it to deploy when it is getting dark, windy and raining.

Agree.

 

[medic68]

^^^^That's not a tent, that's a lean to^^^^


I'm too old and beat up for tents anymore, have a travel trailer and call that "camping". Do it while you can and raise your kids to love the outdoors. There'll come a day when you just won't be able to do it. Comes later for some, seems to have come early for me. I'm 66 and feel about 90.

Sir, I will be 70 my next birthday and the wife and I had these kids the old fashioned way I agree 150% that it's "do it while you can".

 

[medic68]

For my money it's tough to beat a Whelen design
View attachment 839089
or for Winter, it's tough to beat a Baker
View attachment 839090

They don't have to be canvas, and they are tried and true designs. I've seen Baker tents fitted with small heating stoves, and I've seen them combined in pairs for an even larger tent in bad weather.

A little less roomy but better I've found for dealing with windy conditions is a Wedge with double doors so that in warmer weather you can open it like a Baker. I'd suggest an oversized wedge for a little more headroom.
View attachment 839094

NONE of the above are "packable" as canvas tents, although I know folks who love their canvas Whelen for canoe treks..., for packing I use a tarp that I fold into a lean-to with a ground cloth.

LD

I'm completely happy with a shelter half, some 550 and a sleeping bag BUT my wife isn't buying that even though as a girl she hunted with her Dad. Her idea of camping now is attached to wheels or has room service

 

[labnoti]

Tents aren't necessary at all. They offer privacy if you're in a crowded campground, but I never want to be there. They offer shelter from rain and snow and that's probably their most legitimate function. I'll be hunting in November and December this year and there's a good chance I'll want a tent but I wouldn't set it up unless I needed it. If I do, it will be for three people and I'll use a Eureka tent from their "Outfitter" series. I've found them very durable. They're lighter and less bulky than canvas tents, but not really light enough for backpacking.

But in the summer? Who wants to be in a nylon cocoon? They're hot and stuffy and block the view of what I've come to see. If the climate is cool at all then a ground pad is important to reduce conductive heat loss if you're ground camping. A sleeping bag won't because the insulation is usually poor when it's compacted under your weight. It needs loft or fluff to work. The thin Thermarest inflatables work best but are less durable, heavier and bulkier than closed-cell foam pads. You can also get off the ground with hammocks. Hammocks work best for solo or smaller groups. Hanging more than three hammocks close to one another can get challenging but if you can include your vehicle as an anchor point that can help. Younger kids probably don't want to be spread out apart from parents. Hammocks work best in warm weather, but I've had good results with under-quilts and over-quilts down to 40 deg. F. I've been in a hammock when it was much colder but it wasn't comfortable.

Cots are another great way to get off the ground. They're not practical for backpacking and they take up a lot of space in the truck (you can't expect to take many if all you have is a Jeep), but they can be very comfortable inside or outside the tent.

Bivvy sacks can work well in the most extreme weather. They're less social than a tent in a snowstorm but ideal for solo trips. They can also be good insurance against unexpected circumstances. I have a durable Goretex bivvy for solo mountaineering trips, but even for just long day hikes I will carry a lightweight bivvy sack for emergency survival. I use the SOL brand. They're much better than the mylar space blankets and not much bigger to carry. Even if the only emergency you have is bringing your sleeping bag intending to sleep under the stars and encountering unexpected rain, a compact bivvy sack can be a real problem solver. Since you'll be on the ground, a pad is needed with the bivvy. If I'm not carrying a full-size rolled-up pad, I use a removable piece of foam from my internal soft-frame backpack. It's only half-length but that's all that's really needed.

Improvised shelters can be good too. Those are shelters made from cord and a tarp or that depend on some multipurpose material you bring with you.

Bushcrafted shelters are fashioned from material found in your environment, but in my experience, they've been most helpful in learning skills. In an emergency, it's well worth it to have an emergency shelter because bushcrafting a better one can take a long time. It certainly could be worth building one if you'll use it more than one night.

Given your preference for comfort, I can imagine that not all of these options would be the most practical thing for you to depend on, but do consider seriously that if you choose good weather for the timing of your trip that you won't need a piece of nylon over your face. Camping in good weather is more conducive to comfort than the best tent. And if the weather is indeed good, it's better to be outside.

 

[IdaD]

Almost everybody uses camper trailers for deer and elk hunting trips in my neck of the woods, especially elk hunting trips. With the right gear a tent can be comfortable enough but...nah, I have a fifth wheel and that's my preference for being in the mountains in October and November.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

View attachment 839034

OMG> I have that same truck and that same tent!!

 

[jmr40]

OMG> I have that same truck and that same tent!!

Great minds think alike.

Some points. Hunting in most western mountain states mean snow. I don't want to be pulling a travel trailer over mountain passes with snow on the ground. I hunted NW Colorado in 2010 and we had some snow while hunting. Just enough to make it pretty. But on the way back to GA I drove 70 miles across 3 passes with a foot of snow on the ground at night. The snow plows were trying to keep one lane clear. Only a few inches in the right lane but 12"+ in the left. I hunted in snow in 2018 as well. Well over a foot on forest service roads. There were some guys who pulled travel trailers in there. Not me, not with 500' drop offs with no guard rails on muddy or snow covered roads. I nearly got stuck twice with no trailer behind me. Will have a winch before going back. I was advised by a forest ranger not to travel certain roads unless I was in 4X4 with chains on all 4 wheels. It ain't just the snow, when it starts melting you get serious mud after dozens of trucks drive over it every day for a week

Most of the time you cant get a TT close enough to the hunting area and may have to drive an hour or more each way. That is time not in the woods. A tent can usually be set up much closer so you can simply walk out of camp and hunt. Sometimes game is killed within sight of the tent. Last Fall I lucked into a guy renting cabins that were less than a mile from the forest service entrance. Otherwise I'd have tent camped. With the right gear, cots, good sleeping bags and propane heaters it can be quite comfortable. If you don't scrimp on tent size and get over crowded.

Gonna post some pics, but in another post coming soon.

 

[jmr40]

2010 tent camp. My BIL and I tagged along with 4 others who had the right gear. Tent on the left is where the other 4 slept. It had a wood burning stove. Big tent to the right was cook tent and where we met and ate. Also a wood stove. You can't really see it, but my BIL and I slept in a 6 man tent behind the Tacoma. We had room for 2 cots, but couldn't get dressed at the same time. Tent on the right is a cheap Walmart special that we stored gear in.



These guys even had an outdoor shower. That is me trying it out. We filled a barrel with creek water and used a propane water heater There was a wood pallet to stand on to stay out of the mud. It was really nice. From camp it was at least an hour to the closest store. Small tent in the back is latrine. Hole dug in the ground with a chair over the hole.



2018 hunt. Do you really want to pull a travel trailer here.


Or here.

 

[MCgunner]

We don't have mountains in my part of Texas....snow either for that matter. That woulda been fun when I was 40. I did take a pop up one deer season to New Mexico and camped in the snow. Helped that I was pulling it with a Toyota 4x4 pickup. But, when I've taken the travel trailer on a hunt, I put it in Port O'Conner and drove the 7 miles to my place.

I'm too old and infirm for rough country anymore. The chemo knocks me down and I probably wouldn't live long without it.

 

[Mn Fats]

I bought a pop up camper for hunting for what some of the fancier tents cost. I've hauled it through snow plenty of times. Guys up here even turn them into ice fishing shacks. It's light enough, so anywhere my pickup can go, the pop up can go. Helps to have 4wd and good tires.

If I was hunting where the terrain didn't allow my truck to go, then I would likely try one of those hammock tents. Hate sleeping on the ground waking up cold a damp. Or hot and damp.

 

[IdaD]

I've dragged my trailer through a lot deeper snow than the picture above with no issues. You gotta have a high clearance trailer and the right truck with good tires, though. I've hunted out of campers in Idaho and Eastern Oregon for 30 years and haven't ever had to leave one behind due to snow. You just need to pick your camp spot carefully and pay attention to weather, and again, have the right equipment along. Weather is rarely a problem on deer hunts unless it's a late season special hunt. Even most of the elk hunting I've done hasn't been too bad from a snow standpoint outside of a few memorable trips.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

How about moving stuff like this ?



LD

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I envy you guys that can camp and hunt the high country for elk.

In the "immortal" words of Sgt Murtaugh, "I'm to old for that s..."

 

[Gtscotty]

I bought a 6 person Alaskan Guide tent after talking with a guy who had one in the same campground I was staying in during an elk trip a few years ago. It's a very nice very solid tent, I haven't used it but a few times because you really need a second person to set it up and I wind up hunting alone a lot.



This is from a few years ago when a friend and I took it up for a bow season trip near Laramie Peak. It started raining when we were about 30 min from the camp site, and didn't stop except when it was snowing for 3 days. I think it took us about 30-40 minutes to set it up in the rain and with only one other practice run at assembly. It did stay dry the whole time, and with a buddy heater running was pretty comfortable despite the temperature hanging around a wet 30 deg. I don't think I'll use it this summer for camping with the wife and kids though, it's well designed for keeping things out, but I think it would be hot in the summer.

Same trip

2018 hunt. Do you really want to pull a travel trailer here.

View attachment 839169
Or here.

View attachment 839170

That looks familiar, pretty much exactly like the road I drug my buddy's camper up last year for the elk rifle opener in the aptly named Snowy Range. We got some extra snow while we were up there, I made sure to chain up for the trip down the mountain. I didn't regret having that extra bit of shelter at all when it got down below 0 F the first few nights.

 

[double bogey]

Much like MC, the ship for this type of hunting has sailed for me. Even now when my brother owns a house in Ruidoso I can stay, cant handle the physicality. Especially since surgery last month. 5 hr embolization of t-6 thru t-8 vertebrae on April 15th, 9 hrs removeal of t-6 thru t-8 vertebrae, add inside hardware, and hardware from t-2 to t-10 on April 16th. Hardest thing I have done my entire life.

My advice is go when your young, and go as often as you can. I will be doing well to stand hunt deer in Texas this year, but happy to do so.