Tents:
Rather than cover trying to cover everything, ask questions I will do my best to answer them. Most of you are familiar with the different types of tents available so here a quick overview. Most of my experience using these tents is in the one and two man models, I will limit my discussion to these.
Wall/Vehicle Tents – My favorite option unless I have to carry them far or pay additional transportation fees. I have used a 10 x 10 Montana Canvas Spike tent for almost 30 years without any issues. I take care of it and it takes care of me. It is the easiest and fastest to set up and has the most room/usable space for the footprint. Now the bad part. Even the light ones are 7X’s the weight of the other options. Bulk is also a big issue. My 10 x 10 barely fits into an army duffel bag. Though I have packed it into remote places on my back, you really need horses to haul it any distance. On our moose hunt in 1999 (a float hunt) the pilot said it did not matter how much gear we brought, the Beaver could carry the four of us and all the gear we brought. He ended up using a second plane to accommodate us and all the gear we brought. Brother Bob and I brought the 10 x 10, Mark Baker and his partner Dale brought a Cabela domed outfitter tent. I will just say the Cabela’s tent only got set up a couple of times. On my Brown bear hunt opted for this tent.
Backpacking Tents– Can be light weight and compact or heavy and bulky. The Quality varies considerably, you usually get what you pay for. Extremely small living spaces for the footprint. You cannot stand up in them and most do not have the option or space for a stove. The good ones are expensive, weigh close to the next options below, and are the best for withstanding severe weather conditions.
Light Weight Floorless – Kifaru & First Lite are the two major makers, both are American made. Quality and craftsmanship are there. Lightweight but the extras can bring the total weight up. Durable regarding withstanding wind rain and snow. Best of all you can stand up in them and have a stove to warm up and dry things out. Downside is the are Expensive, as are there accessories, and they are susceptible to damage from sparks & flames.
When hunting the Alaskan bush most people I know opt for the Lightweight Floorless models . Having researched them extensively I cannot say one make is better than the other. Both are well made products with good customer service. Most of my experience has been with the Kifaru brand but my First Lite Tarp that gets used extensively. Historically the tipi style tents are miss-named. That is my way of telling you they intentionally lie about how many people can use the tent. A six man model is good for one person comfortably with all his gear. Two people can make it work but plan on using a tarp or second tent to hold the gear that will not fit. Before our 2012 hunt Kevin Dill and Bryan Burkhart both told us, it would work for two people but will be cramped. They were right. Luckily, I took there advise and brought a light weight one man tent to store gear in. We used an eight man model on my 2016 & 2018 moose hunts, it is the appropriate size for two people and their gear.
These tents are expensive! In 2012 we used Dave’s Kifaru 6 man and wished we had an 8 man the entire time. In 2016 I was ready to buy an 8 man when a friend and business associate offered to let me use his Kifaru 8 man. We paid him a decent rental for using it the two weeks even though it was not requested. Going solo this year I was wavering between a First Light & Kifaru 8 man tents when the Kifaru put the Sawtooth on sale last November. Kevin Dill and Mike Mitten have both used the Sawtooth with good results on their solo hunts. To my way of thinking, you cannot get much better recommendations than that. Drawback on the Sawtooth, at 5’9” I only have room enough to stand if within a 1-2 feet of the taller tent pole.
Next, we will discuss the use of light stove with Floorless tents.
Topic: Starting to feel the itch - AK Moose 2020 (Read 5566 times)
