1 or 2 man tent

[Rzrbck918]

For a single person on a backpack hunt, is a two person tent worth the extra weight to be able to have your gear inside? Either way, what are your recommendations for features in a backpacking tent (3 or four season, size, weight, etc). Thanks!

 

[MThuntr]

2 person tent

It's a serious commitment to be backpack hunting and needing a 4 season tent. Go with a Big Agnes Copper Spur, Nemo Hornet or Dagger, REI Half Dome, or maybe something by MSR and they'll cover most of your hunting needs.

 

[brymoore]

I’d want my gear covered.

 

[riv3rbanks]

Most backpacking tents come with vestibules that cover your gear. The difference between the 1 person and the 2 person is more room to do things in your tent on cold rainy/snowy nights and mornings. I think having the extra room is worth the extra weight. Another plus is the 2 person can hold you and a young child or dog very easily.

 

[Stone_Ice_1]

I just go with a one man bivy/tent. The old style bivy didn't have a vestibule or rainfly that covered more area but the new ones do. There is plenty of room to put some of my gear under it when I need to although I hang some of it on the trees around me as I have had more problems with small critters chewing on things than I have ever had with the big critters. Just getting it off the ground seems to keep the critters off of it. I'm not sure why you would need the extra room if it is just you.

 

[Jofes]

2 person rating per person is a minimum unless it's a survival situation in my opinion.

 

[rke]

Most backpacking tents come with vestibules that cover your gear. The difference between the 1 person and the 2 person is more room to do things in your tent on cold rainy/snowy nights and mornings. I think having the extra room is worth the extra weight. Another plus is the 2 person can hold you and a young child or dog very easily.

Ditto!

 

[bucdoego]

2 person tent

It's a serious commitment to be backpack hunting and needing a 4 season tent. Go with a Big Agnes Copper Spur, Nemo Hornet or Dagger, REI Half Dome, or maybe something by MSR and they'll cover most of your hunting needs.

Critters chewing on any gear left outside would be a factor in my decision. I have a Marmot Tungsten 2P that I like and I like most of the options included by Mthuntr. If you expect snow or rain storm, research polyester vs. nylon. For me, if the forecast was for heavy snow, high winds, or thunderstorms, I'd be out of the field, so no true 4-season tent in my gear list.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

You really need to get in some tents and get a feel for what you need. Across the continuum of backpackers, hunters tend to not be as conscious of pack weight and bulk, favoring comfort and value. Hard to know what to recommend without knowing your priorities and where you fall on the continuum. Everything is a trade off and there is no "best".

Lots of variables: how often will you have a second, what weather and terrain do you expect to encounter, above or below treeline, how much does it bother you to carry extra weight and bulk, how tall you are (long vs reg bag), etc.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Crawl your carcass into a 1 man tent and see what you think. In my experience, if you are taller than 6' and weight more than 200 lbs you wont enjoy the 1 man for very long. YMMV

 

[Redman]

My answer is it depends. Archery backpack hunting I use a tarp and wherever nighttime finds me is where I sleep. Later in the season I use a Marmot 2 person tent, I can either pitch it with rain fly only to save weight or pack the whole thing if there is a chance of a lot of snow. If it is late season I use my SO Cimmeron with a stove. I have hunted with a friend with the 2 person Marmot and put our gear under a tarp but you could not get any gear inside other than sleeping systems, the vestibule was for boots and heating water for freeze-dried meals

 

[Ben Long]

In the early days of September, I've often gotten away with a tarp and p-cord. But when the weather sours, it's nice to have a 2 person tent. My Big Agnes Copper Spur is still way lighter than any other backpacking tent I've ever owned and keeps me and my gear out of the storm.

 

[Farmerj]

My experience that you need a 2-person per occupant.

You fill one space, your gear fills the other.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I'm surprised by how many people put gear in their tent. I put mine in the vestibule(s).

 

[Rzrbck918]

You really need to get in some tents and get a feel for what you need. Across the continuum of backpackers, hunters tend to not be as conscious of pack weight and bulk, favoring comfort and value. Hard to know what to recommend without knowing your priorities and where you fall on the continuum. Everything is a trade off and there is no "best".

Lots of variables: how often will you have a second, what weather and terrain do you expect to encounter, above or below treeline, how much does it bother you to carry extra weight and bulk, how tall you are (long vs reg bag), etc.

Thanks for the questions to help clarify. I’m just over 6’ 175 and I will rarely have someone else who doesn’t have a tent as well. I generally hunt Below the tree line and I suppose I don’t mind the extra weight and bulk in relation to comfort. I would rather carry extra weight and sleep better than the reverse.

 

[BoulderBulls]

2 person is nice. Depending on the season I would look into ultra lite style tents. They have come along way imo

 

[Hunter4Life78]

I would take the two person. Everything above is great advice. I personally like the ability to move without. Old man always says. Two person means two people, no room for gear and you better like one another. It just comes down to where yer gonna be at, what the use is going to be, is strictly a hunting tool or will you use for scouting/camping etc. If the cash flow is there go a step above what you think you need better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. That's the former sporting goods salesman in me.

 

[shannerdrake]

2 Person unless you are super short and wear a schmedium or smaller.

 

[MThuntr]

I'm surprised by how many people put gear in their tent. I put mine in the vestibule(s).

This is why I like the Copper Spur...a vestibule space on each side. Some gear goes inside, some in the vestibule and the other vestibule is open for ease of access.

 

[Lasiocarpa]

If the tent has a vestibule, I am perfectly happy with a 1 man for myself. For multiple people in comfort I subscribe to the "n+1" calculation for tent capacity (domes and tunnels, I find tipis/mids to be a bit more overstated for their capacity).