Wall tent vs tipi tent

[elkduds]

Kodiak canvas or other springbar tent. Canvas tent w attached floor, stakes and poles weighs 75#, poleset is 4' long for easy packing. I have a 10x10, it can sleep 2 (more on stacked cots) w a stove. 10x12 size would be even roomier. I heat mine w a tanktop propane heater, any small woodstove would keep it cozy as only a canvas tent can be. Much roomier than tipis.

 

[ashersdad]

Kodiak canvas or other springbar tent. Canvas tent w attached floor, stakes and poles weighs 75#, poleset is 4' long for easy packing. I have a 10x10, it can sleep 2 (more on stacked cots) w a stove. 10x12 size would be even roomier. I heat mine w a tanktop propane heater, any small woodstove would keep it cozy as only a canvas tent can be. Much roomier than tipis.

I have two Kodiak tents and they are my favorite tents for sure. I use them for camping at the trailhead or by the truck. If they were lighter and easier to pack on the horses, they would work great.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

I have two Kodiak tents and they are my favorite tents for sure. I use them for camping at the trailhead or by the truck. If they were lighter and easier to pack on the horses, they would work great.

I do enjoy my kodiak as well, I have been debating to cut the floor out of it.

I just don't know if it would change the integrity of the tent, so it is still in OG form.

 

[elkduds]

I do enjoy my kodiak as well, I have been debating to cut the floor out of it.

I just don't know if it would change the integrity of the tent, so it is still in OG form.

Seems to me the floor plays a structural role in maintaining the overall tension of the canvas and frame. If you get bold and try it, I'd love to read your report. Hate to end up with

 

[ashersdad]

I do enjoy my kodiak as well, I have been debating to cut the floor out of it.

I just don't know if it would change the integrity of the tent, so it is still in OG form.

Without the floor, you basically have a wall tent. I can understand not wanting the floor though.

 

[Steve O]

Kodiak canvas or other springbar tent. Canvas tent w attached floor, stakes and poles weighs 75#, poleset is 4' long for easy packing. I have a 10x10, it can sleep 2 (more on stacked cots) w a stove. 10x12 size would be even roomier. I heat mine w a tanktop propane heater, any small woodstove would keep it cozy as only a canvas tent can be. Much roomier than tipis.

I had a 10x14. Still heavy AF. 3 guys fit in there comfortably.

 

[tormenter]

8 hours back in - If you are not using the stoves or any of the other nonperishable gear for anything or than this hunt - I would dig a hole and bury it each year.
Someone is going to chime in that its probably not legal, but if you dig a nice hole and bury it I can't imagine anyone would attempt to steal it or have someone else come back and issue a ticket unless it was obvious and looked like an eyesore.

 

[brymoore]

The sad reality is the horse owner is going to drop out of the hunt in the next few years unless he has amazing health.

Start planning your next strategy for packing camp.

 

[rmyoung1]

8 hours back in - If you are not using the stoves or any of the other nonperishable gear for anything or than this hunt - I would dig a hole and bury it each year.
Someone is going to chime in that its probably not legal, but if you dig a nice hole and bury it I can't imagine anyone would attempt to steal it or have someone else come back and issue a ticket unless it was obvious and looked like an eyesore.

Please do not do this. I’ve seen this kind of trash in the backcountry. There’s always a last trip. The problem is that you don’t always know when you’re on it. Then the junk left behind becomes other people’s problem and the land’s blemish.

 

[ashersdad]

The sad reality is the horse owner is going to drop out of the hunt in the next few years unless he has amazing health.

Start planning your next strategy for packing camp.

Sad, but very true.

 

[ashersdad]

8 hours back in - If you are not using the stoves or any of the other nonperishable gear for anything or than this hunt - I would dig a hole and bury it each year.
Someone is going to chime in that its probably not legal, but if you dig a nice hole and bury it I can't imagine anyone would attempt to steal it or have someone else come back and issue a ticket unless it was obvious and looked like an eyesore.

I actually found a hole like that one year in a different area. Looked like the stuff had been there for years and was either rotting or rusty. Not sure what happened to the original owners. I couldn't see that there was anything salvageable so I packed what I could of the nonbiodegradable crap and hauled it out.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

Without the floor, you basically have a wall tent. I can understand not wanting the floor though.

The advantage of not having a floor is there is no sweeping out the inside of the tent at the end of the trip.

 

[ashersdad]

The advantage of not having a floor is there is no sweeping out the inside of the tent at the end of the trip.

Exactly!

 

[YakCountry]

If you do end up going the 16p tipi route, I'd spend some time on the Seek Outside website before you buy. They have a good tool to visualize the useable space inside their 16p tipi. You'll can see the challenges of the tapered roof design of a tipi.

SO - 16p Tipi

 

[JAG]

My vote for you is the 16p Tipi with big mama stove. Especially since you are downgrading from the lux space of a wall tent.

If you were upgrading from a back-pack tent and wanted more room, I would have suggested the 8p or 12p tipi plus a dedicated lean-to for gear and cooking (esp if in grizz country).

I have the SO 8p and it is snug with 4 adults and a stove. We use a lean-to for our gear. Using the guy-outs is very helpful. I saw a video with an 8P Kifaru- it did not have any guy-outs (older model maybe?); these are really nice to improve 'felt' space and reduce tent slap from the wind. If you have cots, then the space improvement is particularly noticeable.

On the UL titanium stoves. [I'm not familiar with the heavy wall tent stoves and am unsure about their burn times (what are they by the way?)]. You'll get about 2 hours for Ti and you will need the correct sleeping bag for the climate to avoid restarting the stove for warmth.

 

[Deez Nutz]

Those bigger seek tipis are very roomy, simple, and easy to put up. If you're maxed out on weight going in, what is your plan for if/when you get an elk down? Make another 16 mile round trip?

 

[ashersdad]

My vote for you is the 16p Tipi with big mama stove. Especially since you are downgrading from the lux space of a wall tent.

If you were upgrading from a back-pack tent and wanted more room, I would have suggested the 8p or 12p tipi plus a dedicated lean-to for gear and cooking (esp if in grizz country).

I have the SO 8p and it is snug with 4 adults and a stove. We use a lean-to for our gear. Using the guy-outs is very helpful. I saw a video with an 8P Kifaru- it did not have any guy-outs (older model maybe?); these are really nice to improve 'felt' space and reduce tent slap from the wind. If you have cots, then the space improvement is particularly noticeable.

On the UL titanium stoves. [I'm not familiar with the heavy wall tent stoves and am unsure about their burn times (what are they by the way?)]. You'll get about 2 hours for Ti and you will need the correct sleeping bag for the climate to avoid restarting the stove for warmth.

I know we will definitely miss the space of the wall tent. I would think the 16p tipi would do pretty good for us.

We can get 4 hours of slow burn on the stoves we're using now. But with 4 guys, there is usually one or two pee trips during the night where someone can stoke the stove.

 

[ashersdad]

Those bigger seek tipis are very roomy, simple, and easy to put up. If you're maxed out on weight going in, what is your plan for if/when you get an elk down? Make another 16 mile round trip?

We usually make 2 meat trips out during the week. So one trip in with camp, two meat trips in and out during the week and one final trip out at the end of the hunt. We don't hunt off of the horses anymore and just use them to retrieve elk once we have them down.

 

[tormenter]

I actually found a hole like that one year in a different area. Looked like the stuff had been there for years and was either rotting or rusty. Not sure what happened to the original owners. I couldn't see that there was anything salvageable so I packed what I could of the nonbiodegradable crap and hauled it out.

Asher/Rmyoung - I am coming from the side that I would give anything to add a couple of extra years to my families elk camp and my fathers comfort. My dad turned 85 earlier this year and 2years ago was last time he could make into our elk camp that we found and have been using 47 years. We have had/owned upto 8 horses and now I am down to a couple of old ones. I trade/borrow horses with our vet and have some older bow hunters we swapout horses with when they draw. I would rent horses if I had too. The tradition will continue now even though my dad physically can't make it riding a horse or walking in.

I will go into this camp a few weeks from now and spray weeds, and cut firewood for the upcoming season. I will visit this camp the weekend before the openor and pack in other items if I don't have the necessary stock to get everything in - in 1 or 2 trips. I have found other old crap left primarily by backpackers or dayhikers that put an animal down to far to pack out timely(broken game carts etc )or horse packer wanttobees that found out how much work it can be to get that far in. Horse packing is easy when the trail is dry and the horses know the trail - which is about 1 in 3 years the trail is good. I routinely pack out trash by others.

Maybe I am digging my whole deeper, but you could always - assumming you are packer come in sometime earlier and pack in some this heavy stuff.

Or if you decide to bury it properly where no one can see it and then abandon the camp, then pm the coordinates and I will probably pack it as that is the type of person I am and meet you somewhere to return the gear.

Happy Hunting as I am sure you are finding out - it is a heartbreaker for you and him realizing the good old days are long gone and now you just need to make them as happy and comfortable as they can possibly be - before they wake you up at 3am a couple of days into the hunt and tell you this is the last hunt and they would like you to pack them out with the next load to the trailhead.

 

[ashersdad]

Asher/Rmyoung - I am coming from the side that I would give anything to add a couple of extra years to my families elk camp and my fathers comfort. My dad turned 85 earlier this year and 2years ago was last time he could make into our elk camp that we found and have been using 47 years. We have had/owned upto 8 horses and now I am down to a couple of old ones. I trade/borrow horses with our vet and have some older bow hunters we swapout horses with when they draw. I would rent horses if I had too. The tradition will continue now even though my dad physically can't make it riding a horse or walking in.

I will go into this camp a few weeks from now and spray weeds, and cut firewood for the upcoming season. I will visit this camp the weekend before the openor and pack in other items if I don't have the necessary stock to get everything in - in 1 or 2 trips. I have found other old crap left primarily by backpackers or dayhikers that put an animal down to far to pack out timely(broken game carts etc )or horse packer wanttobees that found out how much work it can be to get that far in. Horse packing is easy when the trail is dry and the horses know the trail - which is about 1 in 3 years the trail is good. I routinely pack out trash by others.

Maybe I am digging my whole deeper, but you could always - assumming you are packer come in sometime earlier and pack in some this heavy stuff.

Or if you decide to bury it properly where no one can see it and then abandon the camp, then pm the coordinates and I will probably pack it as that is the type of person I am and meet you somewhere to return the gear.

Happy Hunting as I am sure you are finding out - it is a heartbreaker for you and him realizing the good old days are long gone and now you just need to make them as happy and comfortable as they can possibly be - before they wake you up at 3am a couple of days into the hunt and tell you this is the last hunt and they would like you to pack them out with the next load to the trailhead.

I feel for you and your Dad. I can see the writing on the wall and know that this hunt will change dramatically in the not so distant future. When it came time to submit applications this year my 82 year old buddy said he wasn't going to put in. After much discussion, I finally talked him into it telling him we'd figure things out in November. I'm not ready to have him be done quite yet. If I can make it as easy on him as possible, I'm hoping for a few more years.