Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting what tent to get and other things

Want to get into the backpacking hunts this year and I need some of your guys expertise advice (if you are not experienced in what I'm asking please don't respond because I'm taking these replies serious and will be purchasing my equipment from them, plus my little boys comfort and safety is paramount). My oldest boy is 12 now and he is able to rifle hunt here in Michigan. I asked him if he wants to pack in and hunt out of a tent this coming November and his eyes lit up and he responded with a resounding, yes that would be the best dad....so that's what I am going to make happen.

I figure 3 to 4 day hunt possibly in the U.P. I'm very familiar with where we will be going, very good with a compass, topo and GPS, so getting lost will not be an issue. My questions are what type of tent should I look at? Very good chance there will be snow on the ground and temperatures possibly in the teens to single digit.

Do I want a floorless tent (how do you guys run them with a small wood stove with snow on the ground?) Do I need to look at tents with a floor. Also, sleeping bags? I really don't have the money for WM bags (wish I did). Weight wise, I will carry the brunt of it, with him having a pack also, but I figure 25 lb. max will be more than enough for him. I can hump 60 - 80 lbs no problem for a long ways. I have used the search function, but still want to ask. Thanks!

Eddie

Eddie,

I am a big believer in tipi style tents with wood stoves for hunting. Especially if you aren't moving camp often. The Kifaru tipis & stoves are top rate and a lot of guys have modified Go-Lite shelters to take wood stoves.

As far as how to use a floorless shelter with snow there is two methods. 1st is to shovel to ground and pitch the shelter. The wood heat will melt of residual snow and dry up ant mud.

The second is best if there is 2' or more of snow. Then you can pack down the snow with snowshoes, skis or boots and let it set for 30-40 minutes. The shelter is then pitched on top of the packed snow. Long oins kile the Kifaru SST pins work well to stake the shelter in the snow. The stove is set on an aluminum snow platforn to prevent it melting into the snow. The heat from the stove will handen up the snow to a firm base.

There are a lot of good bags out there. Mountain Hardwear, Big Agness and Mont-Bell make some very good down bags and the Kifaru Slick bag is hard to top for a synthetic.

Good luck, ask lots of questions here and have fun!

I'm no stranger to the world of living off what you can carry on your back for 10 days, had that under my belt long before I knew this cyber fire existed.

with that said, the guy that just responded to you I've learned better tips on gear from him than any other poster I can think of.

the guy knows his chit, has BTDT.


reread his post

then go drop some coin at Patricks place Kifaru, let em know why you're purchasing the tent stove combo.

it's a good investment and for taking a kid hunting almost indispensable.

3 years ago we flew out and by bestest pard and I took our boys 10 and 12 on a float trip for moose on the Wood River. we took the tipi stove combo

few years prior to that we'd taken his then 14 year old daughter on a float trip on the Sheenjek we took the tipi, but my pard didn't want wood smoke to mess up our hunt (rolls eyes, he can be such a dumbazz, his association with me of dang near 30 years is testimony to such) turned off clear and cold and we built some big white man type fires to warm his girl and keep her spirits up.

I'd bet my bottom dollar if he could relive that trip the stove would have come along.

he's a good outdoorsman in his own, but he F's up on occassion.

that's what he has me for, to remind him of such things! LOL

EdT pointed you right imo&e.

dry clothes, hot cocoa, sitting in your t'shirts and underwear talking about the days' hunt, what we're gonna do tomorrow, tis how God intended us to live.


go make some memories with your boy, but make them warm memories

Those two fellers seem to have a grasp of these things.

I'll add that if you and your young lad are going to be in snow, you might need more creature comforts than you want to have on your back. A sled will be a big help.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...owflat/Number/2733781/page/1#Post2733781

If it's you and your 12yo, I'd recommend no smaller that the 6man with medium stove. Also, when I camp with my daughter, I give her the synthetic bag. I prefer a down bag, but you really have to monitor them to keep them dry. With that said, and with all the gear I've played with and will continue to play with, I'm convinced the cadillac way to do it would be the Kifaru 6man/stove, Slick synthetic bags from Kiraru, and the good ole LongHunter from Kifaru. Grab yourself an Exped Downmat and your good to go. It ain't gon' be cheap, though, but cheaper than a motel (probably).
Don
PS I also do the tiny tent, roaring campfire thing alot, too, but the next morning, it's cold-city getting dressed/started.

Thanks for all the advise so far guys!

I'm going to give Kifaru a call and look into the tipi and stove.

Keep the advise coming and I'll update.

Eddie

+ 1 on the Kifaru 6 man,heat on cold nights and mornings is a big help to keep his/your spirits up. Tim

The only thing I can add is I love my Kifaru packs and think they are a great company! Your money will be well spent on quality gear!

Eddie,

You won't be dissapointed if you buy Kifaru.

I have been out in everything from the heated tipis to bivy sacks and everything in-between and the heated shelter is the best way I know of to truly enjoy the experience.

I have no problem with ultra light tents, tarps or bivy's on summer trips or even for a night or two during hunting season but I can think of several fantastic backpack hunts that would have been misery fest's without heated shelter.

I'll go a different direction. I've had good results in cold weather with a good, small conventional floored backpacking tent (four season type). Two people in a small tent will raise the temperature quite a bit. Add a small candle lantern and it's pretty nice inside. I like a big vestibule that I can use to run the stove to cook when it's raining. It also keeps your gear close and out of the weather without all having to be in the tent. There's a lot of good choices.
When I've got my kids, I'll boil up an extra pot of water at bed time and pour it in a nalgene water bottle. Wrap it up and use it as a bed warmer for their bag. Make sure the lid is on right and tight.
I'm using a Sierra Designs Tiros in winter which is a little heavy but will stand about any weather. Previously I used a stretch dome which is a bigger tent but there were usually three of us hunting.
You said you can hump, read a map and use a gps. That sounds military. Same here. With good backpacking gear there's no need to suffer like you have before.
On bags, there's a lot of info here. You might also check out the backpacker website (which is also good for gear checklists). I generally prefer good down bags for colder weather. You've looked at WM so you know what top shelf looks like. That being said, a good mfg 0 degree synthetic that fits, that fits, that fits, doesn't cost a lot and will give years of good service. It will be a little heavier than a well made down bag and the insulation will not last as long. You also won't cry if the dog chews it up. Take the temp rating with a grain of salt. If you have two bags that fit and the same temp rating, lay them out side by side. The fluffier one will be warmer. Oh, stick with mummy style bags for cold weather. Even a good bag is miserable without a good ground pad. I use a short light thermarest with a longer but light ridgerest for cold weather. There's a lot of posting on that topic.
The hardest part for most people is having pack discipline. Take what is essential and leave out the extras. You can cut more weight by knowing what you must have and not carrying more than you can by buying at great cost the latest, greatest gear.
Finally, before you lay down big coin for a closet of new gear, you might want to rent gear. Do a google search. I've usually had the luxury of borrowing gear I was interested in or at least something similar. A lot of times something that I thought I had to have wasn't for me when I actually used it. Alternatively, stuff that I didn't think much about until I used it, well, I own a fair bit of it.

ditto on the big a-- tipi. ya dont have to crawl ya can walk upright like a man and make fire too. the floorless thing gets a lot of folks uptight-but that makes the world go round. oklahunter has some good ideas too. rent?? dont know, usually the cost to rent is so hi you might as well buy. still good idea as a lot of stuff turns out to be- well stuff. even if i like it or he likes it that dont mean you will.

I just got back from 3 days of bunny hunting with a friend and two dogs, using my 8-man Kifaru and large stove. It was between 20-30 degrees(F) the whole time. I can't imagine spending any time in the cold like that without a heated shelter, especially for a casual outing like this. We did have one session outside the tipi, using a campfire, that was rather pleasant, but all the other attempts to warm by an open fire were a pain because of the work to get some decent wood and the constant dodging of the smoke. We always ended up in the tipi.

I never use the tipi without eventually marveling at what a great piece of gear it is. I'm so glad I spent a little extra and got the Kifaru and I'm really glad I opted for the 8-man size as it just works well for my needs. I can't say enough about it, and neither will you if you get one. The floorless thing is a huge advantage for fall/winter outings, or anytime or place where there's not alot of bugs, mice, or snakes.
You're in and out of the tipi constantly, and so are the dogs, so having no floor is the only way to go. With a floor you really can't have a stove. Without a stove, you will never fully appreciate what the tipi has to offer.

Hard to ignore all the great advise, I'm going to go with the 6 man tipi... now should I get the small or medium stove?

Do any of you have any advise for a youth backpack? I assume he will weigh about 100 - 115 lbs by november next year.

I appreciate all the help and time you guys have taken to answer my questions!!

Eddie

Eddie,
I'd get the large stove. If money is the issue then definately get the medium stove. The smaller the stove the more you have to babysit it to keep it going, the smaller the wood must be to feed it, and the shorter the burn time. Ed T has much more experience with stoves so I'd go with his advice in the end.

rz

Eddie,

I'd go with the medium or better yet the large. I don't have much experience with the 6 man, but have extensive experience with the 4, 8 & 12's. I usually used a small in the 4 and large in the 8. As the six is in-between you could go with either the med or large.

For me the decision would come down to expected temps and what kind and quality of wood you expect to find in your area. In Montana we have mostly soft woods but there is a big difference with those.

If I can find good dry limber or white bark pine, that would be my 1st choice. Fir, ponderossa and lodgepole are also very hot. Juniper burns graet but our spruce doesn't have much heat.

If you get a bit further west, then larch is tops. I would guess you might have some good hard wood to burn which would be better yet if dry.

Also if below zero is expected often then the large would be a better choice.

We were on a backpack hunt this past fall and were using a Go-Lite Shrangri La 4 which is sized between the Kifaru 4 and 6 man tipis. We were using a prototype small stove and the first night dropped to around zero. While we we plenty comfortable, the instant the fire dropped from full roar, we could feel the chill. After the first night the remaing snow dried out and it was more comfy, but a bigger stove would have made things easier.

As razor aid the bigger stoves don't require feeding as often and are better at drying wet gear.

Ed T pm sent

Ive got the six man and small stove ,its ok in Western Wa.I made a med. size stove and it easily keeps it warm down below zero.I would go with the med. size if I did it again Tim

i have had both the large and med stove. for the 12 man i think the med had been a little on the small side but i did not want to carry the large. in the 6 i never set up the large just the med stove. it has been plenty hot but i dont know what the temp was outside. in the end i sold the large and kept the med for use in the 6 man and the 8 and the 12 as i just did not want to lug the large. the larger fire box would be nice in really cold weather for burn time. not much help am i.