Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Start from the top: Best 1 or 2 person shelter

The Akto is nice, but a bit of a pain to set up, at least compared to my ID Mega Sola.
What I like about the Akto(besides the lack of mass) is the vestible.
Those are sweeet!

For only $105 you can get a GoLite Shangri-La 2 off the GoLite website. Everything on the website is 40% off if you know the coupon code. I really like mine. I use it for a solo shelter or quick overnighters for 2 people. Also if I'm basing out of my Hilleberg Nallo 3 GT and plan on spiking further out for a couple nights then it works out well for that. At only 1.5 pounds50 sq ft of total coverage all for $100 can't be too bad of a deal. I prefer it over my silnylon tarp due to having real coverage out of the wind was huge plus for me. Plus the fact that it doesn't parachute in the wind is also nice.

Those GoLites sound like good tents.
I would probably try one if I didn't already own an Integral Designs Mega Sola, Mk3, and a Hilleberg Akto.

I ain't a gearhead or anything...

I have no experience with the Warmlite, but the Nallo 2 has a pretty acute angle near the foot, and if there is condensation, I find it hitting the foot of my sleeping bag (I'm 6'). I agree the Akto is fussy, and I hit the roof when I sit up. The Jannu is quite a bit longer/taller, and has the vestibule and sets up with the clips on the poles instead of the sleeves. I'm really happy with mine. I've tried the Tarptents, both the contrail and the Scarp I. I haven't really wrung out the contrail, but I did get wet in a rain storm and haven't been enthused at going out again, but it's very light. The Scarp I is great, and I just spent a weekend in the rain using one. My only complaint is that the clips that attach to the optional poles are kind of fussy with cold, wet fingers.
I'm trying to add a new dog (Belgian Sheepdog) as my hiking/camping buddy. He's really not happy sleeping in the vestibule of the Scarp or the Jannu. Letting him into the actual tent is a worry for two problems....chewing on EXpensive gear (one headlight gone), and him getting everything inside wet in the rain. It's making me rethink the tipi's.....(I have a Vertex 5), or just have a really absorbent towel to sop up his drippings. My last trip, he curled up next to me, and kicked my itouch out the door onto the tyvek in the vestibule that had collected a rain puddle. A wet itouch is a dead itouch. Maybe Santa will get me one..........

Mark me down with 2 thumbs up for the Kifaru 8-man and large stove. You just can not deat the wt to size ratio for the tipi and stove. My only complaint with the stove is that you need to feed it quite often; even with pieces that barely make it through the door. If you buy a Kifaru setup and don't like it, you will not loose any money in the resell (especially just prior to hunting season).

Yes, I have seen the Kifarus go for nearly new prices many times. And overall, it's probably not bad investment.

I am still torn over which one. I just looked at the 4 man. Good Gawd they are not getting any cheaper. Think it was over $700 for a peice of nylon. Really thinking I just need to narrow it down to the Super Tarp with the Annex or the Paratipi and be done with it.

I have the same question. Even if I did not take the tent, the tent fly with poles, while not light, should make a pretty good shelter, especially with a stove.

Has anyone done this?

OK, someone mentioned a code for 40% off on the go-lite site.

Please PM me with the code so I can pull the trigger on a Sangrila 4 with a clear conscience.

I can't get used to the no floor idea. I hate spiders and creepy crawlies. I've used a handful of shelters, including the Clark's Jungle Hammock, and my favorite so far is the one I used this year, the BD Hilight. Great size for one person, and right about 3 pounds. Beats the heck out of a bivy. Here's a pic of the tent this year, a few hours before I shot my bull.

Thats why I run a 6 oz TI Goat bivy inside my GoLite Shangri-La combined its still less than 2 lbs all up for 49 sq ft of protection from the wind and rain. Granted the Kifaru is nice, but the paratipi (closest thing I can see to the Shangri-la 2) is almost exactly 5X the cost and a full pound and a half more. Or the supertarp at 1 lb, but no door and the back half of the supertarp isn't usable to sit up in and its over twice the price of the Shangri-La 2. To me the Shangri-La 2 meets a good pinch point in function/weight & price.

That elk is a HAWG!!

Dry,
Nice elk!

Those BD tents sound like a good product.

Due to some serious back issues from a rock-climbing accident, the only way I get a good night's sleep out in the woods is in my hammock. I have a big enough tarp pitched over it to give me some good shelter, and I can pull the sides down to block the wind.

With a hammock you do need to deal with insulation that goes UNDER you. I am fine with a therm-a-rest pad, but many people use under-quilts that cost a few hundred bucks.

It sets up VERY quickly, and is much more comfortable than being on the ground.

Just add to that a little to that... a Kifaru Super Tarp with annex ( aka,, door) is 1# 6 oz, (shangrila is 1#13ozs). The Kifaru has over 72 sq ft. - being over 12 feet long (32" longer than the Golite) I use the rear like a vestibule for gear. By not staking the center on low end... I can lift it and slide my pack and bow in the low end and still access it from inside if I need. Plenty of room to hang out in the high end without having all my gear in the way. 4' 4" tall (7"'s taller than Shangrila 2 & 15" wider) - it makes it easier to stay away from the walls. Not only does it have more room its shape is clearly better in a big blow. Add my ti cylinder stove and I am at 3#'s total and have 27 sq ft more dry area. The cost is way more but it is made in the USA and once you get it will serve it purpose well... mine has.

Does look like a sweet setup Bitt. Not disputing that. Just saying that the price is nearly 2.5 times more for a shelter that is only 20% larger. Having all my gear at the end of that supertarp with the low roofline beyond my sleeping bag and pad seems like it might be a little bit of a pain IMO. Glad it works for you. I happen to like the abilty to have the roofline of the SL2 and the simplicity of setup of just setting two trekking poles the same height stake out the four corners then put the trekking poles inside. No need for guying out either. I'd rather take some of that saved money and put it towards a TI Goat bivy to keep the bugs at bay while I sleep.

No doubt a good setup, just don't see it being 2.5 times better than the shangr-la.

I hear ya, but 20+% bigger and still lighter... always costs more.
Since I have that Tigoat bivy already I guess I am pretty set. But your right - I don't know if it is 2.5 times better....I try to get the right stuff and be done with it. So I can worry about where the game is instead of wondering if my tent is up to it. Given my sewing skills I'd probably ruin a couple Go-lites in the process of adding a stove port.

I would no doubt ruin one too as I can't sew at all. Problem is up in AK tree line ends at 2500' so 90% of my backpack hunting there is no point in hauling a stove along wouldn't do me much good. If treeline went to 11K+' I'd probably be more interested in a stove setup for my tent.

+1 on Bitt's setup,I've got the same thing

Or just post it here

Been teedering on an SL4... Put all the toys on hold until after the deevorce finalizes (sorry EdT, I got your PM, your killin me...)

But 40% off.... Thats hard to pass up...

I've also got the ST/Annex setup but that Shangri La does look nice.

I lucked into a "previously owned but unused" complete setup (with a pole set I've never used) for 35% under list price but that is still more than the Shangri La.

One thing I like about the ST (and also the Paratarp) is that without the annex they can be setup in many other non-tent configurations.

Here is a PT used as our kitchen on a rainy elk hunt.

I only had the chance to use my SL3 3 times last year. Not really a fair trial, but.....

The first time I pitched it, it was up in the air pretty good, and my ass got cold. But it held up to winds that blew over many trees. Other two times was in the rain and [bleep]. Never leaked...

And... Around my part of the world, I'm pretty sure I'll never own another floored tent. Its nice to not worry about getting the floor dirty Oh, and the ground absorbs water, not turn your tent into a pool. Thats a good thing. Ground cloth under my BA insulated aircore on a sheet of Tyvek and in my antique Kelty 0 degree down bag and life didn't suck.

Now, once I get an SL4 and a stove. I was thinking I'd have stake loops added about 6" up from the edge. Should give a nice and low pitch, with a snow apron (or whatever you guys called it) and I won't worry about the lost footage, because my plan would ultimately be to turn an SL4 into an SL2w/RFSAS

Sound good??


I gotta give props to Kifaru and Pat Smith. Awesome stuff... But I can't afford that [bleep]