Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Tent sizes and Alaknak tents

Hi folks,

My buddy and I are considering tent options for future elk hunts. This year there was 2-3 Cabelas Alaknak tents in our 'neighborhood' and all looked to be 12x12. I looked inside one and it looked fairly roomy. We've been using a pop-up camper the past few years and it is cramped with more than 2 guys. Three is tight, 4 is not doable.

Two questions:

1. What is the minimum comfortable size for 4 guys in a tent?
2. Any feedback on the Alaknak tents?

Thanks.

Being the "buddy"... haha, I'm also interested in exactly how you do your arrangement as far as where the cots are, cooking area, how do you heat (wood stove, propane,..). We met some guys from AK and they said they slept 4, but I didn't get a chance to see the arrangement.

thanks,
CB

12x12 is pretty small for 4 people.
Get one of those cheap 12x12 plastic tarps, spread it on the ground and then have your buddies just stand on it.
14x16 would be as small as I'ld want to go for 4 people,unless it's just you and the top 3 Dallas cowboy cheerleaders....
Alaknak look really neat, and are simple to set up, but that polyester material won't hold the heat nor stop the wind the way a good ol heavy canvas wall tent does.

It stops the wind just fine. It was a ND blizzard on this hunt. -15 on the truck thermometer several mornings. We were cozy and warm the entire time.

4 people and no stove would fit but be cozy. You will not fit 4 and a woodstove without killing each other.

2 people a stove and vestibule are about right when it is really nasty out. Better weather you could stuff more folks into it.

A few not very good inside shots.

A freaky spring storm

A inside shot that I like!! I did rip a hole in the little door peak with a sharp broken tine of this bull.

I notice in the first picture the tent and vestuble are packed with snow, the pickup is clear, and the foot prints obviously lead from the truck to the tent.
Second picture a wood stove and a propane heater.
Love the way the roof is caving in in that snow squal picture.
Like my Alaknak for summer camping, but for fall/winter it's a damn good place to freeze to death. Nothing like having to set it up for a week after your get home so the floor will give up all the ice accumulated on it.
No sir , a lifetime of experience says to me a good heavy canvas wall tent is hard to beat if a tent is what you seek.

Not sure of your point here???

We only burn the propane when you get back to the tent at night until the fire is ripping, Or first thing in the morning if you let the fire go out. Never had to burn them both at the same time.

If one is locked into the Alaknaks, I'd suggest using two. One heated and used for meal prep and evening conversations, and a second dedicated solely to sleeping and gear storage.

With multiple people, sleeping and meal prep in a single tent demands some serious space or very close friendships. We have done four hunters for 9 days in a 12 by 14, but sleeping gear etc had to be stowed to allow for cooking, eating, and the drying of wet gear. Near impossible if one also wanted to include the luxury of cots and large gear boxes. Five foot walls also give one more usable space.

I, however, will stick with wall tents for extended outings.

I have an Alakanak 12�X12� tent and have had it set up many nights. This tent is a solid strategy for two persons with wood stove cots and gear. With all tent purchasing considerations in mind this tent performs very well.
I like the Alakanak for its ease of set up, weight and particularly its forgiving nature in the event it gets put away a little damp. (My wife does not miss having my canvas tent sprawled out in the living room doing so.)
I have had my Alakanak set up for over 60 days on various camps (per day cost to date = $13.00 a night) and with the exception of the floor rip thanks to my carelessness with my ax this tent is holding up great.
I have no problems holding heat in this tent with my cylinder �outfitters� barrel stove though there is a fair amount of free ventilation coming through the vestibules vent. (Not a bad engineering strategy as this air is needed for good ventilation)
I would particularly suggest this tent to those individuals using a tent in wet conditions and for quick set up and quick tear down.
With the Alakanak..During heavy snow periods one will need to shake the snow off as it will accumulate on the roof. My tent has seen several heavy snow related activities. This is no issue as far as I am concerned as I have had to do this with my wall tent as well.
For trips with more than two persons I will still use my 14�X16� canvas wall tent and BTW I like a canvas wall tent� I wish mine was a Davis Tent product as they are the best in my opinion and their product will be my next purchase very soon. �.Be carful of cheap quality canvas wall tent imitations.
The canvas wall tents are still my main stay for packing with stock or for the trail head base camps. With this being said I still like my Alakanak for my two men camping trips and reduced labor with set up tear down and drying.
Regarding a wood stove.. I would suggest buying one size larger that the manufactures specifications for space heating as I have found the larger units have a longer burn time and an added measure of heat out put.

I also have a 12x12 Alaknak. 3 people or 2 with a stove is luxurious. 3 with a stove is cramped and I wouldn't even think of 4 with a stove.

Just like women...go big early! Bigger than you think you'll need. You'll appreciate it (and so will she).

Think of a bedroom. Most are 10x10 to 12x12 range. Could you or would you want to have 4 dudes and dudes stuff in there?

That's actually a really good idea.

Especially the Dallas Cowboys part.

I have a 12'X14', 4' side walls canvas and a 10'X10' alaknak. 3 people in the canvas with heater/stove and gear is very tight. I only use the alaknak when hunting by myself ( most of the time) but am looking at getting a canvas tee-pee. The alaknak sweats pretty bad and the floor is more trouble than it is worth.

if a guy learns to use bunk bed cots, 4 people fit alot better, i use a 10x12 or a 12x14 depending on how my back feels about packing all the poles,,with bunkbeds, woodstove, and a card table, there is still room in my 12x14

Been very happy with ours and it's the biggest one. It handled 50 kt winds last year with aplomb. The Outfitter size Cylinder stove has kept it warm with no problems down to 20 degrees or so.



It's really about the right size for four guys and their gear

They always "forget" to bring their own beer too. Freeloaders!

we just got back from camp we had 7 guys in our camp, we used a gp medium canvas tent which is 16x32 and that is about right with all the gear we had. i wouldnt think i would go less 14x16 for 4 guys and gear , of course we had a shower, 55 gal barrel stove kitchen table ect in it