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How much tent camping must one do to get a return on this at $2700?

http://alaskatent.com/oven/ao-12-extreme-w-vestibule.html

Seems like a lot of surface area to put in the air if one is fully exposed out on the tundra. I'd need some experience or persuasive references before I'd drop than much coin on a tent.

If you're in a situation where the difference between a good tent and no tent is success of failure on a hunt, or life or death, I'd say priceless.

Pretty tough to find a tent that can handle real whether for under $1000. The question is really more one of do you want a tent you can carry in backpacking, do you want a floor, do you want a stove?

Between the Arctic Oven and Barney's Bomb Shelter you get to choose from really incredible gear that will last a very long time at about the same price point. I have spent many hundreds of nights in my Bomb Shelter since I bought it in the mid-'80s.

I used it for more than three weeks this year alone.

They are more of a portable cabin than a tent...

I'd love to have an AO10.

Those are great tents but for occasional tent camping they are a bit on the spendy side. Still, i'd love to have either one.

I don't know why someone doesn't make a round "yurt" type shelter for AK conditions.

I'm sure most of you have seen that heavy azz Korean War era round "arctic" squad tent that the Army had forever. It was heavy canvas. The Canadians had a similar tent made of what looked like the old 60/40 cloth that Sierra Designs parkas were made of in pre-goretex days. It was slightly smaller than the US abomination and less than half the weight and bulk. If I had to hunker down in FEB/MAR in the interior that tent and a 4-dog stove would be what I'd want.

I stopped reading the details when I got to 78 pounds....

Buy once, cry once. Pretty simple when life could depend on the shelter.

I've not tried this one, but have been in an 8x8 and almost bought a 10x10 until was given use of a very similar tent instead.

Weight doesn't matter when its life or death and you aren't backpacking.

Alaska comes with extremes others can never imagine, IMHO.

We use my buddies Bombshelter when we hunt. It weighs around 50#s. The argo never notices the weight and we sure appreciate it when the weather blows up.

Anybody who has ever had a tent blow down around their ears in the middle of the night during a wind storm with blowing rain or sleet or snow will think $2700 is a damned good deal. The weight and usable floor space of this particular tent is a turnoff for me, but having a shelter that you can depend on when all else fails is just about priceless.

WTF....Even the dam cookie monster knows good equipment.... this is NO gayazz weekend country camping...kids ...... man up or shut up

I will have more pics to come......warm..dry...if u run a wheeler/boat/truck ..u aint carrying the crap...man up ..this is no gayazz wall tent/dumbazz teepee/gayazz yurt ...only men allowed....... no dreads either..wash up and come in......

A good sheep hunting tent [backpacking] will ruin $1K so These tents that provide shelter for mid-winter -40 weather are not out of line at all.

These are not usually popular in Yosemite.

There are to my knowledge, several people here who have Arctic Ovens and swear by them. They use 'em mostly for multi-day winter camping trips, sometimes hundreds of miles from home, via snowmachine/sled, so weight isn't the issue. Survival is.

Me and my Bravo don't get that brave....

when you are 100 miles off the highway and have downed your moose.
the inside of the AO feels pretty good at -35.
It only takes a very small stove and fireplace logs to get the inside up to 60F.
that is how good the AO tents are!
worth every penny.

But Bud.....I've got your stove and it works great......hope to use it in an AO again next week. Sure nice to have dry clothes and sleeping bags in nasty and cold weather.

I hope your season was as good as mine.

own an AO 10x10 paid $1100 for it barely used many years ago.

would probably never have paid that much for a tent if I hadn't lived in a similar one for 4-6 weeks at a time.


good gear most times costs a goodly sum

tents no different

there are exceptions

and just with a Peak 1 lantern you can get an AO up to t'shirt temps inside while it's in the teens outside.

what's that worth after you been sloggin all day in the rain or snow?


way more than $1100 in my book

I see now extremes are the norm in Alaska. So, the tent makes sense. In that type of wind/cold/rain any shelter would be cherished.

We don't get enough snow on the Gulf Coast to endanger any lives. Thanks for the edcuation.

I experienced the same storm as John Havard and some high end tents did not survive that ordeal.......in fact, some of the homes South of our hunting location were blown down.

No place for a Sears tent.