Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Tipi/tarp vs. floored tent

Man a lot of good ideas here. Looking at an Idaho mulie hunt next year with the possibility of an overnight spikecamp then the tarp tent ultra ligtweight option seems smart to me.
East coast spring turkey hunt or early season deer hunt? Humm, now undecided. Not sure I would want to go floorless in eastern NC any time...or our mountains unless there had been some cold weather. The thoughts of waking up with a timber rattler or copperhead sharing bunk space doesn't exactly appeal to me.
The Kifaru para hooch looks appealing and certainly the weight is appealing as far as carrying something in a daypack with the option of ovenighting. Some of the larger shelters and tipis are prtty pricey though. Hard to justify for occasional use.

Yeah, you only wake up with a snake next to you in a "ranger roll" once (kingsnake, fortunately). After that, it leaves an impression, especially where copperheads are very prevalent, rattlers ain't scarce, and in the lowlands, moccassins frequent. I like various Crotalus, and very them be if possible. The Agkistrodon varieties don't fare nearly as well.

However, I'd prefer not to share sleeping quarters with any of them, nor the colored recluse or widow varieties of arachnids.

Totally agree, thanks for cranking this one up VA.

Yes, I've traipsed around Bragg, McKall and the "Hoffman" triangle a day or two. For those environs, it would be a hammock all the way, except in those rare cold conditions. I would prefer a hammock for eastern hiking even with lows into the teens, staying warm in a hammock is a bit of a trick and takes some gear investment (underquilts) but when you are hiking you stay warm, you are only cold for a brief period while you load your pack and walk yourself warm. Hunting in the eastern highlands is similar to what our western counterparts do, with the exception that we probably walk less since we just sit and watch passes typically. This can make for some cold days in DEC. So a tipi/stove setup could be really welcome at the end of the day.

If it is warm enough for snakes to be out and about, it is warm enough for a hammock hands down, IMO.

TAK;

Thanks.

Merry Christmas.

golite SL-3 flysheet now only $129
http://www.golite.com/tents/shelters-and-tents

Matthunter,

That is a smoking deal. Thats what I use for my solo shelter. Its 60 sq ft of space for less than 30 oz including enough stakes to guy out the whole shelter!!

I can think of two scenarios where a floored tent might be preferable for hunting:

1. All flat spots are spongy (i.e. subalpine SE AK meadows)
2. Bugs/snakes

Assuming that you pitch the tent on well drained ground and it isn't buggy, I would argue that you'll stay dryer, in all conditions, under a single-wall floorless tent of proper design. Couple that with more floor space at a given weight and the ability to tromp in without removing boots, and the benefits really add up.

That is a good deal on the SL3.. I tried checking the specs on their site but all it says is that it's 60 sq. feet... Is there plenty of room for a 6' person to sleep on either side of the center pole? Does anyone know the length/Width of these?

Muleyfan,

My wife and I have slept both of us on one side during an overnight bivy while out sheep hunting this past year. Easily enough room for two 6' guys on either side.

Here is a pic the next morning after the bivy:

AL, Thanks for the info and the photo.. I am new to the tipi world but I am thinking about getting something like the SL3 and sewing in a stove jack... In you're opinion would the SL3 work as a 1 person with wood stove shelter or should I get something bigger?

One person plus stove would work just fine IMO. Two people in the SL3 with a stove....forget it.

Agreed

+1 as well, though a 6 oz bivy or a 13 oz nest takes care of #2 pretty well.

I checked the tags, it looks it's not symmetrical:
length: 9ft 6in
width: 8ft 3in
height: 5ft 2in
Numbers are from the attached tags which came with SL-3. I haven't measured myself
matt

+1 as well, though a 6 oz bivy or a 13 oz nest takes care of #2 pretty well. [/quote]

Alaska_Lanche: what kind of nest do you use in your SL-3?
Thanks!

Yes, there is room for two and stuff. I've been able to utilize trees to hang the canopy from... no center pole needed in this case.

Kent

This SL-3, how small of a package does it pack down into? And, how long is the center pole when not extended?

Thanks for the specs..

Alaska lanch and krp, thanks for posting those pics it's nice to see a real world photo of the tent to get a better idea if it will suit my needs... Seems like there's always deals when I'm short on cash wonder how long the sale will last...