Alaska tent?

[Cdpp880]

I am planning an Alaska moose hunt and am trying to figure out our shelter. Looks like it will be 3 of us. I like the cimrron but think that would be to small for 3 with stove for 10-14days. I would really like a stove to help dry things out quicker but this is not a must. I have the money to buy a nice tent (I would like to keep it under or very close to $1000) but want something that I could use on other backpack/hunts and cannot buy multiple. Would I be best to just bring 2 tents? I will have a large silnilon tarp for sitting/cooking and backup shelter. So to make it short what are y'all's recommendations for a shelter or shelters for an Alaska moose hunt the last two weeks of September?

 

[Kevin Dill]

My only experience has been with a Kifaru 8-Man tipi which I would say is adequately sized for 3 men as long as they keep some gear outside. I'm stating this mainly so you can judge approximate size and sq ft for 3 guys. Of course 3 men can fit in a 3 or 4 man tent to sleep, but they can't really live in there for 3 or 4 days straight if the weather goes to terrible...which it regularly does up there in late Sept. When you're out for almost 2 weeks hunting, every extra square foot is valuable (to a point) and a tent the size of a very small cabin is not too much tent when Alaska decides the three of you will be staying home today. Good luck in your search!

 

[colonel00]

Any weight restrictions (i.e. are you flying in, boating, rafting)? We have used our 8-man Cabela's Alaskan Guide dome tent numerous times in Alaska and it will do fine. Get the aluminum poles. Sadly, it's not really meant for a stove but I have toyed with the idea of putting a jack in the vestibule area that is floorless which would allow for drying of clothes and some heat should make its way into the tent as well. As Kevin mentions, I would want a tent with plenty of room and able to withstand the elements. A lot is going to depend on my original question about size and weight restrictions.

 

[Cdpp880]

Yes there is a weight limit fly in/float trip. Limited to 75lbs per person so I would like to keep it light but does not have to be crazy light but that would be nice if it was. I really like the looks of the 8man tipi but once u add the stove they get a little pricy.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Dang, Kevin always gives similar advice as I would suggest. We've used them all in the Kifaru lineup. The 8-man is what we roll with in moose season most years, which is comfy for 3 guys with essential gear. The 6-man is doable with 3 guys if your normal party is two people and gear. But the weight difference and bulk between the 6 and 8 person tipi is negligible IMO.

Make sure to bring good solid long stakes and leave the ones Kifaru supplies at home.

 

[450]

I have used the a 8-man Cabela's Guide tent a lot during moose season with a Mr. Buddy heater and it has worked great.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Just a philosophical comment:

I completely understand budgets and price limits. A guy has to know when to say when. If a shelter (price) is too much then simply eliminate it from consideration. If it's doable but hurts...it might be worth it. My 8-Man & stove hurt once, but I knew I was going to use it a lot in the backcountry. I'm 8 years in now, and my unit is still in great shape and has many years to go. It might just outlast me! Yep...I spent more than I wanted but that happens every day it seems. I can't prove the extra cost is worth it. I can say that I don't have one regret about reaching, and buying my 8-Man combo. If it weren't for 2 things....overall weight and footprint size...I probably would have upsized to a 12-Man by now.

 

[Colby Jack]

Where are you hunting? That could be a big factor in shelter selection. A buddy of mine rents Arctic Oven tents and stoves to hunters. I want to say it's $275 a week. Super dude, and takes great care of his stuff. You can find him on Craigslist Anchorage. Might be a good thrifty option instead of buying a shelter.

 

[realunlucky]

Where are you hunting? That could be a big factor in shelter selection. A buddy of mine rents Arctic Oven tents and stoves to hunters. I want to say it's $275 a week. Super dude, and takes great care of his stuff. You can find him on Craigslist Anchorage. Might be a good thrifty option instead of buying a shelter.

He said it was for a moose fly in hunt. That would be bomber but heavy option for sure

 

[Cdpp880]

Are there any other options for light weight or lighter weight stove capable for 3 guys other than the tipi style tents. What about the bear paw luna 6 or similar shelter are they capable or are these not up for the task? Just trying to find out from the ones who have been their. I definitely do not want to go in under gunned shelter wise. Thanks again for all the info.

 

[Cdpp880]

Where are you hunting? That could be a big factor in shelter selection. A buddy of mine rents Arctic Oven tents and stoves to hunters. I want to say it's $275 a week. Super dude, and takes great care of his stuff. You can find him on Craigslist Anchorage. Might be a good thrifty option instead of buying a shelter.

What would one of these set ups weigh?

 

[Cdpp880]

Never mind just looked them up those would be way to heavy for our flight weight minimum but thanks for the info.

 

[Cdpp880]

We'll looking at the luna 6 a little more, that would be too small for all of us so never mind on that one. Any others?

 

[Becca]

Are there any other options for light weight or lighter weight stove capable for 3 guys other than the tipi style tents. What about the bear paw luna 6 or similar shelter are they capable or are these not up for the task? Just trying to find out from the ones who have been their. I definitely do not want to go in under gunned shelter wise. Thanks again for all the info.

Are you concerned about a tipi style tent being able to withstand Alaska weather? We moose and caribou hunt out of our 12 man Kifaru tipi most years, and have had it in hurricane force winds twice, and it survived the storms, albeit with some supervision of the stakes and pole. It's truly hard to beat the amount of area offered by a tipi style shelter, at least for the minimal weight penalty.

You don't say what part of the state you will be hunting, but if it's in an area with trees or brush you may be able to mitigate some weather issued even more by selecting a camping spot that's a little more protected. If there won't be trees or at least small alders where you are hunting, a stove will be of little use as there won't be anything to burn.

If you are wanting a floored shelter, we have had good success with cabelas 6 man guide model tents and sometimes run a propane buddy heater first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening to take the chill off. That's a considerably heavier shelter though, and would be a fairly tight space for three and gear if you are doing much inside besides sleeping. If going that route, I would opt for aluminum poles. They withstand wind much better than the fiberglass ones.

 

[450]

I just bought a Luna 6 from BPWD to use hunting up here in Alaska. It is basically 10 x 10 tent. How much room do you think you will need for 3 people? Like I mentioned also, the Mr. Buddy propane heater works pretty good for heating tent and drying clothes if need be but one of these days I wood like to get a lightweight woodstove to try out.

 

[luke moffat]

A lot of comfort can be had with some standard lightweight 3 season double wall tents like a Marmot Ajax 3 for $145 and 6 pounds for 2 guys to crash in and then a standard 10X10 style Mid shelter with a stove jack and stove for another 5ish pounds total. Most places to moose hunt in if in the timber can find relatively protected places to pitch your shelters if the weather is crap and setting up in an alder patch is a possibility if thats the case.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I have 2 friends who have been traveling to Alaska about 30 years for diy hunts. These guys are a team and they have a system. Each of them brings his own lightweight tent (think 2-man or slightly bigger) and they don't worry about spaciousness. They also don't worry about wind these days as they always hunt in timbered areas. They sleep in their own tents, keeping their necessary gear inside. They bring a tarp and rig it to create an overhead or lean-to shelter where they can sit, eat or otherwise hang out as desired. If you don't crave the need to share one shelter and can live without a stove (not terribly difficult) it's a much cheaper way to go. In fact, if you're not committed to returning (or constantly using a big tipi/stove) it's arguably the best way to approach a first Alaska hunt for moose or caribou.

 

[Take-a-knee]

Are you concerned about a tipi style tent being able to withstand Alaska weather? We moose and caribou hunt out of our 12 man Kifaru tipi most years, and have had it in hurricane force winds twice, and it survived the storms,

A couple of years ago, a guy from the Kifaru board, while on a trip to AK, wasn't so lucky with his 12-man. Keep making a shelter larger, incurring heavier loads, without increasing material strengths, is ASKING for failure.

 

[luke moffat]

Yes that gentleman was up near delta junction and was setup in the alpine. It certain can and does happen. This the risk you take obviously. But for me it's worth the risk and rarely is it our sole shelter.

That was a brutal wind storm that destroyed a lot of tents all over the northern ak range. Many weighing 3-5 times as much too. Sometimes nature just wins and it's good to have contengency plans certainly.

 

[larryschwartz]

We'll looking at the luna 6 a little more, that would be too small for all of us so never mind on that one. Any others?

A few more ideas since you are open to thinking outside the box...

1. Go with Kevin's idea of having individual sleeping shelters and add to it a Luna 6 ( or other 6 or 8 person tipi shelter) to serve as your cooking, hanging out, drying clothes shelter with a stove in it.

2. Bear Paw WD also does custom work, so he may be able to make you a Luna 8 to accomodate three guys stuck in it with their gear and a stove and wood supply for multiple days of cabin fever.

3. A variant of #1, get two Luna 6's, one to sleep in and one for the other tasks as described in #1.