Argali Rincon 2p vs Absaroka 4p

[WiscoHoundsman]

Looking for opinions on using the Absaroka 4p vs Rincon 2p as a tent for one person. Would likely be used with the half nest and stove for either setup.

Currently would likely be using solo but potentially could have another person at some point in the future.

I understand there is approximately pound or a little more weight difference but noticed the peak height of 74” vs 54”. I like the idea of more room.

Any thoughts on these two would be appreciated. Likely used for a spring bear hunt in ID or MT and rifle elk seasons.

 

[sebastian.cassell]

I run the absaroka 4 p with a half liner and stove. You could definitely fit 2 people in the half liner side but I just use it for solo hunts. In better weather or where there arent any bugs you could get 3 people in it with room for gear pretty nicely. I wanted the 2p tent to save some weight but the extra space was well worth the trade off. And honestly its only a few ounces.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

Thanks for the info. That was my thought that it’s only a little more weight but quite a bit more comfort/height with the ability to add that second person easily enough. Either way I would get a stove with the pipe length for the 4p and could use it if I end up with the smaller tent some day.

 

[ewade07]

I own and have used both. They are both great tents, the 4P is a few more ounces than the 2P so if your looking for more room id go with the 4P. Keep in mind that the footprint is much larger tho. Cant really go wrong with either one.

I run mine without any nests so no experience there.

 

[TexAg09]

I know this is an old thread, but here is a post I made with videos showing the two for future reference. I was on the fence on sizes as well.

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[WiscoHoundsman]

I know this is an old thread, but here is a post I made with videos showing the two for future reference. I was on the fence on sizes as well.

Thanks I will take a look as I still need to order one. I was slow on Black Friday and cyber Monday and didn’t get one ordered.

 

[j3h8]

Thanks I will take a look as I still need to order one. I was slow on Black Friday and cyber Monday and didn’t get one ordered.

I have the Absaroka and used it in Colorado. It was just me in the tent with a stove and it's a palace. I cannot imagine trying to manage my gear in a 2p with the stove. I've stayed in 2p tents on my own and with gear and a stove it's pretty tight. It's doable, but I like to stretch my legs and have places to hang gear to dry without having to duck and weave around things.

 

[TexAg09]

I have the Absaroka and used it in Colorado. It was just me in the tent with a stove and it's a palace. I cannot imagine trying to manage my gear in a 2p with the stove. I've stayed in 2p tents on my own and with gear and a stove it's pretty tight. It's doable, but I like to stretch my legs and have places to hang gear to dry without having to duck and weave around things.

You're pretty much right on the money. I'm more active on Hunttalk, but try to contribute here as well when it makes sense. Here's the gist of my post from Hunttalk about it:

Here are my thoughts on the two, and how I plan to use them both:

Rincon - I initially chose the Rincon because I had a concern that it might be hard to find a place to pitch a larger footprint in some of the areas we hunted, but was worried about how I would fit in it at 6' 4". This all turned out to be valid. Once we were out on the hunt I knew that anything with a larger footprint would had been tough to pitch in some areas due to space constraints and the steepness we encountered in some areas. Now having the Absaroka it has reinforced this thought. However, the Rincon was tight! I fit at 6'4", but it wasn't the most enjoyable experience. The lack of head room to sit up (except in the middle) was what bothered me the most. To use the stove and keep my pack and extra firewood inside I would have to be very organized with my gear and set up. All that being said I plan on continuing to use it for backpack hunts, and just know that I'll have to deal with the lack of head room. It performed well in all kinds of weather including a pretty solid snow storm on this most recent trip.

Absaroka - I got this for doing backpacking trips with my kids, and for using the stove when I'm not backpacking. It's still not all that heavy for backpacking, but again the size of the footprint might be a factor. I think it is awesome space wise, and plan on eventually getting the full insert. It's weird that it's only a little bit bigger, but I feel like there is a big difference in interior space.

To summarize: When weight and footprint are a concern I will take the Rincon and just deal with the tightness of space, but when I'm bringing the kids and have the space to pitch it I'm going to take the Absaroka. I hope this helps, and let me now if you have any questions.

 

[Dwight2180]

You're pretty much right on the money. I'm more active on Hunttalk, but try to contribute here as well when it makes sense. Here's the gist of my post from Hunttalk about it:

Here are my thoughts on the two, and how I plan to use them both:

Rincon - I initially chose the Rincon because I had a concern that it might be hard to find a place to pitch a larger footprint in some of the areas we hunted, but was worried about how I would fit in it at 6' 4". This all turned out to be valid. Once we were out on the hunt I knew that anything with a larger footprint would had been tough to pitch in some areas due to space constraints and the steepness we encountered in some areas. Now having the Absaroka it has reinforced this thought. However, the Rincon was tight! I fit at 6'4", but it wasn't the most enjoyable experience. The lack of head room to sit up (except in the middle) was what bothered me the most. To use the stove and keep my pack and extra firewood inside I would have to be very organized with my gear and set up. All that being said I plan on continuing to use it for backpack hunts, and just know that I'll have to deal with the lack of head room. It performed well in all kinds of weather including a pretty solid snow storm on this most recent trip.

Absaroka - I got this for doing backpacking trips with my kids, and for using the stove when I'm not backpacking. It's still not all that heavy for backpacking, but again the size of the footprint might be a factor. I think it is awesome space wise, and plan on eventually getting the full insert. It's weird that it's only a little bit bigger, but I feel like there is a big difference in interior space.

To summarize: When weight and footprint are a concern I will take the Rincon and just deal with the tightness of space, but when I'm bringing the kids and have the space to pitch it I'm going to take the Absaroka. I hope this helps, and let me now if you have any questions.

Some solid insight there! Thanks.

 

[pugwylde]

I run the absaroka 4 p with a half liner and stove. You could definitely fit 2 people in the half liner side but I just use it for solo hunts. In better weather or where there arent any bugs you could get 3 people in it with room for gear pretty nicely. I wanted the 2p tent to save some weight but the extra space was well worth the trade off. And honestly its only a few ounces.

Curious how this is panning out for you. I asked Brad at Argali specifically about this set up, thinking it ideal for spring bear. He immediately recommended against it, due to the potential for damage to the liner. Have you had any ember damage? If not, are you doing anything to help avoid it?

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

That’s an interesting take from Brad. His reasoning is fairly sound as it could be a concern but just face the stove entrance away from your liner and I would assume you would avoid the issue. The website actually mentions the opposite.

 

[sebastian.cassell]

I never used the stove on my last bear hunt with the half liner. It was all set up and ready to use but I ended up bouncing around a lot on the hunt so I didn’t fire up the stove. I think there would be plenty of room to run the stove with the liner up. I run the stove in my deer blind and have never had any embers or crazy things happen due to the heat it puts out. I would highly recommend using the liner when bear hunting just due to the amount of ticks it stops. When I packed up in Idaho to head back to Michigan I thought I cleaned all my stuff off pretty well from the ticks. About a month later I got everything back out and setup in my yard and there were a handful of dead ticks stuck to the half liner. Nasty critters

 

[pugwylde]

That’s an interesting take from Brad. His reasoning is fairly sound as it could be a concern but just face the stove entrance away from your liner and I would assume you would avoid the issue. The website actually mentions the opposite.View attachment 829948

In fairness, I asked that question when the half insert first came out. It is quite possible he's shifted his view since then. It is also true that Argali is, while a small company, not a one man show. Somebody else may have told Brad that is silly

 

[Brad@Argali]

In fairness, I asked that question when the half insert first came out. It is quite possible he's shifted his view since then. It is also true that Argali is, while a small company, not a one man show. Somebody else may have told Brad that is silly

I'll admit I was worried people would catch their half Inserts on fire when we first launched the half Inserts, but I'm not aware of anyone doing that so my opinion has changed! It for sure works.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

I'll admit I was worried people would catch their half Inserts on fire when we first launched the half Inserts, but I'm not aware of anyone doing that so my opinion has changed! It for sure works.

Great to hear. I will be ordering when the liners are back in stock.