Backpacking Sleep System

[Gonefishin6]

Hello all, I found out about this place from one of my good buddies. Sick of hunting the deer and elk everyone knows about, wanting to get a good backpacking set up. The things I feel like I'm lacking are a really good cot and tent, I have a cheap tent from Walmart that has worked but is heavier than I'd like, I have been intrigued about the teepee tents with a stove, how heavy are they? What brands do you recommend, and how much should I save up? I have a decent sleeping bag, but I'd eventually like a better one as well. Should I have an early and late season bag? Are pillows necessary or do you guys just use coats? Looking forward to learning from you all!

 

[Gone4Days]

If you are backpacking, forget a cot. Get a warm pad either a Xtherm or Downmat. 2 things you shouldn’t skimp on for backpacking…. sleep system and pack.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Tons of info here in the appropriate forums spaces, sounds like you are basically starting from scratch with spending nights in the back country?

 

[Gone4Days]

I won’t go into detailed answers to all your questions so i’ll just list what I use in my backpack hunts.

Tent - Zpacks Duplex for non freestanding situations, Big Agnes Copper Spur for freestanding.

Quilt/Bag- Enlightened Equipment Enigma 20° and Nemo Salsa 15°

Pad - Thermarest Xtherm

Pillow - Exped Air Pillow

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Early Season:

Western Mountaineering Mighty Lite (Can be used as quilt or sleeping bag)
Western Mountaineering Down Pillow
Nemo Tensor Ultralight Pad
Tyvek Sheet With Grommets or Big Agnes HV UL 2

Mid/Late Season:

Western Mountaineering Sycamore or Sequoia
Western Mountaneering Down Pillow
Therm-a-Rest Neo Air XTherm Pad
Big Agnes HV UL 2 or Hilleberg Nallo 2

A stove IS NOT a replacement for proper temp rated bag and high enough R value sleeping pad. Practice spending nights in cold temps in your backyard!

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Also, this dropped earlier this week. Haven't listened to it myself but based on the description and experience of the host, I think you'll get a lot of this listen...

Backcountry Camping with Jordan Budd

This week I'm solo discussing backcountry camping. What I've chosen for shelters, air pads, sleeping bags and cook sets to keep in the garage.

www.rokslide.com

 

[Gonefishin6]

Tons of info here in the appropriate forums spaces, sounds like you are basically starting from scratch with spending nights in the back country?

I did a couple of backpacking trips way back in the day in high school, I usually put in 120+ days on the mountain a year, but I feel like I'd rather do 5 day trips during the season to get it done!

 

[GetWestern]

Tipi tents are awesome in my experience in the late season for the ability to use a stove. I use regular tents in the early season just to keep the creepy crawlies out but that’s just me, lots of people use tipi tents all year round. Learning about properly pitching a tipi and condensation management is something to learn about as well if that’s what you choose to go with.

As far as brands and weights go I’ve only had experience with two brands. Seekoutside and Kifaru both companies make great products. Get on their website and look at what they offer and you can see their respective weights and models they have. Ask yourself what you want out of a tipi, are you looking for a lighter weight model for a early season hunt or are you wanting something for late season with a stove jack that can withstand some bad weather?

With sleeping bags you can go down a rabbit hole with those, wouldn’t hurt to look at a quilt over a bag to. But the basic things to think about when getting a new bag are if you want synthetic or down material, both have pros and cons. Synthetic can keep you warm even if it gets wet, down bags are not as good with keeping you as warm when they get soaked but they can be a lot lighter weight wise. When it comes to having two bags for each season that’s a great idea but if you can’t swing it I’d get something with a temp rating in the 20s for a good all around bag. Besides if it’s any colder you can sleep in your cloth’s, I personally use 35 degree bag for early season and a 10 degree for late season.

On a last note when it comes to gear don’t feel like you have to buy everything, it can get extremely overwhelming when you first get into backcountry hunting. It took me 4 years before I was able to acquire everything I felt like I needed. You’ll learn the things that you can skimp out on and what needs to be quality. There’s lots of great information on here and you can learn a lot but ultimately the best way to learn is to get out there good luck !

 

[SpringM1A]

I flip my UQ inside my hammock along with the TQ and then stuff the entire thing into a turkey roaster bag in the bottom of my pack. I squish out as much air as I can then gooseneck the turkey bag and tuck it under itself (not a true knot, but it will hold well especially with other stuff on top). Those roaster bags are really strong stuff.

 

[___DAN___]

Don't forget a pair of crocs. Amazing to take the boots off after a long pack in or out.