Does shelter type impact how you hunt?

[Shraggs]

I use my hammock mostly for September archery, but looking for a light ground setup too. As I consider which new option I seem to wonder about the impact (beyond the obvious comparisons of weight, double wall etc).

One of my shaped tarps takes two trekking poles - but there were times I wish I had my poles while hunting. With my hammock, I bring a bow hook to hang shoes from a tree and I bring a pack cover - more weight. Some solo size shelters I really question if you can bring all your gear in. Setting up at night, which seems to be the norm for me can be harder with my hammock.

I’m leaning towards a single mid style with one trekking pole so I have one pole with me. Small mids are small above the floor tho. Some of the shaped single pole tarps have a lot of ties outs and unique stake placement and that may be frustrating at night when tired and hungry.

For those that have run a variety of shelter types (mids, shaped tarps, tarp and ivy, double wall free standing, etc) - Are there other considerations that the types of shelter can alter your hunting routines?

John

 

[Brendan]

Other way around for me. I determine how to hunt an area, and then pick the right shelter.

 

[Silver]

I just went through the thought process when deciding which shelter to buy. I went from Shaped tarp to flat tarp + Bivy to UL freestanding back to shaped tarp, and just couldn’t get past the fact that I would need to tear down camp every morning before doing any hunting (this is primarily for sheep hunts, where I’d like to glass with breakfast after a short hike). I ultimately ended up with a light ‘mid tent that comes with its own single pole - even with the weight penalty its still only just over 2# and my tracking poles are free to use when I pop up.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

As long as the ground accepts tent stakes the seek LBO has worked nicely for 2 guys and gear backpack hunting. It takes a tad of finesse setting it up but honestly not that much, I get to work on the tent in the night while my partner goes and refills our water bladders or something like that. The hunts I've had it on we planned to break down in the AM so my treking pole/poles (I tend to just join 2 poles rather than an extender on 1 pole) aren't stuck with the shelter. If I was leaving it every day there are options to bring a dedicated pole, find a suitable stick for a pole, collapse and weight it down for the day, leave 1 pole with extension at the shelter and use 1 hunting.

That size shelter suits me nicely, doesn't have to be seek with the expansion feature, but that size is nice.

 

[uteranga]

Usually i take a bivy and a small tarp or a one pole single wall tent (mid style) if weather should be bad for several days
Usually put it up with a branch found near camp or hang it to a tree with a cord (I hike with only 1 pole but avoid bothering with a second one just for the shelter as much as possible, does not work well above tree line of course).

I let the tarp/tent at camp and keep the bivy with me and use it as a warm booth while glassing, also very comfortable for naps.
If I find some really interesting spot, I can go sleep there later in the evening thanks to the bivy being in my backpack, in order to be already at the right place next morning, sparing me the trip back and there again which would increase the risk to make noise or to be smelled while approaching from far away, possibly frightening unseen animals, also perfect for lying in wait.
Work in forests as well as in mountains, perfect combo for me.
And nothing's better than a night under the stars in my opinion.

 

[Shraggs]

Other way around for me. I determine how to hunt an area, and then pick the right shelter.

Yes! There is where I hope to be. Maybe I need way more shelters then I have.

Honestly for archery, timber, early season and little flat ground - pretty happy with the hammock at 4 lbs total system.

As I grow into new opportunities, lack of timber, rocky terrain etc it’s difficult to predict what works without some experience.

Maybe what I should add to my aresonal is a better way to ask? Currently have:

1. Hammock for early timber hilly
2. BA copper spur 2 - pretty heavy for me only. Summer and bugs I feel...
3. MSR twin sisters. Cold and or snow for two
4. 10x10 tarp and bivy - haven’t done it yet, but carried

Looking hard at MLD solomid xl and the new Tarptent Aeon for solo. Not ready to tackle the world of 2-4 man shelter, tipi’s. Need consistent buddies first.

 

[Brendan]

My point was - don't let a shelter determine how you hunt. If need be, sell what you have and make sure you have something that's flexible, if not ideal in every condition.

Me personally:

Base camp tent - Tipi with Propane stove. Goes right next to the truck.

Spike camp - Sawtooth with stove.

Lightweight - Paratarp.

Also have a Big Agnes copper spur. May sell that and the paratarp and pick up a seek outside Eolus.

All of them except the BA get packed in the truck.

If I could only have one, I'd do a floorless with option for a stove and use a lightweight bivy to keep pad and bag dry.

 

[nwcomechanic]

Hyperlite Tarp with a set of Big Agnes ‘Tarp Poles’… went with the 8’ x 10’ tarp so that I can fit in all my gear as well to keep it covered.

I have gone down the rabbit hole of cutting weight and dyneema stuff sacks and going very minimalistic but the more I hunt, at least elk, the more I think it’s not worth the long deep pack in, the elk at least in the heavily pressured areas I hunt are often already pushed to the fringes of public/private even by the first few days of archery.

Thoughts?


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[Desk Jockey]

I prefer tarp camping when I can.

Dyneema tarp and ground cloth, stakes, etc. is about 2#. Add a bora bivy sometimes for another 8oz.

For tents, I have some DCf and conventional tents but have become a big fan of the durston. You can pitch with or without a liner and there is room enough for me - 6’3” - and gear.

If you want poles, look at durston poles or similar from others. 2-3 oz per pole and you can free up you trekking poles for day use.

 

[nwcomechanic]

I prefer tarp camping when I can.

Dyneema tarp and ground cloth, stakes, etc. is about 2#. Add a bora bivy sometimes for another 8oz.

For tents, I have some DCf and conventional tents but have become a big fan of the durston. You can pitch with or without a liner and there is room enough for me - 6’3” - and gear.

If you want poles, look at durston poles or similar from others. 2-3 oz per pole and you can free up you trekking poles for day use.

Curious, just to compare notes basically.

Where do you live? Is it rainy/stormy?

Do you carry this lightweight setup and spike camp or do you carry camp daily? I just can’t see the point if it’s not packed up and carried daily I guess but curious! Thanks.


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[Poser]

I match the shelter to the hunting style. When I use a 2 trekking pole tent, which is often (Seek Outside Silex), I cut/break some sticks to support the shelter if need/want my poles, which is almost always if I'm hunting.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Curious, just to compare notes basically.

Where do you live? Is it rainy/stormy?

Do you carry this lightweight setup and spike camp or do you carry camp daily? I just can’t see the point if it’s not packed up and carried daily I guess but curious! Thanks.


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It depends. I hunt and backpack in a variety of places - northeast, Rockies PNW, desert southwest, etc. I am a bit of a gear head and like to try to match the gear to weather and the trip.

If I expect bugs or rain I prefer a tent. Otherwise I prefer a tarp or even just a bivy.

Spike camp vs carrying my camp varies by trip. If I am hiking into a “basecamp” I will pack a bit more weight for comfort. If I am on the move, I will try to keep it lighter. FWIW I don’t necessarily believe that tarps save that much weight over tents. If you add up a tarp, ground cloth and maybe a bug net, you are within striking distance of the weight of some tents.

 

[nwcomechanic]

It depends. I hunt and backpack in a variety of places - northeast, Rockies PNW, desert southwest, etc. I am a bit of a gear head and like to try to match the gear to weather and the trip.

If I expect bugs or rain I prefer a tent. Otherwise I prefer a tarp or even just a bivy.

Spike camp vs carrying my camp varies by trip. If I am hiking into a “basecamp” I will pack a bit more weight for comfort. If I am on the move, I will try to keep it lighter. FWIW I don’t necessarily believe that tarps save that much weight over tents. If you add up a tarp, ground cloth and maybe a bug net, you are within striking distance of the weight of some tents.

Agreed, I am a bit of a gear-head as well. I have a katabatic bug bivy, but have yet to carry it, in which case, I am quite less than at least my lightest 1 or two man tent option. Thanks!

 

[nwcomechanic]

I match the shelter to the hunting style. When I use a 2 trekking pole tent, which is often (Seek Outside Silex), I cut/break some sticks to support the shelter if need/want my poles, which is almost always if I'm hunting.

Yeah, you have to match to whatever your strategy/style will be for the hunt at hand. Absolutely.

 

[justinspicher]

I don’t backpack hunt much anymore as its just as easy to go home every night, but I still use a hammock for the majority of the year, at least until there is a substantial amount of snow on the ground. At that point I switch to a tipi. I really don’t like traditional tipis, the round ones, because they just piss me off setting them up. I like my square tipis. So much easier. My tipi is a GoLite SL4, and it has an optional floor and internal bug net. I had to modify a pole for it, but that was fairly easy.

I will still grab the hammock/tarp for 99% of my outings, it just the easiest set up I have found so far for me.

 

[nwcomechanic]

I don’t backpack hunt much anymore as its just as easy to go home every night, but I still use a hammock for the majority of the year, at least until there is a substantial amount of snow on the ground. At that point I switch to a tipi. I really don’t like traditional tipis, the round ones, because they just piss me off setting them up. I like my square tipis. So much easier. My tipi is a GoLite SL4, and it has an optional floor and internal bug net. I had to modify a pole for it, but that was fairly easy.

I will still grab the hammock/tarp for 99% of my outings, it just the easiest set up I have found so far for me.

It also seems to me like more and more once the elk get pressured that they get pushed into the fringe areas where there is little pressure because they aren't areas people "would think hold elk" in which case, why backpack in miles and miles when you can accomplish better odds of encountering elk close into proximity with private land and trailheads etc.