Floorless Shelters

[ColoradoDan]

Pretty new to this site, Aron told me about it last week on the phone when we were talking about Kifaru packs.
Anyways, with all of the backpacking I have done, I don't have much experience with floorless shelters. I can obviously see a bunch of benefits to not having a floor. However, can you let me know what, if any, are the cons of a floorless shelter? I may be in a the market for a new shelter this year on my wilderness backpacking elk hunt. Thanks.

 

[luke moffat]

For me the main con is bugs. A floored shelter you can get in, kill them all that snuck inside over night and go to bed. That said our skeeters up here in AK summer are worse than most places. We get around this problem with a nest that weighs less than a pound. So still even with the nest we have over double the space of an average 2 person floored backpacking tent for well less than most of them as our setup weighs in a 3.5 pounds for 90 sq ft of protection with 30 sq ft of which is "bug proof" and has a floor.

 

[bowhnter7]

Downside is you won't be a cool kid.

Don't worry I won't either. Still can't get myself to go floorless. I don't wanna carry and extra pad, don't want my stuff in the dirt, still can't believe water ain't coming inside. (Yes I can did a trench.....bring back the good ol Army days.)

Maybe if Aron let me borrow one to try........I dunno.

 

[ken]

Once you go floorless, its over...you'll love it.

The only downside I can see is the moisture from the ground winds up on the walls of the shelter. No biggie for me as I'm usually in a Kifaru with a stove and can beat the moisture down quite a ways...the rest I wipe off with a spare shirt, socks etc....

 

[6t4nova]

I just picked up a floorless this week. Looking forward to trying it out. Seems like bugs an moisture are pretty minor cons to a floorless setup.

 

[ColoradoDan]

Thanks guys. My wife thinks I'm crazy and refuses to sleep in a floorless setup! She has a bug phobia so it didn't surprise me. This will probably be my hunting shelter since she doesn't hunt with me. It will only be me or a hunting buddy in the shelter.

 

[ColoradoDan]

Downside is you won't be a cool kid.

Don't worry I won't either. Still can't get myself to go floorless. I don't wanna carry and extra pad, don't want my stuff in the dirt, still can't believe water ain't coming inside. (Yes I can did a trench.....bring back the good ol Army days.)

Maybe if Aron let me borrow one to try........I dunno.

So what is the weight difference when comparing apples to apples? What shelter are you using and what is the weight? I ask because I am also considering a shelter with a floor since my wife can't stand the thought of floorless. Thanks again.

 

[les welch]

I just picked up a floorless this week. Looking forward to trying it out. Seems like bugs an moisture are pretty minor cons to a floorless setup.

Until you get bit in the forehead by a spider.....just sayin...

 

[bowhnter7]

So what is the weight difference when comparing apples to apples? What shelter are you using and what is the weight? I ask because I am also considering a shelter with a floor since my wife can't stand the thought of floorless. Thanks again.

I use the Big Angus Fly Creek UL2, it's only like 2, 10 oz or something. Some of these guys will tell you it's a toy tent but it's worked well for me. It packs small and is really light. My elk camp sit's at 10K in the trees. Granted if I got 18" of snow I might be in trouble but it's yet to happen.....where's some wood? Even so I don't know if I would pack a 5" Heliberg either.

Anyways yeah in the back of my mind I know it's not bombproof but I know that and I use it to it's limitations. If I was to do a lot of 12 to 13K sets up's I might want something different cause of the wind too.

I'm on the look out and keeping my options open for something better and really close to the same weight.

 

[bowhnter7]

Until you get bit in the forehead by a spider.....just sayin...

Or you drop your contact in the dirt.....

 

[6t4nova]

Until you get bit in the forehead by a spider.....just sayin...

Just adds to the experience right?? Even with a floored tent I've had a bunch of bugs get in... or should I say trapped in.

At least with a floorless they have a chance to get out

 

[6t4nova]

Or you drop your contact in the dirt.....

Luckily I don't wear contacts... although if I did I'm not sure floorless or floored would make a difference. They are both going to have some dirt after being in them for a while

 

[ken]

Or you drop your contact in the dirt.....

I dont take mine out when camping. I'm fortunate to be one of those people who can wear them for days on end without them (usually) bothering me. I just hit'em with eyedrops a few times during the day and am GTG.

 

[bowhnter7]

I dont take mine out when camping. I'm fortunate to be one of those people who can wear them for days on end without them (usually) bothering me. I just hit'em with eyedrops a few times during the day and am GTG.

Jealous.....

 

[dotman]

I'm testing out new contacts made by airoptic that you can keep in for a month at a time, so far they work and feel much better then my daily's. All I can say is you will never understand why so many like a floorless shelter until you get one.

 

[ken]

My I doc put me onto a new kind this time around too....forget the brand. They seem a bit better than the B&L extended wears I've been using.

Really would like to get the Lasik treatment...screw these contacts...

 

[ken]

Until you get bit in the forehead by a spider.....just sayin...

I've heard some good reports about this stuff. I'd like to get a few items and see for myself. I don't like slathering up in DEET.

http://www.cedarcidestore.com/cedarproducts.html

Seems like a few squirts of the spray around inside the ole tipi oughtta keep'em knocked down for the duration. Or...Some of the shavings sprinkled around??...

 

[rye_a]

I went with a GoLite SL5 because my wife refuses to go floorless. When she is with me I can keep her happy by packing a couple extra pounds and bringing the nest. When I'm alone or hunting with buddies I can just bring the flysheet at just over 2 pounds (plus the weight of my trekking poles, which I would have anyway).

 

[ColoradoDan]

I went with a GoLite SL5 because my wife refuses to go floorless. When she is with me I can keep her happy by packing a couple extra pounds and bringing the nest. When I'm alone or hunting with buddies I can just bring the flysheet at just over 2 pounds (plus the weight of my trekking poles, which I would have anyway).

I've been looking at that exact setup to satisfy the needs of both myself and my wife. However, I am still a little confused about the nest/floor that comes with the tent. I don't have experience with nests so its tough to wrap my head around the details. Can you explain how it works with the SL5? Thanks.

 

[bowhnter7]

I've been looking at that exact setup to satisfy the needs of both myself and my wife. However, I am still a little confused about the nest/floor that comes with the tent. I don't have experience with nests so its tough to wrap my head around the details. Can you explain how it works with the SL5? Thanks.

Got a buddy that is running one of those and saw it 1st hand last weekend on a BC trip. It's basically a tent.

His is the SHangra-la2. It's a tent, with a rain fly you could use as a "tarp with a door" if you wanted to. You can search youtube and such and finds some vids and pics.

I was leaning this way as another tent/tarp option as it's like 8x less than the ****** stuff but I dunno. Seems to me it packs about as big as my other old tent (MSR Hubba 2) and with the "nest" it weights in about the same too plug you have to have two poles or two sticks and a bunch of guy lines.

So for now I stick to the BA FC2 until I find or try something.