Seek Outside Tipi for a moose hunt out of Bethel

[Chukardogs]

Was looking for some feed back from anyone that has used their tipi on a lake hunt. Was not having a floor an issue? I have used it on wet ground before but not Alaska wet. I like the idea of not having a wet and muddy floor for ten days. I am also planning on using a tarp or tyvek under the sleeping side.

 

[mcseal2]

We loved ours on that hunt. Days of rain with no issues. We had liners and used cots. I would definitely use a cot if you have the weight allowance. We did not use a large floor but had 55 gallon drum liners to stand on if needed. We used Tingley ultralight rubber boots as camp shoes bought a size to big to be easy to slip on. We wore them right to the cot and didnt need a floor. We went late September and bugs werent a big issue.

 

[AKDoc]

You're asking a good question, and mcseal2 gave you a helpful response. I'm sure you'll get additional feedback from others...there are definite pros/cons to taking a tipi on this hunt.

I have a 4-man SO tipi (without nests) and a titanium stove (medium), that I bring on that hunt for my hunting partner and I. We have used it as a sleeping shelter on float trips with liners, but with drop-hunts we use it (without liners) as a shelter from extended days of wind and rain, and a place to dry gear and get warm as needed. We also each have our own 2-man Hilleberg Staika on drop-hunts that we use solo for sleeping at night. The Staika is impressively storm-worthy, and it has earned my respect as a totally reliable shelter that has gotten me through some insanely crazy storms in that area...also, my hunting partner snores like a freaking freight train so sharing a tent is definitely not preferred. That said, if I absolutely had to skinny down to make weight, I'd go with just the tipi.

You are correct in assuming that the ground will be wet, and/or it will likely be very uneven tundra. No matter what you bring for shelter, definitely bring a lite-weight cot and thermal sleeping pad to adapt the ground conditions, as well as a ground cover big enough to put under each cot with the tipi, and you will be good to go. The mosquito situation is variable and manageable in the tipi at night in September, but the spiders seem ever present. I see them inside the rainfly of the Staika pretty much continuously. When sleeping in the tipi I find myself swatting spiders off my neck in the sleeping bag several nights during the trip. I'm really not spider aversive, but some of them do bite and leave a good welt.

 

[mcseal2]

Glad we didn't run into much spider trouble. We saw a few but no bites and I never noticed any crawling on me. I slept with my hood up on my fleece layer, so maybe it limited where I could feel them. Only my face was exposed when sleeping the way I did it.

To the OP This is the article I wrote and thread about our 2018 hunt out of Bethel, and a lot of what I did right and wrong. It might help you if you haven't read it yet.

Some things I learned on my first moose hunting trip:

I'll add to this later but have a few minutes while my wife is getting ready to type a little about what I learned on my first AK moose hunt. We hunted with Papa Bear Adventures and had a good hunt. I took a bull I was very happy with and my buddy shot a smaller one late in the hunt. We had a...

www.rokslide.com

 

[AKDoc]

One last thing....whatever shelter you bring, be sure to upgrade the stakes you bring. You'll need longer and different designed stakes than typical for effective use in the tundra.

These are the two that I have used with success and will be taking again this fall:


https://www.rei.com/product/829839/msr-cyclone-tent-stakes-package-of-4

REI Co-op Snow Stake | REI Co-op

The REI Snow Stake is the perfect choice for snow camping.

www.rei.com

 

[Scottf270]

Hunted with Papa Bear last year. We used their Cabelas Outfitter tent. It had a floor and vestibule. Easy to put up and worked great. Had also used same model on Kodiak when hunting bear.
I thought having a floor was great and a lot drier and cleaner. We had several tarps up for outside storage, cooking, sitting around etc.
We never wore boots in the tent. Switched to crocs around camp. Swept floor with a rag a time or two. Used breakdown cots. Slept well.
Are you not renting equipment from someone? Using Papa or Renfros?

 

[ReinsuranceShooter]

Don’t advertise too loudly that you can rent the equipment... if my wife reads that she will slash my equipment budget!

 

[rayporter]

a four man would hinder me a lot. i took a 6 man on 2 floats and the room will be a boon.
we camped at 2 lakes and found the area around our lakes easy to make a camp. on the river you took what was there at dark. just a tarp on the floor is fine. liner probably a good idea. i skipped the liner and had some condensation.

if the lake has been used before a camp site is probably ready.

 

[Chukardogs]

Thanks for all of the insight everyone. My partner and I are booked with Renfros for next year. We are going to rent a few things from them however we have a lot of the gear that we are going to bring/ship. AKDoc thanks for the advice on the stakes we will procure plenty of those. I think we will go with the tepee because it is nice to be able to stand and the room will be nice in case we are weathered in. I read t your report mcseal2 and it answered plenty of questions.

 

[Chukardogs]

Okay I am going to throw another one at the guys from the lower 48. Is it possible to bring a skull back down in order to Euro mount it? I know I can have it done in alaska and have it shipped. If not then I can just mount it on a reproduction. I have high ceilings so it would not be that noticeable but I would always know. This is assuming I am successful. I have read some things about this but am still unsure.

 

[diamond10x]

I have a SO 8 man tipi I used on our moose float hunt in 2019. We brought our stove, half liner, and half floor for the side we slept on. It worked phenomenally and only complaint was we should have brought another liner for the other side when you are cooped up in it all day weathering out a storm. There was plenty of room for 3 of us and all our gear. We endured a pretty good storm for 4-5 days and stayed warm and dry. Spiders weren’t an issue of all the places we camped but they were around. Having the half floor was nice because we didn’t have to worry about tracking in muddy/dirty boots and gear and getting the tipi dirty. We were more than comfortable for 16 days and honestly were bummed we couldn’t stay another 16 days in there. I honestly don’t see myself ever trying or using another shelter for that type of hunt.

AKDoc mentioned stakes... this is a must. I bought some MSR cyclone knock off’s from Amazon for about half the price. Something longer and that has more surface area to grab a hold of the tundra/swamp is needed. The stakes SO includes with their tipi will pop out with any decent wind.

 

[diamond10x]

Okay I am going to throw another one at the guys from the lower 48. Is it possible to bring a skull back down in order to Euro mount it? I know I can have it done in alaska and have it shipped. If not then I can just mount it on a reproduction. I have high ceilings so it would not be that noticeable but I would always know. This is assuming I am successful. I have read some things about this but am still unsure.

We brought back the skull cap and hide for a shoulder mount for the one bull we killed on our trip last year. We hadn’t cleaned the cap with anything but a knife from the field. We did make sure we had it covered and taped really well. I would imagine it wouldn’t be a problem for an entire skull as long as it is cleaned well, doesn’t stink, and covered with plastic and taped up well. With that said though it probably also depends on the airline and who’s there checking checked bags.

 

[Buckeye Htr]

Enjoyed the post. I had the same questions! I am finding so many answers and helpful insight as a new member! Thanks everyone. I had already purchased the SO Redcliff W/half liner and stove and you all made me feel like it was the right decision. I will be ordering longer stakes tomorrow. Thanks

 

[NUGGET]

I’m a minimalist in life so almost all the time I take floorless. But for moose hunting I always take a tent with a floor.

Good luck this fall!!

 

[Kevin Dill]

I've never used anything but a floorless shelter (tipi) on my Alaska hunts. I also know several others who can say the same. However, I haven't hunted out of Bethel and don't know the terrain there. What I DO know is that we're all built differently in terms of preferences and methods. What I think works perfectly might be a big disappointment to you. All you can do is try to know yourself, and learn everything possible about the area where you'll camp/hunt.

That said, an ultralight cot is the greatest invention since freeze-dried meals. If you believe it will be wet or muddy at your camp, take plenty of Tyvek. You can cut a rectangular piece to go under/beside your bed. Use sod staples (look them up) to punch through the Tyvek and hold it down. It works, and it works quite well. Ounce for ounce, Tyvek is about as good as it gets for a combination of strength, durability and light weight.

btw.....I'm currently awaiting a new Redcliff, full liners and a U-Turn stove for my future hunts.

 

[hunt1up]

We took our 12 man Seek Outside to AK for our first moose hunt this past September. It worked excellent. With the titanium stove the ground dried out well and it was never muddy at all in the tent. There were a few spiders but once we got the grass all beat down and the the tipi "lived in" the bugs seemed to disperse.

One thing I'd recommend if using a stove that's low to the ground. Be sure to REALLY clear the grass around it and even after that, place some aluminum foil on the ground under it. As the ground got really dry around it we routinely had roots and such on the ground wanting to burn. A nice big piece of foil cured that.

We did have a mouse that enjoyed coming in our tipi. One morning there was mouse turds on my toothpaste tube and one night the little %#*^%# ran across my buddy in the night. So I made a point to keep as much of my stuff off the ground. I've since added the leg extension kit for my cot to my gear inventory. The rodent thing happens in WY and elsewhere too so it's not uncommon. It's not too big of a deal though. I've also since bought one of those ultralight camp tables to keep my gear up off the ground. They're extremely light and very handy. Good for eating and holding a tasty cocktail as well.

Having used a tipi for 3 years now, I'm hooked. The size, weight, and simplicity is hard to beat.

 

[standswittaknife]

We will be using that exact tipi this fall. We used a kifaru 8 man in 2016 and it worked amazing. A couple pieces of Tyvek for the floor and your good. We also, and will again, use the sand stakes from Kifaru with the Seek Outside Tent. In my opinion without the right stakes in hand you are asking for a potential life threatening position you could be in.

 

[Kevin Dill]

In my opinion without the right stakes in had you are asking for a potential life threatening position you could be in.

Gospel. Been there and experienced that.

 

[mooster]

Used an 8 man Kifaru tipi on a lakeside bou hunt last year. There was only two of us so abundant space allowed even pack storage inside. Was great not having to take boots off inside shelter. Lots of head room and could hang wet items above stove. Inside the lower sides of walls allowed for firewood and gear storage out of elements. We used cots and had a garbage bag under to place essential items absolutely didn’t want wet, but it was over cautious as floor area always stayed dried. I have a full liner so zero condensation issues.

 

[passinggas33]

We took a SO Redcliff with bug netting and an SXL stove out of Bethel with Renfros in 2018 as well. We, like many others, bought the cyclone knock offs via amazon and they worked great. We had 4 of us, and two of us slept in the tipi and two slept in a 4 man hilleberg. We wanted a “backup” shelter if one of them had a catastrophic failure. It worked well. We used the tipi to have meals together and to dry out our gear. In Alaska, that stove was well worth it and really helped with moral. Mosquitos weren’t as issue for us, but as many have said, there were a fair amount of spiders. We took cheap Walmart tarps for under our cots and they worked fine. But when I go back I’ll take some tyvek as it is lighter (but wash it a few times so it’s not so loud) and would work just as well. Small changes I personally would make, I would take a lightweight bivy to keep all my stuff together on top of the cot and to keep the spiders off me. My brother ended up with an infection in his knee from a spider bite up there. Other than that small hiccup it was great.

One small note about my experience up there. All of those outfitters charge about 1k for rental and food. When we sat down and did the math, we could buy a lot of new and better gear, and way more food than they were offering. The only challenging was getting it there, but some Rubbermaid action packer totes took care of that problem. With shipping costs, I was $200 more than had we rented gear, but I came home with a lot of new gear. If you already have some of the gear, and are willing to put in some effort, I personally wouldn’t rent gear. Your just not sure what you will get, nor are you comfortable with it. Anyway, just my 2 cents.