Sleep system recommendations

[smokinbobf4]

So I believe I will be doing my first backcountry hunt this September in Montana. We are looking at going in mid to late September with about 8500’ elevation. Not sure what to expect for temps, could be 80 and could be snowing from what I hear. Going to be about 4-5 days and going through and up some nasty stuff so weight is a concern. I know the lighter it is the more you spend, but not being sure if this is something that I may do again, I don’t want to spend too much for the first outing. Not sure if each guy should have a tent or if it’s better to just get one big enough for 2? I am 6’4” and he is 6’7” so it can’t be too small. I know I would like a floor and other than that, I don’t know much about them. Also would like to know about sleeping bag. I have a Kelty (can’t remember the model) that is a 20* bag, but not sure that it would be warm enough if we get bad weather. Any help would be appreciated.


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[Rllewis77]

I would definitely recommend each person getting your own tent . Unless you can truck camp and bring a really big tent and not worry about weight . I wouldnt wanna share a tiny tent with another smelly dude . Get a good sleeping pad with a good r value . Like 3 or higher.


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[Rllewis77]

Rei has tents on sale right now . Get a 2 man . Im 6’5” 220 and cant imagine having less room than a 2 man .


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[sneaky]

If you guys share a tent, it better be a 4 man or you'll hate life. I would recommend a pad with an R value of 4.5 or higher, higher the better. The pad is the link in the system that everyone skimps on and it comes back to haunt them. Only you can decide if that 20 degree bag will work for you. Wear your insulation layers to bed if you need to.

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[smokinbobf4]

Gotcha! 2 tents it is! Any recommendations on a lighter tent that isn’t too heavy?


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[Jagger0502]

If you don’t mind going floorless I am a big fan of seek outside and mountain laurel design tents. Both are great and have a lot of options. My main tent for solo is the silex from seek outside. Pack weight is 1lb 5 ounces. (Including stakes and cords) It would fit you and your gear no problem if you use trekking poles it would be a good option.

if you wanted to run one tent for both of you I would recommend the cimmeron from seek. Packed weight is 3 lb 3 ounces. That is what I am taking this year for myself and a buddy on our hike in trip. Weight is minimal when splitting the weight between two people.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Big Agnes copper spur or rei half dome are good, reasonably priced tents. I agree about separate shelters. My brother (6’5”) and I (6’3”) did a single 3-man tent in yellow stone two years ago. Between cramped quarters, farting and snoring we broke out into separate shelters for the back half of the trip. Floorless is an interesting options as bugs will be less of an issue.

get a good sleeping pad. Sea to summit, thermarest, klymit

not sure about sleeping bag for those temps but 20* feels a little light. My limited experience in Montana on shoulder seasons suggests you May want something warmer. I would be bring at least a 0* bag for September.

 

[smokinbobf4]

Big Agnes copper spur or rei half dome are good, reasonably priced tents. I agree about separate shelters. My brother (6’5”) and I (6’3”) did a single 3-man tent in yellow stone two years ago. Between cramped quarters, farting and snoring we broke out into separate shelters for the back half of the trip. Floorless is an interesting options as bugs will be less of an issue.

get a good sleeping pad. Sea to summit, thermarest, klymit

not sure about sleeping bag for those temps but 20* feels a little light. My limited experience in Montana on shoulder seasons suggests you May want something warmer. I would be bring at least a 0* bag for September.

I get that on 2 tents after everyone has commented about that. I would like to go floored for whatever reason though. I have a Nemo tensor pad now that is comfortable but I need to make sure that it’s the insulated version. Also I was in about 40*, maybe a bit under with the 20* kelty and the first night I was fairly cold but I slept in boxers. The second night I wore my light base and I was plenty warm. But I think it might be good to get a 0* or less bag. I think I could make it work but being cold sucks.


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[rayporter]

if you are cold and dont know why -it is your pad.
if you toss and turn all night from cold spots -it is your pad. even with a zero rated bag.

 

[1shotgear]

You should take a look at the Stone Glacier Chilkoot sleeping bag. They are super lightweight and fit taller guys. If you are both going to run your own tent and you want to go ultralight, check out the SkyAir ULT. It is a lightweight floor-less shelter that works great for early season hunts!

 

[smokinbobf4]

You should take a look at the Stone Glacier Chilkoot sleeping bag. They are super lightweight and fit taller guys. If you are both going to run your own tent and you want to go ultralight, check out the SkyAir ULT. It is a lightweight floor-less shelter that works great for early season hunts!

I would like to get the chilkoot as I’m a huge fan of sg stuff, but it’s just not in the budget.


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[Whiskey_Fish]

The two tents thing seems weird to me. We split a Copper Spur UL 3 and use a small tarp for extra gear. It’s been just fine. It’s significantly lighter than two tents in my opinion. Plus makes it easier to game plan the next morning etc.


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[Where's Bruce?]

I prefer to pack my own tent and take a 2-3 man SS2. If something bad happens to my buddy's tent...we aren't screwed. We can fit everything into mine. It would be helpful to understand the budgetary constraints so we aren't recommending a bunch of gear that's outside your price range.

 

[smokinbobf4]

Really I would like to keep it around $200 a piece for the tent and bag but not sure what I can get for that


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[_Scooter_]

You guys are both really tall (I'm 6'2 and short compared to both of you) and even when I would share a 2-person backpacking tent with someone shorted than me it's been a tight squeeze. As far as $200 for both the tent and the bag, that's going to be tough while also keeping the weight down.

REI tents have always treated me very well. You can spend a ton more for something just a little lighter, but for me I couldn't rationalize the huge jump in price for just a little bit of weight savings and REI has been making solid, well-made tents for quite a while now.

They recently came out with the Flash Air. You could save quite a bit of weight and just get the Flash Air 1 for yourself. If you want more room to stretch out go for the Quarter Dome SL2.

Whenever I'd head up into the mountains in Colorado in the fall I'd always bring a 5-15 degree down bag.

You literally just missed the Memorial Day sale where you could get 20% off one full-price item.

 

[smokinbobf4]

You guys are both really tall (I'm 6'2 and short compared to both of you) and even when I would share a 2-person backpacking tent with someone shorted than me it's been a tight squeeze. As far as $200 for both the tent and the bag, that's going to be tough while also keeping the weight down.

REI tents have always treated me very well. You can spend a ton more for something just a little lighter, but for me I couldn't rationalize the huge jump in price for just a little bit of weight savings and REI has been making solid, well-made tents for quite a while now.

They recently came out with the Flash Air. You could save quite a bit of weight and just get the Flash Air 1 for yourself. If you want more room to stretch out go for the Quarter Dome SL2.

Whenever I'd head up into the mountains in Colorado in the fall I'd always bring a 5-15 degree down bag.

You literally just missed the Memorial Day sale where you could get 20% off one full-price item.

Thanks for the info. And just to clarify, I would like to spend $200 or less on a bag and same for a tent. Total of $400 or less


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[sneaky]

You are way too tall to fit into a Flash Air 1 tent, so take that off of your list. The height of both of you is going to severely limit your choices in tents, either solo tents, or if you split a tent. A two man tent you can sleep on an angle to stay away from hitting end walls, but you can't do that in a one man tent. Unless you get a SoLong6 from LightHeart Gear. One of the very few tents made for really tall people. $400 budget for tent and bag is going to be tough. Sleep gear is one thing you don't want to skimp on. If you don't get good sleep, your hunt is going to be miserable in short order.

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[wind gypsy]

If you've never been out west elk hunting do yourself a favor and truck camp until you know you're actually benefiting from packing in camp. You can get away with cheap stuff at your pickup. Spend your time walking around light and looking for elk rather than worrying about campsite logistics, filling up water, and burning yourself up with a heavier pack.

Any spot that you could reasonably shoot and pack out your first elk from can be day hunted just fine.

 

[CO-AJ]

I will recommend the XPED sleeping pad with at least an R value of 5. Also you could throw in a western mountaineering, or other company liner, which would help with the bag rating. Would depend on how much you fill up the current bag. As for the tent, absolutely 2 separate tents, and I would say a 2 man size that way you can keep your gear inside, get any width sleeping pad, and potentially still have room in the vestibule to cook up a hot breakfast. On the pricey but light side, seek outside, MLD, HMG, Tarptent, Six Moon, most of these are NOT frestanding so you would need trekking poles and space to stake it in. On the medium priced side and a bit heavier Big Agnes and MSR. My $.02 have fun shopping.

 

[swanny]

Take everyones advice and make sure you are getting a good 3rd party certified (ASTM rated) sleeping mat. It will be a big help in being sure that your entire system works together. A quality mat, a quality sleeping bag, and a good tent go a long ways and last a long time also. Buy once, cry once.