Tent for BRA

[Thess87]

Hey guys going with BRA next year what tent would you recommend for two of us. Don’t particularly want a sardine cane in case we are stuck in it for a day or so.

 

[VernAK]

For most fly-in hunts, weight is a consideration and wind is another issue.

There are several good tents out there that will handle this but my choice was a Hilleberg Tarra.
A bit larger and heavier than some but quite bullet proof.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Are you doing a drop camp and flying in a beaver?


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[Thess87]

Not sure which plane but yeah fly in drop camp.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Well given the fact that there’s only two of you and it’s going to be a drop camp, I would want something that is both durable in the wind and something that you have a fair amount of room in to move around. Chances are weight is not going to be a huge consideration, even if you’re flying in something a little smaller like a 206. I’ve done several drop camp and float hunts up there, with two people and quite a bit a gear, and used a 6 person Cabela’s Alaska Guide Dome tent. I won’t say that the tent is bombproof, but it is a very worthy tent in harsh conditions, and it provides plenty of room for two people. If you’re looking for something that’s absolutely bomb proof and money is no object, the Arctic Oven tents are second to none. They are heavy and, like I said, pricey but they’re also the best shelter you’ll find that’s not made out of lumber and cement.


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[Blackfoot]

Used BRA this year.... great service...would use them again. HOWEVER!!! Check their math!!! They had us 300 pounds over before flyout and I didn’t think something was right because we had preweighed before getting there...Don’t trust some old guy doing the math in his head. Trust but verify....

 

[soggybtmboys]

I went with BRA this year and you want a 4 season tent. We used several different types between our group. My stepdaughter and I were in a Cabelas XPG 4 man. It was comfortable and held up in wind we had come ripping thru the pass one morning at near 50 mph and it held up fine. Bathtub floor was great and kept water out. Double vestibule is a definite plus for gear if you opt not to go with a 6 man for the extra storage space. We got really lucky and did not weather in at all, but can see where head room would be a bonus on weathered in days. My tent weighed 14 lbs packed. BRA, you will have the luxury of additional weight allowances, so you can go bigger if you want. My group of 8 flew out with #2751 total fly weight. 2 of our guys had a 6 man Marmot, it was HUGE, but gave them alot of space.

 

[thnksno]

We used the Cabelas Alaskan guide 6 man when we went with bra. One had aluminum poles and one had the fiberglass. We had a ton of wind and by the end of the trip the aluminum one was all bent up. The fiberglass held up better.

 

[Wigeon kryptonite]

Worked out for us to have several tents. One to sleep in and one to eat/store gear when it’s raining.


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[USMC2602]

Went with BRA last year. My buddy and I had the Cabelas Alaskan Guide 4 man, our 2 other buddies had the Cabelas Alaskan Guide 6 man. Both held up well, no issues, but would definitely go with the 6 man if we did it again. Can’t imagine having a weight issue going with BRA. We had a ton of gear and food, even had room for some very expensive adult beverages we picked up at the lodge before departure.

 

[mcseal2]

How many days long are hunts with BRA or are they flexible?

Is an 8 man tipi a bad idea for a shelter? We have a Seek Outside with the bug nets and a removable floor, but its not the same as a tent with a bathtub floor. I'm guessing that the wood stove wouldn't be much use up there so I wasn't planning to take it.

We are hoping to go in September.

I am in the process of trying to get booked with them for next year right now. I've talked to them once and am waiting for a return call to finalize things. Depending on the length of the hunt we may have 2 or 3 hunters. One guy can't get off for more than 7 days in the field plus travel days (at least planned days, he understands Alaska). The other two of us are flexible on hunt length.

If it's two of us we would have tons of extra weight allowance, if it's 3 things will be a little tighter but doable. They said we'd need to be under 900lbs for all people, gear, everything.

Thanks for the help. I figured resurrecting this thread might be as good as starting a new one.

 

[rayporter]

I took a 6 man tipi and it was fine. we just had a tarp on the floor on wet days.

 

[AK Troutbum]

How many days long are hunts with BRA or are they flexible?

Is an 8 man tipi a bad idea for a shelter? We have a Seek Outside with the bug nets and a removable floor, but its not the same as a tent with a bathtub floor. I'm guessing that the wood stove wouldn't be much use up there so I wasn't planning to take it.

We are hoping to go in September.

I am in the process of trying to get booked with them for next year right now. I've talked to them once and am waiting for a return call to finalize things. Depending on the length of the hunt we may have 2 or 3 hunters. One guy can't get off for more than 7 days in the field plus travel days (at least planned days, he understands Alaska). The other two of us are flexible on hunt length.

If it's two of us we would have tons of extra weight allowance, if it's 3 things will be a little tighter but doable. They said we'd need to be under 900lbs for all people, gear, everything.

Thanks for the help. I figured resurrecting this thread might be as good as starting a new one.

I’ve only hunted up there a few times, but as far as the wood/no wood thing goes, if you are around a river, it’s been my experience that finding firewood is not difficult.


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[mcseal2]

Thanks everyone.

 

[mcseal2]

I guess that location and wood availability is darn sure a question to ask. A river will have driftwood and probably something dry, at least the ones I've camped on in the past have. Guess no river I've been on has been anywhere near that far north either! A lake camp will be much more limited in wood more than likely depending on what drains into it. The wood stove I have is 50oz that sounds like it could be worthless or priceless depending on where we end up.

Thanks everyone.

 

[mooster]

Our transporter recommended a hot tent or tentipi with a lightweight stove for a late September hunt. He said small firewood should be available around water. Just another idea. I’m looking also, my hunt is fall ‘19

 

[rayporter]

the river I was on had wood but not very much. it was slim pickins for sure. don't forget that that struff burns fast.

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks everyone.

 

[shanny28757]

How many days long are hunts with BRA or are they flexible?

Is an 8 man tipi a bad idea for a shelter? We have a Seek Outside with the bug nets and a removable floor, but its not the same as a tent with a bathtub floor. I'm guessing that the wood stove wouldn't be much use up there so I wasn't planning to take it.

We are hoping to go in September.

I am in the process of trying to get booked with them for next year right now. I've talked to them once and am waiting for a return call to finalize things. Depending on the length of the hunt we may have 2 or 3 hunters. One guy can't get off for more than 7 days in the field plus travel days (at least planned days, he understands Alaska). The other two of us are flexible on hunt length.

If it's two of us we would have tons of extra weight allowance, if it's 3 things will be a little tighter but doable. They said we'd need to be under 900lbs for all people, gear, everything.

Thanks for the help. I figured resurrecting this thread might be as good as starting a new one.

We are flying this year with BRA. We fly into the bush on a Friday and come out the next Friday.

I was also looking at an 8 man tipi for our trip. Three guys. Would love to have head room to stand up and get dressed or stretch out in case we are socked in. No floor on the tundra worried me a bit but it seems like plenty of guys use them. We are going mid August so bugs might also be a concern. Wood would be great but that seems to be very dependent on where you get dropped BUT with BRA you can probably bring a stove without sacrificing weight somewhere else.

 

[rayporter]

the farther you get from the river the mushier the ground gets. and there it more scrub to pitch around. the six had little trouble finding a hole for camping but the 12 would have been tougher.

the most comfortable camps were on pea gravel at the end of a gravel bar. sand was ok but harder to sleep on as it packed fast. I took a paddle and scraped the ground level and then made a depression for my fanny in the sand whereas the pea gravel only required you to lay down a wiggle and the gravel fit your frame instantly. and drained well with no sand to track in.