Tents.....lets do this ONE more time....lol

[13bonatter69]

I know it has been talked about a dozen or more times, but lets do it again!!! LOL
I am upgrading my last two pieces of gear for next hunting season......My tent and Sleeping bag! I just ordered a Western mountaineering puma gws -25 sleeping bag. Now I need to pick a tent.
I want to get a great tent for doing all of my backpack spike camp hunting. I would obviously like to get a great deal on one, but price is not as important to me as comfort, weight and durability. I have a couple tents that are looking pretty good to me. However, Im open to any other tents as well, so PLEASE don't hold back with your experiences......
Some of the ones I am looking at are

Sierra Designs lightning ul2
Big Agnes.....several tents of theirs
Cabelas XPG ul2
Helliberg nallo2
Big Agnes shield 2

I would like to be able to use my tent in the later seasons when snow is on the ground as well as early september archery hunts. I hate to have to carry anything too heavy, also I am a little concerned about condensation getting my new bag damp or wet. I know that a wet (down sleeping bag) is worthless.
I have never had a single wall tent design and so I am not sure how good of a choice that is with condensation issues, but I know they are a little better durability and warmth.
So, what say you? Thanks for any and all opinions and experiences.....

 

[DWinVA]

I had the SD lightning and didn't care for crawling in & out the front. Realized I wanted and needed dual doors and dual vestibules. After a lot of research I chose the Tarptent Stratospire 2. You may want to give it a look. Good luck.

God Bless.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

Look at TarpTent. If you want the tent to stand up to some snow, then look at their 4-season models. Very light and very sturdy. These tents have a huge following on Backpackinglight.com for a reason.

 

[Colberjs]

I bought a Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT last summer and used it on a few weekend trips this past season here in OK. At 6'3" I had plenty of room to sleep but getting in and out with the pole right in the front door was definitely awkward and I'd really like more headroom. I could sit up at the highest point but couldn't move around much. I'm thinking something along the lines of a Seek Outside Cimmarron or a Luna 4 from Bearpaw and have a stove jack added for cold weather use. My propane buddy heater had me nervous in the Mountainsmith with the low walls/ceiling.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Id definitely be looking at a tent you can put a stove inside like a kifaru sawtooth or tipi. There are more options out there as well...

 

[hooker]

http://www.kuiu.com/hunting-tents-s...12002_color=Gunmetal-Orange&cgid=sleep-system

 

[13bonatter69]

I REALLY like the looks of that KUIU. Surprisingly, I tried to research it and pulled up a lot of bad reviews.......looks like they have went back to the drawing board though. Does anyone know if everything has been fixed. Looks like a lot of people didn't care for the tent material NOT being siliconized as well as a couple other issues.
Since Im not a really a "techy" type of guy, I am not up on all of these materials at all. Is there certain things that I should be wanting in the material category that will insure a better product of others??? Thanks

 

[CrzyTrekker]

I REALLY like the looks of that KUIU. Surprisingly, I tried to research it and pulled up a lot of bad reviews.......looks like they have went back to the drawing board though. Does anyone know if everything has been fixed. Looks like a lot of people didn't care for the tent material NOT being siliconized as well as a couple other issues.

Bought a bunch of KUIU clothing in 2012 and still using it hard. However, I would never go with a company's first efforts at an ultralight tent. Lots of proven designers out there.

 

[Rockhammer]

I have a Hillegerg Nallo 2GT and a Kifaru Sawtooth paired with a TiGoat large WiFi stove. I love both setups but I utilize them for different conditions. Overall I think the Hilleberg is more versatile and can be used in a larger variety of conditions.

 

[13bonatter69]

Rockhammer....I am leaning towards the standard hilleberg Nallo, but just a touch worried about weight and condinsatio. If I could figure out a way to get the weight to five pounds I would probably just go that route.

 

[BroodBuster]

If you buy the Nallo you'll never have to buy another tent again.

Mine has gotten most of its use while spring steelheading in a rainforest. My soaking wet Brittany loves the Nallo and, even more, my 20* WM bag and I've never gotten cold or experianced condensation issues.

The Nallo3 is perfect for two. For strictly solo backpacking hunting I'd look at the Akto or Ennen to save weight. They also have a smaller footprint so its easier to find an off trail spot.

 

[13bonatter69]

Broodbuster......do you think the Ennan and Akto have enough room for a single hunter and his gear? Thanks Also...have you ever weighed your Nallo on a postal scale to see exactly what it weighs? Thanks

 

[Shrek]

Floorless with a stove for cold weather camping. Think of how good it feels to come home from being out in the cold all day and sitting in front of a wood stove at home. Same thing in your tent. Heat to chase the cold out of your bones and getting into your bag warm and dry is awesome ! Sawtooth and a large oval or wifi.

 

[three5x5s]

There is plenty of room in the Akto for me, BUT..I'm 5'4 130 pounds. getting dressed maybe a challenge for you if you are bigger then me and almost everyone is. I had plenty of room for my gear in the vestibule. Gun or bow with me in the tent, I like that in rain you can sit in the tent and cook out on the ground so you dont spill in the tent or get wet., I like a side entry better than a front. If you can get by with 3 season the 2015 Ennan is the way to go, 2016 will be a little heavier according to Rob @ S&S archery.

 

[Rockhammer]

13Bonatter69, for weight savings the Nallo can be utilized without the outer shell, though I wouldn't do this below 40 degrees. I have not experienced any problems with condensation using the Nallo.

I am willing to deal with a little extra weight for the GT as it gives me a space for cooking out of the elements.

I'm also going to have to wholeheartedly agree with Shrek. You cannot beat a floorless with a wood stove for cold weather camping!

 

[BroodBuster]

I've never weighed either my Nallo3 or my Akto.

At 5'9" the Akto is plenty big. In fact I find it the perfect size. I typically hang/cache my food bag and keep my pack outside in a 3 mil contractor bag so I don't need a big vestibule. I pretty much only use the vestibule for boots, bow, empty stuff sacks and my morning cup of coffee. This system works well for me as I've yet to run into a bear looking for a mid night caffein fix .

The Nallo vestibule is big enough to hold everything you could pack in. I just don't find that necessary after years of tarp/bivy camping.

If I'm carrying the Nallo3 I have a partner with me and we can split the weight. And again it's the perfect size for two.

 

[BroodBuster]

Floorless with a stove for cold weather camping. Think of how good it feels to come home from being out in the cold all day and sitting in front of a wood stove at home. Same thing in your tent. Heat to chase the cold out of your bones and getting into your bag warm and dry is awesome ! Sawtooth and a large oval or wifi.

I'm not going to argue this as a Sawtooth/stove is the next tent I'll add to the family but........
now to argue this .

Think how nice it is to have been following a herd of elk all day just to have put them to bed four miles and a couple of ridges away from the Sawtooth. Opposed to being able to set up the Akto on the nearest flat spot .

 

[Rockhammer]

Excellent point Broodbuster, the vestibule is NOT a cooking space in bear country!

 

[BroodBuster]

Excellent point Broodbuster, the vestibule is NOT a cooking space in bear country!

Oh I don't know about that. I do sleep with a lb of highly stinky coffee grounds every night. I'm not the best example of keeping a bear safe camp. Unless I'm seeing lots of bear sign I don't put in a lot of effort stashing my food bag most often hanging it from the same tree as my platypus a few feet from the tent.

Having said that I typically eat my big MH meal in the afternoon heat when I'm reloading water. I like to hunt until dark and almost always setting up camp nearby. A shot of whisky and a snack and I'm asleep soon after. My backpacking hunts all occur in Sept so the days are long and the nights are short. Later in the year with short days and long nights I can see the Sawtooth base camp making more sense.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

Used an Akto for one week of hunting in the San Juan Mountains last September. Good tent, great protection from the weather. Just a bit heavy for what it is. For a one man tent, it also requires a fairly large area to pitch well. I'll be keeping mine for some cold weather backpacking, but I'm upgrading to a TarpTent Protrail for bivy hunting, which, at less than 2lbs will perform the same duty and is very robust.

I consider my Nallo 2 to be a family camping tent. It's fairly bombproof like most Hilleberg models, but heavy for what it is. With the one front entrance, ventilation suffers and it's quite hot during the summer. I'm keeping it for backpack trips with my wife and boys.