Tips for late season car/truck camping (no hot tents)

[Aaron-in-CO]

Thanks for the feedback so far, everyone. Man, you guys have me looking at wall tent rentals now.

I know a hot tent is definitely superior for comfort and convenience which can be hard to come by in the mountains that time of year. It will work its way into my inventory, just not this year unfortunately.

I do believe I have the necessary bag/pad combo to get some decent sleep.

But yes, I do have concerns about keeping things dry and keeping morale up without a hot shelter. I'm not expecting to stay way up there, though. Currently eyeing 7000ft for camp.

@downthepipe I don't have it yet, but planning to upgrade from a sedan to an xterra in the next few weeks.

 

[Werty]

Depending where your at, how much time you have. Plan on going to town one day in the middle, it helps with rest and morale.

 

[*zap*]

Thanks for the feedback so far, everyone. Man, you guys have me looking at wall tent rentals now.

I know a hot tent is definitely superior for comfort and convenience which can be hard to come by in the mountains that time of year. It will work its way into my inventory, just not this year unfortunately.

I do believe I have the necessary bag/pad combo to get some decent sleep.

But yes, I do have concerns about keeping things dry and keeping morale up without a hot shelter. I'm not expecting to stay way up there, though. Currently eyeing 7000ft for camp.

@downthepipe I don't have it yet, but planning to upgrade from a sedan to an xterra in the next few weeks.

You do not need a wall tent to have a hot tent.

 

[Fatcamp]

Kodiak and a Buddy Heater is the easy button and affordable. This Fall we are switching to a pop up camper per my wife. We shall see, she says she has a plan.

Jordan just did a podcast on this very topic. I found it a good conversation.

Road Camps with Travis Hobbs

This week our friend Travis Hobbs joins us to discuss road camps. Travis has one of the best wall tent camps I've been around and it's worth talking about. Wall tents vs trailers, heating solutions, coolers for cooling and not freezing, accessories and must haves.

www.rokslide.com

 

[displacedtexan]

Depending where your at, how much time you have. Plan on going to town one day in the middle, it helps with rest and morale.

As I've gotten older I'm more and more convinced that this the best way.

 

[displacedtexan]

A tent with jack and stove can be had for under $400

 

[atfrith]

I have a Cimarron with wood stove that I'd be happy to lend you for your hunt. Would be a tight fit with 3 dudes, but doable. PM me if interested. Leaving shortly for an elk hunt and will be out of service for a few days, If you don't get a response from me right away.

 

[dutch_henry]

A tent with jack and stove can be had for under $400

Good point. $400 still an investment, but cheaper than a miserable hunt.

White Duck Outdoors bell tents (like their regatta) have been the subject of a few threads here lately. They currently have a $100 off coupon (TENTS100), which brings them to 599-699 for a standing room canvas bell tent with a stove jack. I haven't seen or used them but there are some fans.

But if that + wood stove is out of budget, imo any standing room tent with a buddy heater and ample propane supply will work. Just make sure to really vent the tent or condensation will build up.

 

[Marble]

If there is snow on the ground or I expect pretty low nightly temps, I bring a bale of hay and throw it down under my tent.

For my truck I have a camper shell. I use a big tri-fold pad and cheap, large flannel bag with a woobie over the top of it. A jet boil in the morning will warm the back while it gets my water hot, or a mr buddy heater.

For a tent with no stove, I'll use a Mr. Buddy (the new models have CO2 sensors) before bed and when I get up. I also put an extra tarp over the entire tent. It helps to hold in some heat.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[SuspiciousFish]

I’ve run buddy heaters in the back of my truck pretty successfully. Keep a window or two cracked for CO

Realistically, what is the risk of running a Buddy Heater in a car or tent for the night? Do people get a Carbon Monoxide detector from Lowes to put up just in case? My Step-Father is a lawyer and he has had to deal with some pretty messed up CO exposure cases.

 

[dutch_henry]

I used to sleep in the back of my SUV a lot, once it was my basecamp for 5 months in Alaska and Yukon territory (interspersed with tents and an occasional motel). I made it work but now own a hot tent. Here's what I did to make it better.

• Unbolt the rear seats and leave them at home. Less weight and more room. You may need to fill in a foot well to level it out, but that's easy.
• Put additional insulation under your sleep mat. If rigid foam doesn't work because of the floor design/headroom, even sheets of cardboard trimmed to fit and moving blankets will add some r value.
• Rig up curtains or reflectix shutters for your windows. Even stringing something up with paracord will retain heat. If fabric, they will absorb some moisture and keep it slightly dryer. Especially helps to seal off the front seats--there's a lot of glass up there.
• Get a couple of candle lanterns or a multi-candle lantern. They'll provide heat to take the edge off.
• You'll get condensation no matter what. Bring some towels to mop up.
• Hot water bottles are great. No one says you have to limit yourself to 1
• Have a system for making and breaking camp, stowing everything away. Otherwise your s**t will get out of control and you'll feel like you're homeless and not camping or hunting.

 

[dutch_henry]

Realistically, what is the risk of running a Buddy Heater in a car or tent for the night? Do people get a Carbon Monoxide detector from Lowes to put up just in case? My Step-Father is a lawyer and he has had to deal with some pretty messed up CO exposure cases.

It's a relatively high risk if you use it like a furnace at home. While they do have a low oxygen shutoff feature, they have no CO detectors per se (as far as I'm able to tell). So a separate CO detector is really important. Even more important is being smart. Adequate venting, shutting it down before sleep, a CO detector with good batteries are all important.

I use one in larger (6p) tents. Works great. Haven't in my vehicle (a big SUV) because of all the condensation they lead to. I'd also be hesitant because a vehicle breathes less than a fabric tent. If I had a pickup with a cap, I'd feel better about it.

 

[TheHammer]

So much to go off of on this thread an a lot of really good information. I’ve used pine tree branches to put down under my tent, I’ve used a tarp under and over. The purpose of one over is if you have to move or when it comes time to take down camp, the chances of getting your tent or canvas into its storage bag is minimal when dealing with precipitation. The heater part of it is important for moral and drying gear. I run a cylinder stove in my white duck bell tent, I run a catalyst propane heater in my small tent or enclosed trailer. In all situations I have a d cell battery powered fan with led lights. I also just grabbed a boot dryer that runs on d batteries. To those who have done rifle seasons and road side camps. How much of a concern is theft out of truck beds and tents? I’m contemplating setting up out of my truck bed this year and leaving the enclosed behind, as I can’t find anyone else to come with co 2nd season. So I don’t need a lot of room to survive. Obviously as I’m out for a day or 3, my gear will be stowed and locked. Just been hearing more horror stories of stuff stolen mid day in co which is leading to the bell tent being left at home.

 

[highcountrymuley]

Really? I have carcamped many times third and fourth seasons at about 8500 ft. Keep everything YOU DONT WANT FROZEN in a cooler! Water potatoes eggs , even extra propane bottles. A 0* bag with another 30* draped over the top in any tent should suffice with any decent pad with R value of 4 + ... I've nev÷ had heater and rarely start fires.

 

[coloyooper]

If I had a pickup with a cap, I'd feel better about it.

this was my application. Ran it with windows cracked and no issues. I was also young(er) and dumb(er) and never even thought to grab a CO detector. Would definitely bring one if I did it again.

 

[displacedtexan]

Good point. $400 still an investment, but cheaper than a miserable hunt.

White Duck Outdoors bell tents (like their regatta) have been the subject of a few threads here lately. They currently have a $100 off coupon (TENTS100), which brings them to 599-699 for a standing room canvas bell tent with a stove jack. I haven't seen or used them but there are some fans.

But if that + wood stove is out of budget, imo any standing room tent with a buddy heater and ample propane supply will work. Just make sure to really vent the tent or condensation will build up.

A cheap stove isn't much more than a buddy heater.

Mine was under $150, tent was just over $200, and I don't have to buy even more disposable propane canisters. Or deal with a propane heater and the condensation.

 

[SuspiciousFish]

A cheap stove isn't much more than a buddy heater.

Mine was under $150, tent was just over $200, and I don't have to buy even more disposable propane canisters. Or deal with a propane heater and the condensation.

Just a heads up that they make adapters to refill those disposable propane tanks from a big grill size tank:

https://www.amazon.com/DRELD-QCC1-Propane-Refill-Adapter/dp/B08L4DPFGZ?th=1

(Not to take away from your point as the stove seems a better option.)

 

[*zap*]

Realistically, what is the risk of running a Buddy Heater in a car or tent for the night? Do people get a Carbon Monoxide detector from Lowes to put up just in case? My Step-Father is a lawyer and he has had to deal with some pretty messed up CO exposure cases.

get a warm bag/pad and you do not need to run a heater when your asleep. Most folks in a hot tent do not run the stove thru the night....it really is not possible to do if you get good sleep. I sleep great in the cold if I have a warm bag.

Just never 'lay down for a minute' with the heater running...

 

[*zap*]

If you refill 1# propane the cost is 1/3.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Depending where your at, how much time you have. Plan on going to town one day in the middle, it helps with rest and morale.

for pizza and chicken wings.