WANTED: Your Top 5 Base Camp Tips or Hacks

[TX_Diver]

Premake all the food and skip raw stuff (my preference). Everything k take is heat/eat for a base camp. This is somewhere precooked bacon shines. I will occasionally make an exception for eggs.

This might be blaspheme… but if you’re bringing a generator you could being a microwave too and save even more dishes/cooking time. I want to hunt and sleep.
Not camp and cook and clean usually. (I have never brought a microwave to a tent camp, but I rented a trailer once that had a microwave and it was an incredible convenience)

I’d lean towards disposable plates/silverware. That size group send someone to town halfway through to take trash out and buy the things that were forgotten.

Weber cubes and royal oak tumbleweeds (for starting charcoal bbq) are a great way to start a fire too. M

 

[Run13]

Keep it simple - Hunt More!

View attachment 787117

Big fan of this idea

 

[YellowDog406]

Cordless drill or driver with an assortment of screws and extra bits.
A broom to sweep the tent out and brush the snow off the outhouse.
I pack all my clothes in rubbermaid totes. Keeps the dust, water, and mice out.
If youre hanging meat in camp, game bags to keep the flies dust out.
Pay attention to the weather weeks and days before you leave home. Its not uncommon to have fire bans during the second season so be prepared with propane heaters.
Two chainsaws in case one wont start.
Tire chains, make sure they fit before you leave home.
For lights in the tent we use LED lights out of a camper or modified LED lamps and a decent car battery. We can run a whole season without charging the battery, it might not he as bright on day 10 as day 1 but way better than gas lanterns or a generator.
Aluminum grain scoop, works well for shoveling lots of snow. This should stay in your truck as well, I keep a regular spade in my truck too.

 

[ozyclint]

Decoy base camp.
No joke.
Whatever happened to decoy basecamp dude?

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Decoy base camp.
No joke.
Whatever happened to decoy basecamp dude?

Word is once he posted about it the tactic was ineffective and he was discovered sleeping peacefully in his tent by the boogie man.

I've actually deployed decoy tents on the border so I'm not poking too much fun at him.

 

[Howdoyoulikemenow]

Door mat for wiping feet before walking into tent. Small throw rug to place next to cot to stand on while undressing/dressing, etc. Helps to keep shit off your socks and feet. I also keep a small folding camp stool I use as a tabletop next to my cot for placing book, reading glasses, water, etc.

 

[Indian Summer]

Unknown fact: Mice do more damage than bears!

 

[Laelkhunter]

We have a group of 6 or 7 guys from PA in the process of planning a Colorado 2nd or 3rd rifle season hunt, and I'm hoping to glean as much information from this forum as I can before we make the trip. We've already found a good deal on a 16x20 Davis Tent on Craigslist, complete with the rain fly/awning, wood stove and three cots. We're also planning on having a 10x20 enclosed canopy for cooking or gear storage. We have a good amount of camping and hunting experience, but this will be our first DIY base camp style hunt, and the first western hunt for many of us.

I'm looking for everyone's top tips on base camp living, whether it be food, sleep systems, wall tent essentials, etc. Basically looking for any suggestions to improve our efficiency and enhance our experience for a late fall hunt in Colorado. Thanks for the help and good luck this season!

How did it turn out?? How many really ended up going, and how many had to leave early for the "at home" emergency??

 

[bsheisey]

Cordless drill or driver with an assortment of screws and extra bits.
A broom to sweep the tent out and brush the snow off the outhouse.
I pack all my clothes in rubbermaid totes. Keeps the dust, water, and mice out.
If youre hanging meat in camp, game bags to keep the flies dust out.
Pay attention to the weather weeks and days before you leave home. Its not uncommon to have fire bans during the second season so be prepared with propane heaters.
Two chainsaws in case one wont start.
Tire chains, make sure they fit before you leave home.
For lights in the tent we use LED lights out of a camper or modified LED lamps and a decent car battery. We can run a whole season without charging the battery, it might not he as bright on day 10 as day 1 but way better than gas lanterns or a generator.
Aluminum grain scoop, works well for shoveling lots of snow. This should stay in your truck as well, I keep a regular spade in my truck too.

Thanks for the great advice! We will definitely be keeping an eye on the weather as we get closer to the hunt, as a heavy snowfall might keep us from camping where we hope.

Door mat for wiping feet before walking into tent. Small throw rug to place next to cot to stand on while undressing/dressing, etc. Helps to keep shit off your socks and feet. I also keep a small folding camp stool I use as a tabletop next to my cot for placing book, reading glasses, water, etc.

Good tips! I was thinking about using a tarp and a large roll of carpet to cover 1/2 to 2/3 of the wall tent floor. Would you suggest a handful of smaller rugs as an easier option?

How did it turn out?? How many really ended up going, and how many had to leave early for the "at home" emergency??

I'll let you know in November! I'm trying to start planning way in advance of the 2025 hunt.

 

[Westensee]

I would make sure that everyone has their own stuff, and shares in the prep/work/food. As one who plans and takes care of a lot of things, I get sick of being that guy and others just showing up. One thing I like for sleeping, down booties. Can't sleep if my feet are cold.
Last nugget, everyone throws in cash for the drive and that is used for gas so that everybody contributes ahead of time. Keeps it even and makes it easy.

 

[Weldor]

How close to Town? My friends last trip they got a VRBO and hunted out of it. They really enjoyed it , weather was in the teens. I'm spoiled, I hunt out of my cabin. worst we have to do is get a portapotty when there is more than 4. (only one bathroom). If we spike out of there it is tent or truck. We use the KISS system then.

 

[YellowDog406]

Good tips! I was thinking about using a tarp and a large roll of carpet to cover 1/2 to 2/3 of the wall tent floor. Would you suggest a handful of smaller rugs as an easier option?

Not sure what you setup is, but our tent doesn't have a floor. We leave the front third bare ground, this way we don't have worry about tracking snow in or tripping over anything when you come in. The stove dries it out if its wet, but we usually have some sawdust or bedding if its extra wet or to keep the dust down. In the back two thirds we have have a piece of pond liner from the oil fields, we used to use a canvas tarp. The pond liner is easy to clean, quick to dry out, stays dry even if its wet when we set up camp, and is extremely durable. Everyone has a piece of carpet at their bunk, maybe 2'x3' at most. Big enough to kick your shoes off but still small enough to throw on your bunk to keep it cleaner, or take out and shake it off.

 

[Indian Summer]

I have a floor in the entire tent. We use the mesh tarps from Harbor Freight. They are like a screen. They push the grass down, keep the dust down, let the water pass through…. And they don’t get wet or have puddles. They dry really fast when you get home and hose them off too.

 

[Fullfan]

Out crew is split 70/30, 7 of us are almost 60 and three guys at 30ish. We did the tent camp thing for 30 years. Now we rent a VRBO, walk in turn the lights on. Sleeping in a bed and hot shower every night. We have killed bulls within 1/2 of camp, hear them screaming at night while trying to sleep.
We are also from Pa, no problem w this crew. We actually have to tell guys we don't have room for more ppl. Smarter not harder.

 

[Indian Summer]

Fullfan I hear you. I love camp life. Enjoy a wood stove in my wall tent. We have a hot shower. Hunting right out the door without driving sure is nice.

I have definitely thought about a hotel. I can drive to one pretty easily from a few of my hunting areas. I would still be able to leave my horses at my base camp site. Someday I will do this for sure. Not just yet. When I do, I already know I’m gonna love it. lol

 

[bsheisey]

Out crew is split 70/30, 7 of us are almost 60 and three guys at 30ish. We did the tent camp thing for 30 years. Now we rent a VRBO, walk in turn the lights on. Sleeping in a bed and hot shower every night. We have killed bulls within 1/2 of camp, hear them screaming at night while trying to sleep.
We are also from Pa, no problem w this crew. We actually have to tell guys we don't have room for more ppl. Smarter not harder.

Our group is a bit of the opposite of yours, with 2 guys around 60 and 4 guys in their 30's. The VRBO idea is a great option, but the extra cost on top of what we're already spending isn't great for us cash strapped young guys . The hunting area we have intel on is also an hour from the nearest rental, so that isn't ideal either.

 

[mad_angler]

Bring a trolling motor battery and buy one of these:

Amazon.com

Put it in your tent. Then, you charge up to 4 things at a time and wake up ready for the next day...
And you don't have to worry about killing the battery in your truck.