Cooking Tent

[upchurch_k]

I’m planning my first Colorado elk hunt for this coming October, I’ll be hunting the northern part of Unit 62. I’ve read that some people say a designated cooking tent is a good idea and I’ve read that some people say it’s not necessary. Does anyone have any advice for me on the topic, haven’t really camped much in “bear” country. We’re going to have a 12’X20’ Alaknak tent and it would be nice to only have to put up 1 tent and be able to cook, lounge and sleep all in the same place.

 

[elkhnter]

Even you you don’t put up a tent, don’t cook close or inside your sleeping tent. Bad, bad idea. At the least, put up a tarp. Nice to have a dry place to cook, eat and sit.

 

[jvanderlinde]

I use a pop up fish house, its fairly rainproof, it warms up fast when cooking, easy setup, doesn't take up much room and the windows open up for easy venting.

 

[elkduds]

Plenty of bruins all over 62. They are in hyperphagia in Oct, meaning eating as many calories as obtainable to pack on fat for winter hibernation. Even a black bear can ruin a camp and a hunt. I avoid cooking where I sleep for that reason.

 

[pabearhunter]

I have used an old ground blind and now have a 6x8 utility storage tent with arch roof.

 

[COEngineer]

We usually heat water and re-heat pre-cooked meals in our wall tent. Any actual cooking/frying is done outside.

 

[Ohhiitznik]

I'd use a separate cook tent. I do have a cook shack that's attached to my wall tent, but I never cooked from scratch. Just hearing up canned foods and other premade things

 

[Bahrtrap]

I have used an EZup tent with a tarp wrapped around it before we added a cook shack to the end of our wall tent. Maybe I should have been more concerned about bears but we don't like the smell. We hunt first season rifle and set up camp 5 days early. We do allot of cooking those days and reheat frozen meals in boiling water for the hunt days.

 

[lifesupport4u]

I have hunted several years not to far from 62. I have done both. It depends on the size of the group and your preference.

It can help with the mice and it is nice if you have a large group. Then again you need more firewood.

The bears are more skidish. I dont worry about them!

 

[sagebrush]

I've cooked in my 12X20 Alaknak for 10 years without a single bear incident. Don't sweat it.

 

[Matty B]

Guided and hunted and have always "cooked" in my sleeping tent for 8 years. By cooking I mean heating pre-cooked meals. Have never had a bear issue. Just be a decent human and don't be a slob out in the woods.

 

[CampRipleyLF]

I would not cook in my tent. Just asking for trouble sooner or later

 

[CampRipleyLF]

That being said, I don't think you need a whole separate tent but maybe a tarp

 

[PNWGator]

Ditto the easy up wrapped in tarps. We’ve used one for our inclement weather hang out, cook shack, clothes drying bungalow for years. Overlap and secure the tarps with bungee cords, coolers, etc on the bottom edges of the tarps. When you’re overlapping tarps, create an entry you can slip in and out of and still overlap and make weather tight. We place a propane powered turkey burner inside in the center and let ‘er rip. Hang wet gear throughout the inside to dry. Folding table on one side with stove and prep area. Folding chairs around the burner. Haven’t died of CO poisoning yet.

 

[1976]

As much as I despise putting up another tent,( averages 3 to 4 in the party, previously as high as 10, 3 sleeping tents and one cook tent oh yeah and I made a move to the Ice Castle,sleeps 2 quite comfortably with no fire to stoke lol ) having that designated cook/hangout tent cuts back on the amount of crap piled into your sleeping tent or in my case the castle, and lets those in the party that want to stay up till the wee hrs of the morning have at it while the others sleep the night away.