Looking for Tent Advice & Insights

[bignest]

Really you use a hammock tent in October in CO, WY, or ID? You must have figured it out. Let me know what brand it is bro so I can get rid of my hot tent and wake up all toasty warm dry clothes and everything after hunting in all that snow. This is a game changer...or at least my last hunting trip....or any trip for that matter.

To be fair, your definition of warm with a hot tent and my definition of a warm tent without a fire in sight might be a little different . I'm looking to sleep through the night without getting woke up from the cold or a rock on my spine lol. Bonus if my shoes aren't froze solid.

 

[bucdoego]

I am not endorsed or sponsored by REI lol. No affiliate linking going on here .

Tent: https://www.rei.com/product/110804/rei-co-op-quarter-dome-air-hammock
Since discontinued. It is what I would call an 'entry level' tent. Quality is good but maybe a little heavy compared to some others. It still packs very small as I just stuff it around my other gear. The only 'problem' is also one of the benefits. It has two poles that span across the shoulders and feet to keep the hammock from 'squeezing'. If you watch some videos on youtube about hammock tents you will see there is a skill to sleeping without shoulder squeeze (sleep diagonal), but those poles eliminate the issue all together allowing me to side sleep and belly sleep when I feel like it. The problem with the poles is they require a little more thought to packing. I squeeze mine between the frame and pack.

Quilt: https://www.rei.com/product/118931/rei-co-op-hammock-underquilt
Another 'entry level' quilt. Also discontinued sadly. If you aren't familiar, these go UNDER the hammock...like a hammock for the hammock. If you sleep directly on it it compresses the down and won't work. This is why I think hammocks are warmer than a tent...if you are in a sleeping bag on the ground the pressure from the sleeping pad renders the sleeping bag's insulation much less effective. If I sleep in my hammok without a quilt in 50 degree weather with a 30 degree sleeping bag I am a little chilly. With the quilt I can sleep with the same bag down into the teens if I keep my down gear on. In that picture above the temp was in teens and I had my 0 degree bag. I had to strip to my base layers.

Storage: When I'm out on my food goes back up into the tree, and any extra gear I'm leaving at camp I set in the hammock or underneath based on weather. When one actually lays down in the hammock to sleep the whole apparatus, including the canopy, will condense towards the ground. I place all my gear directly under the hammock with my boots right outside the rain fly. With the lowers profile the guy lines from the canopy will keep everything dry. I lay my rifle on my pack to keep it off the ground. During archery I usually just lean my bow against the tree if its not snowing...I tend not to worry about it getting wet so much.

Disclaimer My bias: I don't like the space insulated sleeping pads take up in my pack, and uninsulated just doesn't work for me if I have to sleep on snow. I've also seen two premium pads break during hunts in my 5 years hunting out west. I bought all this stuff to try out in PA during overnighters and just enjoyed it more so I started taking it out west (PA hunters can chime in about our tick issues). There are definitely lighter weight and slimmer options than what I own, but I was dipping my tow in the water. I've had two buddies that have tried it since I bought mine. One bought a cheaper amazon version, and the other asks to borrow mine all the time. Neither of those guys are hunters, just campers. A couple other buddies have tried it out for a few minutes and said they like it, but still use traditional tents on our hunts . I do run a little cold compared to the other guys I hunt with...I wear 600g beartooths for September Elk and 1400 g knee highs for late season whitetail tree stands...feet are still cold . For western hunts I use First Lite North Branch outers and halstead mids. Kuiu Puffys when I glass with some merino base all the way into early novemeber (colorado). (not gear bragging, just giving idea for how my temp runs) I haven't ran into issues yet with tree distance. I carry an extra set of straps if I need the length but haven't needed them yet. Every night I spend 5 minutes wondering what I would do if and Elk or moose antlers get tangled in my ropes, but hasn't happened yet lol. Overall, I prefer the hammock, but this year I will probably leave it in the truck and use the helium even though the hammock is 100x more comfortable. We plan on sleeping somewhere new every night which lends itself to the bivy, but if I was setting up a semi-permanent camp I would choose the hammock.

Thanks for all the details. Much appreciated.

 

[shumhow]

My vote would also go towards the Seek Outside Cimarron with stove. Or maybe the Lil’ Bug out since you can customize to what you are doing but since I don’t own one I can’t speak to it, but if I had to do it over again that’s the route I would go. I do love my Cimarron and it great for 2 guys and a stove. I did find that I’m 6’2 and felt a little cramped when I slept on the stove side and we laid next to the doors. View attachment 216199

Scott, can you fit two cots in this w/stove? Mostly would use for a base camp set-up (thus the cots), but like the lighter weight over the redcliff if I decided to pack in with it. thx.

 

[Redman]

To be fair, your definition of warm with a hot tent and my definition of a warm tent without a fire in sight might be a little different . I'm looking to sleep through the night without getting woke up from the cold or a rock on my spine lol. Bonus if my shoes aren't froze solid.

Do you know why you hang game bags in a tree? It is so cool air circulates around it and cools it off quickly. When you are up off the ground in your hammock you are basically in a game bag....cooling off quickly. In late August to mid September I am sure it would be completely comfortable. I call BS when it is cold snowing and blowing later in the year. A good rated sleeping pad on the ground will keep you much warmer.

 

[bignest]

Do you know why you hang game bags in a tree? It is so cool air circulates around it and cools it off quickly. When you are up off the ground in your hammock you are basically in a game bag....cooling off quickly. In late August to mid September I am sure it would be completely comfortable. I call BS when it is cold snowing and blowing later in the year. A good rated sleeping pad on the ground will keep you much warmer.

Caught me I made it up I have a secret agenda to trick people into using hammock tents


I guess you missed the point of the underquilt. That’s why it goes under the hammock. To insulate. Complicated I know.

I use big agness q core pad and big agnes yock 0 when I tent camp. My hammock is warmer, drier and more comfortable for me. Used both through November. Rain and snow. Single digit temps.

Anyways good luck with your gear selection op.

 

[Redman]

Caught me I made it up I have a secret agenda to trick people into using hammock tents


I guess you missed the point of the underquilt. That’s why it goes under the hammock. To insulate. Complicated I know.

I use big agness q core pad and big agnes yock 0 when I tent camp. My hammock is warmer, drier and more comfortable for me. Used both through November. Rain and snow. Single digit temps.

Anyways good luck with your gear selection op.

 

[old270hunter]

Very interesting question. My years have taught me to go for tents with the absolute best full length rain fly I can get, that also has at least 1 ventilation area that I can set up on the downwind side. My other criteria is not too big of a tent. I tent solo when I hunt. I’ll take smaller and warmer, even if it’s cramped. As long as I can stretch out, and stay warm n dry, not get blown away, that’s my criteria.

 

[Aperventure]

Hey this is a great tent. I’ve got the version from about 7 years ago when it was a feet entrance not side entrance. It’s held up stellar; MHW makes solid stuff.

I’ve not yet figured out a way to set it up with rain fly only- leave the actual tent at home, since the design has tent pole ends cradles into tent. Is new version the same?

I just picked up a Mountain Hardwear Strato UL2. While I have no real user experience yet, just set up in the yard a few times, it looks very promising. Spec for spec, fantastic compared to many others on the market at similar price. With footprint (sold separately) would be a hair over 3lbs.

I was throwing around the idea of getting a tarp style tent as well. In the end, I KNEW I would be adding more cost and weight quick, by the time I got the inner net and bathtub floor.
I like the idea of a freestanding/semiFS tent much more. Simple, secure, and actually lighter and cheaper in most cases compared to a full tarp/net/floor setup.
Full setup includes an insulated pad, and 15d bag. Total weight for all 3 pieces, about 7lbs (pretty good considering r4 pad and 15d bag)
I had it set up today in about 30mph winds, held up just fine, and without any guy lines. It came with 2 to add on for extra security, so I’ll throw those on for the hunt just in case.
I will add, as you look for shelter, pretty much every tent listed as a 2 person, will really only sleep one comfortably. Although, the tarp shelters tend to have a bigger footprint, so sleeping 2 in a 2 person tarp-tent is more possible, over a UL tent.

 

[dsharpe1]

I just got a nemo Hornet 2p and iit is pretty light. I think a little over 2lbs