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I have as Kifaru Tarp but prefer a UL tent with a floor. But lots of guys like tarps. Seems like we are willing to accept a bit more weight for comfort as we get older. At least that's how it worked for me.

Too, woodstove or no woodstove?

ElkNut1

One of my tents is a Cabelas XPG UL that I got on sale, and for an affordable option I've been very happy with it.

I went to a floor tent after one of those horrendous rain\hail events where water was literally flowing across the ground, through my tarp. I wasn't in camp, and everything got soaked.

Me and a partner for a long stay... Marmot Halo 6. Yes 6! We can stand up inside it. We split up the components to pack in.

For summer backpack trips it's not such a big deal because you aren't on a "mission", working hard, dealing with gear and wet clothes and boots.

Like you said Lou.... if you have to hole up in there for any length of time you'll be thanking yourself. Even when I'm not I never complain about having room to move. Things dry quicker in a bigger tent too.

I plan all my spike camp gear in case this happens. It was 65 and sunny the day before. Sure was glad to be in base camp when this hit, and it wasn't the end of the storm either. We got another 5" before it was finished, couldn't go anywhere by vehicle for five days.

MP, I was holed-up with my new bride on our honeymoon/elk hunt spike camp in a "3-man" dome tent for 8 days during the infamous Blizzard of '84. After about 4 days that 3 man tent wasn't NEARLY big enough.. Lucky we didn't kill each other.

The more we listened to radio reports of all the closed roads, the freak storm circling back with no end in sight, the more concerned we got.

Besides, we'd lived together for three years already so the real "honeymoon" happened long before that ordeal took the wind out of our sails. :-Q

After we finally got out on day 9, with me surfing over some 5' drifts on my belly while hanging onto a rope dallied onto our pack horse, we got on a plane and headed to the Florida Keys for a week.

Some of the "spike camp" photos I see posted would lead to SAR rescues in a storm like that. That's assuming SAR could get anywhere near to try a rescue with all the roads closed and low cloud ceiling, and then could find the hunters. My boss wanted to send out SAR for us, and my dad told them to leave us alone and spare the embarrassment, that I knew what I was doing and would be fine.

But, like those posts above, snow will change that analysis. If you're back in a ways and can't see yourself walking out to the truck, suffer a little more and pack a good tipi or tent.

:)

I'd like to get a Kifaru Sawtooth w/stove for colder hunts.

Josh

For years I used a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight model for 2 folks. I think the Fly Creek cuts my tent weight by 50%. Remember, less always costs more! :)

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I've heard the UL fabrics will wear out a lot faster than more traditional fabrics/treatments. As long as you treat a UL tent like a relatively short term purchase and keep and eye on wear & tear and waterproofing I suppose it's ok.

Second the comment about the cutesy flys or tarps - been in too many unexpected wet snowstorms to go without a bathtub for any real time/distance in. That being said, have a bivy sack if I know it's only going to be overnight but still might rain. Gotta say that wearing a tent does get your bag wetter even with a breathable bivy though.

With the Paratarp I can lower the front pole and hunker down. Not fun but it's survivable. In fact, I carry it as a survival shelter on all-day hunting and scouting expeditions when weather is unsettled.

With visqueen on a rope I had enough slack to fold in the ends and gut it out. But some of the open tarp shelters seem like little more than sun shades that will also collect the dew.

Do you just drop it and pray? I'm curious, not being a smart-ass.

I've got a pretty decent tent arsenal these days from canvas Outfitters tent to the old bivy sack and they all get used depending on the ocassion. My two biggest goto shelters in a spike camp environment are a Big Angus Fly Creek and a Golite Shangri-la with a sewn in stove jack and a liitle Kifaru packable stove. The biggest thing I learned from that '06 trip is to pay attention to the weather, you need to be in camp keeping the snow off of tents or it will crumple the strongest shelters and use you head, it's the best tool you've got!

The snowstorm when a big spear-shaped aspen branch broke off, ripped through the fly and tent, and impaled the floor where I'd been sitting minutes before.

That hailstorm where I thought I was going to lose my very tough buddy to severe hypothermia several miles from camp.

And the night under a tarp when a downpour struck and water was flowing through the bottom half of my sleeping bag.

Now I always prepare for the worst, from survival to first aid.

I plan to be the guy in the story headlined, "Missing Hunter returns safe, in good condition, after freak September storm"

Sorry but a good tent is worth the weight and can make a ton of difference given the unpredictable weather...

Always assume the worse and have the gear to make it. One night of storm can ruin a week long hunt.

Josh

He has quite a following on www.bwca.com and has shelters, tarps and packs.

gil wy- Although I did not have them little b@stards running on my face, I did have a great experience of them running on my sleeping bag while under a tarp. Somewhere around midnight in the middle of the wilderness, I clicked on my headlamp and grabbed my boot and went all postal beating the sh!t out of anything that moved.

LaGriz

LaGriz, You will love that WiFi!

Hilleberg akto

All I have managed to do is a burn in with my WiFi stove. My last couple of hunts have been base camp only events. Work has been too demanding, and no additional winter camping trips could be squeezed into my busy schedule. That said, I have a New Mexico elk tag in hand for this season! May finally get to exercise the spike-camp options.

Can I pick your brain on the hot tent thing? What do you pack for a saw? Have you tried to cook on the flat top Ti-Goat stove. What advice can you offer on condensation prevention? LaGriz