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I have a seek outside 6 man tipi & titanium stove that weighs ~11.5 lbs all-in. Positives are room, ability to walk in w boots on, & ability to have a warming fire (if we can find material to burn). I can leave the stove & save ~1.5-2 lbs if necessary. I also have a 3-person Sierra designs alpha cd 3/4 season convertible that weighs ~ 9 lbs (~46 sq ft). Positives include having a lower profile than the tipi, & a bathtub floor. Negatives include taking off boots in vestibule, not being able to stand to dress.

I understand that the winds up there can be hellacious. I've used both in some pretty sever weather in the lower 48 & canadian rockies. What I'm wondering now is for those that have been in that country, will either of those shelters work, would either be preferable, or if I need to look at buying a four-season mountaineering tent.

Thanks in advance.

Bring the stove. It's hard to dry things up there. There is only minimal wood and you should have a small bag. Break off dead brush as you travel the drainages. Also, green alder will burn if mixed with enough dry willow. Minimal heat, but better than nothing. Peel and split it.

What dates do you have?

The central arctic herd (along Haul RD) went from 70,000 in 2010 to 22,600 now. You should expect the limit to be dropped to 1. No cows for NR's.

We're going in mid-September (~9-19) after the porcupine herd. I'm anticipating some cool nights. Would you think a 0 degree bag is warm enough for the most part?

They have evidence that some of the CA herd went both east and some west so your numbers might be up. Look forward to hearing how you do.

Think about a13 oz 9x12 tarp. On a sheep hunt two years ago we would pull it out and sit through the numerous showers. About $100 but well worth it if you get snow. I've had snow up there as early as 05 Aug but global warming is changing things. You must be going in high with a cub.

Good tarps only. If I was to go again, there would be no less than 3 coming along.

I would also take the stove.

If you find a river, look for driftwood or wood cut by beavers. That is the best wood. I would find it in the morning an stack it up. It dried pretty quickly on the nice days.

And even the little bushs have some thicker branches. if you look, you'll find some.

If you have any extra weight, you can bring one of the fireplace logs. They burn a long time and might be good for an emergency means of drying/warming.

WV Mountaineer - thanks for the generous offer! I have an oware tarp that I'll bring along, but I really do appreciate it.

I've got lots of apprehension about all of the logistics of the hunt, but I've always wanted to see bou on the tundra, so hopefully we'll get a chance to at least see some animals.

The cabelas 6 man tents work really well for 2 guys and gear. There is enough room to set up the stove on top of a "tote" in between sleeping areas. This is nice for making dinner and coffee, since it's usually really windy.

I always take along some Walmart air mattresses and a portable pump. They don't weigh or cost much, and they are a really nice luxury. Be sure to take a thermarest as insurance though, since they can and will pop!

Caribou hunting is a blast. There is really not much to it other than staying outside of the tent so you'll SEE them when they walk by. I used to trek far and wide chasing them, and often wound up running TOWARDS my camp/airstrip to shoot a bull.

Good luck!

I think the plan is to fly into the foothills/low in the range in a cub with a very light base camp, with the possibility of spiking out if necessary to better reach game.

What kind of weight limit did you have with your transporter? The Cabela's 6 man weighs 32 lbs. Two Hilleberg Nallo 3 GT's weigh less than 14 lbs. total