Tent- high winds capable

Beendare · Jan 10, 2015

Just setup an Ak blacktail hunt with a few buddies and they wall want to do their own tents- now none of the 5 tents I already have will work for this.
Criteria; 2 or 3 man for some room- weight not as much of a factor as its a fly in/drop off though if it was no issue at all I would use my 6 man cabelas at 35# and be done.
No tipis- been there done that...sold my SL-5

The big deal is wind and rain- it has to be capable of taking high winds- like 50 mph? I would like it to be 90"+ inside length as I'm tall.

So its got to be 4 season strong but probably no snow but wet,wet so I would like it to vent well. I know its not going to be cheap but I was shocked at how much those Hillebergs have risen in price- those are one option but I'm not spending $900...trying to keep it under $600 so should be good timing with sales soon.

Looked at the Terra Nova Polar light which is about $450 now- anybody? NF has the mtn25 and VE 25 but NF isn't a hunting friendly company so probably not.
Marmot Thor? Eureka K2XT? [not a big Eureka fan for quality]

Any suggestions/comments?

7mag. · Jan 10, 2015

Hilleberg is a great choice for a 4 season tent. The Kuiu tents look like they may be pretty good, and closer to your price range.

castandblast · Jan 10, 2015

I found a 3 man Sierra Design Stretch Dome Expedition model locally and it was rock solid in five days of sustained 50mph wind and much higher gusts. It never budged even when the wind changed and hit it fully on the side. Did not need the internal guy system. The same storm was pushing the poles inward and threatening to collapse a fully guyed 6 man Cabelas Alaskan Guide forcing us to park a rig upwind of it.

Since we hunt really open country and the first storm of the season always picks my season to happen I feel very lucky to have found a bomb shelter that I can have 100% confidence in. Lots of guyout points that all connect to the pole structure and not just fabric is the key feature I'd look for.

mattstanton · Jan 10, 2015

Mountainsmith mountain shelter lt or a mega tarp. Add a stove and ur set

69ChrisCraft · Jan 10, 2015

mattstanton said:
Mountainsmith mountain shelter lt or a mega tarp. Add a stove and ur set

Just built my own dog bowl stove for my Mountain Shelter LT and my hunt in AZ last week. We reached temperatures in the 80s under the tarp when it was 23 outside......we did experience brief winds to maybe 25 mph and it held up well didnt experience anything stronger.

dotman · Jan 10, 2015

I vote hilleberg, since no tipi or floorless tarps this is probably your best option. I haven't used one but seems like everyone that has talks about how bombproof they are. It's what I would get in that situation if floorless was ruled out.

Beastmode · Jan 10, 2015

dotman said:
I vote hilleberg, since no tipi or floorless tarps this is probably your best option. I haven't used one but seems like everyone that has talks about how bombproof they are. It's what I would get in that situation if floorless was ruled out.

Probably your best bet for an Alaska proof floored tent. I have had my copper spur in some nasty weather but not for more than a couple days.

colonel00 · Jan 10, 2015

So why is everyone is taking their own tent? Seems like a waste to me. Are you guys planning to all split up and hunt in your own spike camps? What exactly is the weight restriction?

Oh, and where is this? I am assuming down on Kodiak or the like but it could be down in SE Alaska which might be a little different.

goatboy · Jan 10, 2015

Look for a used hilleberg

mtnclimber · Jan 10, 2015

90+ inches tent height and high wind capable are pretty contradictory unless its a monster of a heavy tent.

Darren Best · Jan 10, 2015

90"+ inside length as I'm tall

colonel00 · Jan 10, 2015

mtnclimber said:
90+ inches tent height and high wind capable are pretty contradictory unless its a monster of a heavy tent.

I had top read his post a couple times before I realized he said length and not height.

Ramshead · Jan 10, 2015

The Marmot Thor 3P may fit all your criteria.
http://www.rei.com/product/718559/marmot-thor-3p-tent#tab-description

Or Eureka High Camp

http://www.campmor.com/Product___29072

mtnclimber · Jan 10, 2015

Elkhunter_241 said:
90"+ inside length as I'm tall

Makes more sense now

Theres multiple hillebergs $500-$700 range. For freestanding in your price range there is the soulo for $665. Non-freestanding is the Akto for $520. They come up every now and then for a used one or wait until Barneys Sports Chalet has their 10% off sale in April.

Get a hilly and never look back.

kodiakfly · Jan 10, 2015

I use a Mountain Hardwear EV2 for the sake of wind. Additionally, it's a single wall so it's light and it's two external poles to set up. I wanted something I could pitch on a small, narrow patch and get up quickly by myself in heavy rain and wind. There is condensation, but by myself it's not bad at all, even in rain.

And it's got the vestibule incorporated into the main compartment, so floor length is extremely ample. Though it is a 2 man mountaineering tent, so it's not wide. You can find them on sale within your price range. I've been very pleased with it.

mtnclimber · Jan 10, 2015

Ive had bad condensation problems with all single wall tents, including the ev2, in conditions any warmer than winter weather.

Great structure, but bad moisture problems.

snowcamoman · Jan 10, 2015

Tell your hunt partners that you should just bring one big basecamp tent and then a couple small, light bivy tents if you want to spike camp. Get them to pitch in for the base-camp purchase and live comfortably.

If you shop around, you might be able to find a Marmot Lair 8 person tent. Totally bomb-proof and designed for mountaineer base camps. You can put a floor in it if you want, or leave it out. It's a big tent with more than enough room for all of your hunt partners and gear in the two vestibules. I've been using mine for 6 years now and the thing is absolutely superb if you're stuck in something nasty. I don't have a stove in it, but might get a stove jack put into it to add some extra heat. Propane works and keeps it warm if needed, but the condensation from propane is nasty. I run a carbon monoxide sensor in the tent whenever I'm using the propane heater as well.....don't want to get sleepy and never wake up from CO poisoning.

hodgeman · Jan 10, 2015

When the wind comes up, I really like my Bibler Fitzroy. That thing is the most rigid tent I've ever encountered. Just right for one guy and all his gear. You can sleep two in a pinch. You really need to be looking at mountaineering tents for Kodiak...the weather can suck there like no where else.

My Bibler stood up to 60+ winds in the AK Range and deluge wet snowfall in the PWS. Pretty dang happy with it.

Backpack Hunter · Jan 10, 2015

Is the Sawtooth out of the question? If so I have only used the Hillebergs and would recommend them.

kodiakfly · Jan 10, 2015

mtnclimber said:
Ive had bad condensation problems with all single wall tents, including the ev2, in conditions any warmer than winter weather.

Great structure, but bad moisture problems.

A lot of guys have condensation issues in a single wall. There's YouTube vids of guy in a singlewall and it's raining condensation. I'll get condensation, but not enough to outweigh the weight and ease of pitch for me, and certainly not enough to get anything wet inside the tent. I made a slight mod to the vents and I get fairly decent airflow now. I always hunt alone and I hate messing with four poles, a fly and all the stakes while in the rain, dark and wind. So the EV2 earns it's keep for me. If I'm summer or early season hunting I've got another tent for that. But archery goat season, I'm packing the EV2.

Tent- high winds capable

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