I spend a lot of time scouting for my hunts in order to find the quality of game that I want to pursue. Some times that means backpacking through a mountain range, sometimes that means covering countless miles in a truck. Every hunt area is a little different and needs a scouting plan tailored to make the best of the situation.
Davis Single Shot Tent
When I am new to an area or I am covering too many miles to set up a base camp, I will end up sleeping where ever I finish the day scouting. This situation leads to throwing out a cot if the weather is cooperating but often, I find myself sleeping in the truck cab–not ideal. Sleeping in the back of my truck is not an option due to how much gear I haul around for back-to-back hunts in multiple states.
Setting up one of my small backpacking shelters does not take too long and is an option, but I wanted to try out a shelter that was more durable and might provide other benefits. If you are looking for a backpacking shelter, this article is not for you.
On The Go Shelter
The Davis Tent Single Shot Tent is a small canvas wall tent with a pole frame. More here. Basically, a miniature wall tent built with the same 10oz Sunforger-treated canvas that Davis uses on their larger tents. It was designed for exactly what I wanted, a solo bivy shelter for a hunter on the go. You could squeeze two users in this tent, but like a backpacking tent, you are going to be very familiar with each other afterwards! I think it’s a nice size for one person, and I used it with both a cot and a pad on the ground.
Easy To Set Up
After receiving the Single Shot Tent, I set it up in the yard to get used to how it went up. I was pleasantly surprised how simple and fast it goes up–even the first time I was under five minutes from start to finish. It uses six poles for the shelter and two more if you want the awning up. It comes with 18 large steel stakes and a separate bag for the canvas, poles & and stakes. I tossed a small hammer to keep in the bag, as these stakes are no joke; there is no pushing these in with your foot.
Two Doors
The Single Shot has a large awning door and a side door, with large, heavy-duty zippers that never got sticky or failed. There is a soil/snow collar at the bottom of the canvas along the ground to seal up the tent if desired. I got the optional loose floor that fits over the soil collar. Both the drop-in floor and sod collar are made of a different material than the canvas; I believe it is vinyl coated ripstop. The vinyl has a strong odor to it when new, and I decided to leave it set up at home for a couple of weeks to see if the scent would dissipate. I was a bit bummed that even after leaving it out, the odor was still strong.
My Usage
I had three remote truck-type hunts last fall and used the Davis Single Shot tent on each: two antelope hunts and one elk hunt where I would be camping (but using the truck to cover ground). The shelter worked as I had hoped, and after a few times setting it up, I got even faster. The canvas breathes enough to keep moisture out, and the tent holds up to high winds as well as any shelter I have used. This is not the lightest shelter at 25 pounds including poles and stakes, but again, it’s not designed for backpacking.
Great For Storing Gear Too
Eventually, I acquired a target animal on each hunt and set up a base camp to focus on them. This is when I found another use for the Single Shot. Every year, I struggle to keep ice on hand during August and September hunts in warmer climates. Even with high-end Yeti coolers, it’s tough to get more than 10 days without going for more ice. Keeping the coolers in the shade (and out of thieves’ eyesight) is a must, and the Single Shot became my base camp cooler hut! Having ice ready on hand is crucial after I get a dead buck or bull on the ground.
I will be using the Single Shot on hunts where I use the truck in the future, it’s another tool that makes the hunt a little easier. Available here.
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