Ultralight DCF Stove Shelter - Review & Recommendations

[StopMakingSense]

So I've been doing my research to create the lightest shelter I can with a stove and would love the collective to give any feedback on this.

I've been looking at getting a shelter with a stove for a couple of years but weight has always been a concern. Seek Outside came out with their DCF shelters, most notably the one I just purchased, the Cimarron. All I have right now is just the Cimarron DCF on order, that's it and it's where I'm working from to create this.

So here's the breakdown after doing the research, I'll verify all weights when I've received all the items.

Shelter
Cimmaron DCF - 21.8oz
Stove Jack Option - 3oz
Ruta Locura 710 Tent Pole (64" to 72") - 7.3oz
Ruta Locura Carbon Fiber Stakes (8x @ 6 grams) - 1.7oz
18" LiteOutdoors Stove w/ 7' Pipe - 38oz
LiteOutdoors Spark Arrestor - 0.7oz

Total - 71.7oz or about 4.5lbs

Wood Prep
Silky F180 Saw for wood - 5.2oz
Fire Starter - ??? Need recommendations on what people have used and works well

Big question to everyone is...

1.) Experience with the above items
2.) Is there something lighter and better?
3.) Any other general recommendations?
4.) Anything I'm missing?

Currently talking to Josh at Ruta Locura on the best option for stakes.

This is my first time with a floorless shelter and the first time with a stove so looking forward to it

 

[Ndbowhunter]

The TI goat is lighter. Don't have an opinion of it's better or any of that.

I'd be real leery of DCF and a stove. Seek outside has all appearances of being confident in this configuration, I'd still not sign up to be the beta tester. Could be wrong tho.

Depending on how and where you are hunting you probably can dump the tent pole. Just cut one. Or double up your trekking poles.

The silky will be a better cutting blade then a bahco but I prefer the ruggedness of a bahco Laplander.

Because you are very limited on positioning of tent stakes on a dcf shelter I'd not plan to run all carbon stakes. how and where you run ur setup obviously varies, but there are times when it's really nice to be able to just hammer the damn things in at 0 dark thirty.

After trying and failing too many times to get a fire started with shit wood in the worlds wettest weather nothing beats a fire steel and petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls when ur comfort and safety are on the line. actually a shirt soaked in gasoline with battery leads to spark is better but that's another story.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Wood Prep / Fire Starting
- The Silky F180 saw has made many a ground blind for me, pretty confident with this saw and not sure I can cut much more weight here
- As far as fire starters I started reading this thread https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/fire-starters.120668/ and landed on the Light-Me Tinder http://www.ustbrands.com/product/light-me-tinder-8-pk/


Cimmaron DCF / Stove Jack Option - Yeah, definitely some hesitations jumping in here but it seems they've tested it thoroughly. They had a nice live talk on the DCF tents, the owner had an SXL Stove in the Cimarron and it got it up to 150degrees with no problems to the tent. They also recommended having a slightly longer pipe, 7' vs 6' normally. Make sure to use a good spark arrestor was another comment. Additionally, the thought never crossed my mind but to not use a rain cap as it'll just push embers down on the tent instead of freely floating away.

18" LiteOutdoors Stove w/ 7' Pipe and Spark Arrestor - Yeah not sure on the TiGoat, it's definitely been one I've been looking at, just not a lot of reviews from folks and I like the 18" length on the LiteOutdoors

Ruta Locura 710 Tent Pole (64" to 72") - Trekking poles are out for me as I bring them on my hunts when out. If we get an animal down I want my poles right then and there, finding wood has always been frustrating, I gave up on it. Talked to Josh at RL and he said due to the height of the tent, the material, that the 710 pole has been engineered to withstand the heigh metrics from breaking and providing a solid platform. I've been looking at making custom poles etc though still, any real world feedback would be awesome

Ruta Locura Carbon Fiber Stakes - Taking advice from Josh here, as you said those stakes might just not do given certain conditions, he's pretty aware. "You are going to want a mix of stakes, groundhogs (at the cardinal stakes, good for loose or compact soil), Ti skewers (for tightly compacted soil), carbon (for loose soils, backups, etc.). You can shave some weight but still carry plenty of stakes this way and be covered for most conditions.

Anyways, just more findings from me as I try and figure it out. Thanks for the feedback Ndbowhunter, it's really appreciated.

 

[colersu22]

I have used the zpack carbon stakes a few times and haven’t had any issues but it was in areas I have camped before so had an idea what the soil was like, it would be a pain to try and set up the tent and not be able to get stakes in the ground since it is to hard or rocky.

Most times if it’s unknown I just take msr groundhogs since I can beat them in with a rock if need be where you shouldn’t hit carbon stakes.

 

[Kevin_t]

Kevin from SO chiming in .

Honestly IMO too much is made of the heat and DCF. Be reasonable , burn decent wood , don't use something like a rain cap , use a spark arrestor .

Stakes , carbon can work but personally for hot tenting I would choose stakes with good holding power . MSR has some good ones . Carbons can have issue in very cold temps

Pole , I am not sure of the strength , but I wouldn't skimp on pole strength ... our carbon cimarron pole is over built for the cimarron but confidence inspiring . Maybe the RL pole is great , but I wouldn't skimp too much .

Honestly , other than that don't over think it . I practice going light a lot ... but I don't skimp the stakes or pole unless I craft my own in the woods .

BTW, we had no issues burning regular fires . We tested several stoves . However we did burn some of the nastiest fires we could ..and we burned holes when we had nasty fires . It's an easy fix , but I wouldn't want to make them . Just burn regular fires , maybe have a little extra stove pipe and you should be fine . Relatively normal caution



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[StopMakingSense]

Thanks for the chime in Kevin, I really appreciate it

 

[Ten Bears]

Ran the Cimmaron (original version) last year with a Mountain Laurel Designs pole (similar to the Ruta pole). Worked great, definitely thought if some serious weather rolled through I would just cut a pole out of wood nearby as I worry about it failing. It's just so damn light that it doesn't feel stout, it's really nice though and most likely I would have been fine.

Had the same stakes, I just tossed in a mix of MSR groundhogs/Ruta/Vargo Titanium to cover my butt and I ran DCF cord out for all points to keep it off the ground to combat condensation.

Went with the Tigoat 20 inch/6 foot over the Lite Outdoors. I am sure it's just personal preference as both are awesome.

Passed on bringing a saw, I just used my boot and leaned my firewood against a downed log and broke it. Worked fine.

Added a small groundsheet from SO and a bivy also. Wanted to avoid having to take down the Cim/Stove in the mornings and have a mobile backup option if I didn't make it back to camp that night. Worked as planned.

The stove was really nice to have at night being solo but does require some extra planning and chore time. I sold mine and went with a Hilleberg for this season. Most likely will be back at the Cimmaron next year now that the DCF options is available.

Awesome set up.

 

[C Bow]

Ten Bears can I please ask which Hille you got?

 

[Ten Bears]

Went with the Anjan 2. Doing the Josh Boyd mods to it and will get it close to 3lbs.

 

[C Bow]

Please explain Josh Boyd mods

 

[Ten Bears]

https://www.rokslide.com/hilleberg-anjan-2-gt-review/

Josh did a write up about the Anjan 2 GT with a couple tricks to shave weight off it.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Thank you for the feedback, much appreciated

 

[Beendare]

I don't know the lightest DCF setup....but I have been using these Tipi's w/ stove off and on for about 15 years...so I can shed some light on that.

Using a baffle in a couple different cylinder stoves and I haven't burned one hole in 2 different tipis. Starting a fire I use what's on hand that will burn quick and fast like pine needles, tiny twigs, small pine cones, pitch bark. Put a handful of twigs near the stove to dry out for quick morning starts.

If you don't have dry twigs....no worries....use a pocket knife and make some shavings. Those stoves start better with the door open. When you get a handful of flame, shut the door...but keep feeding it progressively larger pieces.

..

 

[reaper]

Depend of what you have in mind for a stove.
With a lot of testings i found out than this kind of stove with the best woods youll get maybe 1 hour or less before putting woods again so for me these stoves are to dry some gear,cook some food,going in the sleeping bag warm and wake up cold at the morning and restart the stove just to be warm and comfy in the tipi.After using the seekoutside CUB stove this little guy is my "go to"in my kifaru Paratarp and my 4 man tigoat tipi,it is super lightweight and its a real joke in the backpack.So having to trying to find a place in my pack for a stove is over.
I also use a "double" spark arrestor, seekoutside and kifaru collar set together.

Envoyé de mon Pixel 2 en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[reaper]

and don't forget the LOD is a good stove but the 18'' long body you will need to find a place in your pack,the stove's body rolled up will stay a tube of 18'' long,this is what i dont like about cylinder stoves.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Not bad on an Exo, plenty of side pockets for this kind of stuff when packing in

 

[StopMakingSense]

Hmm they're saying June now, happy I ordered early I guess

 

[StopMakingSense]

Just got a confirm it shipped, will post weights when I get it

 

[StopMakingSense]

Weighed it quick, this has the stove jack installed along with the 8x 1' sections of 3mm cord, and LineLocs w/ loops. 25.8oz was what I got when I just put it on quick, need to fold it up better so it hits the whole scale and see where it ends up at.

The 68" 710 Ruta Locura pole should be here tomorrow and I'll get it setup in the yard and see how it looks and take some pictures. Still waiting on the stove, got a baffle because I figured I can add it if I want later on.

Looking into stakes, they supplied 10x MSR Groundhogs at about 124 grams total for all 10. The mini's only seem to cut 3 grams each which is only about 1oz so we'll see on that.

Also looking at reflective orange ropes to cut some weight and figure out the 2x guy line spots.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Some weights for thought, little insane but whatever, I want this thing to be as light and extremely functional as I can for two guys.

Stakes
1.) MSR Groundhogs = 10 Average is 12.81
2.) MSR Groundhog Minis = 10 Average is 10.08grams
3.) Shelter (Cimmaron DCF, 8x 18" 2.4mm Strands w/ LineLocs, & Stove Jack) = 26.17oz about 2oz over what they had quoted but who knows what the weight was stated from.

Final Weights
10x MSR Groundhogs 128.04 grams = 4.52oz
Cimarron DCF = 26.17oz

So Looking at a few things

1.) (**EDIT** SO confirmed they use 3mm Lawson which is awesome!) Replacing the 18" sections, looking at a 2mm rope. The 18" Measured to 3.65grams or 2.74grams for a foot. Believe it's this rope https://atwoodrope.com/collections/reflective/products/3-32-x-50ft-tactical-reflective-neon-yellow

Possibly then looking at https://lawsonequipment.com/Cordage/Reflective-Glowire-p1024.html to see if a 2mm rope would hold. I have 12 feet to do which is 32.88grams and with that 2mm it would be 13.56grams = 19.32 grams saved

I could snap the 8 tensioners off but looking online they only weigh 1.3grams and I would definitely be adding more rope for knots, just a wash there.

2.) Stakes, if I went with all minis = 27.24 grams saved

3.) Guylines, well it didn't come included with any but it did come with two loops. The 2mm above would probably be used and just some basic knots and hitches
- 2x 48" Guylines = 9.04 grams added

If the above works 37.52 grams = 1.32oz saved