What's everyone using in a backpack camp situation..?

[Baller]

Hi All,

Curious for all the backpack hunters here on SCH as to what are you using for your tent / sleeping pad Combos? Thinking of best bang for my buck on cost vs weight vs performance. Don't really want to spend $800 on a Hilleberg tent. I know some of you guys here are into the camping back in the bush deal so curious as to what you have found that works well for you..? Trying to put a gear list together for future trips. I have read a lot of internet stuff and podcasts / videos but those have been primarily Montana, Wyoming, etc. More curious for what you guys are using for here and Arizona and Nevada.

Thanks for taking the time to read/respond..!

 

[d16ridgehiker]

Im just getting started on this so Ill give a little input. I decided to go with a freestanding 1 person tent, a lightweight pad, and a 20 degree bag that can open at the bottom to let my feet out. I believe Im at 6lbs with that combo. Kept all this to about $170.00 or so. So far it has worked well. I am interested in tipi style floorless as they can be super lightweight. Just dont know if I would be as comfortable with bugs or critters able to crawl up in my bag! Im also in a unique situation. I have sleep apnea. I went out and got a portable machine along with a battery that will go for two nights. Another reason for me to have a tent is to keep my machine out of the elements.

Pad and pillow combo - Klymit Static V2 sleeping pad
Tent - Alps Mountaineering Lynx 1 Person Tent
Sleeping Bag - Teton Sports Leef Lightweight Mummy.
​

 

[JakeSCH]

I run REI Co-Op items that I have bought on sale. I may go lighter in the future but at this point saving a couple of pounds isn't worth spending an extra grand.

This is a little on the heavy side but this is worth looking at: https://www.rei.com/product/119347/rei-co-op-camp-bundle

 

[Baller]

Good info gents, much appreciated..!!

A lot of the same stuff I have been looking at. Keep it coming boys..

 

[TRICER]

I run light stuff. I just picked up a seek outside Silvertip floorless shelter last week it is a 4 season tent only weighs 27oz. Has the option of adding a stove and a bug screen if needed. I will probably pick up their 4 person Cimarron as well in the future.
If you are looking for a more conventional light weight tent the Big Agnes Tigerwall is as light as they come.
https://shop.gohunt.com/products/se...MIu4ud0tei4AIVlh6tBh2GLwtYEAQYASABEgIrPPD_BwE

I use a thermarest x therm pad. Don’t go cheap ona pad when they pop it is miserable.

I use a custom enlightened equipment quilt 10 degrees weighs a little more than a lb. cool thing about quilts is you can use them for a range of temps since you can stick your limbs out etc.


https://enlightenedequipment.com/qu...MIsJ6J_dei4AIVDcpkCh1zhgygEAAYASAAEgL1bfD_BwE

Ounces cost dollars!

 

[Sdhunt17]

so i use what i used to use in the army. during air assault ops wed stay out 5 days at a time. i used this guy you can find them at local suplus stores. its pretty much an all weather bag. down here i just use the green part and the outer shell and use a blowup pad i got from big 5. worked fine in the service and out when im doing some over nights

https://www.allamericansurplus.com/camping/army-sleep-system-individual-parts

 

[SDLIVIN]

I just picked up off of a points program, the Alps Hydrus 2 person tent weighing in at around 5.5 lbs. A little big and heavy, but I feel the need to have all my gear inside the tent and protected will be important, plus if the wife wants to tag along. We'll see though... Also, a lightweight blow up air pad and pillow. 30 degree compression sack coleman mummy style bag.
To keep in mind, 'They' say that every one layer of insulation underneath you is worth two layers of insulation above you.
-Robert

 

[Sdhunt17]

as for cover i was issued the ics-improved combat shelter and used that a couple of times. but honestly when youre and need to sleep the sleeping bag and the cover work just fine.

 

[TheGDog]

If you can swing it, check out the 1 man version of the MSR Hubba Hubba. I have an REI Qaurter-dome 1 man. Just happens to be what I first bought. It's light and easy to setup... but on nights with condensation conditions, condensation builds up on the walls inside of it and will drip-down and dampen some of your things, especially at down-slope side of tent by your feet. Got a Marmot 45 degree bag, which does fine for most of my deer nights, but a time or too was not warm enough when the locale dipped into the mid-30's, so got a sleep liner as well.

Since my boy is in scouts, and I hope to bring him along some day, I've since bought the MSR Hubba Hubba 2-person tent. I've taken it out there a time or two on my solo's. And man... the extra space is glorious! and it was fine on that condensation problem. That REI Quarter-dome doesn't give you much height, so it feels like you're constantly doing a sit-up when you're in it when you have to look for things. Having the extra bit of height to come to full sit is great!

My first airpad is a BigAgnes and it's heavy, but insulates extremely well from cold ground. I've since picked another one from them that was newer and way lighter. I wanna say MaxLite? Way lighter and much improved for inflating/deflating... seems to be enough insulation, but it's noisy as heck! I turn over a lot when I'm trying to get to sleep, and I find the noise very irritating.

Also, the boy was going to go on a trip we knew would be cold and high winds so got a 20 F degree for him. So figure I could borrow that when temps are going to be bad on my outings.

If you get a sleeping bag liner, it helps to prevent your human scent/sweat/oils from getting onto the sleeping bag, so you won't have to clean the inside of it as much. You can just throw the liner in the wash with scent-free dye-free detergent and hang dry.

 

[d16ridgehiker]

Bill, Adventure 16 near Fairmount Ave in San Diego has some good gear you cant rent. Could give you some options to try before you buy. Older gentlemen in there is an archer as well. May be of some great help.

 

[Baller]

Nice info gents..!!

 

[NBK]

I am in the market for a lightweight tent. A friend let me borrow a "MSR Hubba Hubba 2-person tent" when we hunted in Utah. I have to say, it is fairly light, easy to deploy and tear down and it worked amazing. The tent was roomy and it stayed dry in the rain and snow. I think I may get one. I am struggling though, I get 50% of on NEMO so there is my dilemma.

 

[TheGDog]

More power to you guys that can do shelters with no floor to them.

How do you not have problems with ground-based insects? Do you first throw-down a tarp or something?

 

[Lungpopper]

Nemo hornet 2p, really more of 1 1/2p but perfect for 1 person and gear. - weighs 32 ounces
Big Agnes Q-core SLX pad. 16 ounces
Enlighten Equipment Enigma 20 degree quilt - 21 ounces.
Right around 4 1/4 pounds

 

[TheGDog]

I am in the market for a lightweight tent. A friend let me borrow a "MSR Hubba Hubba 2-person tent" when we hunted in Utah. I have to say, it is fairly light, easy to deploy and tear down and it worked amazing. The tent was roomy and it stayed dry in the rain and snow. I think I may get one. I am struggling though, I get 50% of on NEMO so there is my dilemma.

Oh yeah man, that thing is super nice and spacious inside! Had room for me and all my gear inside the tent when solo. Nothing had to "sleep-outisde" in the vestibule (except the boots ). Was like a hotel compared to that 1-man REI tent.

 

[Baller]

As always, the SCH family delivers..!

Many thanks..!

 

[TheGDog]

Oh... BTW... don't get one of those stupid "Life Straws". That concept is dumb, especially in SoCal.

Get the Sawyer Mini-Filter. You fill their lil bag up with water you can scoop out of even the thinnest puddles. Then invert the bag and squeeze the water thru their little screw-on filter part.

 

[Sdhunt17]

Oh... BTW... don't get one of those stupid "Life Straws". That concept is dumb, especially in SoCal.

Get the Sawyer Mini-Filter. You fill their lil bag up with water you can scoop out of even the thinnest puddles. Then invert the bag and squeeze the water thru their little screw-on filter part.

i use the life straw bottle when im up in the sierras. but youre right more south than that its useless.

 

[Kellendv]

Bill, Adventure 16 near Fairmount Ave in San Diego has some good gear you cant rent. Could give you some options to try before you buy. Older gentlemen in there is an archer as well. May be of some great help.

I used to work for A16 when I was in school, and yeah Rick is still there and he is a great guy. They still sell excellent equipment and you can rent some stuff to try. Honestly in the southwest when there is a good forecast I just sleep out. You can't always count on that for a longer trip or in the mountains, and I understand if you prefer not to for the sake of your CPAP machine. A bivy sack is another light weight option, many are long enough that you would be able to fit your little machine in the head of it. I use the old Bibler hooped bivy, Black Diamond continues to make it. Bivy sacks can feel somewhat "coffin" like, if that will bother you.

I'll be honest with you, lightweight backpacking gear is a bit like optics in the hunting world, you pay exponentially more for incremental improvements (weight savings in this case), and in general you get what you pay for. You should be able to find something in the middle of that range where price and weight are both acceptable (depending on what you are willing to pay). Nemo, MSR, Sierra Designs, Big Agnes, Black Diamond and many, many other brands are all making lightweight backpacking tents in 1, 2, and 3+ man configurations. Western Mountaineering sleeping bags are expensive, but in my opinion are some of the best made. My Alpinlite is 10 years old and has been on the side of a quite a few mountains in the Sierra as well as many hunting trips and desert overnights and has no wear to show for it. Thermarest still makes great pads, big agnes has been doing that for a long time now too. For lightweight pack gear I really do recommend going to A16 and just talking to them.

Here’s a shot of our little dugout bivy at 12,000 feet on Mt. Williamson last May. Western Mountaineering bags and Bibler Bivy sacks. My bivy was still packed away.

 

[Bowman]

I suck up water with the straw and I fill up my canteen. Works for me.
I seen guys attach a long straw to the filter and do the same. Fill a bottle that is secure and water tight.
The long straw is those tight spots
In the desert , in boulders. Puddles of water.