Camp Comfort

[cohunter14]

Anyone who has elk hunted knows that the time spent in camp is precious. Waking up early and staying out late is part of the game, so the time to rejuvenate and relax definitely matter. With that in mind, tell us more about your camp. What\'s your basic setup, a tent, wall tent, camper, trailer, etc? How many people do you share that camp with? What have you done to make your camp better or more enjoyable over the years? Any tips or tricks you have to share with others? What future improvements would you like to make?

 

[Swede]

Normally I stay in my trailer.
#1 for me is a good night\'s rest.
I come in late, so having something easy, quick and nourishing for breakfast and dinner is very important.
I don\'t have any special tricks. When I come in for the evening, dinner is started immediately. I get everything ready that will be carried with me on the next hunt. This is usually snacks and water. If something else was used up, it too is replaced. As soon as dinner and dishes are done, I clean up. That may just be a wash cloth and a pan of warm water, but this too is important. If I come in for lunch a more complete bath is taken at that time. I do not want to stink any more than is minimally possible.

 

[cohunter14]

We have used a wall tent for our camp for as long as I have hunted. We started with a 14\'x16\' Davis tent. This tent has held up extremely well over the years and was a great camp for sleeping 3-4 guys with a small card table to eat at and a cooking area. This was our primary setup for many years, but little did we know what we were missing.

As we added people to our camp, we decided to add another 14\'x16\' Davis tent with doors on both ends of the tent as well as an awning for the front. This allows us to set up both tents together, so really we have a 14\'x32\' tent. Here\'s a pic from this year:

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The front tent is now the cooking tent. It holds three 6\' tables, the wood stove, and the Cabela\'s Deluxe Campers Kitchen that you can see in the photo. One of the tables is in the center of the tent for eating and the other two are on the outsides and hold food, booze, maps, etc. One quick note: the Cabela\'s Kitchen is awesome! We got it for my dad for fathers day a few years back and it has been a great investment. Very nice way to get things organized! I don\'t do well when things aren\'t organized...

The back tent is now just for sleeping. It can hold up to 6 cots pretty easily, although less is more comfortable. We only had four guys in camp this year and still decided to use this setup! By having the tents separate, we can also heat them separately by closing the doors between the two tents.

I have mentioned it before multiple times, but another great addition to our camp were the Cabela\'s Outfitter XL cots WITH COT PADS! Man, what a difference those make in the quality of sleep. I also got mine with the side storage compartment as well as the cot tree, which helps with the organization aspect that I mentioned earlier. The cot pad is expensive, but SO worth it! I took my son camping this summer and decided not to bring the pad to save room...big mistake. I forgot what a difference it makes.

What could make camp better? Really, there are only two things I see at this point. One would be to upgrade our original tent (the sleeping tent) to an internal frame setup, which would eliminate the pole in the middle of the tent. Or, in a perfect world, we would upgrade that tent to a larger size. A 16\'x20\' tent would be awesome, just to give us a little more room. I have even seen a 14\'x22\' on craigslist recently that has gotten my attention... :think:

 

[iccyman001]

My answer mirrors Swedes post.

I love and have grown accustom to my trailer. I come home after a long day, fire up the generator and get right to cooking, clean up and bed.
I\'m also sheltered from weather, have a nice mattress, and can have a hot shower if I want one.

 

[cohunter14]

...and can have a hot shower if I want one.

This is where you and Swede make me jealous! A \'hot shower\' for me is heating up water in a plastic tub, adding soap, and scrubbing down with a wash cloth. But there\'s something about the smell of that wall tent and the glow of a lantern that I can\'t let go of.

 

[iccyman001]

...and can have a hot shower if I want one.

This is where you and Swede make me jealous! A \'hot shower\' for me is heating up water in a plastic tub, adding soap, and scrubbing down with a wash cloth. But there\'s something about the smell of that wall tent and the glow of a lantern that I can\'t let go of.

Derek,

I was born and raised on tent camping with wood stoves.





We cut our own wood, we cooked massive meals, and it will always have a place in my heart.


I have just changed and adapted to my new style of hunting.
Normally I have a few people in camp, but I am cutting that back. When solo I hunt hard hard hard all day. So when I come home I want quick and efficient. I save time where I can so I can sleep more to hunt hard the next day.

I hear the horror stories of bivy camping in bad rain storms, high winds, etc. Sleep is the most important thing that I need.
So I come home, fire up my foot fast, clean up and I am in bed asap.

Then I wake up, cook food, and go!


I\'ll tell you a quick story about these amazing cabelas tents.
During a horrible wind storm up in the North Maine woods, a giant cedar tree fell on my tent. I was young, but remember waking up and hearing my dad flipping out. After the lantern was turned on I saw a tree branch about 4\" thick sitting 4\" above my chest.....

I was sleeping on the top bunk and had that branch been longer or we not use those strong pole frames, I wouldn\'t here today.


I love those tents and will use them again at some point, I just need to figure out where. :upthumb:

 

[cohunter14]

Crazy story Dan...glad it all worked out okay!

I love that second picture by the way...awesome!

 

[iccyman001]

Crazy story Dan...glad it all worked out okay!

I love that second picture by the way...awesome!

That was a quick picture I snapped.
That\'s my grampa and he is the one who started the camp years ago, this was his final trip up there, so it was good timing on the pic.

He enjoys the florida sun shine a little too much now. :upthumb:

 

[bnsafe]

FOR BEGINNERS, in my opinion this is one of the most important threads on here, and one of the most overlooked. If you wanna hunt hard, and smart, you have to be comfortable. if not you will mentally quit before your hunt is over. PLAN for camp comfort rather you are base camp, backpack, camper, tent, truck, etc. DO NOT overlook this aspect of the hunt.

 

[cnelk]

In the past, typically there is 3-4 of us in camp. I like to spread my 3 wall tents out.
The white one is the cook tent, the other two are for sleeping.
Each tent has a tarp to help with condensation and any rain.

We use army cots with pads

The cook tent has a camp kitchen with solar lights. I heat with propane but soon one tent will have a wood stove.
The cook tent is also the place to \'clean up. and hang out before and after the daily hunt

bnsafe is correct about being comfortable to having a long restful hunt.

 

[Wake26]

For the most part we hunt Elk out our 5th wheel camper. Deer hunting my house is home base do to the hunting being a close drive. I have done it all from sleeping under the stars, wall tents, campers, front seat of the truck. They all have been fun and interesting. I would have to say there is something to be said about not having to find a log and 4am and just being able to walk to the bathroom in the camper

 

[cohunter14]

FOR BEGINNERS, in my opinion this is one of the most important threads on here, and one of the most overlooked. If you wanna hunt hard, and smart, you have to be comfortable. if not you will mentally quit before your hunt is over. PLAN for camp comfort rather you are base camp, backpack, camper, tent, truck, etc. DO NOT overlook this aspect of the hunt.

Completely agree Scot! The better our camp has got over the years, the better I sleep. That leads to a better mentality, attitude, and more energy during the day.

I would have to say there is something to be said about not having to find a log and 4am and just being able to walk to the bathroom in the camper

Good point Jarod. Walking out into the cold isn\'t always a lot of fun! On that note, one thing we added a few weeks back was a little tent for this. Here is a pic of it:

[attachment=0]<!-- ia0 -->The_Pett_Toilet_System.jpg<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment]

We don\'t have a toilet like the one in the picture, but instead use a 5 gallon bucket with a seat on top. Insert a garbage bag before use and you are all set. Definitely better than using a log, and it keeps you fairly warm. Also keeps the seat warmer as well! It\'s the little things that can make a big difference

 

[Zpd307]

man you guys...... talk about hotel Hiltons! some already know.... I am a minimalist

 

[Jaquomo]

[attachment=0]<!-- ia0 -->Camp lake resized.jpg<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment]My base camp - solo - is a small 16\' (14\' living space) camp trailer. Everything is self-contained, hot shower, stove, oven, heater, comfy bed, and because I\'m mobile and may move my camp 6 times or more, I can just hook up and go.

I\'ve camped in everything from a visqueen tarp to a big trailer, and for my needs this small camper with the shackles flipped for clearance is the best all-around. I\'m a better hunter if I\'m well-fed and rested and hiking 6-9 miles a day, than camping closer to the elk and living like a hobo.

My spike camp is your basic tent-pad-Jetboil setup. It\'s fine for decent weather, but when the weather sucks or I\'m out for ten days with no break, the camp trailer is the ticket for hunting my best.

 

[Swede]

I am curious just how many days you minimalists hunt. I can handle a few days in a sack, and eating Mountain House meals, but only a few. I with Jacuomo. Granola and hard ground were ok 40 years ago. No mas.

 

[elkmtngear]

I am curious just how many days you minimalists hunt. I can handle a few days in a sack, and eating Mountain House meals, but only a few. I with Jacuomo. Granola and hard ground were ok 40 years ago. No mas.

12 days this Season Swede. I didn\'t come out of the Wilderness until I ran out of food

I\'m 54...I keep telling myself I can keep doing this for another 10 to 15 years. It\'s not getting any easier, though.

 

[Swede]

Twelve days is great. You are a good man. Maybe I could handle it, but hunting is hard enough without any unnecessary aches and pains. I know I take much more than is necessary. About the only thing I don\'t carry with me is tire chains. If it gets that bad, I will hunker down or hunt near camp for awhile.

 

[bnsafe]

about three days is my max swede. i can make myself stay as long as needed, but i quit having fun after three days.

 

[cohunter14]

12 days this Season Swede. I didn\'t come out of the Wilderness until I ran out of food

I\'m 54...I keep telling myself I can keep doing this for another 10 to 15 years. It\'s not getting any easier, though.

Jeff, don\'t mind me saying so, but you are crazy! :lol: You have a truck right next to camp! Any idea what a small wall tent, a wood stove, and a nice cot setup would do for you???

 

[Jaquomo]

Jeff, looks to me like that truck would carry a lot more food, a bigger tent, a stove, and a Lafuma recliner like mine! Heck, my backpack tent is roomier than that little envelope in your photo!