Tent, Trailer, Spike or Other

[Swede]

What makes an elk camp great for you?
I think it is a good comfortable bed, shelter from the weather and good companions. I have been trailer camping for years now, but the trailer is not what makes it so good. I could be just as happy in a good wall tent.

So I repeat, what makes an elk camp great to you?

 

[cohunter14]

I love the wall tent. A good cot in the wall tent makes a world of difference as well.

It\'s funny because I was actually thinking about this the other day. We had a couple years where we tried a different unit quite a while back and instead of using the tents, we rented a cabin in this small town. Coming back to a warm shower each evening as well as a home cooked meal (there was a hole-in-the-wall restaurant there as well) felt awesome! However, I think it takes a lot of the \'luster\' out of the hunt for me. I know there are days in camp when I think about how good a warm shower would feel, but I think I prefer the tent. It also made me think of my boys and when they get to be old enough to hunt. Will they enjoy hunting as much if I were to take the camping portion out of it? I don\'t know, but it makes me think for sure.

For now, I think I\'ll stick to the wall tents

 

[Baby Huey]

We used to hunt out of pop up campers, but we were segregated, as we could only fit about 3-4 people in each. Then I bought a wall tent and everyone loved that, as the entire group was in there. The first one I bought was a little too small for the entire camp, so we pitched in and bought another wall tent. When we have a big group going up, it is always nice to have a place where everyone can hang out and BS about the days events. The commoradarie is a great part about the hunt - especially with a big group of people and everyone can be in a big wall tent after the hunts and in the mornings.

The last few years, I do like to backpack hunt, but not everyone in my group likes to do that, so we plan at least one big group hunt for everyone. That allows us to break off and hunt other times/places/methods.

 

[mtnmutt]

I am a little unconventional.

First 3 weeks, solo car camping with tent with great cot and foam pad with an occasional backpacking spike hunt. If car camping, I stop to chat with the local hunters that I know from years past or they stop at my camp. I used to live there locally, so I catch up on lots of local stuff plus we share current elk sightings.

By the 4th week, I am burnt out from camping. Last week or weekend of season, hotel or stay at my mountain house if its not rented out and work on the house when not hunting. Before I head back to town, I stop at other people\'s camps for a chat or meet someone in town for dinner.

Last year, for the last week, I experienced my first true elk camp where people came from England, Australia and all around the US. I was invited, but I had to do work at my rental house that week while squeezing in hunting. That was a blast. They will be back in 2016. If anyone wants to attend an open invite of an elk camp that is the place to go. A person in CO does a excellent job hosting it every 2 years. For the odd years, some regulars still come and do an elk camp. I met them first in 2013.

 

[elky McElkerson]

Great? Pop up trailer.

 

[cnelk]

Wall tent guy here

 

[Deertick]

Used to have a pop-up ... wish I never sold it. They pull easily, store easily, and are so versatile.

I\'ll do that again someday. Some of the newer pop-ups are really nice.

But for now, it\'s tent camping, and that\'s good, too. The concern is that my tipi is with my son right now in Moab ... prayers for its safe return (oh, and his, too) are requested! :lol:

 

[Jaquomo]

14 foot camp trailer for a base camp. Self-contained, comfy with good bed, heater, oven, hot shower. I flipped the shackle on the axle to give it higher clearance. I can tuck it in small spots and get it in nasty places.

Tents for spike camps. I have a wall tent, Alaskan Guide tent, 4 season dome, XPG UL backpack tent, and a Kifaru Paratarp. Last year I had a killer spike camp for the last week of the season. I rode in for an hour on my ATV over a rough trail to the end. Had a great time in a very comfortable camp, never saw another hunter except one guy and his wife who rode in one afternoon, saw the trail ended, and left. I was into elk every day.

It was like a backpack camp in the wilderness except way fewer people where I was than where my wilderness buddies hunted, and I had a propane lantern, chair, roomy tent and cold beer.