i stumbled on the utube videos of the seek outside stuff last year . i had never even heard of it before . but i would love to get my hands on some . i think its the ticket.. cool little stove and open tipi tent . nice and light and collapsible .
" Never tell me the Odds "
Buy one large enough to accommodate two people; especially if you're going to put a stove in it.
As with most of my posts....sorry for the length.
My goal this year is to spend at least 25-30 nights in my various shelters. May mean camping in Stanley Park, but damn it I didn't buy all these cool shelters to not sleep in them! But with current plans should hit 30 easily barring any cancelled trips.
I have the LBO combination of Base - Connecting Tarp - Vestibule. Which use as just Base-Vestibule and the combo of all three.
Base-Vestibule is lots of room for one. The combo of all three is an absurd amount of room for 2 guys with gear and woodpile. Room to spare.
Base Vestibule with stove jack is 31oz. Before guy lines and stakes.
Base - Tarp - Vestibule is 45oz. Before guy lines and stakes.
I have a stove jack in both the vestibule and connecting tarp. So an extra 2.5 or so ounces there. Bought the tarp used and the stove jack was installed already.
Not my Pic. Photo credit - John C on seekoutside.com
I've thought about buying another Base to run Base - Tarp - Base allowing each person to have one end of the shelter to themselves and run the stove in the middle. But as you'll see below, I have gone another route for a larger shelter (Redcliff). Although the Base - Tarp - Base would be the same square footage you can't stand up in it.
On the other hand, you do save about 2lbs or even a bit more over the Redcliff. Unless you cut yourself a pole where you set up camp and leave the center pole at home.
I was using a Kifaru Smith stove last season. Have chosen to go with a Lite Outdoors 12" and 18". Bought both body sizes. 12" for in the Base - Vestibule and 18" for the full setup and Redcliff. I read somewhere that the 18" is a bit dicey in the Base - Base or Base - Vestibule and the extra 6" of space around the stove can save you from a melted something or other.
I just got the Redcliff this spring. We have our first family hunt planned this fall and we agreed that we'd camp vs staying indoors. So as any self-respecting gear addict knows...always be on the lookout for a reason to buy more gear.
Have only pitched it once. The thing is plenty spacious. I can stand in it with a bit of wiggle room around the center pole, I am 5'8" (and a half depending on the moon cycle). At just over 5lbs, I'd be happy to pack it in with two guys in certain situations. For the ability to stand and really be able to rest and recover in the evenings I think it'd be worth it. But saving 2lbs with the LBO is pretty great too.
I did buy one of those Helionox chairs recently. The new REI one that right a 1lb. I am fidgety in the tent in the evenings. I am hoping to be able to stand and move a bit and then a proper chair will let me chill out. Be a little less fidgety and fussy in the evenings and leading up to lights out.
The chair should work in both although better in the Redcliff. It is an experiment still, I am not keen on adding weight to my pack without seeing real value. I did enough of that goofy crap in my 20's. Back when it was about volume not weight. "Hey, if it fits you should bring it!" was my motto back then.
I also bought the SO DST tarp. Haven't done anything with that yet.
I am leaving Sunday night for 5 days of sniffing out a bear. My plan is to pack in but may break camp a few times to return to the vehicle. Figured early morning while the bears may be "sleeping in" head back to the truck and swap out shelters. Depending on the weather was going to give them all a shot.
For sure my Hilleberg Anjan 2, Redcliff and LBO Base - Vestibule will get a night or more in. Like going to do a night under the DST tarp as well. The perfect way to refamiliarize me with all of them and pitching. Also to do a fairly true taste test. By spending a night in each back to back to back.
Only have two nights in my Hilleberg so far, so I am excited to work on the pitch and placing of gear, boots etc at the end of the day. Seems straight forward enough, but I need some more practice. Need to get to the point where I can pitch in the dark as well as I can in the light. This was an after dark pitch and it wasn't bad. But in the morning I reset some aspects.
Each shelter has their place, so it isn't really this one is better than the other. Rather just a chance to give them all a go, make some notes on what is good what isn't good and what do about it.
I wish I had this much cool gear when I was in my 20's pre-family. Family wins out over gear and too many nights away always. But damn I'd love to spend 60+ nights in the woods. Living in Cranbrook for a summer, three summers at Eastgate (Manning Park) in my 20's spoiled me pretty good.
Anyways...if you read this far you are a trooper.
Sometimes, it is fun, but, spend 90 nights all alone in very remote wilderness, one or two supply trips by chopper and weeks of fog and rain without stop......it ain't nearly as "kewl" as you might fantasize and much of the time you fight loneliness, boredom and thinking about what guys in their 20s always dream about........
That said, most of my best memories come from solo stints in the mountains, starting 50 years ago July 4 and I often wish I could go back.......
You have quite the gear "addiction" and probably should consider a serious base camp rig for flyins. I am thinking Hille Sataris and a Helinx chair and high cot, but, the $$$$$$ are just brutal.
C'mon LOTTO WIN!!!!
I need to find a hunting partner that is done making babies. Than I'd do some fly ins. One day soon enough.
In in the meantime I'll have to use these chicken legs to get me around.
That's a serious tent right there... I'll pay for the flights if you buy the tent.