Where do you sleep when hunting

[BCBear]

I want to upgrade my basecamp possibilities. My mind is torn between camper on truck, trailer behind truck, or doing the wall tent thing. Interested to know what folks here use as their basecamp when in the bush.

[todbartell]

I sleep in my Blazer :D

[Gateholio]

My own bed at home, camper, wall tent, front seat of truck, lightweight tent, under a tarp, hand built lean -tos of branches and sticks and under the stars.

I have done all of these and maybe more, but I gotta say, i like the camper the best when I'm close to a road, and by myself.:tongue:

[Freshtracks]

DH,

Allot has to do with personal choice. I've done them all .... but there's something about the wall tent setup that just can't be beat. It does require a little more camp prep and choosing the locale ... but I'd personally go that route. Regret selling my wall tent now after the trip with 270WIN.

If it's a quick setup one wants (but it still requires the appropriate locale) I'd say the trailer wins here ... although some can rough and beat a camper into tougher spots.

[Big7]

I'm with Gatehouse...whatever works!

Having said that, here's a couple of points to think about....

If you want a good base camp other than a cabin (which is awesome) you could go with a cheap camper (with working fridge and furnace.)

Campers are great except there are some problems...unless you unload it at your "base camp" you always have it with you and are somewhat restricted with the use of your truck - pretty tough to bring a moose home without a trailer or pack a quad around for that matter! Having said that, loading and loading is fairly quick (I can load or unload my camper in under 45min by myself) so sometimes it's not an issue - unload, establish base camp and use your truck as normal BUT you will need a small utility trailer to carry excess gear and game!

A small pull trailer (similar space as a camper) would be good because of conveniece - unhook, level and camp is set up! Use your truck for transporting a quad and/or game. Downside is you have to insure it, worry about bearings, flats etc. The dilema is...you would have to jump through the same hoops with a utility trailer behind a truck and camper!

Maybe the best of both worlds?...wall tent. Quick to set up and take down, can still use your truck for packing game/quad/gear, don't have to worry about insurance, tires etc., you can use it for fly in camps etc. Downside?...stove, firewood, pole frame or log frame, cots, tarps, rope, pegs etc. - takes up space.

I wouldn't look for the "do all" set up. I have collected various "camps" over the years...small tent for backpacking, camper for "posh" base camps and wall tent for everything else!

You've got the cabin...start filling the rest of the holes slowly!

[Big7]

One point I forgot to make.....

I do a lot of fishing in the summer and my camper comes in very handy because I can still pull my boat to the lake or ocean. Can't do that with a pull trailer unless you have a car topper for a boat (depends on what kind of fishing you like to do, I would have a tough time putting my boat on top of my truck to go to the ocean!...wouldn't be much left of the truck!!)

[BCrams]

I've slept everywhere:

from the back of my jeep
under a tree with a tarp or wherever its comfortable
bare bones on the mountain tops in a sheep bed
in a tent
in a bivy
I have pretty much done it all ...

Wall tent camps are a classic and I enjoy it immensly.

[Grandbois]

usually in the box of the truck with a canopy

[Mr. Dean]

Think you seen it before... I swear, it's the ONLY way to go.


http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/DSC_0003_edited-11.JPG


- Especially if ya got family tagg'n along.

That deck trailer has a full cover (Kinda like a wall tent) w/ 6' walls. NICE when the weather isn't great; you can still get out of the camper and enjoy the outdoors while the mud stays outside also.

Would love to put a hot-tub on it... :cool:


I keep a packable tent on hand just in case a spike camp is in order. Pulling this set-up or my boat is a NICE option when the seasons change. It's the best of all worlds IMO and I have enjoyed the Outdoors for most of my life using all kinds of accomodations.

+ if I want to go 'light', dumping that camper takes all of 10 minutes.


Good luck.

[frenchbar]

Tents most of the time.but ive slept under trees ,beside big fires ive lit up old dead windfall without any sleeping bags.spent some cold nights in the hills,most of it when i was young and foolish.now its mostly tents and the camper once in a blue moon.

[BlacktailStalker]

Wall tent and spike camps.

[Wildman]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0013e.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6982&size=big&cat=500)

Not mine, but I think it would be a good setup. I rent a cabin usually...I want to buy a wall tent though.

[OOBuck]

Think you seen it before... I swear, it's the ONLY way to go.

- Especially if ya got family tagg'n along.

That deck trailer has a full cover (Kinda like a wall tent) w/ 6' walls. NICE when the weather isn't great; you can still get out of the camper and enjoy the outdoors while the mud stays outside also.

Would love to put a hot-tub on it... :cool:


I keep a packable tent on hand just in case a spike camp is in order. Pulling this set-up or my boat is a NICE option when the seasons change. It's the best of all worlds IMO and I have enjoyed the Outdoors for most of my life using all kinds of accomodations.

+ if I want to go 'light', dumping that camper takes all of 10 minutes.


Good luck.

Dude! I thought I hauled a lot of shit around!! Ya got me beat... :eek: LOL!!

[270WIN]

Well Dave

I have slept in -15 under a canvas tarp in the back of my truck right up to in a cabin
I use to have the camper and pick up and towed the trailer with the quads great set up but it had it draw backs. I much prefer the old forced air furnaces were it was running strictly on propane.

As said early down fault with camper is your truck is limited if you need it for some reason. Travel trailer is a good way to eliminate that.

Then your limited to the size of camper or trailer you can carry or pull to the size of truck you have. If I remember right you have a ½ ton chevy short box so your limited to an 8 foot or so camper and if you go to an older camper your get into weight issues.

I much prefer the wall tent and the wood burning stove. After a hard day hunting in the rain I know I can always go back to camp hang my wet cloths in the tent and they will be dry in morning. it only takes me about 45 minutes to set my camp my truck is always handy if I need it.

[Ubertuber]

I've tried both campers and travel trailers. I got rid of the travel trailer and opted for a camper and will never go back. I use a utility trailer to haul my quad and/or 12' boat and all my extra camping gear. The bonus is I have use of a utility trailer the rest of the year for anything else I may need it for. If i'm going to insure a trailer, I'd rather be able to use it to take crap to the dump or pick up a load of firewood than have it sit in my yard getting moldy while it doesn't get used. A huge drawback to a travel trailer is you can't drag the thing to the same places you can take a camper on a truck. Been there, done that.
Dropping the camper off the truck takes all of 10-15 minutes, but because I have a quad, I rarely do that while camping.
Throw on a solar panel and you're set for however long you want to stay in the bush.
A wall tent would be nice, but for what they cost and the time they take to set up and tear down, I'd rather have my $1000 camper.

Oh, and two moose fit just fine in the camper, thank you very much8)

[Phil]

Truck and camper towing a trailer is the best of all the worlds due to the versatility. Throw in a good spike camp tent and off you go. Having a cabin near your hunting grounds would be nice too. :-D

The pull behind camper trailer makes it difficult to bring the toys as truck box space is limited.

Getting a camper on and off takes no more than 10 min.

[newhunterette]

I sleep here
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/DSC_0364.jpg

or I sleep here
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/P1010004.jpg

depends on the area I am in but usually its here
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/DSC_0199.jpg

[lip_ripper00]

I sleep in my Blazer :D



heard you LIVE in your Blazer!!:mrgreen:

[Dayto]

for the last 5 years , we have towed up or camper mon a flatdeck trailor (Easier to pull then pack) and loaded that gear in the box . Made a quick and easy camp.

This year we bought a 30 FT motorhome and will be towing up a Suzuzki Samauri and my Artic cat on the trailer

[Mr. Dean]

Dayto's got it nailed down...

[Gnarly]

This years week long solo trip in behind Greenwood
http://i6.tinypic.com/8e05fuu.jpg
Some of you might recognize this spot, took my Dad up for 4 days to Barriere
http://i13.tinypic.com/7xwb1n4.jpg

[Mr. Dean]

Who's the guy having the whiz?

If it's your Dad, watch out...... He'll be wanting to put you over his knee.


Nice camps!

[115 or bust]

They left out the most important one lol the front seat of the pickup, and the cuddy on the boat. Probably got 3 nights in the bush in one of those to every 1 in a real camp lol.

[Buck]

I have a camper a wall tent plus a spike camp setup.I have a bigger boat so the camper works well .Thought about a trailer but really the camper comes off easy and your somewhat limited with the boat size you can have with a trailer.For rough areas the wall tent is great and i do enjoy staying in it.Once you figure you got what you want trust me you will still keep fiddling with it.

[BCBear]

Certainly a lot of diversity out there and most of us have done a bit of everything depending on the circumstances of our hunting trip, good to get detailed info on this topic. I'm leaning camper and utility trailer...if it really is only 10-15 min to dumpit at camp.

[1/2 slam]

I tent it most of the time

[JoshLedoux]

me my partner and my bro all sleep in the back of our blazers.

[wildman 22]

I Sleep By The Fire During Hunting Season And Have A Tarp Nearby Just In Case It Rains Or Snows.

[Beaverhunter]

Wall tent is the best by far.

[Hunterguy]

Wall tents or anything that requires a wood stove. Campers? bottom two feet of space freezing cold, no where to hang or dry your cloths for the next morning. I don't care how expensive you trailer or camper is in Nov. for a big buck trip everything is going to freeze up, waterlines etc. Wall tent is the way to go!

[Mr. Dean]

Wall tents or anything that requires a wood stove. Campers? bottom two feet of space freezing cold, no where to hang or dry your cloths for the next morning. I don't care how expensive you trailer or camper is in Nov. for a big buck trip everything is going to freeze up, waterlines etc. Wall tent is the way to go!

Nope. Not. No way. Incorrect. Bad info.


Dave, another nice thing I like about a camper is that you leave Friday after work. Drive a few hours to get where you want... And you're done! Turn on the heat. Make a snack. Fix up the coffee pot for morning. Jump into bed and get up @ 4am.

Being a Weekend Warrior, we need to have time work with us.

[ruttinbuck]

I am a bit of a wall tent fan,I have 2 tents a 12X14X3 that I use for two or three guys and weekends.Sets up in 15 mins.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f217/ruttinbuck/camp%20pics/P1010020.jpg
The second is a 14X19X5 that is used for longer trips,4-5 guys and cold weather.Stays warm down to -18 so far.Sets up in two hours,taking your time.RB
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f217/ruttinbuck/camp%20pics/maincampnov.jpg

[ruttinbuck]

Second tent is a 14X14X5 canvas actually.We add a 5ft porch frame to the front then sheet the whole ting in with PVC tarp, both roof and walls.Makes for lots of room and warmth inside.RB

[johnes50]

Ditto what Gatehouse said.

I mostly use my 8ft. camper now. It's comfortable for two people max. Lately, I've been taking my pickup and camper and my son drives my Tracker. We park the truck, jump in the Tracker and go hunting. Drive, park, hunt. Pretty straight forward. The furnace keeps us warm.

I have been thinking of a 17-20 foot trailer for more room, but it's hard to give up the simplicity and mobility of a camper. K.I.S.S. is the way to go in my opinion.

[Sikanni Stalker]

For years I had an old tent trailer, I dragged around to hunting camps and I just loved it.It was small and just sleeping inside, I would set up a table outside with all the coleman stuff for a kitchen or if I was alone I would take the foamy off one side and set up the table on the other bunk. Well the old girl retired this year and we got a new one. It is one of them Fleetwood evolutions E2. Higher frame for off road and can pack the bike on the tongue too. Nice base camp.
If I take the horses all the gear fits into the horse trailer and that is pretty slick too. I like them all, we spike in the moutnains too

[huntermike]

We use a 17 ft trailer 3in styrofoam on floor and 1" foam on all windows ,very cozy even in the coldest of temps.Strings and hooks everywhere to hang wet clothes.Nice and small to get into tough spots,(easy to tow).Pics from past hunting trips on the walls ,great for telling hunting stories of the past,poor old thing is getting a little tired and just about time to replace it.Will definitely get the same type of setup again.

[quadrakid]

love the wall tent and woodstove,takes up little space,is light and gets toasty warm.

[rock]

I own a camperette for my truck so the weight is low as well its not to high so its still versatile in the bush even on a ruff road sleeps 2, has heat storage for food as well clothes, built in 1991 and still works great.
If I'm in a larger group of hunters the guide tents are always used more people to help set up which speeds lots up.

[tuchodi]

I have only ever used a wall tent except when sheep hunting then a mountain light tent.

[The Hermit]

I bought a wall tent this year and its worked out great on a couple hunts so far. Also have a little tent, and sometimes I'll rent a motel room.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/btozer/Moose/camp.JPG

http://www.members.shaw.ca/btozer/camp.jpg