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What’s your camping setups for DIY hunts

Outdoorsman33

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2019
Messages
366
So I just broke out my $40 tent from Walmart and got to wondering what other tent options are out there. What’s some of your guys setups and tips for camping? I normally will have 2 people when I hunt so space for me the more the better. Pictures would be nice to look at too. Also any tips for keeping a tent warm during those cold miserable days.
 
I have a Walmart oz ark trail tent, 10x14 so plenty of room for my bed, gear, table, microwave, etc. And it’s only me in the tent. Then we have a pop up canopy outside for extra outdoor space . I have a stand up oscillating heater, can’t remember the brand, about $60. It raises the temp about 20* in the tent. And if it’s real cold I also use a heater blanket, queen size and it goes under and over me taco style on my twin blow up mattress.

My buddy built a hunting trailer. It’s very warm. I’m currently on the hunt for a good size trailer and gonna build it out for future hunts. But the tent damn sure works on a budget. 9* weather will make a man out of ya too, but not much fun when that cold

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I’m searching for an enclosed trailer right now to convert to camper. But are you bringing a small suitcase generator to run the heater.
 
Every year I do a 14 day portage trip with my girlfriend and the combo of having both a tent and a hammock system to sleep in is a real winner.

The tent is great for getting changed, staying out of the rain and bugs, and a place to store gear. The hammock is by far the comfiest sleep you will get.

Added weight having both systems isn't that bad at all. And as much as hammock camping is a rabbit hole that can get expensive, it can easily be done on the cheap.
 
I have kept a travel trailer for many years Try to go some where at least once a month Hunting trips during the fall and fishing during the spring and summer Even mix a few trips to the beach in to just relax Best money i ever spent while my kids were growing up They are all grown and still dont hardly miss a trip
 
I have kept a travel trailer for many years Try to go some where at least once a month Hunting trips during the fall and fishing during the spring and summer Even mix a few trips to the beach in to just relax Best money i ever spent while my kids were growing up They are all grown and still dont hardly miss a trip

Pics?
 
I’m searching for an enclosed trailer right now to convert to camper. But are you bringing a small suitcase generator to run the heater.

We always stay at a campsite with power, showers, etc.

But yeah if you’re doing primitive then generator is key


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I’m searching for an enclosed trailer right now to convert to camper. But are you bringing a small suitcase generator to run the heater.

I have my camper rigged to run on 12v. I have a plug in if I want to plug into shore power and it will power my battery charger and an electric heater. Same plug can plug into a genny. Everything in my cargo trailer runs on 12v. So if I have no power, 2 12v batteries this year never drained down for 2 weeks powering only led lights & water pump. I crack a window and use a buddy heater connected to a propane tank outside. That same propane port heats my on demand water heater. Alway crack a window if you are using a gas heater. And install a CO alarm. I installed a bathroom sink, toilet and shower, 60gal water holding tank, full size bunk beds, exhaust fan in the bathroom and a super exhaust fan in the general area that will suck air through the open windows and feel like AC at night, but the fans draw a lot of watts and I don’t use them unless I can charge my batteries.
Some pics are older. I’ve been updating through the years.

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I have my camper rigged to run on 12v. I have a plug in if I want to plug into shore power and it will power my battery charger and an electric heater. Same plug can plug into a genny. Everything in my cargo trailer runs on 12v. So if I have no power, 2 12v batteries this year never drained down for 2 weeks powering only led lights & water pump. I crack a window and use a buddy heater connected to a propane tank outside. That same propane port heats my on demand water heater. Alway crack a window if you are using a gas heater. And install a CO alarm. I installed a bathroom sink, toilet and shower, 60gal water holding tank, full size bunk beds, exhaust fan in the bathroom and a super exhaust fan in the general area that will suck air through the open windows and feel like AC at night, but the fans draw a lot of watts and I don’t use them unless I can charge my batteries.
Some pics are older. I’ve been updating through the years.

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Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's homemade camper... Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's homemade camper... Thou shalt not covet...
 
It really depends on your style, and what type of "camp" you want to have, is it back country, are into minimalist style, living out of your vehicle?
For me I'm going low impact, low prep. I have a diamond combat II, its lightweight stupid easy for setup, and 4 season. I generally dont worry about keeping the tent warm, I lean towards a better sleeping system, but again I like minimalist setups. You can do your own 3-4 layer sleep system that can keep you more than comfortable even on the stupid cold nights, use a sleeping bag liner with a light weight mummy bag, then any average xl mummy bag, and the heavy down or canvas fleece outer bag. You could look into a gortex bivy cover as well itll stop any condensation from soaking into the bags. I have used the little red buddy heater, but I found it to be too hot in this tent, so I'll generally only use it in the am, I'll just start it up as soon as I wake up, before I get out of the bag to get dressed. Another thing that is a god send is a good sleeping mat, even if you gonna be on a cot, it insulates you from ground temps when your body is compressing the bags. I dont have any pics of my setup in action, but if I get some time I'll snap some of it setup this weekend...
 
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I can stay at one of these a lot of times before I reach the cost of a camper or converted trailer, etc. Not as cool but oh well. If I'm out in the sticks, I'll just tent camp.
 
I'm hoping to film my setup this weekend. Its taken a few years but I feel I've really dialed in a good balance of comfort, easy setup, and affordability. I spent probably 8 nights in it last year and slept like a baby. Was warm in the cold and cool in the hot, and could stand up and get dressed and have a cup of coffee while it was pouring rain. Beat the heck out of the old sleep-in-the-back trick i usually pull.
 
My dream is to just do the truck cap setup that @g2outdoors and many others on YouTube have shown. I just can’t seem to find a deal on a used truck cap that I like.
Truck bed camping is pretty much like sleeping in the back of an SUV, and I've spent way too much time doing that. It works and for me was super cheap since my first car was a gmc suburban, but it has major drawbacks.

First is that you're sacrificing space for hauling clothes, weapons, coolers, and other gear because you need about a 2.5×6 foot area to lay down. That's half of your space or better just gone. Even sleeping on a cot or building a platform so you can store stuff under you only gets you so much because at most you can have a foot of vertical space without mashing yourself into the roof.

2nd is that it's a pain and a half to have to get dressed and cook/eat if the weather is less than pristine. Crawling into the back of a truck when it's raining and cold to try and shed wet clothes and muddy boots in the area you're sleeping sucks the first night and REALLY sucks the 2nd night.

Like I said, I've done it a lot. It works good for quick hunts and overnight scouting trips when the weather is nice. But I got to the point where instead of setting up the rear for sleeping I just leaned the seat back. If you've got money for a camper shell you've got the money to buy a canopy tent and actually be comfortable, and it takes all of 5 minutes to set that up solo. Me and a buddy can both sleep comfortable on cots with some 3" thick memory foam pads, and in the morning we can stand up, stretch, and get dressed and have breakfast even if it's pouring rain. If we've got electricity i have a heater, a box fan or two, a boot dryer, and a cord to charge phones and other goodies.
 
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