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lets talk camp

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lets talk camp

Postby southernelk » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 1]

Hey everyone, my son and I are coming to the Dillon area for a hunt this fall (hopefully). I have hunted the area quite a few times so I know where we will be hunting but we have never tent camped, always rented a cabin or a camper. I have some camp sites in mind, just wondering if anyone from the area or who has camped there would be willing for me to ask a few questions. I have purchased a used wall tent that we will be using. Would also like to pick your brain on wall tent camping. I have camped frequently for many years and have all the gear just have never camped with a wall tent. Any suggestions for items you cannot do without? thanks
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Indian Summer » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 2]

I lived in a wall tent for the better part of a year for a decade or so. What do you need to know? Put a tarp on top so falling embers dont burn pinholes in the canvas. What are you using for a woodstove? Internal frame or are you going to use lodgepole pines to set it up? That takes some experience. If you don’t have a frame I’d suggest buying an angle kit from The Wall Tent Shop, one of our sponsors, and getting 1 inch emt conduit from Lowes or Home depot and making one.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby southernelk » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 3]

thanks indian summer. I talked to you a few times in the past few years about hunting Wyoming. btw, we will have some points built up, and I plan on using your services for our 2020 hunt. yeh, already thought about the tarp and got that. we are getting the angle kit and building the frame. not sure if we are getting a wood stove or using our buddy heaters. I was going to extend tarp off the front for a cooking shelter. we are looking forward to it.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Elkduds » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 4]

Some items that made my wall tent camping easier:
2.5# hand sledge hammer
Milsurp heavy duty stakes, top end painted orange for visibility
guy lines of high visibility 550 cord
color code the frame poles and joints w a little paint to simplify frame construction
small shovel for a trench around the perimeter drip line if above freezing
I coated my used tent w Canvak/Cabelas the 1st year I bought it, after power-washing the kerosene soot out of most of the canvas. It never leaked after using a weed sprayer to apply the Canvak.
My floor was a tarp the same size as the tent footprint, w a carpet scrap down the middle between cots on either side.
I hung a blanket from the frame just inside the front door because my door closed w laces and did not keep the wind out sufficiently.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby saddlesore » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 5]

Go with a wood stove.If you get things wet,you can dry them off.Buddy heaters will get you almost warm but when you have to set around in the tent because of a blizzard ,you will thank the wood stove advice. Nix the idea of cooking under an outside fly. Cooking breakfast at 4 AM when it is darn cold out is not fun. Ditto when it has turned dark and you are tired and sore form hunting all day.

We cooked in our wall tent for many many years and I killed elk for many many years with no problems about scent.(Watch The Wind)
I never liked sitting outside around a campfire with my front roasting and my butt freezing. Then going to bed and having the inside of you sleeping bag smell like smoke.Nothing like setting around a wood stove in a Tee shirt, warm and cozy, drinking an adult beverage if you so desire
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Indian Summer » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 6]

Heck yeah Saddlesore. A buddy heater is nearly useless in a wall tent while a woodstove is pretty much priceless. And I agree I’ll bet you my next elk tag you will NOT want to cook outside. As far as over hanging the tarp.... do that on both sides. It keeps rain or melting snow further from the canvas and it gives you a dry place outside to keep coolers and other things. Don’t end the tarp right at the edge of the roof!
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby southernelk » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 7]

thanks guys, i'll see if I can find a deal on a stove. what length stakes do you use? in the past I have used rebar, about 18", that I bent with a torch. my plan for cooking was to cook both inside and out, depending on the weather. the tarp overhang for the front would give us a porch, storage, and an area to cook if we wanted. appreciate the tips. if anyone has any camping experience in the Dillon area shoot me a message. thanks again.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby saddlesore » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 8]

southernelk wrote:thanks guys, i'll see if I can find a deal on a stove. what length stakes do you use? in the past I have used rebar, about 18", that I bent with a torch. my plan for cooking was to cook both inside and out, depending on the weather. the tarp overhang for the front would give us a porch, storage, and an area to cook if we wanted. appreciate the tips. if anyone has any camping experience in the Dillon area shoot me a message. thanks again.


What Unit are you anticipating hunting?
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Elkduds » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 9]

These stakes. Think I paid 3 for $1 from a local surplus guy. Indestructible.

https://www.armysurplusworld.com/us-gi- ... 20(surplus)&utm_term=4575617639898953&utm_content=All

I had a wood stove and a propane tanktop heater. I used the gas which met my needs, never got around to installing a jack for the wood stove. Gas heat was there instantly when I needed it early and late, never overnight. Now I use the tanktop heater in my Kodiak canvas and my Cabela's Alaskan Guide dome tents, for the same reasons. My camping is in CO, elevations 7-10000 feet, temps summery to below zero.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby southernelk » 02 11, 2018 •  [Post 10]

Elkduds wrote:These stakes. Think I paid $1 for 3 from a local surplus guy in this totally military town.

https://www.armysurplusworld.com/us-gi- ... 20(surplus)&utm_term=4575617639898953&utm_content=All


thanks.

saddlesore wrote:What Unit are you anticipating hunting?


I have hunted 302, 325, 328 and 329 in years past. would like to camp in a area with easy access so we can hunt multiple areas. That is one thing I have learned about hunting in this area. You have to be able to move to where the animals are.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Indian Summer » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 11]

Overhanging the tarp in the front is nice too. I’m just saying I wouldn’t plan on cooking out there. For stove size look up Cylinder Stove in the Outfitter model. The Hunter isn’t bad but the Outfitter will get you through the night. Camp Chef makes a nice one for a reasonable price. Go round! Square stoves warp. A layer of dirt in the bottom of the woodstove distributes heat evenly to avoid warping. For stakes I use 12 inch barn spikes. Easy in/easy out. A pipe wrench twists them loose in frozen ground and is also handy for taking legs on and off of the woodstove.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby six » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 12]

We cook on the woodstove 90% of the time. Buy a large cast iron pan and lid. I look forward to fried sliced roast beef on a onion bun all year. I've made them at home but they aren't as good.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby jmez » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 13]

I wouldn't cook in my tent, or even real close to it around Dillon. There are big bears in that area and that is a real good way to have a bad experience/encounter.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Indian Summer » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 14]

Have you had or heard of a grizzlie encounter down there? I think crossing paths with one near Dillon would be like hitting the Powerball.... twice.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 15]

When we use a wall tent, I set up a screened gazeebo just off of the front tent door. We set up a big two burner propane stove, a lantern off the propane tank, and a few tables (one on each side of the enclosure). If weather is expected, I'll run thin plastic on each side of the gazeebo (or just put a big ol' tarp over it and stake it down) to keep things dry inside. This has worked well as a cook shack for us in the past. Keeping all your base camp, dry goods chow, in plastic totes helps keep rodents out.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby elkstalker » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 16]

There are getting to be more and more griz encounters near Dillon every year. For the past ten years there are always encounters in the gravelies and Madison ranges, but this summer there were bears sighted in the big hole and pioneers as well. Their range is definitely expanding and areas where there were transient bears 5 years ago now are residents.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby jmez » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 17]

There was an incident and confirmed sightings in the Big Hole two years ago. No way I would cook, or even have food in my tent in that area.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Lefty » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 18]

elkstalker wrote:,...there are always encounters in the Gravelies and Madison ranges, but this summer there were bears sighted in the big hole and pioneers as well. Their range is definitely expanding and areas where there were transient bears 5 years ago now are residents.

Very true.
I am unaware of any grizzlies in tents.
The Boyscout camps along the Idaho Wyoming border all expected to change BSA camp cooking by 2019 camps. While black bears always seem end up at group camps The Forest Service and the state of Wyoming do not want any food items in campsites trying to prevent any grizzle interactions.

Camps that Ive been in SW Montana some of the other hunters really went in style Carpeting with big storage flies.
The one pair of hunters tent looked like something grandma put together in a bedroom 60 years ago , Twin sized beds, hand made quilt, closet rods for clothes., Heck these guys even had pictures on the walls.

May sound simple but have all your firewood cut the first days of camp and cover it up
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby saddlesore » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 19]

Which Dillon are we taking about.I thought it was Dillon,CO
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Lefty » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 20]

saddlesore wrote:Which Dillon are we taking about.I thought it was Dillon,CO

And I assumed Mt. ;)
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby elkstalker » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 21]

The units he described are in SW MT
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby southernelk » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 22]

yep; Dillon, Mt. We have seen some bear sign over the years but nothing like the graveleys and Madison range. We plan on camping relatively close to some roads, not terribly far in so I am hoping far enough away from the big bear. we will have our food in coolers and bins. I'll talk with the local biologist before heading out, we can always set up separate cooking shelter if needed. thanks guys. if anyone has camped in those districts send me a message. I would like to run some camp locations by you.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Navesgane » 02 12, 2018 •  [Post 23]

Some comfy slippers to get out of your hunting boots.
Instagram @jeff.reilly1
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby jmez » 02 13, 2018 •  [Post 24]

Keep in mind that the coolers need to be bear resistant, not just normal coolers. All that area around Dillon is going to be a grizzly use area and there are laws regarding food,trash, toiletry and carcass storage. They will ticket you if not done properly.
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Re: lets talk camp

Postby Elkhntr08 » 02 13, 2018 •  [Post 25]

I figure the odds of mixing it up with a grizzly are slim, BUT, a 150# black bear can mess up a good nights sleep. Not to mention my pretty face.
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