Light weight tents

[Litehiker]

VernAK,
Get a Trail Designs Tri Ti or the smaller Sidewinder with the Inferno woodburning insert and a matching pot (essential for efficiency). I have the Sidewinder and a matching 3 cup OpenCountry pot.
Expensive, yes, but if you do live in Alaska it won't seem too much and it is THE lightest packable woodturning stove and by far the most efficient woodburning, ESBIT and alcohol stove.

Eric B.

 

[Jed Eckert]

I have used silicone nylon tarps for backpacking for years.

+'s
Light for the amount of surface area Shielded from weather
Even when setting up in rain, the instant it's set up, the ground immediately starts drying. A tent is a soppy mess until the fly is on


-'s
NEED trekking poles or trees to string the Top spine of tarp
No bug protection
They don't shed snow very well. Gotta best it off every so often
Need sturdy stakes to hold down sides/peak

I suggest get one bigger than you think you need
Pitch it low in bad weather

 

[Litehiker]

Jed,
My Tarptent Moment DW haas the inner tent attached to the fly and this it stays dry when putting up in the rain. I would not buy a tent without that feature.

Eric B.

 

[nathank]

I have the seek outside cimmaron, its a great tent and held up awesome in high winds up on the mountains. I have a lite outdoors titanium stove but have not needed it yet. The Cimmaron fit 4 guys and gear without the stove, it will fit 2 with the stove easy.

 

[Rock 29]

I have the seek outside cimmaron, its a great tent and held up awesome in high winds up on the mountains. I have a lite outdoors titanium stove but have not needed it yet. The Cimmaron fit 4 guys and gear without the stove, it will fit 2 with the stove easy.

Couple of us went together and got the seek redcliff with a large titanium stove, works great. Buddies used it in Montana in archery, 3 of us are hunting Montana mid November, 3 people and stove are no problem. Tent, pole, stakes, stove and pipe weigh a little over 9 pounds. It is a great set up, would highly recommend!!

 

[nathank]

Couple of us went together and got the seek redcliff with a large titanium stove, works great. Buddies used it in Montana in archery, 3 of us are hunting Montana mid November, 3 people and stove are no problem. Tent, pole, stakes, stove and pipe weigh a little over 9 pounds. It is a great set up, would highly recommend!!

The redcliff would be nice! I use mine packing into the rockies, my whole setup is right around 5lbs. They are awesome tents, quality product for sure.

 

[Litehiker]

OK, when talking about most Seek Outside tents you are talking about larger single wall tents that require pack horses or ATVs to get into a hunting camp area. And that's fine for those who can afford horse packers or have horses and trailers. This is especially true if you also are packing in stoves for the tents, even titanium stoves and pipes.

But for true backpackers "light" tents means something around the2 to 2.5 pound weight or 3.5 pound weight for two with the load split.
Even those using e-mountain bikes need to keep that tent weight very light and compact.

So we have come upon two different meanings of "light tent".

Eric B.

 

[nathank]

OK, when talking about most Seek Outside tents you are talking about larger single wall tents that require pack horses or ATVs to get into a hunting camp area. And that's fine for those who can afford horse packers or have horses and trailers. This is especially true if you also are packing in stoves for the tents, even titanium stoves and pipes.

But for true backpackers "light" tents means something around the2 to 2.5 pound weight or 3.5 pound weight for two with the load split.
Even those using e-mountain bikes need to keep that tent weight very light and compact.

So we have come upon two different meanings of "light tent".

Eric B.

I don't know if you have looked into Seek tents lately but the have 10 models of backpacking tents, with the cimmaron being the heaviest at Complete weight - canopy, stakes, carbon pole - 55 oz / 3 lb 7 oz. They are the definition of quality lightweight tents IMHO.

I think they have a lightweight tent for everyone's meaning of the word from hikers to people going in on horse.

 

[forester22]

Seek Outside tents are a great choice for someone who is looking for a lightweight shelter. They have very good build quality.

I prefer to sleep in floored shelters in a lot of situations. With Seek Outside, if you add an inner nest, cost becomes very high and the weight savings aren't really there compared to lightweight 3-season double wall tents. The weight savings become even more negligible if you don't use trekking poles and have to bring along a separate pole. Still, it's hard to beat the weight to strength ratio of a shelter like the Cimarron in inclement weather.

 

[nathank]

Seek Outside tents are a great choice for someone who is looking for a lightweight shelter. They have very good build quality.

I prefer to sleep in floored shelters in a lot of situations. With Seek Outside, if you add an inner nest, cost becomes very high and the weight savings aren't really there compared to lightweight 3-season double wall tents. The weight savings become even more negligible if you don't use trekking poles and have to bring along a separate pole. Still, it's hard to beat the weight to strength ratio of a shelter like the Cimarron in inclement weather.

4 of us stayed in my cimmaron in high elevation and got snowed and hailed and rained on and we never had any issue with not having a floor, no bugs there though which helped

 

[forester22]

4 of us stayed in my cimmaron in high elevation and got snowed and hailed and rained on and we never had any issue with not having a floor, no bugs there though which helped

Yes, it's mostly personal preference for me. Floorless for sure is nice with a bunch of muddy boots and hunting gear.

 

[huntsman22]

and a stove.

 

[Litehiker]

Hee, hee... "and a stove." YEP!

A few guys on the "WINTER TREKKING" forum have Seek Outside tents for use with stoves. They use a pulk (sled with towing wands & belt) for transport. Usually they snowshoe but some ski with skins.

Eric B.

 

[kbaerg]

I purchased myself a Seek Outside Cimarron tent with full liner and a cub stove ( the smallest stove) this early fall. My entire setup with full liner, carbon pole, and tent stakes all in their bags comes in just under 7 lbs.(tent alone with carbon pole and stakes 3lb, stove and bag 2 lbs 13 oz., Full liner is 14 oz.) used it a few weekends chasing elk and mule deer, I could not be happier with how it performed for my needs allowing us to hike in far away from everyone setup camp and continue on if needed, plus fast and easy to setup after you have done it a few times. With the full liner you do loose some real estate inside but it helps with warmth and condensation. Also runing without the full liner takes about a 1lb off the weight. I have had minimal to zero condensation with proper venting/pitch and no liners. Plenty of room for two people with gear, I feel you could squeeze three in there but it would get tight and you would have to be pretty good in the lightweight/minimalist packing.