Who doesn’t like camping? With scores of “glamping” nights, Marine Corps style, under my belt, I have come to appreciate today’s more refined camping nice-to-have offerings. With respect to hunting, camping is central to many outdoor pursuits — the reason terms like deer camp, elk camp and hunting camp exist — and the products consumers choose should fit their comfort (or necessity), purposes and environments. Of course, from sea to shining sea, our landscape and weather are as diverse as the amazing people sharing our hunter ranks. Even so, meeting the wants and needs of most hunters can be accomplished by offering products in line with this short roundup of camping gear. Moreover, this roundup should also serve as a resource to help you determine which products or product types best fit your individual regions.
Browning Big Horn 2-Room, 8-Person Tent
As a 10-year owner of a Browning Black Canyon two-room tent, I continue to be a fan. While my model was discontinued years ago, the similarities between it and Browning’s current offering, the Big Horn 2-Room Tent, coupled with my personal quality and reliability experiences, make the Big Horn easy to recommend. The Big Horn 2-Room Tent boasts 150 square feet of floor space, in a 10x15-foot layout, designed to be used as an open space or as two separate rooms. Height, often a point of contention for comfortable camping, is an impressive 7 feet 3 inches. Six screened windows and two roomy door openings optimize ventilation and make access easy, even for big guys like me, while straight sidewalls optimize the usability of the Big Horn’s floor space. For weather, the Big Horn Tent’s 75D polyester walls and ceiling, coated 150D polyester floor, 75D 185T rain fly and factory-sealed seams throughout keep campers dry, even in unforgiving rainches www.browningcamping.com
Big Agnes Dog House 6 Tent
With one of the best reputations in extreme outdoor adventure, from hunting to mountaineering, Big Agnes tents are highly sought after, but they can be expensive. Fortunately, the company has found some middle ground without compromising the quality and reliability users have come to expect with the Dog House 6. As its name implies, the Dog House 6 indeed can house up to six hunters, again depending on the gear they bring along. The floor dimensions are 8 feet 4 inches x 9 feet 10 inches, and the center height is 6 feet 8 inches. The Dog House 6 weighs in at 13 pounds. Additional Dog House 6 features include 1500mm polyurethane-coated polyester-construction taped polyurethane seams, DAC DA17 aluminum pole set, large dry-entry door, airflow vents and an oversized back window. www.bigagnes.com
ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 4-Person Tent
ALPS Mountaineering is respected among hunters and outdoor enthusiasts in general for its diverse array of camping and hunting products, from hunting chairs and backpacks to tents of virtually every size — individual to outfitter grade. A popular tent in ALPS Mountaineering’s lineup, whether hunting, hiking or just camping for the weekend, is the Taurus 4-Person tent. Like with most tent capacities, suggest your customers take those sleep numbers lightly. As the example, this Taurus tent can definitely sleep four with a footprint of 64 square feet, but it’s not likely to fit that many hunters with all of their camping gear unless they are traveling light. The Taurus’ dimensions are 7 feet 6 inches x 8 feet 6 inches and 52 inches high at the center. The tent features 75D polyester wall and ceiling fabric; a 75D 185T poly taffeta, 2000mm-coated floor; 75D 185T 1500mm-coated rain fly; factory-sealed seams; two large doors with zippered mesh windows and large zippers. The Taurus weighs just 10 pounds 8 ounces and assembles quickly with two fiberglass poles. www.alpsmountaineering.com
Coleman Skydome 2-Person Tent
If you have never heard of Coleman, do you really even camp? Coleman is one of the most recognized names in the camping world, most notably for lanterns, camping stoves and, yes, tents. While the Skydome is touted as a compact, lightweight, yet roomy tent, it also sets up in under five minutes. Even better, for a two-person tent, it’s actually pretty roomy! Like the Browning Big Horn, the Skydome’s vertical walls increase floor space, as well as 20 percent more height (4 feet at the center). The Coleman Skydome 2-Person Tent features a 7 feet x 5 feet footprint, UVGuard material for enhanced protection from sunlight, extra-wide door, mesh pockets for storage and a built-in, dimmable 450-lumen LED light. The tent also boasts Coleman’s WeatherTec system, including tub-like flooring, welded corners and inverted seams. For durability, the Skydome’s frame is rated to handle up to 35 mph wind. www.coleman.com
Teton Outfitter XXL -35-degree Sleeping Bag
Headquartered in Cedar Hills, Utah, and founded in 2005, Teton’s mission is simple: “To help — help all kinds of people from different backgrounds get outdoors and enjoy life.” While Teton offers backpacks, cots, pads, tents and other camping accessories, the company’s sleeping bags are wildly popular, especially its flagship cold-weather Outfitter XXL -35-Degree model. The Outfitter XL -35-Degree Sleeping Bag is not only pillowy soft, but also incredibly rugged, and Teton backs up the claim with an industry-leading lifetime warranty. This all-season sleeping bag includes a mummy hood, thick-weave canvas exterior, removable cotton flannel liner, Super Loft Elite hollow fiberfill, shoulder draft tubes and a two-way zipper. The Teton Outfitter XL measures 92 inches x 39 inches, weighs 20 pounds and stows quickly and easily in an included duffel bag. www.tetonsports.com
Browning Vortex 0-Degree Sleeping Bag
Cold can kill. Hypothermia takes roughly 20,000 lives annually, yet it’s usually preventable with the right gear — sleeping bags included. Since not-warm-enough is a deal breaker, I prefer a warmer sleeping bag, especially when camping in an area capable of extreme temperature drops. For many low-country hunters, a zero-degree-rated sleeping bag like the Browning Vortex is more than enough. Even in mild temperatures, unzipping the Vortex Sleeping Bag enough for ventilation can result in superbly comfortable rest. The Browning Vortex 0-Degree Sleeping Bag features hybrid insulation composed of RDS-certified, 600-fill hydrophobic down and TechLoft Micro multiple-denier, siliconized fiber. The Vortex also includes an insulated chest and zipper baffle, rugged polyester ripstop shell and No. 8 zippers. www.browingcamping.com
Kodiak Canvas Z Top Sleeping Bag
One of these is not like the others. Favorite features of mine, and surely the most noticeable for your customers, are the Z Top’s headrest and pillow pocket. The pocket can accommodate a small pillow or garments. The wider head area is a great creature comfort, and together with the body and wedged footbox, snoozers can really stretch out. While Z Top sleeping bags are available with 0- and 20-degree ratings, Kodiak Canvas’ compatible Booster Quilt, a great add-on, can enhance the temperature rating by an additional 20 degrees! The Z Top Sleeping bag features large, locking YKK zippers, anti-snag zipper strips, full-length zipper baffle, offset seams, an additional footbox zipper for enhanced ventilation, a tech pocket and dual-layer construction. The Z Top includes compression straps with snap buckles, as well as a canvas duffel-style bag for quick, easy stowage. www.kodiakcanvas.com
Kelty Catena 30 Sleeping Bag
A mild-weather sleeping bag just might be the perfect sleeping solution for your mild-mannered customers. In areas where warmer temperatures are more often the norm, your hunting enthusiasts are less concerned with temperature ratings and more concerned with comfort, as well as breathability — in a nutshell, versatility. While the Kelty Catena sleeping bag boasts CloudLoft insulation, it doesn’t go overboard. While the Catena is rated for 30-degree weather, it also features lightweight shell and liner construction and unzips to be used as a blanket. The box-style sleeping bag design not only enhances versatility, like the ability to zip two sleeping bags together, but it also comfortably accommodates those who like to stretch out and move in their sleep. www.kelty.com
Camp Chef Portable Flat Top Grill 600
While tents and sleeping bags are great, food is the way to many hunters’ hearts, mine included. Coming from a background of lackluster meals-ready-to-eat, inhaled with an it’ll-do mindset, it’s nice to settle in for an evening in camp with a bit more palatable sustenance. For those driving or riding into camp who prefer a more significant cooking source, the Camp Chef Portable Flat Top Grill 600 is a campground cooking must-have. Truly the best of all camp-cooking worlds, flat-top grills are great for everything from sunrise omelets, bacon and pancakes to late-night mixed veggies, burgers and steaks — honestly, very few things can’t be cooked on a flat-top grill. Among hunting and outdoor enthusiasts, Camp Chef has maintained its position on the leading edge of the camp cooking/outdoor kitchen industry for years, and the Portable Flat Top Grill 600 is a fitting example.
The Flat Top 600 features folding legs for compact transport and easier carry into your campsite; 600 square inches of cold-rolled steel, flat-top griddle with a True Seasoned, non-stick surface; four 12,000 BTU/hour burners; adjustable leg levelers; folding shelves; matchless ignition; grease management system; a propane tank holder and yes, my favorite, a bottle opener. Not for the lighthearted backpacker, the Flat Top Grill 600 weighs 100 pounds and measures 62 inches x 32 inches x 36 inches www.campchef.com
Primus Classic Trail Backpacking Stove
Some customers are bound to be more mobile and on the hunt for something a bit lighter and more compact than a flat-top grill, yet they still appreciate a warm meal. On the far end of the camp cooking spectrum, the Primus Classic Trail Backpacking Stove is a single-burner, propane-gas powered stove. Simply add a personal propane canister, pot and grub and cook to perfection. The wide burner is designed to efficiently heat larger pots with a 10,000-BTU flame while a static four-point pot support enhances stability. When not in use, the burner can stow in the included storage bag. www.primus.us
