Alaknak tent

Wondering if anybody has experience with the Cabelas Alaknak tent. I am trying to find something lighter than a wall tent to pack with horses for an upcoming elk hunt. If you have any positive or negative feedback about this tent I would love to hear it.

Thanks for your time.

))--SLIVER-->

Check out the Spike 111 from Montana Canvas.
I looked at the Alaknak but like the Spike better. About 45 pounds with frame
http://www.montanacanvas.com/products/spike-iii
Wes

We used a 12x12 last year for our hunt in the Rubies. There was 3 of us and we had plenty of room. Held up to high winds quite well. I had zero complaints, and am considering purchasing one myself.

~Jason Peterson
Mossy Oak ProStaff

"No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength."~Jack Kerouac

After years of lurking and reading hundreds of reviews I purchased the 12x12 alaknak, along with a vestibule.

Go to Cabelas website and read the reviews, there are many.

The biggest complaint you will read will be about breathability, with the assumption that the canvas is simply better. Well I rarely ever read a post of anyone complaining that either didn't have too many people in it to expect anything else, or was using propane heat. Clearly if you use wood heat, it will help dramatically.

I do think you will find it will not hold heat as well as heavy canvas, but at 30-40% weight savings it will be worth it, especially if you do have a stove.

For a packable stove, I found a super deal on the smaller packer stove from cabelas so I bought it to try, though it seemed too small to work well. Well it was capable of running us out in 20deg snow storm in No Idaho last thanksgiving. The problem with the small packable stoves is they can't hold enough wood to keep a long slow burn. You will run into this problem with most stoves, but if you have enough stock to bring a big enough stove, no prob.

Do buy the roof and floor panel. Embers will burn holes, so have that extra layer.

Oh yeah, an the vestibule option works awesome. We set up a 6'x30" folding table with a stove and all the food stuff and stored all extra gear out of the rain and snow, plus it helped keep the cold out.

Sorry for the length, but I don't think you will regret the purchase.

PS the tent ways like 65lbs, but that is with all the poles, and you can likely do without ALL of them by cutting some side poles and tying the center up to a tree above.

take a look at the spike tent Davis tent has.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

Alaskan Guide model is way better. I've camped in both. Alaknak is fine but will not withstand the weather the Alaskan Guide model will.

Alaknak is a pseudo wall tent that works OK with a stove. If thats what you plan to do I'd still go with a canvas wall tent.








the artist formerly known as "gemstatejake".

We actually did go with the Alaskan guide model tent in a 6 man. We were able to buy two of them and still spent less money then one Alaknak. Plus the two of them are 50lbs lighter than one Alaknak.

Thanks for the help guys.


}}-SLIVER-->

What? Two of them are lighter than what, a 13x27 alaknak.

From Cabelas site:

Alaknak
12 ft. x 12 ft(144sq ft). ? 67lbs including stakes. $829. 4' side walls

Guide
6-person 32 lbs. 90sq ft Regular Price: $369.99 Dome shape.

Nothing wrong with your choice, but the comparison is not valid as you got 90sq ft with and much less is usable due to sloped walls. You'll be luck to get two full cots in that. No option for a stove, even if you had the room, which you wouldn't. Bring a really good sleeping bag.

Ratings for both are superb.

I bought an Alaknak 12x12 this spring for a spring bear hunt and just camping with the family. It is easy enough to setup even solo.

We had a nasty weekend of weather in June. Wet snow for a couple of days and blowing rain. No major issues.

LAST EDITED ON Aug-02-12 AT 08:40PM (MST)[p]BPK- We bought the ones with the aluminum poles and the 6 man version is 26lbs, so 52 lbs for the two of them, and we paid just over $800 for both out the door. We are packing into the wilderness area 12 miles on horseback, and are novice packers, so we did not want to get in over our heads with a giant heavy tent. The Alaknak we were looking at was the 12x20 I believe, which was like 109 lbs. So we are losing some space, but are also losing weight we have to pack. Another thing that swayed our decision is that we want to be mobile if needed, and the guide tents will be much easier to take down, move, and set up, in the event we aren't finding any shooter bulls in our primary area.
Make no mistake, the Alaknak is a great tent, and a viable option, just not the best option for us at this time.

}}-SLIVER-->

Good choice now you can spread out the weight, 109 lbs on one pack animal would be a chore.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

I agree the 12x20 is a large tent and with the two center poles, is tough to pack. Your choice is solid, both the guide tents you chose and the Alaknak's seem to have a very solid reputation for weathering the storms. You will have plenty to worry about if you are new to hunting with horses, I am too and they can be work in themselves.

To clarify for others reading this, the 12x12 alaknak is a much more packable option. By seperating the stakes, body, etc you have plenty of options, wether using side panniers or top packing. You can also exchange the heavier center pole with either a lodge pole or by tying off to an overhead tree limb(LARGE). This would save you about 6-7lbs, for a 60lb pack weight.

Sounds like the biggest trade off's if the flexibility of your system vs, the option to have the heat in the Alaknak.

PS Do not consider propane heat in either of these tents for more than a quick morning chill buster as any propane source will greatly increase condensation....stick with wood or very good sleeping bags.