Choosing a tent for elk camp

Kodiak Flex Bow Deluxe 8 Person

Picking the right tent for elk camp has taken a lot of research.  My inexperience in this area made it a bit of a challenge.  Did we want a high wall tent?  Could we find something that could be used in all seasons?  Which tent could stand up to snow and keep us warm?  I decided it was worth the effort to find a tent that not only fit for elk camp, but could be reused for other hunting trips/off-road trips year round.

I've decided on buying a Kodiak Flex Bow from Competitive Edge Products.  I have come to this decision after looking at multiple reviews from Internet forums to YouTube videos.  I first tried Craigslist thinking a good used tent would be an option, but found nothing I liked for the right price.  I picked the Kodiak Flex Bow for the following reasons:

1 - Four Season Durability
Finding a large tent that could stand up to winter winds and snow was of primary importance.  Initially I thought an outfitter high wall tent would be the way to go, but changed my mind.  That tent style would be great for Colorado elk in November, but where else would I use it?  They are costly and take a lot of space.  I want something I can use year round to replace hotels for outdoor trips.

Reviews raved about this tent in all conditions, including snow.

I found many other large tents that would be the right size, but not so good for winter weather.  There were many tent that were a  variation of nylon or some other synthetic material that seemed too thin for cold weather.  Most used fiberglass rods that got bad reviews for breaking in tough weather conditions.  So where could I get the advantage of canvas in the high wall with the flexibility of synthetic tents?  My answer is the Kodiak Flex Bow tent.  Made from thick canvas with galvanized steel poles for the frame.  It doesn't have a location for a stove inside, but a solution is to use a Mr. Heater Buddy Heater made for indoor or outdoor use.

2 - Easy Set Up
This tent is super easy to assemble in the field.  YouTube has multiple videos such as this one, that show how fast and simple it is to put a Kodiak Flex Bow up.  Just stake out the base, attach the frame, and lift it up.  That's all there is to it.




3 - Nice Size for Many Uses

The 10x14 floor space is pretty big claiming to sleep eight persons.  Considering our trip with 6 hunters and all our gear, sleeping 8 guys in this one tent won't work.  Since Kirk is bringing another tent with him, this may be enough space.  We might possibly want a third one for additional space.

This Kodiak model also can be expanded with an added vestibule.

The 4x7 awning connects to the vestibule to expand living space.

I'm thinking about adding a trap to enclose this area.  Perhaps I stove could be placed inside.  I will explore cutting the trap to accept a stove pipe.  Here is a good video showing this tent's space including the vestibule.

4 - Price
The price for this model is a good middle of the road option.  Competitive Edge seemed to have the best price at $554 without vestibule or ground trap ($20 for tarp and $60 for vestibule.)

I can see myself using this tent for any hunting, off-road, or camping trip in the future.  I hope it's a good investment.  Going to try and get this tent before the hog trip in March and give it a trail run in Texas.  Kirk's going to set his tent up too so we get a better idea of what we need for Colorado.  He says he's regularly in the dog house with Julie anyway so tent sleeping will be an upgrade.

What do you think?  Will the two tents be enough for Colorado hunt?  Should someone else buy another?  Post your thoughts in the comments section.

I've got lots of saved links to other tents that are possibilities.  Let me know if you need/want them.