Based on actual experience using these two tents, the Bombshelter from Barney's Sports and the Alaska Oven, which is the best for serious weather, heavy snow, rain, wind and most reliable in emergency use?

Price is not a consideration, the single best tent is and, btw, I have Hillebergs, IDs and have owned/used many other highend brands.

Thoughts?

Been using both on the windy Alaskan peninsula for years and there is no comparison. The Artic Oven is a much stronger and more livable tent. If you plan on any winter camping the Artic Oven is the only tent.
This year the rainfly on my Bombshelter tore apart in wind and I found the new ones are made in China and are the most expensive part of the tent to replace.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
..... If you plan on any winter camping the Artic Oven is the only tent.

+1 on this! They are heavy to lug around, but there is none better.

I can't address the Bombshelter per se. Found out I never needed one after I got my Arctic Oven. Sure does work in Oct. on Afognak Island. weighs about 55 lbs. as I recall but what's that if you fly in on a Beaver?
Worth every penny IMHO.
Bear in Fairbanks

Bear:

Any AAR on your Afognak hunt ? Would love to read it.

Thanks.

Cold:
The Arctic Oven was used on our last elk hunt to Afognak. It's a drawing type hunt and we haven't put in for it for several years. We did this trip 3 different times and it was always the last 10 day hunt of the 3 time periods offered. The first time, we stayed at the old recreation site on Afognak Lake. The native corp. owns it now so the second time we went to Upper Malina Lake. On this trip, we rented a wall tent & other gear. Our big mistake. Open country, no wind protection and we had to haul firewood about 1/4 mile. Wind constantly blew in under the bottom of the tent. Friggin cold too. When we went on our last trip, I decided that enough was enough & got the Arctic Oven with a wood stove. On that trip, we were on a lake (Blue Fox?) up on the NW corner of the island. we were in timber there but were "tent bound" about 40% of the time. Rain, sleet & snow. We were warm & cozy the entire trip.
On all of those trips, we never got an elk but always encountered bears. On the last trip, we encountered a bear that really gave us cause for a pucker factor but everything turned ok. For those enquiring, the answer is NO!!
The fall bear season was not open (wish it had been) and in fact started a day after our elk permits expired. If it had, we could have taken bears on all 3 of our trips. This is an expensive trip from the interior. We air freight most of our gear to Kodiak then gotta charter a beaver from there - not cheap either.
I doubt we'll be going back again, I prefer sheep hunting in the Brooks and the native corp. owns most of Afognak so you have to be careful where you go. If you hunt their land they charge you an arm & a leg.
I do admit the country is beautiful and I'm glad we've done it. From what little I've found, it seems that the local guys out of Kodiak, etc. are more successful in this hunt.
Still have the Arctic Oven & will use it if we head to the Slope for caribou next Aug. & stay for a week or so.
Bear in Fairbanks

I have to add that we took a box of fire logs with us and cut each log into thirds. We then split each piece into quarters. We used these pieces at night to make the fire last longer. We could get the Arctic Oven so warm that it felt like a sauna. At night, you couldn't crawl into your sleeping bag until about 1 A.M.
B.I.F.

BIF

Thanks for taking the time to write that up.

Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by akpls:

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
..... If you plan on any winter camping the Artic Oven is the only tent.

+1 on this! They are heavy to lug around, but there is none better.

X2

Think I bought my first Arctic Oven in 1992 and now own an Artika. Have added a titanimum wood stove to it as well.

Which one is better? Anyone who has camped in any of the Arctic Ovens I've owned ended up buying one for them self. And some of these folks sold a Bomb Shelter to do it.

Totally different tents. The AO is designed to wick away moisture. The BS, while heavy duty, has no wicking ability at all.

I would rather skip a hunting trip than to camp in a BS tent.

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:

I would rather skip a hunting trip than to camp in a BS tent.

A MADE IN CHINA TENT AT THAT.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:

I would rather skip a hunting trip than to camp in a BS tent.

A MADE IN CHINA TENT AT THAT.

Made in China????
Figures!!!

Bear in Fairbanks