Anyone Tried The Kuiu Summit Refuge Shelter?

As the title describes I’m curious if anyone has tried this out yet. Specifically with the stove jack and if the design is going to work well. I see all the options you can add and has me interested.

So I know this is an older thread, but I am now looking into the summit refuge. What still surprised me is that there are not anymore reviews etc on the internet. One of the things that concern me is there is no way to have a stove set up and have an interior sleeping set up. What's everyone's thought?

Outdoorayres said:

So I know this is an older thread, but I am now looking into the summit refuge. What still surprised me is that there are not anymore reviews etc on the internet. One of the things that concern me is there is no way to have a stove set up and have an interior sleeping set up. What's everyone's thought?

Click to expand...

Personally... stoves in backpacking tents are stupid.

wllm1313 said:

Personally... stoves in backpacking tents are stupid.

Click to expand...

I mean everyone's entitled to their own opinion but coming from a cold and wet region, I feel as if it'll beneficial

Outdoorayres said:

I mean everyone's entitled to their own opinion but coming from a cold and wet region, I feel as if it'll beneficial

Click to expand...

For the weight and price, you could just get a better sleeping bag and/or better insulation layers and then not have to screw with a stove every 3 hours all night long.

If you enjoy playing with fire stoves are fun, in terms of gear that will make you more effective in the field they aren't particularly effective.

wllm1313 said:

For the weight and price, you could just get a better sleeping bag and/or better insulation layers and then not have to screw with a stove every 3 hours all night long.

If you enjoy playing with fire stoves are fun, in terms of gear that will make you more effective in the field they aren't particularly effective.

Click to expand...

I understand what your saying but coming from experience. It really sucks when your gear is wet. And the only thing you can do it let it freeze over night and then shake off the ice the next morning before you put it back on. I feel as the extra 2 lbs you'll carry will be beneficial. I would have the comfort of dry clothes the next day. And the best news is you can split the weight with your hunting buddy, share a hot tent, and your weight is the same as a 3 season tent, but your comfort level is higher?

I have one and have used it for 2 years. It’s a great tent for the size vs weight. I have not used the tub in the tent and about got soaked last year because of it. I will be using the entire set up this year. I like how I can have all my stuff in it with plenty of room. So overall I’m happy and I’m hard to please. Lol

wllm1313 said:

Personally... stoves in backpacking tents are stupid.

Click to expand...

Have you ever actually backpacked with a hot tent?

wllm1313 said:

Personally... stoves in backpacking tents are stupid.

Click to expand...

I disagree, when its cold, snowy, or wet, a stove in my tipi is a hunt-saver.

Fire_9 said:

Have you ever actually backpacked with a hot tent?

Click to expand...

No, because backpacking with a hot tent is idiotic. Have I camped in a hot tent, yes.

Sure there are nuances, packing in with horses, flying into AK, etc. Those are great reasons to have a hot tent in the backcountry. I'm not saying that a hot tent is idiotic in and of itself.

For this discussion my definition of backpack hunting, is packing everything you need for a hunt in your backpack. Carrying everything with you the entire time you are hunting. I'm not taking about basecamp/spike hunting, not talking about getting packed in by someone. When I backpack hunt my sleeping bag, pad, and tent are in my pack the entire time. I never leave them. If you are leaving your hot tent set up for several days you are basecamp or spike camp hunting and that is a different conversation.

If you are backpacking. You are far better off using the "weight" to pack a better tent, bag, etc. The stove will be way more than the weight delta between the Kuiu Summit and a Hilleberg tent. If I had to chose between a Kuiu summit with a stove and a hilleberg for a 4th season elk hunt I would take the hilleberg every time no questions asked.

With backpacking weight cost is a massive factor. I would also say a softshell jacket is stupid to pack on a backpacking hunt. Do I own a softshell, yes. Do I take it hunting, yes. When I'm backpacking in do I bring it, No, I take a puffy jacket and a rain jacket that together weigh less can be used together to provide more warmth and can be used independently based on conditions.

Take it one step further, on specific hunts:

I would have totally taken a hot tent on my POW black bear hunt, it could have been wet, we were flown in, it was the perfect scenario for a hot tent.

My mule deer hunt, this was an actual backpack hunt, you could not have paid me to take a hot tent on this hunt.

My elk hunt, I had pack stock, I wouldn't have taken a hot tent... but if my buddies had one they wanted to use I would have said sure toss it in.

4th Season/late season hunts, went out in 4th season CO for elk and then in Jan for elk in Utah. We car camped, I just used two sleeping bags and it was great I was warm all night, didn't have to find fuel, didn't have to mess with a stove all night long to keep warm, didn't wake up every couple of hours shivering when the stove cooled off. It got down to -3.

Alaska Trip in 2018, this was a two part trip, the first portion on Adak. There is absolutely nothing to burn on Adak... so yeah hard pass, second portion in the Chugach, it rained every couple of hours the entire time, my boots were perpetually wet, at night it got down to freezing so my boots frosted up. I wouldn't have brought a hot tent on this one either, it was just too wet. Finding fuel would have been a pain in the butt, we would have been spending hours a day feeding our stove instead of hunting. I was glad that we had a nice 4 season tent, and good bags, I was wet all day, but was very comfortable in the tent at night. Was able to dry out all my clothes no problem, good rain gear + wool or synthetics.

Good lord man. Settle down. Call me crazy but I consider carrying all my stuff several miles into the woods and setting up camp for multiple days backpack hunting. At that point I’m living out of my backpack. But whatever.

I don’t think anyone is saying a hot tent is necessary to stay warm at night. It’s nice to have when you get back to camp and are having dinner or BSing with your hunting partner. My hot tent with stove weighs 10 lbs and can sleep 3 comfortably. If you can’t hack carrying 3.3 lbs for a warm place to hang out before you go to sleep then I don’t know what to tell you. I agree they’re not a do all tent but they’re far from idiotic.

Fire_9 said:

Good lord man. Settle down. Call me crazy but I consider carrying all my stuff several miles into the woods and setting up camp for multiple days backpack hunting. At that point I’m living out of my backpack. But whatever.

I don’t think anyone is saying a hot tent is necessary to stay warm at night. It’s nice to have when you get back to camp and are having dinner or BSing with your hunting partner. My hot tent with stove weighs 10 lbs and can sleep 3 comfortably. If you can’t hack carrying 3.3 lbs for a warm place to hang out before you go to sleep then I don’t know what to tell you. I agree they’re not a do all tent but they’re far from idiotic.

Click to expand...

I was with you until that part lol.

You have to remember, @wllm1313 is an above average camper/hiker. He was born of the sweat and dirt that forms on your buttcheeks after two weeks in the mountains living out of a backpack. He completed his first summit while in a baby carrier on his dad's back. Where mortals fail for lack of water/oxygen/food, he drinks of the dew of the morning and feeds on rays from the sun itself. Don't be surprised that he has a more stringent purity test for backpack hunting than the current democratic candidates have for the next presidential candidate.

ajricketts said:

I was with you until that part lol.

You have to remember, @wllm1313 is an above average camper/hiker. He was born of the sweat and dirt that forms on your buttcheeks after two weeks in the mountains living out of a backpack. He completed his first summit while in a baby carrier on his dad's back. Where mortals fail for lack of water/oxygen/food, he drinks of the dew of the morning and feeds on rays from the sun itself. Don't be surprised that he has a more stringent purity test for backpack hunting than the current democratic candidates have for the next presidential candidate.

Click to expand...

"Born of the sweat and dirt that forms on your buttcheeks after two weeks in the mountains"
Now that is a signature line.

Fire_9 said:

Good lord man. Settle down.

Click to expand...

Seems you may be unfamiliar with my bloviating... strap in buckaroo

ajricketts said:

I was with you until that part lol.

You have to remember, @wllm1313 is an above average camper/hiker. He was born of the sweat and dirt that forms on your buttcheeks after two weeks in the mountains living out of a backpack. He completed his first summit while in a baby carrier on his dad's back. Where mortals fail for lack of water/oxygen/food, he drinks of the dew of the morning and feeds on rays from the sun itself. Don't be surprised that he has a more stringent purity test for backpack hunting than the current democratic candidates have for the next presidential candidate.

Click to expand...

I heard he went to a ski-in ski-out high school.

DouglasR said:

I heard he went to a ski-in ski-out high school.

Click to expand...

We call it “went” to high school...

wllm1313 said:

"Born of the sweat and dirt that forms on your buttcheeks after two weeks in the mountains"
Now that is a signature line.

Click to expand...

Pft. You're not a really backpack hunting until you've taken down a backpack scoring over 100 liters with a stick you sharpened.

rwc101 said:

Pft. You're not a really backpack hunting until you've taken down a backpack scoring over 100 liters with a stick you sharpened.

Click to expand...

Bro sticks just wound stuff, ethical hunters use atlatls... have you even heard of hydrostatic shock

wllm1313 said:

sticks just wound stuff

Click to expand...

People always blame the tool instead of honing their skills.