Bighorn II tent from Cabelas (review)

S

So. Dak.

New member
I bought this tent a couple weeks ago. It's 12x14 and came with a wood stove. I was looking for something to take to the Black Hills mountain lion hunting this November and also to go antelope hunting. We (the kids and I) took it to the river to set up and camp for a couple days. I basically just wanted to set it up and and play with it a little bit. This tent is great! There's tons of room in it. We had the wood stove set up and two cots. There was enough room for 2 more cots even with the stove set up. The material is very heavy, almost felt like a light rubber. It has 4 nice big windows. You can purchase a vestibule for it too. Can't wait to use it this winter.

Anyone else have a bighorn II?
 
I've stayed in the Alaknak it is a nice tent but the pole in the center of the tent really cuts down on the room. Just something to consider before you buy one.
 


While I'm not an expert on tents, I have over the years slept in many diffeent weather conditions and terrain, using everything from from a saddle pad, painters poly, tarp, and tent to a deluxe travel trailer.

I haven't tried the Bighorn II, but I have a Guide series Alaskan model 6 man tent from Cabela's, with a vestibule that I bought many years ago.
It is a dome style tent and nearly bullet proof. Excellent product. would recommend it highly.

On an Elk hunt once in the Rockies, we were camped in a high valley . I was awakened about 4 a.m. by the bell on one of the horses. I heard a roaring wind up at the head of the valley. It seemed to be building and moving toward us fast. We were surrounded by evergreens and tamarack, some of which were a hundred plus feet high. I was worried about large branches or a tree coming down on the tent.

I woke by buddy and by that time the wind was so loud we were shouting to be heard. I yelled at him to get out of the tent, but it was too late. I was standing and he was on his knees getting out of his sleeping bag, when the wind hit us. I dropped to my knees as the tent flattened on top of us.
The wind had blown the tent flat. After what seemed like a long time but was probably less than 15 seconds, the wind abated slightly and the tent popped right back to it's original shape.
No one got hurt, the tent performed perfectly and for the first time on the trip the horses were eager to leave camp. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

I have used the tent for years, [I'm thinking twenty}and have been very satisfied with it. The vestibule is a must. Great for drying wet boots etc.
 
Great reviews on tents fellas! Been trying to hash out the differences in some of them before I make my next purchase. Let's here some more! kyray
 
I was trying to decide between the bighorn or the Akalak from Cabelas. Our Cabelas had them set up side by side. The Akalak has the center pole (the bighorn does not) so I thought that that would get in the way of things and the material that the bighorn is made out of is WAY more heavy than the Akalak. The bighorn has just as much room as the Akalak if not more.
 
I have an 8 man Alsakan Guide tent / vestibule. Thes tents are really great. A really nice thing is that even one this big can be put up by one man without help. If the wind is blowing you'll reall want a 2nd person to help, though.

But, it's not designed to have a stove inside the tent so if that's one of the things you need, you have to look at the other tents.
 
Like Stu said no set up for stove inside, but I have a Zoli remote heater. Runs on propane and is outside the tent with only heat coming in. No fumes or worry about carbon monoxide.Very safe set up. Of course we cook on the campfire.
 
I've used a propane lantern & heater inside of mine. Can't leave them buring while you sleep of course, but they warm it up real quick when you wake up in the morning.

We put a square of plywood in the center of the tent with a 5 gallon propane tank, a heater & a lantern mounted to a pole on the tank. Did all our cooking either outside or in another tent, depending on the weather & bugs.
 
The woodburner that came with my bighorn works great as a cook stove too. So when it's blustery outside you cand sit around the stove in the tent and cook. We also had 2 cots set up and we had two adult lawn chairs and two kids lawn chairs set up in there one morning when it was chilly and sat around the wood burner drinking our coffee. I love this tent!
 
Ha! Nothing beats a wall tent with a wood stove, IMO. Like an old friend used to say when the weather was really ugly and we were nice a toasty inside, "All the comforts of home except the naggin'".
 
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