So you’ve chosen a durable outfitter hunting tent. But what else do you need? Serious hunters understand that a hunting trip requires preparation and more than just a shelter. In rough weather conditions, the right gear can mean the difference between a successful hunting trip and a disappointing one.

With the right, carefully selected hunting tent gear, you can create a functional and comfortable basecamp. So whether you’re a minimalist backpack hunter or hauling in gear to the family deer camp setup with a permanent wall tent structure, here is a checklist of camping gear you will need to make the most of your hunt.

Important Gear to Consider for Your Hunting Tent

wooden camp cots with hunting tent gear and camping accessories like bedrolls — Handbuilt wooden cots with bedrolls

This list of hunting tent gear is contingent on the type of hunting tent you chose. There are some items that hunters consider to be the bare-minimum gear needed, while others go full hog, loading up the truck with everything to make a month-long stay homey. At the end of the day, you know what it takes to set up a wall tent or pitch a lean-to, along with making it – and the hunt! – comfortable and successful.

Flooring

Since wall tents typically lack flooring, and only have a built-in sod cloth around the edge, extra flooring may be necessary. This hunting tent gear is completely up to you, but we highly suggest getting flooring – it has many advantages!

Take a look at our article on wall tent flooring ideas, which covers the basic detached/loose groundsheet flooring, along with a handful of options to help protect your tent’s floor, add extra softness, and provide insulation.

Canvas Tarps

One wall tent flooring option is a canvas tarp. However, canvas tarps are an extremely useful and versatile piece of camping gear to keep around, plain and simple. Use it to rig a canvas tarp over your hunting tent (or at the entrance) for a sunshade and rain protection, create a barrier against strong winter snow and winds, or drape it loosely over your woodpile to keep firewood dry.

Beckel offers heavy-duty canvas tarps in various sizes.

Axe

Bring a solid axe. An axe is a multi-purpose camp gear and tool for clearing campsites, chopping and splitting firewood, driving pegs and stakes, and so much more. Hunting or not, an axe is practical and vital in all camping situations.

Shovel

Like an axe, a good shovel is also a great multi-purpose tool for camping. Look for a quality T-handled shovel, something that will help you build a latrine around camp.

Wood Stove

We should mention wood stoves. For some, it’s a nice-to-have, and for others, it’s too heavy to pack in. Each hunter is different, so it’s entirely up to you. But frankly, for outfitters setting up their four-season wall tent for cold winter trips, we think a wood stove is essential.

If you do have a larger basecamp or wall tent, choose an appropriately sized wood stove that will keep the space toasty overnight. Ideally, one that stands on legs that can extend and fold back into position, making it compact and easy to transport (especially with a stove carry case).

Many popular hunting stoves offer nice additions and touches like a water tank, which boils water for cooking, and a warming shelf, which keeps kettles and pots warm (along with taking the chill off damp socks and such).

Stove Mat Heat Shield

While you’re at it, practice stove safety and get yourself a stove mat heat shield. Coated in a fire-resistant fiberglass, heat shields can withstand 500-degree temps, which help protect both your wall tent floors and walls. A durable heat shield catches hot ashes and coals, keeping groundsheets and flooring from melting. With grommets along the edge, you can also hang it behind the stove, protecting the walls.

Portable Heater

While a wood stove is preferred by traditional hunters, there’s also the option of a portable heater. Portable heaters are a smart alternative for hunters packing in or traveling light without a truck or vehicle of sorts. Why? Because it means you don’t have to haul heavy wood.

Many hunters also use both heat sources. A wood stove stays at the tent, while the portable heater keeps them warm inside a blind.

Check out this thorough article on choosing the best portable tent heater and how to heat a canvas tent.

Lighting

Shed some light on your hunting tent. At a bare minimum, you’ll need headlamps (one for each person), high-powered flashlights, and maybe a lantern. But you can take it a step further and illuminate your tent with LED rope lighting around the internal frame structure and LED floodlights around the site.

Portable Generator

And, of course, for electrical portable heaters and lighting, a portable generator will keep you good and charged. It’s also nice hunting tent gear to have for simply charging devices.

A Sleeping Bag and Bedroll

Anytime you camp, you’ll need a sleeping bag. And choosing a good sleeping bag is imperative, allowing you to get good rest, which helps you to focus on the hunt without getting groggy.

Whatever sleeping bag you choose, an additional bedroll makes a durable weather-resistant shell. Some even offer light padding and extra insulation. In fact, minimalist hunters and pack hunters (like those who prefer Lean-To shelters) appreciate these old-fashioned cowboy bedrolls due to their compatibility, ruggedness, and versatility (they double as shelters).

Cots

If your hunting tent is spacious, taller, and offers headroom, we recommend cots. While a cot might be too big for traditional lean-tos and miner tents, they’re perfect for wall tents! Raised off the floor, a cot will save your back and offer extra storage space beneath for the rest of your hunting gear. And, like most camp gear, choose a folding cot that is compact and light.

Camp Chairs & Tables

Can you use a stump? Sure, there’s nothing wrong with using what nature provides. But camp chairs do offer extra comfort and can raise you off the ground, if needed. Whether you choose a classic folding camp chair or stool or double the use of your hunting blind chair is entirely up to you. For minimalist hunting tents, aim for folding chairs that sit lower to the ground. Camp tables come in handy too, acting as a side table next to your cot, keeping headlamps and beside items close by.

Game Cleaning Tables

Tables are hunting tent gear you might really find useful, especially if you skip field dressing and carry game back to do the job. Whether you’re dressing game or cleaning fish or fowl, having an easy-to-sanitize fiberglass folding table makes meal preparation and wiping up a breeze. Look for game-cleaning tables with features like a sink and a flexible faucet with a spray nozzle.

Cooking Stove

While it’s possible to cook over-easy eggs on the wood stove, save yourself pain and get a propane burner-style stove. Whether you choose a classic Coleman or a standing Camp Chef burner stove, you’ll appreciate how fast it makes meals.

Coolers

You’ll undoubtedly need a cooler, maybe two. Even if you survive off freeze-dried meals, a high-quality cooler will keep fresh meat from spoiling and prevent food-borne illnesses (a dangerous circumstance when you’re stranded in the backcountry). Some quality cooler brands are Yeti, Dometic, and Pelican, but whatever you decide, make sure they can keep perishables and meats at a safe temperature for the entire hunting trip.

Toilet (and toilet paper)

This should have been our #2 item on the list. You can bring a bucket or get get fancy. A bonus is to bring a shelter for a little privacy. Here are Beckel, we offer a canvas outhouse - just email and ask us about the details.

Water Tank

Hunters go through water faster than most campers. Chasing game all day takes lots of energy, after all, and staying hydrated is essential. Plus, you’ll want to keep your scent down, so that means taking showers. Then there’s the doing dishes, general sanitization, and dressing game too. The Dometic GO Hydration Jug is a nice option and it has a water faucet attachment that offers extra pressure for cleaning.

Hunting Tent Gear for Maintenance

Last but not least, you need to consider basic maintenance items. Caring for a canvas wall tent is important in maintaining the fabric’s integrity, especially from mold, mildew, and tears.

Bish’s Tear Mender | Repair hunting tents instantly and on the fly with this quick-drying, flexible canvas glue. In extreme weather conditions, the last thing you need is a hole in your tent.
Dry Guy Canvas Waterproofing Concentrate | Even if your tent has a heavy-duty water repellent and mildew resistant finish, it’s good common sense to reapply a new finish every so often. The easiest way to apply is by setting up your hunting tent at home. However, if your hunting tent is a permanent shelter, rest assured that this eco-friendly concentrate is made of non-toxic ingredients, making on-site application guilt-free.
Iosso Mold and Stain Remover | Eliminate tougher stains on canvas, like mold, algae, grease, and bird droppings, with this stain remover. Again, easier to spot clean a hunting tent at home, but can also be done in the backcountry.

Final Thoughts…

Use this hunting tent gear checklist as a starting point to pack in your duffel bag. Some gear you’ll need, while others not so much. Every hunter is different. But whatever kind of gear you decide to bring along, invest in the best.

From maintaining your hunting tent to making the shelter warm and cozy, each of these items serves a vital purpose.

And whether you're a seasoned outfitter or a first-time wall tent user, this hunting tent gear guide should offer a foundation to discover options for your specific hunting camp needs.

Your Hunting Tent Gear Checklist