The Bunker
The Bunker is a tent by Snugpak that is advertised as a tough tent built to withstand hard weather and multi-day set up, perfect for the spring weather in northern Minnesota.
The bunker is a 3 man / 3 season tent, with 2 doors and is made to set up the rainfly first and hang the screen tent part on the inside of it. First let me say that this tent rocks! We had multiple days of rain ,some wind and moved campsites everyday. The bunker kept the guys dry even though after raining all night one night, we woke up to a puddle under the tent but the floor stayed dry and no sleeping bags got wet!
Set up of the bunker is easy, and even though you can set up rainfly first, I tend to leave the inner part attached to the rain fly when I roll it so I don't have to reattach it every time I set it up. Once I showed the group how the set it up they had no problem with it. I also like how it easily fits into the carrying bag that it comes with without much difficulty.
The tent is great in the wind too because of shape and all of the stake down points, it does not have loose parts that flap in the wind. The tent poles are lightweight aluminum and so are the stakes, so it helps keep the weight down. Another thing I like about this tent is that is is warmer then other tents I have used and lets me get by with a lighter sleeping bag and sleep more comfortably on cool spring and fall nights. I like the double doors for easy entry/exit points but also to open the door for tunnel ventilation.
Overall this a great tent for taking on canoe trips where you set up and tear down often, this tent can handle it , and also will keep you dry if you get caught in the rain. It packs out at 7.74 lbs, so it is not a lightweight backpacking tent but it light enough to portage with.
Kit Monster 120 L
Whenever you go to the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota , you expect to portage and get wet. One of the most important pieces of gear is the bag you use to carry your gear. I used the kit monster 120 L by Snugpak for carrying all our gear . In fact I used 6 of them.The kit monster comes with plenty of grab handles and backpack straps to make it easy to grab and go. We were able to do 1 trip portages most of the time. The kit monster is made pretty heavy duty, and has extra compartments inside and out for stashing things away and keeping it organized.
We had six guys for 5 days, and these bags carried all of our food, cooking equipment , sleeping gear, and camp gear. They are very spacious yet can fit nicely in a canoe. I really like the many grab handles and the fact that they ride low in a canoe so not to disrupt the stability of it. They are not waterproof, which is no big deal , because you can use Snugpak Dry-saks for sensitive gear or use contractor garbage bags as a waterproof liner.
I loved using these bags, they work great and stood up to our abuse. I will be using them again next spring with another group on a canoe trip. I actually like the bag so much I have one I use for anytime I need to leave home overnight, easy to pack, easy to carry, and spacious! The great thing about it is they are not that expensive for what they can do ($99) list price. There is also a smaller 65L bag too ($89)
So if you want a great carry-all bag this is it. Grab it , pack it, toss it, use it, It seems to like it!
