You’ve scouted and set up stands. You’ve sighted in your guns or practiced with your bow. Finally the buck you’re looking for comes in and the shot is made. How long will the trailing process take you? Will you find your buck?

Understanding how to track and find blood can make the difference between having meat in the freezer and a trophy to hang on the wall or coming home with nothing at all. You make a plan when you hunt to increase your chance of success, but if you attempt to track without a plan, your chances of success are greatly reduced.

I sell blood-detection products to law enforcement, and my business has given me a lot of information on what to look for and what a blood trail can tell you about the hit you’ve made on a deer. I’m often called to help look for wounded deer after all hope seems to be lost, because people know that I can find blood that is not easily seen.

POINTS TO PONDER

Blood trails can be misleading. A lot of blood does not necessarily indicate a mortal wound. Nor does a seeming lack of blood necessarily mean the animal isn’t dead. The reaction of the animal and the blood pattern will give us a better understanding of how to go about making a plan to recover an animal. Normally, deer do not bleed to death. An animal that weighs 160 pounds must lose 45-plus ounces of blood to die from blood loss alone. Deer will die faster from trauma than from blood loss, and a combination of both is by far the best scenario.

Most deer can travel very fast when wounded. They can hit 35 mph, and even if they die quickly after the shot, they can travel a long distance before collapsing. A wounded deer will not go far unless it is pushed. Therefore it’s always a good idea to sit still for at least a half-hour after the shot, unless you want to make the tracking job a lot more difficult.

Deer often travel in loose family groups, and those in the rear of the group can help by showing you where the wounded animal traveled. Spooking these deer could remove helpful clues as to the whereabouts of your trophy, so always use caution.

BE OBSERVANT

Pay attention to the reaction of the deer the moment it is shot, as this is your first clue to helping you know how to find it. The reaction can be deceiving, but it is still important. I have shot deer and had them look at me like nothing happened, only to watch them fall over where they stood. I have also had many hunters tell me that they knocked the animal down, only to watch it suddenly jump up and run off, leaving lots of blood. That’s the one that I hate to hear the most.

First of all, body shots that do not hit the neck or spine will rarely make deer drop, and if the neck or spine is hit, the animal is usually disabled and will not be able to get up. Experience from the “dropped and got up and left lots of blood” situations tells me it was most likely a low shoulder or leg shot. The falling down likely means the leg was broken. Leg-muscle hits leave lots of blood in the first 100 yards, but then the blood trail fades fast. There will be lots of large spots of blood as the animal stands in one spot or leans against a tree. Even with a broken leg (or two), a deer can run very fast.

FINDING BLOOD SIGN

Another common scenario is this: “I thought I hit him, but there was no blood.” Anytime there is a wounded animal, there will be blood, even if it cannot be seen. Blood droplets, which are forced out of the body by gunfire, produce a high-velocity-impact splatter pattern. The pattern can be smaller than 1mm at the beginning of the trail. Shots taken with a bow leave medium-impact blood splatter patterns and will leave droplets around 3mm in size. Both can be difficult to see, even in the snow, so trust your instincts and follow the trail the deer took.

If the deer was hit, the blood will appear soon. If it was a high lung hit, it can take time for the body cavity to fill and blood to be forced out. Lung-shot deer often run right after the shot, and this causes blood trails to be harder to see, as the blood is spread over a larger distance. If there is no visible blood trail, wait and let the animal bed down. It will not go far and should die quickly.

Another common animal reaction is the hind leg kick. Although many lung-shot deer kick out after the shot – whether the projectile that hit them was an arrow or a bullet – this reaction could mean that the animal was hit farther back in the gut. The blood pattern and the color of the blood will be very important. Darker blood is from the stomach or liver. A liver shot is always fatal, but liver-shot deer are often hard to find because they can travel a long distance.

Green matter or food is from one of the deer’s four stomachs. A stomach shot is also fatal, but it could take 24 hours or longer for the deer to die. Give this animal at least three hours to bed down and follow up for the kill in the daytime. Make sure to circle ahead from the downwind side.

The low forward double lung shot is the best-percentage shot to take. By hitting the arteries and lungs, it will cause massive internal bleeding and drowning, causing death within about 150 yards. This pattern can start out with little blood, but it will increase as the animal starts blowing blood out the mouth and nose.

10 TIPS FOR BLOOD TRACKING

Always try to pinpoint the exact spot where your deer was standing when shot.If you deer runs off, always try to pinpoint the spot where it was last seen.Unless your deer goes down within sight, always wait a minimum of 30 minutes before taking up the trail.Use trail markers and a compass while following a blood trail.Working in pairs is best. Never have more than three people follow a blood trail.In addition to looking at the ground while following a blood trail, always look at the brush and foliage on either side of the trail.Bright ref or pinkish blood indicates an artery or lung shot.Blood with green or brown matter in it indicates a liver shot.If you think your deer is still alive, send a shooter around and ahead of the animal to try to dispatch it as you continue tracking.When all else fails, consider getting a tracking dog (where legal) or use a luminol-based blood-detecting product like Bluestar.:

Quartering-away shots cause the most damage, as the projectile will travel a longer distance through the body. Shots from a raised area (tree stand) generally give a better blood trail, as the exit hole will be lower and allow blood to leave the body cavity in greater volume.

Shooting for the tail is the worst shot anyone can make, and it often leaves only a wounded animal or spoiled meat. If the shot hits the back of the thigh, it will bleed well but the deer will not die soon, as the muscle will tighten up and help stop the bleeding. A deer shot in the anus will spread bacteria all over its insides, and the damage will be even worse if the bladder is also hit. This type of shot requires the animal to be cleaned immediately and thoroughly washed out in order to save any of the meat.

OTHER TRACKING TIPS

Blood trailers spend a lot of time looking on the ground but little time looking at the brush, where more than half the blood is usually found. Blood on brush can reveal how high or low the shot hit, helping in the recovery plans.

No hunter should be without a compass. Use it to get a bearing on the trail taken, using a marker like a unique tree to track toward. Working in pairs is best as well. One tracker should circle downwind and ahead 75 to 100 yards in case the animal is alive. The second person should take the trail. Repeat this until the animal is recovered. Remember to be safe when tracking because deer can be dangerous when wounded. Proper gun handling and line-of-fire rules must also be followed to avoid injury.

Timing is very important. Tracking too soon is the No. 1 reason why mortally wounded deer travel long distances and make recovery difficult or impossible. Tracking too slowly will cause the meat to spoil. Reading the clues properly will make the difference in how good the meat tastes, since recovery shortly after death is important. Meat with a gamey taste can be caused by slow recovery, not cleaning properly or hanging in warm weather.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE SHOT

Adrenaline runs high after the shot, and humans have a hard time controlling it. Relax, breathe deeply and take a few moments to reflect about what happened. The beginning of the trail is the most important place to get the facts about what happened and how to proceed.

The first thing we do at a crime scene is cordon off the area to keep people from altering evidence. Then we use only a few people to process the scene – again, to keep from altering or destroying the evidence. Walking on a blood trail will transfer the blood pattern from its original spot to somewhere else, or destroy it completely. Never put more than three people on a blood trail unless you think it is hopeless to recover your deer without extra people.

Unless the animal drops within sight, no trail should be taken within 30 minutes. The deer you just shot will be looking at the spot where it was wounded to see what happened. It will bed down soon and try to lick or heal the wound, usually within the first 40 yards if there is good cover. Don’t turn a 40-yard trail into a 400-yard trail!

I’ve often been asked to follow a blood trail that had a small amount of blood that suddenly had twice as much blood, then nothing. This usually means that the deer has turned 180 degrees and walked over the same trail twice, then cut off downwind at a 45- to 90-degree angle after it decided the trail it was following was not safe.

The blood left on the ground or brush is important, as it can tell much about the wound. Bright red or pink blood has lots of oxygen, indicating an artery or lung shot. Many deer trails I have followed were from shots that hit low in the shoulder or leg, leaving large amounts of blood. The blood is slightly darker with a very narrow trail 4 to 8 inches in width. This deer will likely need a second shot. Make plans to get a person ahead to dispatch the deer.

READING THE SIGN

Trails of blood more than 2 feet wide are complete pass-through shots and increase the chances of recovery greatly. Blood trails that have squirts of blood on the side of the trail 2 feet or more indicate arterial shots in the neck, heart or other major artery. As mentioned, brown or greenish blood, or blood with green or brown matter, is always a gut or liver shot. In either case, the deer will need extra time to die before you attempt to recover it. A liver shot will kill faster, but may still take two hours or more. Blood with green matter should dictate a minimum five- to six-hour wait before tracking. The tracker should attempt to put a shooter ahead to dispatch the animal in case it is still alive.

Many visual blood trails disappear when the animal’s heart stops and the blood pressure drops, as the blood is no longer being forced out of the body. Most animals can still travel 30 to 45 seconds and cover 65 yards or more before dropping, and the blood trail will be almost impossible to find without blood-tracking aids.

Many times I have found animals within 40 to 50 yards of the stand. They died close by after having run 250 to 300 yards in a long, arching circle, trying to get back to the spot where they were safe before the shot. Knowing the bedding areas on your property helps a lot if you cannot find an animal. The wind is important to a wounded deer. They will always try to get downwind of the hunter.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

There are tools we can use in tracking. Dogs are now legal in many states, and a dog can be great tool if there is no rain or snow. However, most people do not have dogs or have the time to train them, nor do they have the money to pay a dog tracker. Dog tracker fees vary but often end up costing in excess of $150. Lights made for finding blood do not work very well, as blood absorbs light. Regardless of what you see on TV, law enforcement officials do not use lights to find blood.

There are a few luminol-based products (Tink’s and Bluestar, notably) that make blood glow in the dark. I prefer Bluestar because it was first made for forensic use. Bluestar picks up hemoglobin. Hemoglobin transports oxygen to the cells. It contains iron, which is a basic element of earth and is nearly impossible to destroy without fire.

Much time was spent to produce a product like Bluestar that investigators could use with little or no training, and much time was spent developing a product that could tell the difference between blood and other items containing iron. Bluestar is sold in tablet form, and you simply add water. This is the best tracking agent I have found on the market today. At a cost of $19.95 to track up to four deer, the cost is very affordable. You can usually cover 100 yards in 10 minutes or less, and the time saved will be worth the money spent.

Small and lightweight and sold in packs of four, Bluestar gives the hunter enough product to cover even the longest trails. Bluestar also will work well in evergreens and moss. Because the reaction with blood is so much different from “false positives,” anyone can tell the difference.

ALWAYS PINPOINT THE SPOT

Hunters often have difficulty finding the beginning of a blood trail. Before you leave your stand, use a waypoint to know where the deer was standing when shot. Also, try to pinpoint the last spot where the deer was seen after the shot was taken. A compass is perfect for this, using a marker such as a tree to find the spot.

Many times I use Bluestar only to find the start of a blood trail. To do this, spray while walking across the trail as soon as you find the blood. See if you can follow it with your eyes. If not, continue to use the Bluestar. I often use it to regain a trail when an animal changes terrain, going from leaf litter to grass fields, for example. Bluestar will work in the rain or snow. You’ll learn a lot about trailing deer when using Bluestar since you’ll see the whole trail every time you use it. Another advantage of Bluestar is that total darkness is not needed. It works well in low light just after shooting light has faded.

Since Bluestar glows bright blue in the dark, even people who are colorblind or whose eyes are “not as good as they used to be” can follow the trail without any help. No glasses or lights are needed – just water and a spray bottle. Water can be taken from streams, lakes and ponds, along with any tap or bottled water. In extreme cold, you can use window washer solvent. When using, mix a set of tablets in a sprayer and spray on the ground where the deer was standing. If the deer was hit, there will be a bright blue glow.

Last but not least, always use trail markers. This will help if you need to leave the trail for any reason and will help anyone who is trying to join you later on. This also lets you see a pattern of travel. Most likely that pattern will be an arch traveling back to the bedding area downwind of the stand. Bedding areas are thick with a good view, and they always take advantage of wind direction. They provide a perfect area for a wounded animal to seek refuge in.

No matter what happens before or after the shot, these simple tools mentioned above cost very little and will save you lots of time. More importantly, they help us all remain ethically responsible by recovering game quickly and efficiently.

If you want to protect your home from threats, you can’t just rely on security cameras and all those fancy-schmancy security systems.

What if the grid goes down?

They’ll be nothing more than decorations.

So to defend your fortress and your survival supplies when things go south, one thing you need to do is put together some booby traps.

Here’s what you need to know about them:

Important Things to Consider Before Rigging Your Booby Traps

Booby traps are devices designed to catch animals or people by surprise. Some can seriously injure or even kill a victim, while others are way tamer.

You can’t just make them for the heck of it. There are a couple of things you need to ask yourself first before you go and set traps all over your backyard:

Is It Legal?

Booby traps have a reputation for being vicious devices used in wars. With the injuries they can inflict, it’s no surprise that it’s illegal to make most of them.

Don’t try building punji stakes or toe poppers or any of those dangerous traps.

You’ll get into major trouble with the law and probably land in the slammer, and that’s the last thing you want when you’re prepping for SHTF.

Is It Safe to Set Up?

While something may be legal, that still doesn’t mean it’s safe. Setting up booby traps may put you in a sticky situation. There’s nothing worse than being taken out by the very things that were meant to protect you.

Think about your family, too. Will you be able to live with yourself if your significant other or kids get harmed?

If you have younger kids, then maybe it’s better for you to go with non-lethal self-defense weapons instead. You can keep these out of their reach but you can’t exactly do the same with tripwires.

Is It Easy to Spot?

Your booby traps should blend in with their environment. If not, it won’t take long for an intruder to discover and bypass them.

You’ll need to learn how to camouflage your traps well. That includes using certain wires instead of others and figuring out what colors to use to trick even the most seasoned thieves.

Also, it will be harder to trick enemies if your traps involve too many bells and whistles. Keep them small and simple.

Now that you know what to keep in mind, here are some booby traps you can make:

What Are the Perfect DIY Booby Traps for Home Defense?

Booby traps don’t need to be deadly to be effective.

All the projects listed below will surprise intruders more than harm them, but they make great deterrents. And if you’re really careful, they’re safe to construct.

Check them out:

Tripwires

A tripwire is a classic booby trap. It involves a wire that extends tautly across a pathway, like in between trees or a doorframe.

Folks usually use braided fishing lines for tripwires because they’re thin enough to be nearly invisible to the naked eye and they also won’t split when a person walks through them.

The line or wire is connected to an alarm that goes off as soon as someone activates the tripwire. There are several types of tripwires that use different alarm systems.

Here are some that you can make at home:

Mousetrap Tripwire

Believe it or not, mousetraps don’t only help you catch the mice that have been stealing your food.

With a mousetrap, a few ring caps, and a fishing line, you can make an effective tripwire alarm. This article shows you how.

Just watch your fingers when you’re working on it — the mousetrap might snap on them. A sturdy pair of gloves should provide you with the protection you need.

Tin Can Alarm

Who says you need a high-tech perimeter alarm to safeguard your territory?

With a few tin cans, paracord/fishing line, and some sticks, you can create one that’s loud enough to surprise intruders and alert you to their presence.

What you need to do is tie at least three tin cans together using a paracord or fishing line. Then, look for two trees that are close enough to one another. Use the paracord to secure a loop around their trunks.

There should be a space in between the trunks. This is where you should hang your cans. After that, you have to make a loose loop under the cans.

That’s all you need to create the alarm.

The next things to do include making the trigger using 3 different-sized sticks, determining your perimeter, and then setting up the trap. These steps are explained in further detail here.

Keychain Alarm Tripwire

If your DIY skills aren’t the greatest, this trap is for you. There are only two things you need: a keychain alarm (which you can easily find online) and a fishing line.

The keychain you pick should have a hole on the reverse side. This is where you tie the line that will attach it to a tree, a door, or a table leg.

Air Horn Tripwire

Hate how obnoxious an air horn sounds?

Well, so will intruders when it disrupts their sneaky infiltration into your property.

To whip up this trap, you’ll need to build a deadfall trap above your air horn.

Choose a flat rock and prop it up on some sticks. Let the trigger stick stay on top of the horn. The trigger stick should be attached to the line. Secure the other end of the line to a nearby tree.

When a trespasser’s leg gets caught on the tripwire, a domino effect happens…

The trigger stick will give out from beneath the rock.

The rock will fall on the horn.

The horn will make a deafening sound that wakes even the deepest sleepers.

The enemy will crap their pants in shock and try to make a run for it.

Pit Traps

There’s probably no booby trap more straightforward than a pit trap. It’s really just a big hole in the ground.

Before you dig the pit, look for a strategic location. Once you secure a spot, use an entrenching tool to do the digging. Keep shoveling until it’s deep enough to prevent an average-sized person from climbing their way out.

When you’re through making the pit, put a net on top of it and disguise it with leaves, rocks, and other debris.

Also, remember the exact place you excavated the trap. You don’t want to faceplant into a hole while you’re in the middle of trimming and pruning your plants.

Dye Device

In a bank robbery, you know how robbers give bank tellers their demands? They normally command them to shove hundreds of thousands of dollars in a bag.

The tellers may seem like they’re giving in to the robbers’ whims, but they actually have a trick up their sleeves — the dye pack. This nifty gizmo stains the cash a bright color, letting everyone know that it’s stolen.

You can take inspiration from the dye pack and apply it to your home defense.

Just fill an automatic spray bottle with semi-permanent dye. You can set this up as soon as you see folks trespassing on your property.

They won’t just get surprised; they’ll be so doused in dye that they’ll look like cheap knockoffs of the creatures from the Avatar movie.

Talking Booby Trap

Most thieves are on edge when they turn up at a mark’s home. They don’t wanna get caught.

So in the unlikely scenario that they breach past your defenses and enter your home, a talking booby trap can scare the living daylights out of them.

This little device involves recording a special message or sound effect meant for home invaders. You’re supposed to hide it somewhere clever, where the bad guys can activate it unknowingly.

Once the gizmo is triggered, they’ll hear the present you left for them loud and clear — they messed with the wrong home.

For complete instructions on how to make a talking booby trap, take a look at this article.

Final Thoughts

Booby traps make a perfect addition to a home defense plan — when you take the law, your family’s safety, and common sense into consideration.

Along with learning self-defense and making key security upgrades to your home, the booby traps we featured will help you win against the bad guys and keep your precious stockpile safe.

Just don’t be too obvious when you build these traps to avoid getting unwanted attention from the neighbors.

We hope you learned something from this! But if you wanna learn even more about home defense or making a foolproof SHTF plan, you should check out our other articles.

One bitter cold January morning, I found myself in the duck blind of a good friend, an older gentleman with the title to a prime piece of Pamlico Sound saltmarsh. About mid-day, my breakfast was wearing thin, and I wondered aloud if there were any snacks to be had. My pal pointed me to a cooler in the stern of the boat. It’s loaded, he said. Help yourself. I opened up the lid. Inside I found a bag of chips, a jar of salsa, and enough canned beanie weenies for a small expeditionary force. Perhaps you have never wondered what ice-cold beanie weenies taste like in a 22-degree saltmarsh. Methinks you never should.

I thought of that day this past spring as I was loading up for a quick, two-day canoe camping trip along the Roanoke River. I’d volunteered to handle dinner duties, so I knew what sort of food would be desired. The cooler held 24 dove breast fillets, fresh Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, chopped parsley, and other things rarely found in a two-man canoe. My buddy, Scott, was packing breakfast. I didn’t know what he had up his sleeve. But I knew Scott…and I knew it wasn’t instant grits and Pop Tarts. If I’m cooking breakfast, he’d told me earlier, then make sure you pack plenty of stove fuel. I could feel my arteries hardening already.

So here are some recipes to take your shore lunches and riverside dinners to a new level. They’re easy. A few call for wild game, but you can substitute your favorite cuts of meat. Most can be prepared with a single skillet, and all are designed for a backpacking stove. These recipes will make you forget all about beanie weenies.

DOVES CARBONARA

On my last canoe-camping trip, we feasted on this little bit of Italy deep in the swampwoods of eastern North Carolina. The hardest part about cooking this dish is not eating the dove breast fillets right out of the pan.

• One dozen dove breasts, filleted
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 ounces uncooked, thin spaghetti noodles
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

AT HOME: Fillet dove breasts, and place in plastic baggie. Chop parsley. Break eggs, and combine with milk; store in small water bottle.

IN THE FIELD: Cook spaghetti noodles and drain. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet. Sauté dove breasts and minced garlic for one minute. Reduce heat to low, and stir in noodles, cheese, parsley, and pepper. Pour egg-milk mixture over noodles, and cook about four minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens.

NO SWEAT ASIAN VENISON

This is a one-pan wonder. It’s cheap, easy, filling, and fast, and makes its way to my home table a couple of times a month in various interpretations. Replace the venison with shrimp and the beef-flavored noodles with shrimp-flavored noodles, and have an entirely different taste.

• 12 ounces uncooked, thin spaghetti noodles
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound venison, cut into strips
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
• 1 12-ounce package of broccoli slaw
• 1 cup sliced green onion
• 2 packages of beef-flavored ramen noodle soup
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

AT HOME: Slice green onions into half-inch pieces. Slice tenderloin into thin slices.IN THE FIELD: Heat one teaspoon sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add venison and onions, and sauté about one minute. Remove to a separate plate. Heat remaining oil until hot; add broccoli slaw, stir-fry one minute. Add to plate with venison and onions. Add water to skillet and bring to a boil. Add noodles from both packages and seasoning packet from one package. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Stir in venison, onions, and slaw, add soy sauce and combine.

FISH FRIED RICE

Stir-frying cold rice prevents the grains from clumping. Add to the mix bite-sized chunks of fresh fish—the firmer the flesh, the better—and here’s a meal you can cook in one pot quickly. Use 1½ pounds of fish fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces.

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon minced ginger root
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup canned peas
• 1/3 cup green onions, sliced
• 2 packages boil-in-bag rice, chilled
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 eggs

AT HOME: Mince ginger root, and mix with red pepper and soy sauce; store in small plastic bottle. Chop parsley. Chop green onions into ¼-inch pieces. Cook rice, then store in plastic baggies.IN THE FIELD: Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Stir-fry fish fillets one minute. Add peas and onions, stir-fry 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, stir well, and remove the fish mixture from pan. Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil, and add the rice and chopped parsley. Stir-fry one minute. Scrape mixture away from center of pan, leaving a softball-sized hole. Add eggs and scramble. Mix with rice and fish.

CHOPPED DUCK SANDWICHES IN CHERRY BARBECUE SAUCE

I first tried these sandwiches during the peak of the striper run on the Roanoke River. Almost forgot to fish. This is an excellent barbecue sauce for chicken, so make a double portion and freeze the leftovers. You can find the ancho chilies in specialty food stores and fine grocery stores.

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup dried tart cherries
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 ½ tablespoons molasses
• 1 large dried ancho chili pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• pinch of ground cloves
• 2 pounds duck meat, chopped
• 4 large kaiser rolls

AT HOME: Grill or sauté duck breasts or whole ducks, then chop the meat. Remove stem and seeds from ancho chili pepper. Combine all ingredients (except for duck) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce head to medium-low, cover, and simmer until cherries are tender (about 20 minutes). Let cool, then puree the mixture in a blender. If needed, return sauce to pan, and simmer uncovered until sauce thickens to consistency of tomato-based barbecue sauce. Add chopped duck.IN THE FIELD: Load up the buns and eat.

CAJUN FISH WRAPS WITH SLAW

This is easier than falling off a mossy log. To make it even easier, buy cole slaw from your grocer, but you’ll miss the apple punch of the cider vinegar. A great thing about wrap sandwiches is that you can eat them with one hand, leaving the other hand free to grab a rod and set the hook.WRAPS

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons Cajun seasoning powder
• 4 half-pound fish fillets
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 8-inch flour tortillas

SLAW

• 3 ½ cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 ½ tablespoons cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar

AT HOME: Make the slaw by combining all four ingredients in a bowl, cover, and chill in a plastic baggie.IN THE FIELD: Catch fish, fillet fish. Mix flour and Cajun powder in a plastic baggie, add fillets one at a time, and shake until covered. Melt butter in a skillet, and sauté fillets until done. Place one fillet in a flour tortilla, top with slaw, roll up and eat.

GRILLED VENISON TENDERLOIN SANDWICHES WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO MAYONNAISE

Cold, thinly sliced venison is the finest sandwich meat ever made. I’ve packed these sandwiches into duck blinds and on paddle trips for years. One of the secrets is good bread. I don’t know what’s better—the sandwiches, or the looks on the faces of my pals as they stare into yet another PB&J.

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup Italian dressing
• 1 to 1 ½ pound venison tenderloin
• 4 tablespoons prepared sun-dried tomato pesto, such as Bella Cucina
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 8 leaves Romaine lettuce
• 8 slices onion
• 4 hearty grain sandwich rolls or 8 slices of bread such as sunflower or nut grain

AT HOME: Combine pesto and mayonnaise; store in refrigerator. Combine soy sauce and Italian dressing; marinate tenderloin overnight. Slice onions into 8 thick slices, with all rings intact. Grill tenderloin and onion rings. Prepare each sandwich with: sliced tenderloin, 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato mayonnaise, and two onion slices. Place lettuce leaves in separate plastic baggie.IN THE FIELD: Add lettuce to sandwiches. Keep an eye on the bobber.

What if you really needed a rifle to survive outdoors?

What I mean by that is if you are a camper, a hiker, a kayaker, or anything involving the great outdoors and endless adventure, then you may carry a gun for survival purposes.

There is no logic or mercy in the great outdoors, and once you step out of civilization and into nature, you are just another part of the food chain.

As my Gunnery Sergeant would say, “it would behoove you to be ready for it.”

Some carry a handgun, some a packable shotgun, but others may prefer to take a rifle. A rifle offers more range than either a shotgun or pistol, and they are relatively more comfortable to shoot accurately.

They have less recoil than most shotguns, and their design often makes them quite compact.

Let’s go through what I deem a true “survival rifle” and my top picks to get you out of trouble. So keep reading!

THE QUICK LIST

Why You Should Trust Us

Input into this article came from the PPT editorial team, who has a combined shooting experience of 30+ years and includes instructors and competitors in multiple disciplines.

We’ve spent countless hours researching and analyzing guns and gear to determine which is the best when it comes to features, reliability, ergonomics, and bang for your buck.

We had to make some tough calls. If you don’t see your favorite rifle, it doesn’t mean we hate it, just that we couldn’t include it this time.

Defining Survival

People tend to define survival differently.

When people hear the word survival, they may think long term disaster scenario or massive emergency (see our Essential SHTF Gear). That’s fair enough, but today we are talking about more localized and personal situations.

I’m thinking hikers, campers, pilots, and anyone who spends time outdoors in the brush, over the water, and more.

This guide is also written for folks like me who live in the middle of nowhere and may desire a vehicle gun they could hike with, in the event of a severe breakdown.

These situations mean shooters are less likely to encounter a defensive situation involving another person but more than likely might encounter pests, predators like coyotes, and of course, snakes. You may also need to eat if the survival situations go on for days, so you need a game-getting gun too.

This is how I define a survival rifle.

My Standards

The likelihood of having to use one of these rifles is quite low.

I’ve been camping, hunting, hiking, and adventuring hundreds of times and never had to use mine. I have taken a few squirrels for fun and to cook over a campfire, but never needed to for survival.

With this in mind, I want the rifle to be extremely small and unobtrusive. Something you can pack without it taking up too much room or weighing too much.

For these reasons, I came up with a few standards:

• First, it needs to weigh less than 5 pounds.
• Second, it needs to be capable of fitting in a standard-size backpack. This means the gun is required to break down or fold in some way.
• Third, the design needs to have lightweight ammo that is easy to find and easy to store.

This leads me to eight distinct rifles…

Best Takedown Survival Rifles

1. Ruger 10/22 Takedown

The Ruger 10/22 is, without a doubt, the most popular rimfire rifle ever. It’s been made in the millions since the 1960s and is the standard for semi-auto .22 LRs.

The Takedown model allows the gun to be split in half and easily toted.

This is a proper rifle with a real stock, a comb for a cheek rest, and handguards. It’s everything the Chiappa is not.

It only weighs 4.6 pounds in its factory configuration and skates right under my 5-pound limit. I own a standard 10/22, and it’s one of the most fun guns I’ve ever handled.

As a semi-auto. 22 LR rifle, the gun is very easy to handle, and you can quickly dump rounds into a target. This makes it a bit more capable of taking on larger dangerous animals.

Admittedly, I’d want something bigger, but 10 rounds of .22 LR should cause enough pain compliance for a lot of animals to change their mind.

10/22 Takedown also comes with a carrying case which is nice, but it’s also easy to pack into a bag on its own. You can find magazines for the Ruger 10/22 that can hold 10, 15, 25, and even up to 110 rounds in a drum.

The takedown and assembly procedure is straightforward and quick. Its stainless steel parts are rust-resistant and very easy to clean, which is convenient for a survival rifle.

The Ruger 10/22 is an extremely reliable gun and one of the most customizable rifles you can buy.

It’s easy to tailor to your needs and is ultimately a gun you won’t regret buying. If you choose the Ruger 10/22 Takedown as your survival rifle, it can double as a great plinking gun.

Of course, you can choose any of the Ruger 10/22 models and still be decently equipped.

Oh…and there’s tons of great ammo out there. Check out our Best .22 LR Ammo Guide.

2. Henry AR-7

The Henry AR-7 was initially built as a survival rifle for U.S. Air Force pilots. It’s a .22 LR semi-automatic rifle that feeds from box magazines containing eight rounds.

Whether or not you know it, you’ve likely seen the gun in some form or another.

It has a very odd design, and this is due to the fact it’s a very early takedown rifle design. The barrel and receiver detach from the stock, and the stock is then used as a storage compartment for the receiver and barrel.

The entire design is toolless, compact, and lightweight. This gun weighs a mere 3.5 pounds and is very simple in design. It lacks any handguard, so the barrel will heat up after extended firing.

This rifle isn’t designed to be a high-volume plinker, but that doesn’t mean it won’t keep going and going.

With a 14-inch length of pull, it is excellent for adult-sized shooters. The gun is a blast to shoot and comes with two magazines. Eight rounds are more than enough for most situations, but extended magazines are available and are reasonably affordable.

The top of the receiver sports a short rail, but a mounted optic won’t allow the gun to be stored in the stock.

The gun is very lightweight and comfortable to shoot. It may be a 1950s design, but the overall design screams space age.

Plus, the use of a plastic stock means the internals of the rifle and the gun will be well protected from bounces and bumps while hiking and camping. The stock is sturdy and provides a very comfortable and easy grip when firing the weapon.

You can’t hold the rifle too far forward and must use the magazine well for a grip, but it isn’t bad. The light recoil and lightweight of the weapon make it comfortable to fire, even for an extended period of time.

The gun is called the Henry Survival rifle, and it has proven to be quite adept at its role.

Want more details on the Henry AR-7? Check out our full review here!

What’s your take on the AR-7? Rate it below!

3. Savage Model 42 Takedown

I’m a shotgunner at heart; I love shotguns and their versatility. They are great survival weapons, but this is a list about rifles, right? Well, what if I suggested a weapon that was both?

The Savage 42 weighs 6.1 pounds, but the compact version comes in at 4.65 pounds and both are takedowns that break into two pieces. It comes with its own Go Bag, which is a nice touch.

Best of all, the gun comes with one .410 barrel and a rifle barrel in either .22 LR or .22 Magnum.

This two-shot weapon is the ultimate game-getter. The bottom .410 barrel is a bit more potent than the top rimfire barrel, but the top barrel makes it easy to touch a target at a distance and gives you a precise option for medium-range shooting.

The bottom .410 barrel allows you to dispatch a variety of different game with buckshot, slugs, or birdshot. The combination of the two calibers gives you the perfect gun for collecting small game as well.

Best of all, it breaks down with the push of a single button and goes back together in an instant. The stock and furniture are mostly polymer, reducing the weight and making it easier to carry. This little gun utilizes a hammer-fired, single-action design and has a very crisp trigger.

The Savage Model 42 Compact is an excellent choice if you put a premium on versatility. It’s an affordable gun that will simply work every time while giving you options while using it.

4. TPS Arms M6 Takedown

The M6 Takedown is a classic survival firearm originally developed for the United States Airforce for pilot survival. While it might have come out of the 1950s, it’s still a viable option mainly because of its versatility.

I’m cheating a bit again with the M6. This is an article on survival rifles, and this isn’t just a survival rifle…it’s a rifle and shotgun.

TPS Arms recreates this classic survival rifle for a great price point with a few improvements.

For example, the takedown pin is an AR-style captured takedown pin that makes it easy to break the gun down for storage. Also, instead of just being stuck with .22 Hornet and .410, we get multiple options.

While the bottom barrel stays .410, the top barrel can accommodate .357 Magnum, .22 WMR, .17 HMR, .22 LR, .22 Hornet, or even two .410 barrels. There are tons of options, all of which are viable survival cartridges.

The .357 Magnum can take any medium game animal in North America, and the .410 can take down birds, squirrels, snakes, and other pests. However, a .22 LR allows you to carry 500 rounds in your cargo pocket.

Pick the right option for you and your environment, and the modern M6 rifle will serve you well.

Like the classic M6, the M6 Takedown Series from TPS Arms is super lightweight, fairly short, and separates in half for tossing in a backpack. The stock features a customizable storage compartment to fit a number of different rounds.

Additionally, the .410 barrel has interchangeable chokes, and you can outfit the modern variant with a scope rail for optical enhancement.

Not only are these guns faithful representatives of the classic M6 guns, but they improve upon the original design.

Best Folding Survival Rifles

5. Chiappa Little Badger

The Chiappa Little Badger is the first gun on the list due to how well it fits all of my standards.

It’s the lightest rifle on the list, likely the most affordable, and it is adorable. The Chiappa Little Badger is a folding rifle chambered in either .22 LR, .22 Magnum, or 17 HMR.

I own a .22 LR model, and it’s an enjoyable gun.

Chiappa’s Little Badger is a single-shot rifle with a wire stock and hardly anything but a small barrel, receiver, and wire stock. It weighs 2.9 pounds and comes with four short rails to attach accessories to. The small peep sights are quite adjustable and very easy to use.

The gun folds in half to be only roughly 17 inches long. It’s super thin and fits in a backpack with hardly any room taken up.

This gun even has a little plastic attachment to hold extra rounds. Admittedly, I found them a little too loose to hold ammo securely.

My .22 LR version is excellent, but the .22 Magnum variant will pack more of a punch. This would likely be the better choice for a survival rifle for its game-getting abilities.

The gun is very easy to operate — all you have to do is load the gun, close it up, cock the hammer, and pull the trigger.

Simplicity also means it’s not going to fail because you forgot to clean it. It’s not a rapid-fire weapon, but with well-aimed shots, you can quickly get dinner and kill off snakes, coyotes, and other pests.

The trigger isn’t great but is light and consistent. Its hammer is easy to cock, and the entire operation of the gun is simple. Don’t expect much of a cheek weld, and be aware the length of pull is very short. The rifle is easy to use for anyone, including kids.

The gun is just begging to be modded, and you can add a means to carry ammo, a knife, paracord, or whatever you want.

It’s less than $200, and even outside of a survival rifle, it’s a cool toy to play with. Also, the threaded barrel makes it very easy to suppress.

Want more single shots? Take a look at our round-up of the Best Single Shots on the market.

6. Kel-Tec Sub 2000

The Kel-Tec Sub 2000 is one of the few common, affordable, and reliable semi-auto centerfire guns I could find for this list.

This gun is a unique folding rifle that comes in pistol calibers, specifically .40 S&W and 9mm. The gun feeds from a wide variety of different pistol magazines from different manufacturers.

When folded in half, the Sub 2000 sports an overall length of only 16.25 inches. Unfolded, the rifle is still a short 30.5 inches. It weighs in at only 4.25 pounds and fits well into a standard backpack or even a messenger bag.

The Sub 2000 comes in both Gen 1 and Gen 2 models, and the various models can take Glock, S&W, Canik, Beretta 92/96 series, and Sig magazines.

It’s quite a bit more potent than the previously mentioned rimfires, making it a better dangerous animal gun and an excellent close-range gun for medium game.

A very simple blowback system means it is quite reliable. It does have more recoil than a standard carbine due to this system, but it is still easy to control.

The sights are ok — nothing special, but plenty usable out to 100 yards. Adding optics to the gun is tricky but doable.

If you need something to fend off animals like cougars, then the Sub 2000 will do it a lot better than any of the rimfire rifles on this list. While 9mm and .40 S&W wouldn’t be my first choice for cougars in a handgun, in a rifle, it is easy to shoot and easy to fire rapidly.

With the right defensive rounds, the gun will cause some serious damage to anything. I suggest a solid round, something like 147-grain 9mm JHP, or even a fancy hard cast load. A 180-grain .40 S&W load will deal with some hurt too.

See our articles on the Best 9mm Ammo and Best .40 Ammo for our favorite plinking and self-defense rounds.

Be sure to check out our complete hands-on review of the Kel-Tec Sub 2000!

Best AR-Style Survival Rifles

7. Aero Survival Rifle LTE – 9mm

A semi-automatic, AR-type PCC that breaks down with ease and weighs less than 4 pounds? Well, yeah, it exists and comes from a little company called TNW Firearms.

They’ve been producing takedown carbines in various calibers for years, but the Aero Survival LTE series reduces the weight to a light 3.95 pounds.

With it, you get a Glock magazine-fed, lightweight, takedown, semi-automatic carbine with a 16-inch barrel. It’s plain and stripped of everything but the basics.

However, it will launch 9mm pills fast and hard. When used with 147-grain JHPs, you have a weapon that can take medium-sized game at close range.

The semi-auto design allows for fast follow-up shots, which can be invaluable, and very few lightweight survival rifles offer that capability.

Shooters get a nice-sized optic rail and an M-LOK handguard, but that handguard is extremely short with just a few M-LOK slots. After adding an optic or light, you can still walk away with a weapon weighing less than six pounds.

It breaks down into two 17.25-inch-sized components for easy storage and carrying. Grab a few extended Glock mags, and you’ll be set for most threats inside 100 yards.

8. CMMG Banshee Mk57

I might be breaking the rules here, kind of. While the Mk57 is most commonly sold as a braced AR pistol, a short-barreled rifle variant is available. To fit under the 5-pound limit, you’ll need to grab the 5-inch barreled variant.

Like any standard AR-15, you can easily break the thing into two pieces and store them in a backpack.

The 5.7x28mm round fits neatly between a rifle and pistol cartridge, boasting flat-shooting performance out to 150 yards or so and excellent penetration.

This round is fairly smaller and lighter than most rifle and pistol rounds, but it’s an oddball that works well and works inside most shooters’ capabilities. The 5.7x28mm round is unusual but effective and well-suited for survival applications.

CMMG makes fantastic guns, and the Banshee is their short and light series.

This little fella offers you the modularity of the AR platform in a high-performance, lightweight caliber. It’s a premium-grade weapon with a superb trigger and M-LOK handguard and uses the FN Five-Seven magazines.

The CMMG Mk57 isn’t a cheap firearm by any means, but it offers you AR-15 controls in a very small and lightweight package.

Oh, and ammo isn’t cheap either, but it fills its own niche and might be one of the better choices for practical survival.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that most responsible hunters, hikers, and campers will never need it, but a good survival rifle is worth its weight in gold should you ever need it.

These choices are perfect for most budgets, are lightweight, and quite discrete. Although these may seem like basic survival rifles, be sure to check your local laws and the laws of anywhere you may consider camping to ensure they are legal.

What do you prefer as your go-to survival gun? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget the rest of your SHTF Gear or even Best Trunk Guns or just the plain ole Best Rifles, period.

There’s no shortage of hunting adventure in the largest state east of the Mississippi River. Whether you’re a seasoned peach-state hunter or just passing through – there’s something for everyone. All you need is a hunting license to access these wild public lands.

Big Hammock WMA

Glennville – Tattnall County

A squirrel hunter’s paradise. All but 1,000 acres of this WMA is dominated by large acorn bearing hardwood forests. Twenty miles of foot access trails wind through swamp allowing hunters to quietly slip through the area that is very navigable even for beginners. There’s plenty of room for more adventurous hunters to journey “uncharted territory” where you may not even see another hunter, too. Don’t knock squirrel until you try it! There are some great squirrel recipes out there and the season runs from August 15th til the end of February.

Coopers Creek WMA

Suches – Union County

Chase some game in the foothills of the Appalachian Trail at Cooper’s Creek WMA. Part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, you’ll have 30,000 acres of beautiful mountain scenery to hunt on. Muzzleloader season is a fan-favorite offering great chances to harvest deer, bear, or hog. For a complete primitive experience, there’s plenty of opportunity for camping alongside mountain streams stocked with trout. Not in the mood for camping? No problem. You’re only a short drive from nearby Blairsville.

Crockford Pigeon Mountain WMA

Lafayette – Walker County

Put this place on your hunting destination bucket list. Crockford Pigeon Mountain is your one stop shop for a herd of quality hunting opportunities. Turkey and deer are on the menu for hunting success. You may come to the area to hunt, but you’ll fall in love with its beautiful natural features. Gorgeous overlooks, refreshing waterfalls, miles of trails await your arrival. There’s something here for all of the approximately 200,000 people a year who visit this natural wonder in the WMA system. Don’t worry hunters, the area is closed to all non-hunting activities while hunting is going on for safety.

Elmodel WMA

Newton – Baker County

Looking to shoot a few doves this season? C’mon down to southwest Georgia. Elmodel WMA has the Division’s only irrigated dove field complete with seventy-four acres of corn, sunflower and peanuts. There’s also another 100 plus acres of non-irrigated fields planted with sunflower and brown top millet you can drop a limit of birds on. Believe it or not, there is some good dove hunting after opening weekend. Late season hunts here have not only cooler weather, but good harvests!

Penholoway Swamp WMA

Jesup – Wayne County

Don’t let the name confuse you. There’s more than just swamp at Penholoway. From easily accessible upland pine and wildlife openings to a 6,000 acre boat only accessible island full of bottomland hardwoods. Whatever you flavor, there’s something for every hunter to try and nab the rabbit, turkey, or deer they’re after. Spend a day in the woods hunting the dramatic bluff line that divides upland and bottomland habitat. The property features so much early successional habitat (weed patches necessary for critters) that it’ll feel gamey just driving through it.

Sprewell Bluff-East WMA and Sprewell Bluff-West WMA

Thomaston – Upson County

Sprewell Bluff is the best option for anyone looking to take home some deer meat. Split by the Flint River, each side of the property has something to offer. The East side of the area offers archery deer hunting while the wild West side offers firearms opportunities.

Have questions? Here’s some hunter resources to help answer them. Want to find more areas? We have over a million acres of public land and we are certain that there is a WMA for you! Check out our interactive map to find what is special about all 100+ of our WMAs.

Spring in North America welcomes many things, one being morel mushrooms. There are a few types of morels, including true morels and false morels. There are more species of false morels than true morels. Both true morels and false morels tend to grow in the spring, under hardwood trees, especially ash and elms. Because of the similar ways these different species present, mushroom hunters are likely to come across false morels in their quest for true morels.

The Good and the Toxic

Before delving into morel mushroom hunting, foragers should have a solid grip on basic mushroom identification. What sets safe-to-eat true morels apart from false morels is a toxin known as monomethyl hydrazine (MMH), which is the same chemical found in certain rocket fuels and can cause dizziness, vomiting, and in some cases even death.

Mycologists know that true morel mushrooms are identified by narrow, pitted, wrinkled caps which are cone-shaped, hollow caps and stems, and caps attached to the stem rather than free hanging.

Black morel mushrooms have four lookalikes, and three of them are considered toxic—so it’s important to be able to tell the difference.

The good news: The three toxic wild mushrooms, Verpa Bohemica, Genus Gyromitra, and Verpa conica, are pretty easy to tell apart from true morels, if you know what to look for. Don’t let the simplicity fool you, though. One simple case of misidentification can have some nasty consequences, including symptoms of mushroom toxicity, gastrointestinal upset, illness, and death. So, although morel mushroom identification is basic, pay close attention to the small distinctions between the different species.

It is a good idea to carry a guidebook while foraging, to compare notes and photos, rather than relying on memory. A good one is Mushrooming Without Fear: The Beginner’s Guide to Collecting Safe and Delicious Mushrooms.

Read on for the top four most common false morels and ways to identify each mushroom species.

Morel Mushrooms Top Lookalikes

1. Wrinkled Thimble Cap (Verpa Bohemica)

Verpa Bohemica, or wrinkled thimble cap mushrooms, are sometimes, but not always, toxic. Still, we don’t like those chances. Verpa Bohemica is also sometimes called the early morel, early referring to the fact that Verpas generally mature just before and in the beginning of morel season.

The feature on Verpa Bohemica that most closely resembles true morels is the sort-of honeycomb cap, which is a trademark for true morels. On a wrinkled thimble, the honeycomb cap has sharp ridges and a more wrinkled look, like a sheet or brain. Cut in half, these wild mushrooms are not hollow, while morel caps are completely hollow inside.

2. Gyromitrin

Gyromitrin mushrooms are also sometimes toxic, though usually just in small amounts. That means if you eat it in small quantities, the toxins can cause nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea. But in large quantities, eating a Gyromitra species can cause convulsions, jaundice, come, or even death.

These risks are most closely associated with two species of false morels: Gyromitra Esculenta and Gyromitra Ambigua. Many mushroom hunters in Europe consider false morels outside of those two species to be edible once cooked, but we preach caution. Note: even true morels can cause gastrointestinal upset when eaten raw, so it’s a good rule of thumb to always cook morels before consumption.

Gyromitra species can be found in many places where morels are also found. These poisonous mushrooms have the ridged caps of a true morel, but otherwise it’s much wider than it is tall, and its ridges don’t look like a honeycomb. Species of Gyromitra will have a much redder hue than a true morel will ever be, and when you cut it in half, it’s not hollow. All true morels will always be hollow.

3. Thimble Morel or Bell Morel (Verpa Conica)

Thimble Morels, in our opinion, look a lot like true morels. But they have very small, barely-visible ridges and a tiny cap. Moreover, these wild mushrooms have a skirt- or umbrella-like cap attachment.

Warning: The stem here is hollow, just like a true morel. But the cap doesn’t flow seamlessly into the stem but instead sits more underneath it.

4. Half-Free Morels (Morchella Semilibera, M. Punctipes, M. Populiphila)

Half-Free Morels are the closest relative to true black morels and look a lot like them. Luckily, they’re edible. They just don’t taste great. Half-free morels look like an ugly step-sibling to true morels, but they’re not harmful for you to eat (just not particularly tasty).

The main feature that sets them apart is that their cap looks like it’s half free, meaning the cap doesn’t flow seamlessly into the stem but instead tucks under. Usually, Half-Free Morels also have a really long stem compared to a true morel.

How to Tell Real Morel Mushrooms from Fakes

1. Look At the Cap

False Morels

• Irregular, “squished” shape
• Outward bulges
• Wave shape
• Hangs freely off the stem

Real Morels

• Uniform shape
• Pitted inwards
• Covered in pits and ridges
• Attached directly to the stem

2. Examine the Stem

Real morels have a hollow stem. Also, their overall shape is typically longer than they are wide.

False morels have a solid stem, and are often (but not always) wider than long. A false morel will have cottony fibers or may even be completely solid inside.

3. Check the Color

Real morels are usually a light tan, brown, or grey-black color. They’re almost never in the red spectrum.

False morels can be reddish brown or yellow.

4. Smell It

Real morels smell distinctly earthy.

False morels sometimes have a slightly sweet smell, or none at all.

5. Slice It in Half

False Morels are solid, not hollow, and are filled with cotton-like white fibers.

Real Morels are hollow from the tip of the cap to the bottom of the stem.

6. Check for Symmetry

A true morel will almost always have a nice symmetrical shape to it, whereas false morels have a wavy, uneven look. Bulges and folds will stick out, and the false morel may even look like someone stepped on it.

7. When In Doubt, Go Without

If you still aren’t sure that the wild mushroom in your hand is a real morel mushroom, leave it. False morels can be extremely toxic and the risk of poisoning is not worth the potential of a fresh mushroom.

Keep this in mind before you head out morel mushroom hunting next month.

READ MORE: 10 Edible and Medicinal Plants in the Colorado Rockies You Can Forage

by Travis Sorokie and Brett McComas

Live-bait rigging with giant creek chubs and redtails is one of the best ways to snag a trophy fall walleye. When I say giant, I mean dragging around minnows up to 10” long, but most commonly in the 4-6” range. The bite’s just heating up now and should be phenomenal for a few more weeks.

You can catch fish all year doing this, but I really get excited for the big-minnow bite once the water has cooled down to 62 degrees…ideally 58-60. It stays good until temps hit 45 or so…after that the fish have already fed heavy for a couple of weeks and are now transitioning to winter patterns. You can still catch ‘em, just not nearly as many.

This time of year I hit the water as soon as I can be out there — especially in clear-water lakes. You’ll have your best shot at sticking a big fish during the typical low-light periods. Later in the fall you can sleep in [or get yard work done in the morning lol]. The bite will pick up later in the day after the water has a chance to warm up, and they’ll continue to bite all day.

Many weeds start to die off when the water temps drop below 68 degrees. That’s why you’ll notice piles of weeds floating around out there. A lot of the baitfish have pulled out of those dying weeds and are now schooled up in open water. The wind positions the baitfish on structure and the fish follow.

Pay attention to which direction the wind has been blowing from in the days leading up to your trip. Even fishing in deep water such as 35-50’ the fish will still typically be stacked on the windblown sides of underwater points, bars and breaks.

My rigging set-ups are 7’ medium-power rods with Pflueger reels. I’ll spool them with #6 smoke FireLine for my main line and tie on a 36-42” mono leader. The shorter leader allows the minnows to swim freely, while still keeping them in the strike zone.

Lighter leaders will absolutely get you more bites in clear water. Would say 6-lb test is probably the best all-around size, but you’d be surprised how many times I’ll drop down to a 4-lb leader [!] when fishing big, pressured fish that have seen it all.

On the business end of things you’ll want either a #1 or #2 Daiichi red hook (depending on minnow size). The red hook is a confidence thing for me…feel it gets me more bites. Pierce the minnow through its upper lip and it’ll stay alive for hours — or until the fish get to it.

One small key to my set-up is adding a red bead between my sinker and swivel. It adds a tiny bit of color and gives off a rattling sound when the bead and sinker hit. It also helps to protect your knot so you won’t need to retie as often.

Walleye prefer a larger minnow in the fall when the water temps are on the drop. It’s the 4-7″ redtails and creek chubs that seem to work best most days, but sometimes even bigger.

Why creek chubs and redtails? Because they’re hardy minnows that will often swim right along with the boat. There’s times you’ll actually feel them ‘getting excited’ down there the moment before a walleye smacks them.

You can catch the occasional fish on a sucker minnow, but they’re usually too lethargic for this technique and will end up being drug behind the boat [versus lively darting from side to side.]

I run a 1/2- to 1-oz egg sinker depending on minnow size, wind and depth. The 3/4-oz seems to be good all around, but I bump up to a 1-oz anytime I’m fishing 30’ or deeper. The bigger sinker also helps to anchor that minnow and keep it in the strike zone.

Egg sinkers because they’re super dense for their size and work perfect for this application. I’m not dragging them on bottom, I’m trying to fish the sinker like a jig — keeping it 6-18” off bottom and as vertical as possible. Occasionally drop it down to tap bottom and raise it back up.

Trolling between 0.3-0.8 mph covers most scenarios for pulling big minnows in the fall. When it’s calmer I’ll start off on the slow end of that to stay right over the tops of fish. If the wind is blowing there will be a current that seems to get everything moving down there [on the bottom] — that’s when I’ll pick up the speed.

When I’m pulling big 5-7” minnows I’ll drop the line as soon as I feel a hit and point the rod tip straight back — that way the fish feels as little resistance as possible [when pulling line out].

I start out giving them a 25-30 second count before I set the hook. It will seem like forever before you get used to it. I’ll even wait 35-40 seconds on days that they’re sluggish. That gives them more time to turn that minnow around in their mouth after they t-bone it.

A lot of guys do a low sweeping hookset, but I pick up the slack and set the hook straight up vertically. It helps to drive the hook right into the roof of its mouth. I feel it gives me a better hook-up percentage and lose less fish that I do have on.

I like tail-hooking chubs with a longer 5-7’ leader when the fish are a little more aggressive and feeding. The minnows struggle so much more when you tail hook ‘em — can actually feel that redtail get nervous and try to get away when a fish is near.

That’s when I’ll sometimes open my bail up and let the minnow go for 10 seconds…stop the line with my finger to feel if a walleye picked it up…lot of times they’ll chase the minnow down and smoke it.

Also find I have a better hook-up ratio when tail-hooking big minnows. Fish are gonna hit the chubs head first…so that hook is already in a good position to hook the fish in the top of the mouth…don’t need to let them take it as long when setting the hook.

Tends to work best when sitting right on top of fish or barely crawling along…otherwise the chubs will die more quickly from being pulled backwards.

Lot of folks hopped on the braided-line bandwagon and never left…BUT there’s times when mono can out-produce, out-catch and out-kick braid’s butt (lol).

Here’s tourney-nut Jake Caughey talkin’ why he runs mono when soaking big redtails and creek chubs for fall walleyes:

Here’s a video breakdown of my complete chubbin’ program (locations, gear, tweaks, etc) and some specifics to the tail-hooking trick that have saved my last couple of trips from picky biters. 👊 Hope you dig it!

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Last Flight Calls – Imposter

We all know that the decoys are pieces of the puzzle when waterfowl hunting, but to finish the puzzle, the Imposter duck call turns those fakes into the real thing. The Imposter duck call is Last Flight’s double-reed call and the newest in their line. Slightly quieter than its big brother the Illusion, don’t let this double-reed fool you, it can still get loud when you need it to. While the Imposter can cover the full range of duck sounds required to finish them tight, where it excels is in its ability to get nasty in the low-end ranges perfect for sweet talking in tight holes or the timber. Duck-worthy features include an O-ring fit insert, .410” exhaust bore, and a medium hold. It is available in acrylic, Delrin, and a hunter series all varying in price, hunter’s choice.

$120 Acrylic | lastflightcalls.net

Echo Calls – Open Water

Echo’s open water duck call is simply a classic waterfowl call that every waterfowler either has, or will own at one point. Yes, it is that good and functional. While the name implies that it should be used on big water, no surprise there, don’t let the name fool you. While the Open Water is at home on big water or open fields, it can also perform dual-purpose, with a little user finesse, on small water and in tight quarters when you need it to. Sure, if you need to ring out an ear-ringing hail call, it can certainly up the decibels, but it can also get soft and ducky when the birds get close. It is available in both acrylic and in Bois D’ Arc, bocote, and cocobolo wood configurations.

$140 Acrylic | echocalls.com

Duck Commander – The Flash

Price isn’t the only indicator of awesome, and the Duck Commander Flash proves that statement correct. Singing a smooth, silky tone that the greenheads can’t resist, the Flash can go from soft to loud in well, a flash! It utilizes Jase’s Pro series modified reed system to resist sticking like the water rolling off a duck’s back and has a double-reed design that uses the air pressure of most single reeds. It is extremely easy to blow, but also serves novices and professional callers by being able to produce the full range of duck-worthy sounds. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it has a short barrel for easier hand manipulation for those of us that don’t have the hand size of an offensive lineman. Oh, and if you want it personalized, Duck Commander can engrave 15 characters for that special occasion.

$35 | duckcommander.com

Zink Calls – ATM Green Machine

When you think about an ATM, you automatically think about collecting money, am I right? Well, instead of greenbacks, Zink’s ATM Green Machine was designed to allow hunters to cash in on their favorite green, green-headed mallards that is. Using a double reed design and featuring the smooth, hen mallard sound callers want, the ATM provides greater volume and a radically improved bottom-end feed chuckle to suck them into range. This innovative call features Zink’s Z-cut, no-stick tone channel—a ground-breaking design that permits a huge range of tones while virtually eliminating reed lock, even for heavy spitters. Each call is hand-tuned and ready to rock right out of the box so, if you are looking to cash in, put the ATM on your lanyard, no transaction fees required!

$150 | zinkcalls.com

Pacific Calls – PCD

The PCD duck call from Pacific Calls is their loudest, most aggressive duck call they have ever built. Simply put, if you need to break them down from stratosphere, this call will hit them at the moon, at least, maybe further, they are still waiting for the sound to rebound. The PCD is lean, mean and ready to both break them down and finish them in the hole for your viewing pleasure. While it creates high hails like a thing of beauty, it is also at home creating those messy feeds and snotty, raspy hen sounds that the ducks eat up when they get close. Versatile is an understatement for describing the PCD, and if I had to create my own description for the PCD acronym, I would say it stands for Pure Chronic Duck.

$130 | pacificcustomcalls.com

Elite Duck Calls – Edge

As classy as it is pure duck, Elite Calls Edge duck call not only looks good on the lanyard, it produces the guttural sounds that ducks can’t resist. The Elite Edge is a double reed call that combines great volume and range with ease of operation. The Edge has a deeper tone and is raspier than other double reed calls, creating classic ducky sounds usually only found in single reed calls. While many hunters still covet single reeds for their unique tone, the Edge looks to change the game by bringing single reed sound to an easy blowing double-reed. If you are looking for a unique color combination to mix it up on your lanyard, check out the ice/black variation for some real eye appeal and get ducking.

$140 | elitecalls.net

Big Lake Outdoors Products – T-Rex

The T-Rex offers a unique approach to the typical duck call. Big Lake Outdoor Products adds both a metal and a mylar reed in the T-Rex call. This produces the ease of calling that is so well liked in a double reed. But the metal reed produces exceptional raspiness. The T-Rex is built on an open water insert that also allows more air volume. So unlike most double reeds, the T-Rex produces amplified calling characteristics.

$110 Acrylic, $50 Dymond wood | biglakeoutdoorproducts.com

Jargon Game Calls – Live Duck

Jargon’s Live Duck wasn’t designed for the stage, per say, but it was designed to replicate the real thing, hence the name. The Live Duck can articulate the complete vocabulary of the hen mallard, from the softest scratchy quacks to those loud, nasally quacks that separates the women from the girls. It features a large exhaust port with great hold that blends in a perfect amount of back pressure into every call. These features make the call extremely easy to blow but still allow for advanced note articulation by both novice and professional callers alike. If you need a call for hunting the gamut of waterfowl scenarios, or need one to refine your live duck style contest calling skills, JARGON’s Live Duck may just fit the bill, pun intended. This call will not disappoint you.

$140 | jargongamecalls.com

Haydel’s Game Calls – H2CC Cajun Cutter

Saying that Haydel’s re-invented the Cajun Cutter with their new H2CC variant would be an understatement. Instead, let’s just say that the H2CC puts a new look on a classic, making the attributes of the original not only better, but more versatile. Staring with a J-frame, the acrylic H2CC features a polished steel band and is tuned with maximum hunter versatility in mind. It is offered in both single and double reed configurations and has a small exhaust hole to allow easy control, producing a great natural tone that will produce the fabled Cajun Cutter “squeals.” It is designed and tuned to be lights out on the finesse side and ideal for callers looking to bend those notes to entice those call shy birds. The H2CC is just plain ducky, for hunters who are into that that of thing.

$140 | haydels.com

RNT – Daisy Cutter Xtreme

You know these guys. Rich-N-Tone’s original Daisy Cutter duck call, simply put, is a classic that likely every waterfowl hunter surely knows by name. The Daisy Cutter Xtreme, or DCX for short, is simply a higher-octane version of its predecessor that is still capable of producing those sweet hen sounds that gets the mallard drakes drooling. By modifying the original Daisy Cutter’s design, RNT slightly turned up the volume and enhanced its aggressive nature while maintaining a perfect balance of backpressure all while pushing the calls rasp to an Xtreme jaw jarring new level. If you like raspy, this one has enough rasp for you, your neighbor, and the guy two streets over! It is available in both acrylic and cocobolo or grandillo wood versions, all sure to sweet-talk those greenheads into range.

$145 Acrylic | rntcalls.com

DJ Calls – LLC Cut-Down Kit

Don’t cut down your classic Olt duck call! Instead check out DJ Calls Cutdown Kit. Their Cutdown Kit is a blasted black acrylic barrel with three different tonals, each cut differently. The tonals are made of hard rubber, just like the original Olts used to have back when they made their hard rubber keyholes. Like the Olts, DJ Calls also has the keyhole, for maximum versatility. The three tonal cuts include: Arkansas, Louisiana, and Quincy styles with .015” reed thickness on the Arkansas and Louisiana and a .020” tapered shave on the Quincy. Consequently, the Quincy is slightly harder to blow, but this is the original cutdown call design. While the blasted black acrylic replicates the original to a “T”, DJ Calls also has other variants to spice things up.

$180 | djcalls.com

Big Lake Outdoors Products – Pintail Passion

Pintails are one of the most alluring of all duck species and special attention to quality and sound is deserved with a pintail whistle. Big Lake Outdoor Products offers the well-known “Maurilio” whistles that provide exceptional sounds. The Pintail Passion has a roller ball that produces the beautiful trills and peeps of pintails and wigeon. This jatobe wood call has two ports that allow you to alter the sound from high-to-low to mimic more than one duck.

$40 | biglakeoutdoorproducts.com

Wingert’s Wood-Works – Duck Whistle

They don’t have contests for duck whistles, but they probably should. Truly custom pieces of duck art, each Wingert’s call is one part hunting function and one part conversation piece. Duck whistles are the most underrated calls on a hunter’s lanyard, and not just for hunting pintails or wigeon, but every species. If you don’t already own one, you are truly missing out on a game-changing apparatus for your lanyard. This is where Wingert’s comes in. Their whistles are available in wood, acrylic, and many other variations including stabilized spalted wood and burls and even micarta. While they all serve the same purpose, you are definitely missing out of you don’t go with one of the more custom and unique choices, as these calls are heirloom quality and do not disappoint. And hey, GQ fashion in a duck blind is a thing, isn’t it?

$75 | wingertswoodworks.com

You know the drill: Pull out the bag. Untangle the tent. Snap the poles together. Fumble with keeping one side still while you try to secure the other. Setting up your tent is kind of a chore, if we’re being honest. Same goes for putting it away, except now it’s also dirty, and probably wet, too.

Instant tents change all that by cutting your setup and break down time down to as low as 60 seconds. These are the most convenient shelters money can buy, and will elevate your car camping experience by giving you more time to focus on enjoying the wilderness around you.

With that being said, finding the right instant tent can be as much of a chore as pitching a regular one. Lucky for you, we’ve already spent countless hours researching and analyzing all the best and most popular models out there so you don’t have to.

Our favorite instant tent currently available is the Caddis Rapid 4 instant cabin. We love the Caddis because it combines a large interior and stand-up height ceilings with upgraded materials, reliable weatherproofing, and a fast-as-lightning setup.

We’ll dig into the details of instant tents in our buyer’s guide down at the bottom to help you decide if the Caddis Rapid 4 is the right tent for you. If it isn’t, that’s ok: We’ve also included several other popular models in our list below, so you’re sure to find the right size and style tent for your next outing down there somewhere.

All right, let’s talk instant tents.

Best Instant Tents

Caddis Rapid 4 Tent: Best Overall

Specs:– Weight: 20.5 lbs lbs (9.3 kg)– Packed size: 50” x 9” x 9” (127cm x 23cm x 23cm)– Floor size: 96” x 96” (244cm x 244cm) – Peak height: 80” (203cm)– Rooms: 1– Shape: Cabin– Occupancy: 4 (6 also available)– Best for: Three season camping– Price: $

Taking our top honors as the best instant tent overall is the Caddis Rapid 4, a well-rounded shelter that combines simplicity, performance, and durability, and does it all at a price that’s tough to beat

The Caddis follows the same essential design of the classic Coleman Instant Cabin below with its lightning-fast attached pole design and large square floorplan, but then adds in all the things Coleman left out in the name of cost-savings. That includes a nice long rainfly, an open mesh ceiling for sunny days and clear nights, and stand-up height ceilings throughout the interior.

We also love that Caddis cuts no corners in terms of material quality and durability here. The Rapid 4 uses a thicker 190D polyester taffeta in its canopy, the same fabric in the rainfly, and an even thicker 210D polyester in the floor. This instant tent also benefits from upgraded hardware, and we’re particularly impressed by the Caddis’ 21mm thick steel poles.

As far as instant tents go, this is a tough one to complain about, especially if you’re considering the classic Coleman Instant Cabin below, which is easily its closest competitor. The materials are thicker, the floor is larger, the ceilings are higher, and a large rainfly is included for the price. Of course that price is a bit higher than the Coleman, which would be the only real drawback for us, but if you’ve got the extra cash to spend, you really can’t go wrong here.

Gazelle GT400R T4: Highest Quality Instant Tent Overall

Specs:– Weight: 32 lbs ( 14.5 kg)- Packed size: 67” x 8” x 8” (170 cm x 20cm x 20cm)- Floor size: 94” x 94” (239cm x 239cm)- Peak height: 78” (198cm)- Rooms: 1- Shape: Cabin- Occupancy: 4- Best for: Three season camping for two- Price: $$$

Taking our top spot for highest overall quality is the latest Gazelle T4 instant tent, the Gazelle GT400R T4.

The T4 gets our vote for its highly durable materials, which include rugged 210D polyester fabric in both the canopy and rainfly, a full 300D oxford polyester material in the floor, and YKK zippers on every door and window.

Interestingly enough, the Gazelle is the first tent with fiberglass poles The Wise Adventurer has ever given the “highest quality” designation, but in Gazelle’s case, there’s a reason for it. Gazelle tents use a unique “pop-out hub” design for their tents, which consists of a sturdy metal hub at the center of each wall or roof panel attached to four independent poles connected to each of the four corners. By using fiberglass, Gazelle is able to get enough flexibility out of their tent frames to allow them to bend under tension without breaking, which makes the freestanding hub design possible. You’ll definitely want to stake out the Gazelle from every angle, but the pole material isn’t a quality concern in this case.

Aside from the unique (and incredibly easy to pitch) pop-out design, the Gazelle T4 has a few other standout features. For one, it’s a four-person tent with two separate doors, which always earns bonus points in our book. It’s also got well over six feet of headroom inside, and tons of interior space due to the convex shape of the walls. Ventilation is solid thanks to six interior windows and a mesh roof, and storage is plentiful with four large interior pockets and a mesh gear loft.

Our main complaint with the Gazelle T4 is that although its removable floor is convenient for cleaning, it’s also attached using velcro. Granted, the velcro is thick, and the T4 holds up just fine during rain, but you’ll want to be careful about where you pitch this tent as it’s just not built to keep standing puddles of water at bay.

Teton Sports Vista 2 Person Quick Tent: Best On A Budget

Specs:– Weight: 6.3 lbs (2.9 kg)- Packed size: 33” x 7” x 7” (84cm x 18cm x 18cm)- Floor size: 82” x 60” (208cm x 152cm)- Peak height: 41” (104cm)- Rooms: 1- Shape: Dome- Occupancy: 2 (1 person also available)- Best for: Portable shelter for 1-2 persons- Price: $

Want a fast-pitching tent but don’t need a ton of space? Check out the Teton Sports Vista Quick Tent.

The Vista is essentially a classic backpacking-style tent that uses a pre-attached pole design where you’d normally find a standard collapsible pole set. Set-up is pretty cool to watch, as you just unfold the tent then pull the drawstring and watch the tent magically spring into shape.

Pretty much everything else about the Teton Sports Vista is classic backpacking tent style, including the tall tub-style waterproof floor, the lightweight mesh ceiling, and the seam-sealed rainfly. This tent comes in both one and two-person models, but we prefer the two-person for the extra space, and love that Teton sports included double doors for the Vista to add livability for two.

We don’t really have any complaints with the Teton other than the limitations of its size and weight. At just over 6 pounds, it’s a little too heavy for serious backpacking duty, especially considering it can’t be meaningfully split between two hikers due to the pre-attached pole design. On the other end of the spectrum, it’s smaller than your average car camping tent, although it will comfortably sleep two just fine. Still, if you like the sound of a compact tent that goes up in about 60 seconds, this one won’t break the bank.

Core 9 Person Instant Cabin

Specs:– Weight: 27.6 lbs (12.5 kg)- Packed size: 48” x 11” x 12” (122cm x 28cm x 30cm)- Floor size: 168” x 108” (427cm x 274cm)- Peak height: 78” (198cm)- Rooms: 2- Shape: Cabin- Occupancy: 9 (12 person also available)- Best for: Large family/group camping- Price: $$

Core camping tents have become widely popular in recent years, and the Core 9 is a great example of why people love them. It’s a huge tent with two rooms, two doors, tons of floor space, and stand-up ceilings.

Setup is a breeze thanks to the pre-attached hubbed pole design, meaning all you have to do is unfold this instant tent and then extend its telescoping steel legs into place. Weatherproofing is solid all-around thanks to Core’s “H2O Block” technology, which uses a combination of heat-sealed seams and water-resistant fabric to keep the wet at bay.

Several long-term owners report weathering many a rainy night without a single drop getting into the Core 9, and surprisingly the Core even does well in moderate winds (25-30 mph) despite its near-vertical walls and tall stature.

Complaints with the Core 9 are minor, but our biggest one is the use of 68D polyester fabric throughout the tent. Sure, it’s much stronger than your average backpacking tent, but it’s also lower than several of the other instant tents on our roundup.

Our second gripe is with the windows and doors. The Core 9 has plenty of nice big windows, but there aren’t any toggles to roll them up and secure them to when you want to open them up, so they just hang down. It’s far from a deal-breaker, and the Core remains a great tent to have!

Zempire Pronto 5 V2

Specs:– Weight: 32.3 lbs (14.7 kg)– Packed size: 28” x 16” x 10” (71cm x 41cm x 25cm)– Floor size: 109” x 109” (277cmx 277cm)– Peak height: 75” (191cm)– Rooms: 1– Shape: Dome– Occupancy: 5– Best for: Three season camping– Price: $$$

While most instant tents find a clever way to get their poles up as quickly as possible, the folks at Zempire do things their own way. Specifically, they throw out the poles altogether, and replace them with rigid inflatable beams.

This means pitching the Zempire Pronto 5 is as simple as staking it out and then pumping it up, and the entire production can be done in under three minutes with one person after a practice run or two. The same goes for taking it down, and thanks to Zempire’s use of multiple deflation points along the tent’s airframe, it takes about as long as putting away your favorite sleeping pad.

Aside from the unique airframe design, we’ve also gotta give Zempire some props for making one of the most well-ventilated tents on the market. Four massive zippable windows (and a full mesh ceiling) convert the Pronto 5 from a dark cave that’s ideal for sleeping into an open and airy screen room that competes with the best in the business. A reliable rainfly with dual vestibule storage rounds out the package, and we’re particularly fond of the massive convertible awning Zempire worked into the fly at the front door.

In terms of drawbacks, the main issue with the Zempire Pronto 5 is that the futuristic airbeam technology comes at a premium price, making this one of the more expensive tents on the market. We’ll also note that while the Zempire’s durability is outstanding overall (the entire tent is covered by a 2-year warranty), they still use fiberglass poles to prop up the sides of the fly for added ventilation, and at this price, aluminum DAC poles don’t seem like too much to ask for.

Coleman 4-Person Cabin with Instant Setup

Specs:– Weight: 18.2 lbs (8.3 kg)- Packed size: 40” x 8” x 8” (102cm x 20cm x 20cm)- Floor size: 96” x 84” (244cm x 213cm)- Peak height: 59” (150cm)- Rooms: 1- Shape: Cabin- Occupancy: 4 (6 and 10 person versions also available)- Best for: Fair weather camping for two- Price: $

Few instant tents deliver on their claims for setup time, but the Coleman 4-Person Cabin literally goes up in under 60 seconds. Just pull the tent out of the back, unfold it, and extend the poles. You’re done. There’s no rainfly to mess with, no vestibules to stake out, and no accessories to set up.

And while the fast and easy character of the Coleman is a selling point for many, we’ll also give this instant tent props for its surprisingly durable materials. Coleman specs their instant cabin with all-aluminum poles as well as tough 150D polyester fabric in both the single-wall canopy and tub-style tent floor. The zippers are a little lackluster, and we wouldn’t trust the guylines in any serious storms, but at a price this low, we’re willing to overlook those details.

And while the price is fantastic, the budget build comes with a few shortcomings you’ll want to be aware of. First, the tent uses an “integrated rainfly” rather than a separate/full coverage style fly. That means that the water-resistant outer fabric can’t be removed, which limits the amount of stargazing you’re able to do on clear nights. That also means the tent has no vestibule to shield the entrance from rain, and that the Coleman Cabin’s weatherproofing relies entirely on its canopy construction. Some owners report getting through extended rains without issue, while others experience the occasional leak. All things considered, we recommend adding an additional waterproofing treatment to this instant tent before taking it out in the field.

Bushnell Shield Series 9 Person Instant Cabin

Specs:– Weight: 44lbs (20kg)- Packed size: 42” x 24” x 24” (106cm x 61cm x 61cm)- Floor size: 15’ x 9’ (457cm x 274cm)- Peak height: 78” (198cm)- Number of rooms: 2- Shape: Cabin- Occupancy: 9 (12 person also available)- Best for: All-weather three-season family/group camping- Price: $$$

The Bushnell Shield Series 9 is a spacious instant tent that’s got all the features you want in a plus-sized shelter. We’re talking two separate doors, two separate rooms (using the included divider), plenty of integrated storage for as many people as you want to host, and enough ventilation to keep it comfortable through three seasons.

We’re also big fans of the tough 150D polyester fabric that Bushnell uses throughout the body of the Shield instant tent. We’re talking floor, canopy, rainfly: Everything. That same quality is continued through the instant/preattached pole design, as Bushnell uses aluminum poles throughout the Shield’s construction.

Setup for the Bushnell Shield 9 is as simple as it gets. Just take it out of the bag, unfold it, then extend each of the four corner poles to its full height. Throw the rainfly on if you’re expecting any questionable weather, or leave it off for maximum ventilation from the fully-mesh ceiling.

Speaking of the rainfly (and questionable weather), weatherproofing is the only semi-common complaint we’ve heard about the Bushnell Shield series. On the one hand, the rainfly design is great, provides ample coverage, and even features a reflective backing that keeps the interior cooler in hot summer months. On the other hand, some customers report moisture getting past the rainfly and making its way into the tent. Bushnell builds their entire Shield line with fully-taped and sealed seams as well as water-repellant fabric, but it seems to struggle with extended or wind-blown rainfall. We recommend hitting the main canopy with an extra layer of waterproofing, and taking extra care to properly tension the included rainfly if you’re expecting any serious weather.

Moon Lence Instant Pop Up Tent

Specs:– Weight: 10.3 lbs (4.6 kg)- Packed size: 33” x 7” x 7” (83cm x 18cm X 18cm)- Floor size: 114” x 121” (290cm x 308cm)- Peak height: 52” (133cm)- Rooms: 1- Shape: Dome- Occupancy: 4 person- Best for: Light use in good weather- Price: $

While the Moon Lence Instant Po Up Tent wouldn’t be our first choice for a shelter (or even our first choice on a budget), it is the least expensive instant tent money can buy.

This tent is severely limited by its budget build (we’ll get into that down below), but it’s got a few highlights worth mentioning as well. First, the pop-up design is as simple as they come, and only takes about a minute to unfold and click into place. Second, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the Moon Lence Instant Pop Up specs a thick 210D oxford polyester floor, which is as solid as it is waterproof.

Unfortunately, water tends to fall from the sky rather than the ground, and the rest of the tent isn’t built to handle any wetness outside of a mild to heavy fog. The zippers leak, the seams leak, and the rainfly is just a strange little hat that covers up the hub for the tent poles.

Speaking of the tent poles, the Moon Lence uses thin fiberglass poles mounted to cheap plastic hubs, neither of which is going to hold up to any serious wind or the test of time. Ultimately this instant tent is better suited as a backyard play place for children or an easy-up sunshade for beachgoers. Still, if you only camp once or twice a year on clear sunny days and don’t want to invest in a serious shelter, the Moon Lence is a small investment with an even smaller learning curve.

Coleman Tenaya Lake Fast Pitch Cabin Tent

Specs:– Weight: 33.2 lbs (15.1 kg)- Packed size: 40” x 12” x 12” (102cm x 30cm x 30cm)- Floor size: 156” x 84” (396cm x 213cm)- Peak height: 80” (203cm)- Rooms: 2- Shape: Cabin- Occupancy: 6 (8 person also available)- Best for: Three season family camping- Price: $$

The Coleman Tenaya Lake is a back-to-basics style instant tent with some unique extra features built-in.

We say “back-to-basics” because with the Tenaya Lake, Coleman takes the old-school approach to fast setup, opting for a central hub design using detachable poles rather than the standard pre-attached/permanently attached designs. Some owners look at this as a con, but personally, we’re fans of the design. That’s because without fixed hubs, it’s less prone to failure, and should anything happen to break you can replace the parts instead of replacing the entire tent.

As far as unique features go, our favorite is probably the dual “gear cabinets” on the Coleman Tenaya Lake. These pop-out organizers are permanently attached to the tent about where the “headboards” of two air mattresses would be, and give you a place to stash your gear and essentials without taking up any floor space. It’s like vestibule storage with 360-degree protection from the elements.

This Coleman instant tent also comes with a fully-framed free-swinging door for entry and exit, which stays shut using velcro during the day for easy access, but can be fully sealed using a zipper from inside as well.

As far as cons go, we’ve got a few complaints with the Coleman Tenaya that we’ll share. First and foremost, Coleman’s “Fast Pitch” design is much quicker than your average tent of this size, but it’s not nearly as fast or easy as the pre-attached pole and hub designs you’ll see elsewhere on our list. You’re probably looking at about a ten-minute setup once you get used to pitching the Tenaya Lake.

Some customers also report a few drips making their way past Coleman’s “Weathertec” system and into their living space. Other customers report the exact opposite, so we recommend taking this tent for a shakedown in the backyard before actually sleeping in it out in the woods. An extra water-resistant treatment won’t hurt anything either.

Instant Tents Buyer’s Guide

What Is An Instant Tent?

Put simply, an instant tent is any tent that’s been designed with the easiest setup possible in mind. Typically, that means the tent poles are already attached to the both through one mechanism or another, and you won’t need to spend any time putting them together or threading them through loops, hoops, or sleeves.

Manufacturers use a few different strategies to achieve these easy-pitching tents, so let’s dig into the specifics to find which is right for you.

Instant Tents vs Pop-up Tents:

These two terms get used interchangeably sometimes, but they’re actually two very different things.

Interestingly enough, if one of these types really deserves to be called “instant” it’s going to be pop-up tents. That’s because pop-up tents literally go up instantly, requiring zero effort on your part. Their entire pole system is under constant tension, which is held back by restraining straps when not in use. Undue the straps, and your tent instantly “pops” into its correct shape, leaving you to simply stake it into the ground and call it a day. If you’ve ever used a spring-loaded sun visor for your automobile, the design should be familiar to you.

Ultimately instant tents are much better suited for serious camping though, as the simplified nature of pop-up tents doesn’t lend itself to reliable performance in bad weather. We strongly prefer putting an extra minute or two into setting up an instant tent, especially considering they’re designed to go up as easily as possible while still providing a reliable frame. You’re still saving a ton of time and effort over traditional tent pole systems, and you’ll be happy you did if the weather goes south.

Ease Of Set-up

A fast and simple setup/take-down is the main selling point of just about any instant tent. There are a few things to keep an eye out for when shopping, however.

The first and most important is that just because a manufacturer says their tent is easy to set up doesn’t mean it’s true. You’ll often see claims that the best instant tents can be set up with one person, set up in 60 seconds, or maybe even both. For some instant tents that may be accurate, but for others, it’s far from the truth.

The best way to determine an instant tent’s ease of set-up (aside from actually pitching it yourself) is to find a video of the tent being pitched in real-time. Not all manufacturers supply one, and those that do have a habit of making setup look easier than it is, but watching someone else pitch the tent in question takes a lot of the guesswork out of the buying process.

Portability: Weight And Packed Size/Shape

Instant tents tend to be a bit larger and heavier than traditional tents of the same size. That’s due to their attached frame designs, which typically incorporate hinges or hubs that add weight and bulk to the overall size of the tent.

That means instant tents aren’t a viable choice for backpacking, so weight and packed size only need be limited by your ability to transport, carry, and store your instant tent. Larger “cabin-style” instant tents add bulk as they add room, so if you’re considering getting a four-person or larger size, you’ll definitely want to confirm that the total packed size will fit in your car or truck (along with all your other gear) before purchasing.

Weather Protection

Try as we might to plan our camping trips around good weather, if you sleep outdoors for long enough, you’re going to deal with some rain.

That’s where good weather protection comes into play, and this is one of the features that separates a good tent from a bad purchase. There are a few basic indicators you should be familiar with that keep a tent watertight.

The first is the use of fully taped/sealed seams in a tent’s construction. Taped/sealed seams prevent water from creeping in through the vulnerable spaces between overlapping materials. The best instant tents will use sealed seams throughout their construction, while more budget-conscious models typically feature them in the rainfly and/or tent floor, but don’t include them in the tent canopy.

The second factor is water-repellant treatments. Ofter referred to as “DWR” coatings (short for “durable water repellant”), these treatments add additional protection to the natural water repellency of materials like polyester, and increase a tent’s wet-weather performance all-around. As an added bonus, these coatings can be purchased separately and applied to your tent to bolster wet weather protection from the factory.

Ventilation And Condensation

Like any other camping tent, ventilation plays a major role in keeping your tent comfortable year-round.

In the summer months, good ventilation allows a tent to create a cross-draft, pulling cooler air into the tent from outside while pushing the hot air accumulating inside the tent back out.

In the cooler months, when your tent typically stays fully covered under the vestibule to keep heat inside, ventilation plays the important role of managing condensation build-up. That’s because as you sleep, you constantly exhale warm, moisture-rich air into the tent. Over the course of the night, this moisture builds up inside the tent, and collects on the tent ceiling. Good ventilation helps this moisture evaporate before it builds up and starts to pool.

Durability

All the usual rules on tent durability apply to instant tents, but there are also some unique ones you’ll need to consider.

First off are the tent materials themselves, which include both the fabrics used in the tent body as well as the poles used in the tent frame. Instant tents also typically include some form of hinge or hub in their design, which you’ll want to consider carefully as they can be potential points of failure.

Tent fabrics are typically synthetic materials like nylon or polyester whose durability is mainly dependent on their overall weight/thickness. If you want to get a good idea of the durability of a tent’s fabric, just look for the “denier” rating assigned to the canopy, floor, and rainfly.

Denier, which is typically expressed as the letter “D” after a number (like 30D, 70D etc), tells you the durability of a given fabric. So with all other factors equal, a tent with a 50D polyester canopy will be more durable than one with a 30D polyester canopy.

Sturdy fabrics are important, but they aren’t much use without quality tent poles to hold them up. The best instant tent poles are made from metal, with aluminum typically being the highest quality and steel being a heavier but similarly durable choice.

As tents go down in price, you’ll start to see them use poles made from fiberglass as well. Some tents use fiberglass in low-stress areas to keep both the cost and overall weight of the tent down, while others use them throughout the tent’s construction. Generally speaking, the less fiberglass you can get in your setup the better, as these poles are much more prone to breaking under stress from factors like wind and rain.

Conclusion

For all the factors described above, we found the Caddis Rapid 4 to be the best all-around instant tent for its outstanding durability, lofty ceilings, and fast and drama-free setup. The price of the Caddis Rapid 4 certainly didn’t hurt its case either.

Of course if the Caddis still isn’t fast enough for you, we recommend considering the Gazelle T4. There’s just no faster way to set up a full-sized tent than Gazelle’s pop-out hub design, and both the T4’s canopy and floor fabrics double down on durability, delivering some of the thickest and most abrasion-resistant materials in our lineup.

And, if you’re looking to go fast-and-light or just want a great instant tent on a budget, we’re big fans of the Teton Sports Vista and its backpacking-style take on the pop-up tent category. If you want to learn more about how to set-up the perfect campsite, don’t forget to check out our camping checklist!