Kodiak 4 Person Deluxe

[TexGX]

Well my Kodiak came in today. I set it up pretty quick the first time. I will say in the video, they do no show you puting in all the stakes. I hosed it down as directed and everything looks water tight. I will try it out in the field soon. I am very happy with the look and feel of it so far. I think I am going to really like this thing. Time will tell.

TexGX

 

[MarcFJ60]

Yep - I'm pretty much sold on the Kodiak. I'm going to wait a bit and see if there are some sales in early September. I will be in Reno next week and plan to see one in person too. It definitely looks like upgraded stakes may be in order as well.

 

[1leglance]

Looks very nice..
looking forward to some thoughts from out in the field

how small does it pack down to?
packed wgt?

 

[TexGX]

Here is the information off thier site:

Pack Weight: 54.5 lbs. (includes 6 lbs in stakes).
Pack Size: Tent-- Length 24 in. Diameter 13 in., Poles-- Length 35 in. Diameter 5.5 in.

For sure not a backpacking tent, but much less then most RTT. The Kodiak comes with steel poles which adds to the weight, but are super strong.

The Kodiak comes with nice metal stakes. I do not see a reason to upgrade.

TexGX

 

[kb7our]

I have the 9 x 8 pictured http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/59908-Jeep-Wrangler-Habitat-Official-Release/page12 (see post 112) while I await my AT JK Habitat to be ready. I think you will enjoy the tent many years if you take care of it! The stakes are quite heavy and make up a lot of the weight. Overall the package is quite excellent and heavy duty. Fit and finish is excellent. I weighed this against the Springbar many times over before pulling the trigger. No regrets.

Anyone wanting one maybe in Sep I might have my slightly used one up for sale near Phoenix as my Habitat gets closer. I'll post it up in the for sale when I decide to sell it as it is really just a matter of time at this point. I probably will prefer a pickup vs. shipping to keep costs down.

 

[timh]

I have the 10x10 model and absolutely love it. Its sets up quick and easy. It's super easy to tear down and store with the nifty tent bag that comes with it, no more stuffing a tent into a bag that it doesn't quite fit in. I have had it in a few heavy rain storms and was really impressed how water tight it is. I awoke one morning and had 6" of water pooled on top of the awning and it was bone dry underneath.

I am more than happy with mine and I'm sure you will be with yours.:ylsmoke:

 

[wyojoe]

If someone would like to see one of these tents set up before putting down the money to buy one, a stop at Sportsmen's Warehouse may be in order. In several of the SW stores I've visitied, they had a Kodiak set up in their "tent loft." I know that SW doesn't have stores in a lot of areas, but if you're in an area where there's one nearby, this is a great way to see some of the tents they sell. A call to the store would be advised prior to going, though, to see if they have a Kodiak tent already set up there.

 

[barlowrs]

I have the 6 person and LOVE it..it is like a mansion for camping!

 

[JimBiram]

Wow..old school...reminds me of an old Coleman wall tent I used to have. It was almost 8' at the peak and walls were nearly straight upright. Bottom eventually rotted out but canvas was still good...even in the rain.

 

[MarcFJ60]

Unfortunately, my trip out West was not productive in terms of seeing the Kodiak tents in person. I went to three stores: Cabela's (Reno) and Sportsman's Warehouse (Reno, Rocklin). They had them in stock, but not set up

I hoped there would be some sales this weekend, but finally just bit the bullet and bought the 6 person, 10x10 from Cabela's. It actually would have been a couple bucks cheaper through Sportsman's Warehouse (free shipping), but thought Cabela's may be easier to deal with issues/concerns. I'm sure they'll be $100 off next weekend since i just bought mine.

I have a potential camping trip coming up and would rather have it to use on that trip than save a few more bucks. I already convinced myself it was worth the price.

I did go back and forth a bit on whether to spend the extra bucks on a Springbar. I'm not necessarily a "Buy American" die hard, but am more than happy to spend a few bucks more for a quality domestic product (or to keep a bit more manufacturing in the US). Two things swayed me: the long lead time for the Springbar; and I actually like the Kodiak a little better (subjective, I think both are great).

I am quite certain the sting of $500 will be forgotten with one good camping trip.

 

[TexGX]

I had the Kodiak out this weekend for a quick overnight trip at Long Lake Arizona. I think that I am really going to like this tent. I love being able to stand up. It takes very little time to set up and less to take down. Putting the stakes in takes the most time, but I found a great Snow Peak hammer for setting and pulling stakes that makes it quicker. Looking forward to more trips soon.

TexGX

The beer cans in the picture are not mine and I did pick them up with some other trash before I left.

 

[MarcFJ60]

My Kodiak 6010 (10x10 Deluxe) came from Cabela's the other day. We finally had a break in the rain here, so I decided to set it up and "season" it. No real world testing yet, but I'm pretty satisfied. My 6 year old and his friends had a blast playing in it.

There is really just two things I can nit pick. First, the canvas feels a bit thinner than I expected. I'm sure it is the thickness they advertise and likely plenty strong, but I guess I just expected it to be a bit thicker. I haven't heard any bad stories about the durability of the fabric, so I'm sure it isn't a big deal. The other issue is that they forgot one of the stake loops. Luckily, there's a total of 5 loops on that side and the missing one isn't the corner or middle, so I can live with it. Not worth the trouble of shipping back, that's for sure.

The thing does set up very easy and it can be done alone. However, I think the claims of setting it up in 5 minutes are a bit exaggerated. I've set it up twice and I timed myself the second time, working at a normal, steady pace. I had already laid a ground tarp, so these times reflect a real world starting point - tent in carrier and poles and stakes in their case. I also set it up on my VERY moist lawn. So the stakes went in VERY easily. I don't imagine I will ever get the stakes in as fast when I'm out camping.

Removed tent, poles, and stakes. Unfolded the tent and staked it down: 9 minutes
Assembled and installed the poles and raised the tent: 14 minutes (total time)
Assembled the awning poles, tied the guy lines, finished: 17 minutes (total time)

I'm certainly not complaining about erecting a tent of this size in 17 minutes. It truly is a great design and easy to pitch. But I have frequently heard people state some pretty crazy assembly times. It does go up quick, but only after it is staked down, which is the bulk of the assembly. It is also important to realize it must be staked - it isn't free standing. I could see this being a problem in rockier areas or requiring a lot more work staking in sandy areas.

The size and steep walls are great. Very nice confines if you get stuck in your tent for several hours. $500 well spent.

 

[cruisertoy]

I have two Kodiaks for our Scout troop. Being in Utah where they're based helps as I can usually pick one up for $100-150 off directly from the source. We picked up both the 10x10 and 10x14 in the last two years. The only thing I have found that I like better on the Springbar tents over the Kodiaks are the stake loops. Springbar puts a rope sewed into the base that you stake through. Very substantial. Kodiak's webbing is weak and we've already torn through one.

 

[alia176]

So, Kodiak and Springbar are made in UT? Any relations? Just curious.

 

[jeffryscott]

So, Kodiak and Springbar are made in UT? Any relations? Just curious.

Kodiaks are made in China.