Planning a long hunting trip and need to set up a deer camp? From outfitter and hunting tents to heavy-duty coolers and scent-blocking gear, ensure hunting season is a success with these must-have deer camp essentials.

A Durable Hunting Tent

For hunting families and friends, a deer camp might be a rustic cabin in the woods, plains, or somewhere the deer have migrated through for generations. However, if you don’t have a convenient, stationary hunting cabin to head off to, you can improvise with a durable hunting tent.

Since hunting typically season takes place in fall and winter months, you need a canvas hunting tent that can withstand the elements and colder temperatures, keeping hunters warm and dry.

Life inTents offers several canvas hunting tent styles, each with smart hunter-friendly features like:

• An self-containing, single duffle storage bag
• Weatherproof canvas
• Windproof poles and hardware
• Waterproof PVC flooring
• Wood stove compatible
• Fire-retardant canvas
• Spacious, tall interiors to fit multiple hunters

Hunting Tent Furnishings

Inside your hunting tent, you’ll need some basic camp furnishings for those creature comforts, such as cots, folding chairs, tables, and lighting.

Get a few comfortable raised camping cots to keep you and other hunters off the ground and warmer, offering a good sleep so you can be alert for hunting. Plus, you can store items beneath to free up room for hunting gear and more hunting buddies.

Extra Tip: Have a hunting buddy that snores? Don’t forget earplugs!

Folding chairs and a table are also great additions for inside the hunting tent. It’s nice to gather around and tell hunting stories over a card game or map out boundaries to plan the hunt.

Wood Stove & Firewood

Whether you plan to cook up fresh venison over the fire or bring provisions from home, you’ll need a means to cook and stay warm.

Deer camp cabins are typically outfitted with wood stoves. But what if you wish to use a hunting tent instead? For that, we suggest picking up a canvas tent stove, specifically one that can be easily broken down into a compact, transportable accessory. Check out the Winnerwell Woodlander Tent Stove to see what we mean.

A wood stove is efficient, allowing you to keep a hunting tent warm as you manage your burn rate (and limited firewood supply) with an air-controlled damper.

Don’t forget the firewood! Both to keep your hunting tent interior toasty and to cook with, keep your deer camp stocked with plenty of firewood. If you create a more permanent deer camp for the season, even haul in a half cord of wood. Bring along a sturdy field hatchet and firewood carrier too.

Hunting Knives & Cooking Supplies

If you’re an avid camper, you probably already have a stash of basic camp cooking supplies. But for a deer camp, you might want to add on a few more essentials.

For field dressing, hunting knives and skinning knives are a must-have. Disposable gloves, a plastic (read: non-wood) cutting board, and even paper towels can keep a clean and sanitary field dressing space too.

And, of course, cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens make excellent cookware at any campsite, allowing you to cook on a wood stove or bonfire.

Heavy-Duty Hard Coolers

A cooler is an obvious camping essential, especially if your deer camp hunting tent or cabin lacks power for a deep freezer. But when your goal is to bag and bring home as much venison or game meat as possible – safely, without spoiling – choosing the right coolers is vital.

Like many things, you get what you pay for. This is no time for cheap coolers; purchase a cooler that can keep ice and provisions cold for multiple days. Think Yeti, Pelican, and the like. There are plenty of brands to choose from on the market and something for every type of hunter.

Your hunting cooler size matters too, especially if you plan to haul back a lot of meat.

And choose a camo-colored cooler or something of a natural shade. Find an affordable second-hand cooler but it’s a bright color? Give it a DIY camo with spray paint!

Scent Blocking Gear

Scent control clothing and apparel are a must when hunting, but you also need scent blocking gear once you return to base. When you head back to the deer camp, change into some cozy flannel and store your hunting clothes inside scent blocking gear bags and trunks.

Check out this handy Scent Crusher roller bag and garment rack combo – perfect for setting up inside your hunting tent.

Ozone generators are perfect for eliminating human scent throughout your entire deer camp too.

A Portable Shower & Off-Grid Toilet

While we’re on the subject of human scents, consider a portable shower to clean up from the sweat and other fluids you may encounter on your hunting trip. Choose a scent-eliminating soap, shampoo and detergent also.

Also, a portable compost toilet really comes in handy to bury your business at a deer camp or other off-grid campsite. Unless you plan to squat over a cat hole or use a simple DIY bucket/lid combo for the entire deer camp hunting trip, get yourself a more substantial, portable off-grid toilet.

Have tips for your deer camp? We’d love to hear! Share your hunting tent stories below in the comments.