Wall tent

[ghosthunter]

Thinking about this tent.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/guide-gear-10x12-canvas-walls-and-roof?a=1584474

I know, been looking at wall tents for years. Have a good canvas tent with floor and screened window and doors which I like because I don't like creepy crawlers when sleeping. But it is external frame. Hard to set up by myself.

This tent I could set easy.
Has a stove jack.
Internal  frame.


For those of you with a canvas tent, any problems with no bug screen on door?

I know all about the canvas and stuff. This canvas is ok for four weeks a year I would hunt out of this.

Have a separate cook shack.

So what do you think?

[Eli346]

 I'm curious about opinions on this also. I've bought several things from Sportsmans Guide and like the quality and the price I got on them.

[ghosthunter]

Well the price is great. And I really do not have any concerns other than I wish it had a bug screen. Most the hunts the past several years have been warm.

I think one of the places they saved money on this tent is the frame. This has a alluminum frame where I think higher priced tents have steel.

A guy I know  has the exact tent he bought it years ago. One of those guys who needs every toy. But it has never been out of the box. He has not been to camp in three years because of health issues.

I have made attempts to buy his, but he just holds on to it. Never uses it.

He called me last night and told me they were on sale again. Thus this thread.

[RG]

That seems really inexpensive.  I've owned wall tents with sodcloth but no floor for 25 years and worked in wall tent hunting camps when I was a guide for a lot of years before that.  I'm not concerned about bugs and have had to chase a few mice but no big deal.  If you are bugshy then put a floor on top of the sod cloth.  I see they sell one or some guys put down astroturf.  We roll out carpet remnants or canvas manties by the bunks.  The good thing about a removeable floor is you can take it out and shake the dirt and mud off it that has stuck to everybody's boots when they came in.  To me elk hunting isn't even elk hunting unless it's done out of a wall tent with a wood stove.  It's just not right any other way.  Personal opinion of course.  PS: I don't stake the sides of my tent down but put rocks on the inside on the sod cloth if it's windy.  If you try to stake it, especially on uneven ground, you end up fighting with the frame and sides because they want to lift one place a little more than another.  Hence the rocks and they aren't ever in the way anyway.  Like I said.  25 years with mine and I still love it.  Mine was made by Montana Canvas.

[ghosthunter]

That seems really inexpensive.  I've owned wall tents with sodcloth but no floor for 25 years and worked in wall tent hunting camps when I was a guide for a lot of years before that.  I'm not concerned about bugs and have had to chase a few mice but no big deal.  If you are bugshy then put a floor on top of the sod cloth.  I see they sell one or some guys put down astroturf.  We roll out carpet remnants or canvas manties by the bunks.  The good thing about a removeable floor is you can take it out and shake the dirt and mud off it that has stuck to everybody's boots when they came in.  To me elk hunting isn't even elk hunting unless it's done out of a wall tent with a wood stove.  It's just not right any other way.  Personal opinion of course.  PS: I don't stake the sides of my tent down but put rocks on the inside on the sod cloth if it's windy.  If you try to stake it, especially on uneven ground, you end up fighting with the frame and sides because they want to lift one place a little more than another.  Hence the rocks and they aren't ever in the way anyway.  Like I said.  25 years with mine and I still love it.  Mine was made by Montana Canvas.

My buddy just bought a 12x14. Any pointers on shrinking it to frame?
Maker is providing cut list for conduit.

[RG]

I've never had to "shrink one to frame" so I'm not sure what that's about.  Most frames have some adjustment when you assemble them so you can put it in the tent then stretch it out tight and lock it with a screw of some sort.  At least both of mine do.  If  you wanted to shrink a tent I imagine putting it up and hosing it down would do that but the waterproofing/fireproofing treatment would slow down the water absorption so you'd want to put a lot on.  I've always just taken mine out and used them and never noticed if they shrunk.  They don't leak.

[ghosthunter]

I guess they want you to set it up hose it down inside out to close needle holes on seams.

Just thought you might have some pointers.

[RG]

I know all cotton tents become more waterproof after being wet and drying for that exact reason. I've never actually made one wet on purpose though. I've never had a leaking problem. A lot of people cover their tent with plastic tarps. Just cut a hole for the stovepipe. That helps with snow too. I worked in an outfitter camp in Wyoming and we had 10 inches of snow the third week of September. It really weighs down the tent. We had about six wall tents that were all hung on lodgepole frames and had to knock the snow off so it didn't overload the ridge.  Then big snow chunks would drop off the trees and hit the roof. Makes you pee your pants but they didn't leak. They were older tents though and had stoves in them to dry everything.

Your tent will be fine. If it's not waterproofed I'd probably set it up, hose it well, and let it dry. Then, if it gets wet or even damp when you use it dry it before storage or it will mildew.

[washelkhunter]

I wouldnt bother shrinking to frame. Keep the tent covered with a generous overhanging tarp say to 2-3 ft for the sides and run 6-8 ft off the door end for the kitchen area. The tarp lets snow slide right off and keeps UV damage to a min. As for door screen take it in and have one sewn in. Keeping your tent clean is a challenge. First thing is to put a ground tarp down, halfway assemble the frame, roll out the tent and complete setup. Another heavy duty tarp for flooring on top of the sod cloths then wall to wall carpet. Take a bale of straw to spread around the outside walls to keep dirt from them esp when it rains, spread the rest around the entrance for dirt, mud control.  Remember, a clean camp is a happy camp!   

[birddogdad]

I have a couple wall tents, got a large 16x20 and cook shack  for the main tent  12x16. The cook shack came as a 3 sided rig (one end open, no material.) I wish i had researched a bit on that fact.

The large size was too much for small excursions and i sent my cook shack back and hand a zippered end sewn on by Montana canvas, now it doubles and my smaller, stand alone wall tent. I can manage this one myself so i think your 12' advertised will work well..  tent fly'$ are offered for most, and help keep inside from raining on you limiting temperature condensation on roof. Another trick is to separate the tent from frame inside for same reason.  I use Walmart tarps vs fly on roof and replace as needed, seems around every 5Th year. MUCH cheaper.

one  recommendation - go big on the stove, you  can always choke it down if its warm, if you go small you will  be up all night filling it if you have to kick it on high in a cold place!

+1 on the straw entrance. I dont have floors but have indoor/outdoor carpets that i throw down and cover floor in main tent.

[ghosthunter]

I wouldnt bother shrinking to frame. Keep the tent covered with a generous overhanging tarp say to 2-3 ft for the sides and run 6-8 ft off the door end for the kitchen area. The tarp lets snow slide right off and keeps UV damage to a min. As for door screen take it in and have one sewn in. Keeping your tent clean is a challenge. First thing is to put a ground tarp down, halfway assemble the frame, roll out the tent and complete setup. Another heavy duty tarp for flooring on top of the sod cloths then wall to wall carpet. Take a bale of straw to spread around the outside walls to keep dirt from them esp when it rains, spread the rest around the entrance for dirt, mud control.  Remember, a clean camp is a happy camp!   

Yeah we use the straw around camp for years works well keeping things dry and clean.

[ghosthunter]

Some folks have told me clear plastic works best for snow.

[Magnum_Willys]

Can't beat a good wall tent. Nothing like heat 24/7 with no condensation.

[ghosthunter]

Well  thanks for all the advice guys. My buddy pulled the trigger. All my talk got him excited. Here is his new 10 x 12. He even talked his wife into sleeping in it tonight. He had a big ford and camper and sold them both to start tenting again. I guess those 50 days in tents with me got him convinced.

We spent the am cutting the rafters down to get the doors to zip but after that we were fine. Will look great in camp this year.

[RG]

Nice tent. Sure is shiny white compared to mine.  He's going to like it.  If you don't already have them I suggest some good cots.  They keep the ants and spiders out of your bag.

[ghosthunter]

Oh ya we have been tent camping for years. We got cots and the whole works. Just never had a white wall tent. My current tent is just as big but not white canvas. No stove jack in it. But has been great over the years. Has external frame and sew in floor. So I am dragging my feet over "Need" and "Want".

He has never had his own tent and now retired marked this off his bucket list.

We have two other white wall tents in our elk camp. So I am thinking on pulling the trigger.

[KFhunter]

Some folks have told me clear plastic works best for snow.

a new tarp sheds snow just about as good, but let it get a year or two weathered and it won't shed as good

[ghosthunter]

Yeah I think the fiber comes to the surface and catches the snow.

Here is the tent I have been using for 10 years.

[follow maggie]

I used a tent just like that for years ghosthunter.  I loved that tent. It got torn by the wind in the Colockum a few years ago and I was finally able to replace it with a 12x14 from Daveis Tent & Awning this year. I'm looking forward to getting the new one dialed in.

[RG]

In addition to the basic wall tent we added a 10 X 20 Kenai tent from Montana Canvas.  We've had it since about 1992, it's made of their Relite fabric and it works great.  If you had it in rainy weather the door would drain onto the floor but that's probably only happened 3 or 4 times since I've owned it.  If it snows I knock the snow off before opening the door but the roof is so steep nothing stays on it anyway.  In the relite it weighs the same as our smaller canvas wall tent.  We always joke about it being a 3 room tent, kitchen, bedroom, and living room around the stove.

[ghosthunter]

Very nice.
We use a costco car port for our cook shack rec hall. And we have a additional frame we can add to the end and move the cook shack in there for the big camps.

Here's the cook shack with my tent on end.

[ghosthunter]

I used a tent just like that for years ghosthunter.  I loved that tent. It got torn by the wind in the Colockum a few years ago and I was finally able to replace it with a 12x14 from Daveis Tent & Awning this year. I'm looking forward to getting the new one dialed in.

Yes if you were to buy that tent today ,you pay over 600.00.
I bought it years ago for 350.00.

They are very good tents except real high winds  pushes the frame around. I rain fly it every time and I have never gotten wet in some real down pours.

Heavy snow would crush it unless to had a steep fly to shed snow.

[ghosthunter]

30 years ago my wife and I bought this tent. With all this tent talk lately I pulled it out and set it up first time in about 10 years.

I had it set up on a ridge in Republic about 15 years ago and a heavy rain hit camp while we were out. So much water was on the tent at the side center loop it crushed the span pole on the right side.
I put a splint on it and used that way for the next 5 years.
Today I went and got some conduit and made a new span.

I hosed it down and it is amazing how water repellent the canvas top still is. Water just ran off.

It's missing one stake loop and the bug screen zipper ,slider is missing. I had it re zippered years ago.

It is a Black Sheep, canvas roof, 9x12 , heavy vinyl walls, and a tarp like sew in floor.

Just goes to show if you take care of them can last a life time.

This is the camp guest house and family loaner.

[follow maggie]

They do last if you take care of them. Mine was a hand me down from my parents. It was made in the early 70s. I always had a fly over it, put it away dry and clean and it lasts me until 2009

[CplRaines]