Wall Tents Tips and Tricks

[birddogdad]

Archery elk the four dog got me thirteen nights between two camps.  No elk but great times!  Good warm sleep too.  I need a bigger tent.  Has anyone ever just set two up length wise together?  Another 12x12 and that stove would heat both.

I have two 12x16's that I put together some years for archery elk.  I picked up the second one from a member here a few years ago, zippered doors on both ends of it so it butts up against my first one.  I'll see if I can find some pictures, makes it pretty nice having a kitchen/gathering area and a sleeping quarters.

I also made wooden boxes for the tents and the frames for storage/transportation, they double as tables in the tent after we set them up.

love this wood box idea , should help with rodent issues in storage too.. would add mothballs in when stored. mice and rats hate mothballs...

[birddogdad]

Anyone use a fan in their tent to keep cool or move heat?

find that all my wet stuff dries much faster with a fan to circ the air...

[Gamblin Guy]

Here's a pic of the two tents together.



Here is a pic of how we use the storage boxes.  This was the year before I bought the second wall tent but the boxes for both are the same.  The long one against the back of the tent is the box for the frame, no fires during archery season so the tent heater sits on the box along with the propane boot dryer.

The square box on the right side is for the tent, flooring and the tarp that goes down under the flooring.  The propane stove/oven on the left is sitting on top of the box I built for it also.  Everything stacks nicely in the garage for storage, no mice, no moths etc.  I always make sure the tents are dry before they get packed up.

[TheHunt]

WOW, that is a nice camp.   

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Yeah nice work.  I need Windows. Too dark in my tent .

[Gamblin Guy]

I added a 6ft porch frame that can be used on both tents and then bought a clear 20x24 tarp that covers the tent and acts as the porch.



I still need to add a second tarp that will cover both tents when I have them set up together, these guys have good prices on the clear tarps.

http://www.a1tarps.com/clear-tarps.html

[bwhntr2819]

A question for everyone about drying your canvas tent before storing it.  I bought a Kodiak Canvas tent last year.  After using it for late archery elk in the rain I set it up in my garage and ran a heater and fan in it for several days.  It seemed pretty dry when I put it way, but when I used it this spring I found some small spots that must be mold.  Am I overreacting?  It doesn't seem like widespread mold.  Seems like it would be nearly impossible to completely dry a canvas tent used during the rainy cold season. 

[toyman2]

I hang mine from ropes I stretch across the shop and let it hang for 2 to 3 weeks.
I try to open the doors from time to time to let the moisture out

[skeeter 20i]

I bring mine into the house and use the living room and drape it all over the furniture for sometimes weeks if I don't get back to putting it away.  The wife absolutely loves it when I leave the wall tent in the living room.  It really works out well, try it once or twice and see. 

[bwhntr2819]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like I need to be more patient and let it hang longer.

[Rainier10]

Does anyone have a good idea for a solid floor material.  I've thought about heavy rubber stall mats but that's a lot of weight.  I considered sheet covering pallets with 1/4 inch plywood but once again its not a easy haul.  I would like to come up with something to give me a couple of inches off the ground that I can cover with a outdoor rug.  Maybe solid insulation panels with some kind of a backing that makes them less prone to poking and holes.  Any ideas?

I have a Bravo tent and ordered a heavy tarp floor for mine.  It is really durable and I put carpet over that and it works great.

[huntnfmly]

I bought a tarp floor from Davis tents when I bought my tent works great

[toyman2]

Don't be in any hurry letting your tent dry.
if it was a bad year, I set up my tent in the yard and hose as much of the dirt off as I can.
After a day or 3, I will take it down and hang it in the shop for a few weeks, if it is real bad I will run a fan to move air around.

[ghosthunter]

Well I did the same thing tonight. I set mine up in the drive way. Hosed all the loose dirt off it and put the three dog in it to help it dry. Than i take it to my walk in actic in the G and lay it out . About 60 up there all the time. twice a week I go up and flip it.

This was the first year using it and I made a error. I put a spark ares-tor on the pipe and soot built up on it. That is OK except it rained and the soot dripped on the tent. Think I have a stain for good. Will use a elbow next time.

Couple of clips like close pins works well to keep the store port flap up out of the way.

[ghosthunter]

Picked up this light for in my tent at Lowes.
All the light you would need.

3 D Cells

Tell you what I was out hunting 24 days and ran three of those lights, one in tent one outside tent ,one in kitchen and never changed the batteries.
 Much easier than propane lights and three times brighter.