Wall Tents Tips and Tricks

[ghosthunter]

Used

[deerhunter_98520]

Tear mender works great...I had the seam from my zipper rip and I had some scraps from the door getting replaced. So I cut strips for each size and sandwiched the tear and glued them together and it held up last season just fine

[ghosthunter]

Let’s talk about snow loads.

It has been 20 years since I was in a tent in heavy snow fall. That tent had a external frame and I woke up with it 4 inches from my face. Spent a cold night in the truck cab.

Now that I have a couple wall tents I been thinking of preventive measures.

For those of you have seen a wall tent crushed. Where were the weak spots?
I suspect the rafters.

And what can be done?  Extra upright pole inside to support ridge?
Flys help?

Planning for the big one.

[deerhunter_98520]

I haven't seen a crushed tent but I would think extra rafters would help tremendously and a tarp would let the snow slide off ..I have 4 rafters and use a tarp on my 15x17 and have had 3-4" of snow over night with no issues

[7mmfan]

We have a 15x18 Davis Tent with the external pole kit and the internal ridge with 1 support. We've had it in massive snow a few times. Our m.o. has always been to tarp our tent because snow slides off of it so much easier. Most of the time if you get more than a couple inches on it, the snow begins to sluff off on it's own, especially if the tent is heated. We have had to bump it from inside the tent a few times to facilitate the sliding. Just bumping it with a broom or shovel or whatever long handled item you have around. Never have had any issues with snow load if you just take a little bit of time to make sure it doesn't accumulate.

Our tarp setup is a 20x30 heavy gray tarp. We put grommets in where the vertical supports for the tent come through at either end and we cut out the stove pipe hole and lined it with heat reflective tape. We are able to have a 12' long awning out in front of the tent that is effectively weather proof and that is where we do all our cooking when we have larger groups in camp. It is a great area to have for storage out of the weather as well.

I'm sure I have a picture on my hard drive at home, I'll take a look tonight.

[ghosthunter]

We have a 15x18 Davis Tent with the external pole kit and the internal ridge with 1 support. We've had it in massive snow a few times. Our m.o. has always been to tarp our tent because snow slides off of it so much easier. Most of the time if you get more than a couple inches on it, the snow begins to sluff off on it's own, especially if the tent is heated. We have had to bump it from inside the tent a few times to facilitate the sliding. Just bumping it with a broom or shovel or whatever long handled item you have around. Never have had any issues with snow load if you just take a little bit of time to make sure it doesn't accumulate.

Our tarp setup is a 20x30 heavy gray tarp. We put grommets in where the vertical supports for the tent come through at either end and we cut out the stove pipe hole and lined it with heat reflective tape. We are able to have a 12' long awning out in front of the tent that is effectively weather proof and that is where we do all our cooking when we have larger groups in camp. It is a great area to have for storage out of the weather as well.

I'm sure I have a picture on my hard drive at home, I'll take a look tonight.

I have made the tarps for both mine just like you did. When I am not using the stove it has a flap like the stove jack.

[7mmfan]

We haven't gone as far as the flap because we're pretty much always using the stove.  Really though if we're in the wall tent, we're using the stove not just for heating/drying but for cooking as well. We cook a fair amount of our easy meals, coffee, plain old hot water, etc.. on the wood stove. If the weather is inclement enough to warrant the stove/wall tent, we usually just sleep in the back of the truck, smaller tent, tarp shelter, etc...

[ghosthunter]

We haven't gone as far as the flap because we're pretty much always using the stove.  Really though if we're in the wall tent, we're using the stove not just for heating/drying but for cooking as well. We cook a fair amount of our easy meals, coffee, plain old hot water, etc.. on the wood stove. If the weather is inclement enough to warrant the stove/wall tent, we usually just sleep in the back of the truck, smaller tent, tarp shelter, etc...

Oh yeah I like the stove.
But I don't cook in the wall tents.
And during muzzy in this state , fire restrictions keep us from setting up the stoves. We always have them with us incase the weather changes.

[7mmfan]

You also get to spend a month or more in camp, we haven't gotten to do that in a long time! The wall tent that time of year makes a lot more sense for you. Just a little jealous.

[ghosthunter]

You also get to spend a month or more in camp, we haven't gotten to do that in a long time! The wall tent that time of year makes a lot more sense for you. Just a little jealous.

True

I enjoy a lot of time in the wall tents. I pay for it through the year often working 10 day stretches. Three hours sleep in 24 hrs this week. And the phone rings most nights at home. I am salary so I log the extra hours as comp time and take them during the slow season which happens to be hunting season.
Best sleep I get is in a wall tent with no cell service.

Two more years and I am going to double up on wall tent time.

[ghosthunter]

Nobody  has crushed tent snow story?

[ipkus]

Nobody  has crushed tent snow story?

Run a tarp tight and it won’t ever happen!

[MHWASH]

You can see in this pic the difference between the heated and non heated portions of the tarp. We woke up about 6” on snow that morning. The nonheated part of the tarp was sagging with the snow. The heat part just melted or slid off.

[Geoffphrye123456]

Not sure if this is a wall tent tip/trick or just a cheap skate HACK.

6" flue from 55 Gallon wood stove in tent.
I plan on putting a chimney brush in the top most section of pipe.
IMO it should act as a pretty good spark arrestor without inhibiting flow...

thoughts???

AND if the stack needs cleaning.... well I'm one step closer than most

Jeff

[ghosthunter]

Not sure if this is a wall tent tip/trick or just a cheap skate HACK.

6" flue from 55 Gallon wood stove in tent.
I plan on putting a chimney brush in the top most section of pipe.
IMO it should act as a pretty good spark arrestor without inhibiting flow...

thoughts???

AND if the stack needs cleaning.... well I'm one step closer than most

Jeff

Ummm
I have no idea.

But I would bet that it plugs up depending on wood you are burning.
In Eastern wa it’s hard to get away without burning pine.

I have not found a arrestor that doesn't t plug up. So I run with a elbow on top of my stack.
I minimize sparks not only for fire safety but tent safety, by not using kindling, cedar, or paper in any of the tent stoves. We use fire starter and hand propane torches with the driest wood we can find.