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canvas wall tent recommendations

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canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Billy Goat » 11 13, 2022 •  [Post 1]

Our crew has been using army tents for nearly a decade. while they are very robust, they are also heavy and vinyl. Heavy is becoming a bigger issue the older we get. Vinyl has always been a condensation problem. Our key players have committed that the next time we camp...... it'll be in a traditional canvas wall tent.

Our group size runs 4-8 annually. Losing some, gaining others. Still, we're a big camp, so thats a factor in how many tents we use, and how big they are.

but my real question to you experts.......

1. is what Brand is right for us. we camp about 2 weeks a year, always in October. we get some snow, but not SEVERAL FEET worth. we dont leave it setup for months, so it doesnt need to be bulletproof.

Brands I know of and have heard good feedback on are: Davis, and our sponsor...... Walltentshop.

Brands I've heard of, but havent heard much feedback on include Montana Canvas and Elk Mountain.

Sportsmansguide sells one thats chinese. It looks a little cheaper on a $/sf basis. no clue how good it is.

Brands I found via google search, but have never heard of include: Whiteduckoutdoors, Bravotents, elkhorntentandcanvas, and KodiakCanvas

I slept in a wall tent once, 10 years ago on a guided hunt and loved it, but didnt set it up, take it down, handle or repair it, either.

all of them claim to be the best thing since sliced bread, and probably most of them would do the job (2 weeks per year in adverse weather for the next ~20 years).

If you have tons of experience with any/all/some of these, I'd love to get some feedback from you, and would love to have a phone call discussion if you're open to it. :)

2nd question - if your camp was routinely ~8 people, would you want one large tent to house all of them (I think a 16x24 would do that) or a pair of smaller tents (ie two 10x20's), and why?

thanks in advance.

Saddlesore, I hope this counts as a "new thread". You're loaded with opinions, so hit me! :) I hope you're doing better, too, Vince.
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Swede » 11 14, 2022 •  [Post 2]

I would rather have two tents. I can set up my 12X14 by myself easily withing a half hour. One tent is mostly for dining, meeting and if you have a snorer, you can get away from him and get some sleep. :D
You will need two stoves but that can be an advantage or disadvantage. It will cost a little more, but it is easy to keep a smaller tent warm in cold weather.
I have a tent from the Wall Tent Shop. After several seasons/months of use, it is still great. I do not know about the other tent people, but the WTS folks were easy to work with and very helpful. If I wanted another tent, I would go back for another just like the one I have.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby saddlesore » 11 14, 2022 •  [Post 3]

Can never go wrong with a Davis Tent or Montana Canvas. A few words of advice of having after using a good wall tent for 45 +years. There is nothing better in terms of a comfortable camp. I am partial to Davis. I knew the old man Art Davis and his wife 40 years ago. Good family then and I have never heard one complain against them.They, at times, haves some specials and sales.

Get one with doors on both ends. When it is warm out ,you can open both ends and cool off.

Put the stove jack on one of the end walls, not the roof. It is easier to clean the stove pipe that way, you don't weaken the roof, it is easier to tarp, lets you keep the sleeping area cooler, and the stove being close to kitchen helps with cooking like heating water,coffee, keeping things warm etc.
Use a poly tarp on the roof that extends of over the sides about 2 feet per side.Snow slides off it easier than canvas and your will keep the canvas roof dry

Skip the windows and floor. Use a poly tarp in the sleeping areas on the floor with a few pieces of carpeting . Easier to clean and darn sure water proof. Do get a sod flap.

With that big of a crew if you get one tent, you are back to the heavy. My biggest was 16 x 22 , it fit four people and kitchen, wood stove with a table for eating. You might have to go with three tents if you are packing in. Four to a tent and a tent for cooking, eating, gathering.That all gets pricey though. If you go to a big tent and the number of hunters drop, you are stuck with more tent than yo uneed. You might have problems finding a big enough flat spot for a big one. Smaller ones are more versatile and 1- 2-3 people can put one up and it is easier to find poles if you cut your own. If you put four people in a 10x12, they better be close friends. My optimal one was 12 x15 for 3 people and it was a bit tight along with a kitchen and stove. Just right for two though.

If you want a metal frame, make one out of the top railing of chain link fence for the ridge pole and 3-4 up rights, and use 1/2 " conduit for the wall supports . I can show you how. Metal frames are a pain to pack in, so learn to cut and use your tent poles where you camp. If you stand your cut poles on end up against a tree when you leave and no one cuts them up for firewood they will last several years.

If packing in, I would look at fold up stoves like a Sims.I had one for years. About 17 pounds with nested stove pipe included and it fits in a pannier. They are not as tight, but once you get a layer of coals built up, they last a good while in terms of burn time. Usually there is more than one old senior that has to get up 2-3 times at night and can add more wood if needed.(That was me). Put about a 1" layer of dirt on the bottom before burning and after the hunt, brush everything off and spray it with a cheap vegetable oil. It will never rust thru or burn thru. That will burn off with your first fire every year. Those super light titanium stoves are a PIA. Hard to put together, and those foil stove pipes never want to roll back up right. BTDT. If there is no chance of packing in, then a good steel stove is a great way to go. About any of the big name brands will work. The tigher the better. Ether way, you need a dampener in you stove pipe. Some of my camps, when a fire ban was in place, I used a 30,000 BTU propane Blue Flame, ventless, heater I bought from Northern tool. I also used a plain 3 ring, propane burner the fit inside my wood burning stove. Nice to reach over and turn the heat on in the early AM. Those propane heaters give off a lot of moisture though.

In all my years of hunting, I never had a separate cook tent. It never seem to bother my success rate when hunting elk in terms of someone saying you smelled like cooked food. Early days before all this high tech food, we had bacon, eggs, home fries with chilis & onions for every breakfast, elk liver an onions for supper and we shot a heck of a lot of elk.We were a little more subdued in our old age, when cooking smells bothered us more than the elk.

All my big tents that I used years ago are on printed photos that I would have to scan, but here are two of the 12 x 15 with pole options.

metal frame, 12x15.jpg
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby saddlesore » 11 14, 2022 •  [Post 4]

Not a tent,but here is the 30,000 blue flame heater I mentioned in my stock trailer camp,on the right.Can anyone see the heater? Don't know why it gets cropped when posting

stock trailer 2.jpg
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Billy Goat » 11 14, 2022 •  [Post 5]

thanks gents, and yes, Vince, I can see that propane heater. in fact, we have one of those. we also have two Dearborn heaters, and they are hard to beat, except the moisture, and I get a little concerned about the combustion gasses + eating up the O2 in sleeping quarters.

we run the seperate kitchen not to manage scent, but to keep the food away from our sleeping quarters. as of yet, we've never had a bear problem, but some of us get a little concerned about having a big bear bait station 20 feet away from our cots. :)

great feedback all!!
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby saddlesore » 11 14, 2022 •  [Post 6]

I have had black bears chew up elk carcasses overnight and rub along tent walls once, never had them invade.They seem to get more brazen in public camp grounds. Darn raccoons are a different story.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Billy Goat » 11 14, 2022 •  [Post 7]

One other thing we continue to debate is whether to keep fiddling with solid fuel heaters or just stick with propane.

Propane is:
obviously less work,
more expensive,
also uses up a whole lot less square footage in the tent

Our current heater (for a 16x32 army tent) is a 55 gallon drum, and it’s appropriate for heating that big tent, but it’d be WAY too much for a smaller tent, like a 14x16 or so. one 30k Dearborn would probably be ample for a sleep tent like that.

when we've used propane in our vinyl army tents, we've struggled with condensation on the inside of the vinyl tent. I understand canvas is less prone to this problem, but is it NEVER a problem? (propane causing condensation in a canvas tent?)
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby 7mmfan » 11 15, 2022 •  [Post 8]

I can't speak to propane use in the tent, especially full time use (while sleeping). My guess would be that condensation will not form on the tent itself, but could form on other solid surfaces? Sleeping bags, tables, chairs, etc... If it got cool enough in there I could see that happening. I would be inclined to stick with wood. It is more work, and space in the tent, but nothing beats going to sleep to the crackle of a fire in the tent, and the dry heat is welcome on the cold snowy crappy days.

We have a 15x18 Davis tent, have had it for about 20 years now. Dad is meticulous with the care, so much so that he and my Mom get into giant arguments every hunting season when he hangs the tent in their living room to dry out for a couple days before putting away.

I would echo that multiple small tents is likely going to be a better plan than fewer big tents. Ease of storage, transportation, handling, setup, etc... all go hand in hand. We use an external frame setup (ridge pole and individual uprights on the outside). It's all I know, have never used an internal frame tent. Setup can easily be done by one person, it just takes some time.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Swede » 11 15, 2022 •  [Post 9]

I do not want to take anything away from any tent maker or sales outlet, but it might help to remember the Wall Tent Shop is a sponsor here. I would not buy any inferior product from a sponsor, but their tents are top of the line and competitively priced.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby saddlesore » 11 15, 2022 •  [Post 10]

7mmfan wrote:I can't speak to propane use in the tent, especially full time use (while sleeping). My guess would be that condensation will not form on the tent itself, but could form on other solid surfaces? Sleeping bags, tables, chairs, etc... If it got cool enough in there I could see that happening. I would be inclined to stick with wood. It is more work, and space in the tent, but nothing beats going to sleep to the crackle of a fire in the tent, and the dry heat is welcome on the cold snowy crappy days.

We have a 15x18 Davis tent, have had it for about 20 years now. Dad is meticulous with the care, so much so that he and my Mom get into giant arguments every hunting season when he hangs the tent in their living room to dry out for a couple days before putting away.

I would echo that multiple small tents is likely going to be a better plan than fewer big tents. Ease of storage, transportation, handling, setup, etc... all go hand in hand. We use an external frame setup (ridge pole and individual uprights on the outside). It's all I know, have never used an internal frame tent. Setup can easily be done by one person, it just takes some time.


All true,but when there is a fire ban in place ,which is common in Colorado, wood fires,even in enclosed wood stoves are not permitted,hence the advice for alternative methods. Propane heaters tend to make it more humid in the tent itself, not necessarily condensing water. With either wood or propane,it is a good practice to keep a CO2 monitor in the tent. Where people get into trouble is when it snows and seals the tent up. There is no incoming air and no venting.Typically wall tents are not air tight and they have an opening at each end at the peak where cut poles can go through.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby 7mmfan » 11 15, 2022 •  [Post 11]

saddlesore wrote:
All true, but when there is a fire ban in place ,which is common in Colorado, wood fires,even in enclosed wood stoves are not permitted,hence the advice for alternative methods.


My guess is that in this scenario it likely isn't cold enough to be too much of a worry. Propane heater would probably be just right for taking the edge off.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Swede » 11 15, 2022 •  [Post 12]

I have the same situation that Vince has. I have a great wood stove that I have never put a fire in. If I ever do, I will need to cure it out before I can bring it into the tent. My propane stove did not get any use that past season as it was too hot every day.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby saddlesore » 11 16, 2022 •  [Post 13]

7mmfan wrote:My guess is that in this scenario it likely isn't cold enough to be too much of a worry. Propane heater would probably be just right for taking the edge off.


You guessed wrong. :D I think when it drops to 10 degrees and freezes everything in the tent,is enough to worry about. I can remember three times when there was a fire ban , I had to use an alternate method than wood for heat in Colorado's 2nd rifle season..
Here is propane burner I could put in my wood stove so it could be vented.

propane burner.jpg
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby saddlesore » 11 16, 2022 •  [Post 14]

Billy Goat.
Using propane in a canvas tent, you don't get the condensation, but it always feels damp not a bad as a sauna though. Definitely harder to dry out wet duds when compared to a wood burning stove. If you poly tarp the tent,when you take it down,the ceiling feels damp. If it is real cold it gets to be a problem folding it up.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Billy Goat » 11 19, 2022 •  [Post 15]

thanks men. all great advice. :)
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Indian Summer » 11 19, 2022 •  [Post 16]

I’ve used lots of different brands. Montana Canvas, Big Sky Tents, Davis, Buckstitch Canvas, Colorado Tent… ones I can’t even remember. I’m on my second tent from the Wall Tent Shop. My partner bought my 10x12 and I upgraded to a 14x16. I can vouch for the quality. The best tent I’ve ever owned. So go compare prices. They also ship for free..
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby MidwestHunter » 01 17, 2023 •  [Post 17]

I have a Davis wall tent 12×17. It has been a great tent.

It is however too big for the normal 3 person crew that shows up.

Davis had suggested getting (2) 10x10 or 10x12, and could put them together when had a big group. I wish we would have taken that advice. When not enough people, we could have used one for cooking and gear and the other for sleeping. A single larger tent is heavier and harder to move around. Can be more flexible with two smaller tents in my opinion, and easier to put up if you only need to put up one small.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Billy Goat » 01 18, 2023 •  [Post 18]

MidwestHunter wrote:I have a Davis wall tent 12×17. It has been a great tent.

It is however too big for the normal 3 person crew that shows up.

Davis had suggested getting (2) 10x10 or 10x12, and could put them together when had a big group. I wish we would have taken that advice. When not enough people, we could have used one for cooking and gear and the other for sleeping. A single larger tent is heavier and harder to move around. Can be more flexible with two smaller tents in my opinion, and easier to put up if you only need to put up one small.


Midwest, I sent you a PM. if your tent isnt a great fit for your camp, we may be able to work out a deal if youre interested. Please LMK. also depends on where you're at.... since shipping is not a good option on something like this. :) I'd be coming from the Dallas, TX area.
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby Pop-r » 02 06, 2023 •  [Post 19]

I love canvas wall tents. Have several. A couple that ar wcArmy issue. Nothing lightweight about any of them.
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Re: canvas wall tent recommendations

Postby MtnOak » 02 06, 2023 •  [Post 20]

I have a Davis 14x16 with vinyl floor, I roll out an outdoor carpet over the floor I also bought the largest wood stove they had to offer for a wall tent but have never used it yet simply because it’s always too warm during September, but I usually take the xl buddy heater just to knock the chill off at night.
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