wall tent what features are a must

[Dr. Rx]

Hi gents

Looking to buy a wall tent..


what features are a must?

New or used?

Comfortable size?

Thanks

Kris

[Indian Summer]

I like a sod cloth around the perimeter. Keeps air from blowing under the bottom of the walls. Double canvas in the wear spots is huge. Like an insurance policy on the life of the tent. A screened window isn't a must... but they are nice. All Wall Tent Shop tents include one for free. Do NOT get 4 foot walls! 5 footers are standard and for good reason.

As far as size: How many people? A 10 by 12 is perfect for two. It can handle 3 but I wouldn't consider it ideal. A 12 by 14 is a very versatile size. A little overkill for two but fine for 3 and you could fit 4 if you had to. If you will have 3 people on a regular basis and maybe 4 go with a 14 by 16.

I'll save you some time: And I speak from experience. As an outfitter I have used just about every brand out there. Davis, Colorado, Big Sky, Montana Canvas, etc etc. The Wall Tent Shop who advertises here has the best of both worlds. That's why I lined him up with this website. His tents are as good as it gets AND... nobody beats his price which includes free shipping. Get the Wilderness model. I'll never own another brand again. His angle kits for making frames are the least expensive too. Which brings up another point: Don't go with 3 rafters which is one on each end and only 1 down the middle. Go with 4 so your roof doesn't sag.

Good luck!

[Elkduds]

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You'll want a stove jack for stovepipe. These pics are of my 10x12 w 2 large cots inside, and w 14x16 tarp on top, which reduces UV, sheds rain and snow. This canvas is smudged by previous owner using a kerosene heater in it. Bought it used from CL, powerwashed it, scrubbed w pushbroom, resealed w Canvak waterproofer applied via garden pump sprayer. Sidewalls are a little less than 4', peak height is 6'4", shorter than most 10x12s. A poly tarp that extends beyond the sidewalls and past the door is a big plus. You can support it w a ridge pole coming off the frame joint above the door. 3 rafters are adequate for this size tent, which saves 3 frame joints and 5 pole lengths compared to a 4 rafter frame. For this early Oct CO hunt we used the propane heater seen by the lantern by back wall. In warm weather the lantern is sufficient for heat. 9" of snow fell the day after these pics were taken, we were comfortable w heater off while we slept. Note the big surplus stakes, cheap and strong, painted orange to avoid losing them. Orange 550 cord for anchoring the fly. The floor is another poly tarp w a carpet scrap over it. The doors close w tie straps, not much overlap, so I hang a blanket from the frame right inside the door to block wind and insulate.

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[ElkNut1]

Yes sir, nothing like a wall-tent! My son & I picked up the 12X14 Walltent because we like a bit of room to move around in. Like mentioned above you can add 1-2 more people if need be but it's just generally the two of us. We also have a floor & tarp over the entire tent, works awesome for sure. We heat with a woodstove but have also used the Mr Heater for a quick burst of heat earl am.

Indian Summer turned me on to the Walltent Shop & that's where we purchased everything I mentioned, best decision we made, talk to them & they can outfit you no problem with a great Tent setup & price. Let them know you came from the ElkNut Forum!

ElkNut1

[Indian Summer]

I love a 12 by 14. But as insane as it sounds I am not afraid to backpack in a wall tent and for that the 10 by 12 is enough right! lol

As far as floors.... look at the Harbor Freight website. They have mesh tarps that work great. Dirt and water falls through but they push down grass etc and you can walk on top with bare feet or socks without getting dirty. I used to buy mesh floors from Big Sky Tents in Missoula until I saw these. They are exactly the same but cheaper.

A tarp is a must! Obviously insurance for staying dry but also reduces the drying time for your tent when you are done. BUT the main benefit is they catch any hot embers before they even touch your canvas. Priceless. I don't have a front porch like Elkduds but I have done that and it's nice. But having 2 feet of overhang on both sides is the way to go. Keep wood under there dry and close by and since it gets warm inside during the day I'll put coolers under there too on the shadier side of the tent. Plus water drips well away from the canvas keeping it dry on the bottom where the canvas is doubled over making the drying process much quicker.

Be sure to dry your tent before putting it away!!!!!!! Mold and mildew are devastating to the life of canvas and... it smells bad.

[six]

I bought the biggest stove they make. It's a pain to handle by yourself. Loading it, unloading it, putting it away in the off season. It's worth every once when you only have to get up and fill it once during the night.

[Indian Summer]

I prefer Cylinder Stove brand stoves out of Utah. Whatever the brand I definitely prefer round over square flat sided stoves. The model of Cylinder that I use is the Outfitter. The Hunter is smaller and you are exactly right about the reason for bigger ones... you'd have to get up at least twice, maybe 3 times to make it to morning with the hunter. I restack the Outfitter once during the night. The biggest is called the Yukon. I have one in my house that runs heat into the cold air return of the furnace and then throughout the house. You can go to bed and forget about it as long as you get a good bed of coals in there and then stuff it to the max.

Of course... that's all dependent on your ability to run it properly which means as little airflow as possible. Just enough to keep it simmering without suffocating it.