Base camp tent

[Texasgamehunter]

I have been looking at different tents to use for base camp and to use for spike camp. At first i was looking at the cabelas alaknak tent with a stove. And one of the teepee style tents that are light weight for a possible spike tent. I like to be able to stand and move around in a shelter. But i realized after reading alot on here and other places on the web that alot of yall mountain men prefer wall tents that also have a stove. Can yall help me and shed some light on why yall prefer wall tents for base camp and also for the guys that use the teepee tents for spike camp, do yall pack in the stove and stove pipe? Thanks in advance fellas!

[Indian Summer]

A wall tent is a long term investment. If you take care of it and dry it properly it will last forever. If you use tents made from other materials every year their days are numbered. Canvas insulates. Nylon and relite such as the material used on an Alaknak condenses moisture and it literally drips off of the frame. Also you can set a wall tent up using lodgepole pine eliminating the use for a frame completely. I've backpacked a 10 by 12 wall tent in for a long term spike and lived like a king miles from a road.

I also own a Marmot tent for trips where taking a wall tent just isn't feasible. But that is never when it is snowing. More than likely it is in places where I expect to be in and out in 2 or 3 days carrying an elk. But even then my Marmot Halo is a 6 man tent that I can stand up in. I also like to be able to stand and move around a little. I'd rather hike in several miles in the morning than be holed up in a little cocoon every night.

In my opinion going super light is for hunters who aren't quire sure where they will end up. While I agree there may be advantages to being mobile if you really have your act together there is no need to.

[Indian Summer]

I almost forgot..... welcome aboard pilgrim!

[Texasgamehunter]

Thanks for the insight Indian Summer. I understand what you are saying. There is nothing more irratating then waking up with condinsation dripping on you. I guess wall tent it is. So is there anything specific i need to be looking for while shopping for a wall tent?

[Texasgamehunter]

Any other input?

[idahoghost]

Just bought a six man Big Agnes. Very happy with it.

[husky390]

I'll keep this story brief. I was 23, on my first deer hunt in Unit 12a West Kaibab in Az with my gf's Dad and his buddies. Unbelievable Mule Deer buck area. They had a dome tent and then used a propane heater inside of it. That night it got very cold, condensation built up overnight from the heater and the four of us breathing in it. Then that morning the rain came. Then it sleated, and then it snowed, and snowed, and snowed some more. We all came back to camp around noon and found the tent had collapsed and all of our gear was soaked. The decision was to pack it up and head home before we were snowed in. While I was driving out, I passed a camp site that had a wall tent pitched with two cowboys standing in the doorway drinking coffee watching it snow. I waved, they tipped their cup of coffee to me and I vowed I would never use a cheap 3 season nylon tent again which is why I now have a wall tent.

My advice is based on my limited experience and what I've done. I would recommend reading up on everything you can on wall tents. I'm a novice and am still learning. One thing that has been drilled into me is that it has to be dry before storing it. If it rains, sleets, or snows and the tent is still wet when you leave, you have to get it home and set it up, fully staked out until it can dry, otherwise the canvas will shrink. (Correct me if I'm wrong on this please.)

As for size, spend some time and think on how you will use it. Will it be just you or do you have kids or friends who will help out? How many people will sleep in it? Will you cook in it? Mine is 16'x20' which seems like a lot of room, but by the time I have two Cabela's Outfitters cots, the stove, our gear, and a folding table in it, that space is going to fill up quick. We chose the size of our tent based on the fact that at least two of us will sleep in it and if it's snowing, four of use will be in it to eat dinner, play cards, and get drunk. I also don't like to be crammed into a place with other people. I did enough of that when my Uncle and I stayed in my pop up truck camper. Last year, the four of us were huddled around a miserable campfire while it snowed off and on every five minutes while the guys up the road had a wall tent and were toasty warm and playing cards. That will be us this year. The downside to this size of tent is finding a flat piece of ground big enough to pitch the thing.

Heating: If you get a wood burning stove, make sure it has a coal grate and get some lump coal. At night, you can toss a couple lumps in it and the next morning you should be able to stoke it pretty easily (tip from a wall tent guy). Also, you will need to plan time ahead of opening day to cut wood unless you bring it with you. I'm also going to add a heat robber to my stove.

Transporting and storage: How are you going to get it there? The rafters on my tent are over 9' long so I have to use my trailer to haul it there. The rafters can be cut down and splice but I prefer to keep them one piece. How will you protect the canvas while transporting it, and where will you store it?

Internal or External Frame: I have no experience with an external or traditional frame. Why I like the internal frame is because the floor plan is more open as there are no support poles in the center of the tent.

Screens: For me, screen door and three screen windows are a must. I almost wish I had gotten two more screen windows in mine.

Floors: You do not want a sewn in floor. Mine is a full length loose floor, most people get a 3/4 floor. I wanted full length and will put down a fire blanket under the stove to protect the floor.

Call and talk to a few tent manufacturers and ask them questions. Davis Tent did a great job in getting me lined out and giving honest advice. Also, if you can wait until January, most of the manufacturers slow down and offer discounts or package deals. We bought ours in January from Davis and got a great deal.

Good luck.

[Elkduds]

If I am going for a few days and need to be mobile, I stay in the back of my Pathfinder. DO NOT SET CAR ALARM @ NIGHT!

If I am stationary for 2-3 days and want a cot, I have a nylon dome tent, 8x10.

More than that, or if I need heat @ night, wall tent. It by far the most comfortable. I can pitch it myself in 40 min. Mine is 10x12 w internal pipe frame, great for 2, tight for 3.

[Njdiverdan]

I have had a Cabelas Alaknak 12X12 tent for 9 years. For the first 5 it was more of a family camping tent than a hunting tent. The last 4 years it has been set up in the mountains of Idaho for the entire month of September. I have the vestibule as well and have slept as many as 5 guys in it (only for one night and one guy had his cot in the vestibule). I have never experienced condensation that was "dripping" inside the tent. When using the wood stove, there are no condensation issues. If using a propane burner like a buddy, the condensation is dramatically increased because water is a product of propane combustion.

As for durability, 9 years old and the last 4 years being set up for a month straight (plus other week long camping trips in the summer) and it is still in great shape. Is it better than a wall tent, probably not, but I have never owned a wall tent. Is it a viable option, yes. One thing to remember about the alaknaks is the center poles. It can really limit how you place your cots where a wall tent is all open inside.

Good luck,

-dan

[Texasgamehunter]

Thanks gents for all the input. I believe i will be going with a wall tent.

[Lefty]

I saw these at BSA scout camp .
I was impressed with all the smart features
I think they were synthetic not canvas
https://www.barebonesliving.com/Tents

[husky390]

I was in the Cabela's Lone Tree, CO. store yesterday and they had a 13'x27' Alaknak tent on sale for $815.00. I don't know what's wrong with it, but they might be able to ship it to a Cabela's near you. That's about half price from what they normally sell for. Heck, I was half tempted to buy it.

[six]

We had 5 people in a 16 x20 in 2013

2013 elk.jpg (139.95 KiB) Viewed 22786 times

I bought mine from Davis Tent and Awning, Denver Colorado. Call them up he was a great guy to talk with. Gave me a lot of ideas and I ended up with a tent and stove combo package. I built the frame myself (with a frame kit). I bought mine as soon as I got home from Colorado one year after spending 10 days in a pickup camper with a buddy.

We are doing bow camp in Michigan in 2 weeks then its off to Colorado on the 28th for 3rd rifle elk. We Love this tent you will not be disappointed.

[powderhogg01]

I have never camped out of a wall tent, I have done some trade show and rendezvous work out of one that a buddy owned. I will say that even when its cold as heck outside, with a small fire in the stove those bad boys are warm, even with the doors open. I will likely be picking one up once I figure out where my work is going to have me at. I mean heck, I could just get one and live out of it.. haha, only partly kidding there!!

[T.B.]

Stayed In a cabelas alaknak for the first time this year. 6 previous years used a canvas wall tent . After a day of rain in Idaho the alaknak was dripping inside with condensation. Have never experienced the condensation with my canvas tent.
Having used both I will choose the canvas wall tent every time.

[husky390]

Here's some pics from last weeks hunt. We both had Cabela's Outfitter XL cots and the table in there and a ton of room. We were running a Honda Generator with a 48' strand of LED lights I bought at Walmart and they worked perfectly. A word of advice, do not get rip roaring drunk the last night of camp. Tearing down a wall tent is not a lot of fun when you're hungover.

[Brendan]

We had fairly heavy rain, and some snow and sleet this year. We used a large coleman dome tent as a our base camp tent, and it sucked. Never again. I'm buying something for next year.

I'm leaning towards a 14x16 wall tent, but has anyone used any of the Arctic Oven Tents? Expensive though...

https://arcticoventent.com/tents/all-tents

[Indian Summer]

You're not kidding they are expensive. Is this a base camp as in at the vehicle or are you packing it in a ways?

For that kind of money is there a reason why you haven't considered a canvas tent from the Wall Tent Shop? (a sponsor here)

[six]

Ok so I'm getting my tent ready to go this weekend and I thought of something else to consider when your buying your tent. I have a 16 x 20 and the rafter poles have to lay corner to corner in my short box pickup. Makes it a pain when your trying to stack gear in the pickup bed and the poles are crosswise on the bottom. That would definitely be something to consider when you order a tent.

I will be upgrading to a long box in a couple of years simply so I can haul more stuff to elk camp.

[Brendan]

You're not kidding they are expensive. Is this a base camp as in at the vehicle or are you packing it in a ways?

For that kind of money is there a reason why you haven't considered a canvas tent from the Wall Tent Shop? (a sponsor here)

Oh, I have considered one (a 14x16), and that's probably what I'll do as this would be for base camp setups near a vehicle of some sort. It could also double for whitetail camp too. I have several backpack-able shelters to choose from when I need to carry with me, my Sawtooth even has a little titanium stove.

The reason I asked is the Artic Oven's seem to be the real deal and have a very large following in some very nasty terrain, but the only scenarios I could see them really being better is in a place like AK, the Yukon, fly in hunts, etc. as they're lighter than a wall tent (but still not backpack feasible)... Anyone here actually used one?

http://www.alaskatent.com/

[husky390]

You're not kidding they are expensive. Is this a base camp as in at the vehicle or are you packing it in a ways?

For that kind of money is there a reason why you haven't considered a canvas tent from the Wall Tent Shop? (a sponsor here)

Oh, I have considered one (a 14x16), and that's probably what I'll do as this would be for base camp setups near a vehicle of some sort. It could also double for whitetail camp too. I have several backpack-able shelters to choose from when I need to carry with me, my Sawtooth even has a little titanium stove.

The reason I asked is the Artic Oven's seem to be the real deal and have a very large following in some very nasty terrain, but the only scenarios I could see them really being better is in a place like AK, the Yukon, fly in hunts, etc. as they're lighter than a wall tent (but still not backpack feasible)... Anyone here actually used one?

http://www.alaskatent.com/

With the weather we had last weekend, you probably wouldn't need to use the stove, those things look warm.

Not to get OT, but how do you like your Sawtooth? I'm on the fence between that or the SO BCS Shelter.

[Brendan]

With the weather we had last weekend, you probably wouldn't need to use the stove, those things look warm.

Not to get OT, but how do you like your Sawtooth? I'm on the fence between that or the SO BCS Shelter.

Haven't used the BCS but love the sawtooth so far. At 4.5 pounds- it is a palace for 1, and comfortably fits 2 with all your gear. For an extra 2 pounds, you can add a titanium stove and be able to warm up and dry out, although burn times aren't that long. Pretty ideal lightweight shelter in bad conditions. I was able to fit a full size elevated cot in mine when I was solo too.

Here are downsides: it's big if you're trying to find a place to set up in tight timber. Can make it harder to find a spot in those conditions. It's overkill for one person in nicer weather - in weight and size. Like any single wall shelter - you will get condensation in certain conditions, but it's big enough that hasn't bothered me.

Hard to pick one perfect shelter, but this would certainly be in the conversation.

[AlexG]

Cabelas alaknak tents are awesome in my opinion! I don't like the poles in the middle though but it's nice when you want to hang lanterns though!

[Deadtrek]

I've stayed in a weatherport before and you can buy your own. It was really nice. Not sure what kind of structure it was relating to their website, but they have some awesome tents.

[Nelsonv]

I own the 12x20 Alaknak and I have stayed in canvas tents more times than I can count. I've never had a condensation issue that dripped water in my tent. I couldn't be more pleased with my tent. Serves its purpose for us. Keeps me very warm and dry. I've been in major winds(60+mph),heavy heavy rains, and a blizzard and it's never let me down. I have the vestibule and floor liner with mine and the vestibule make a world of difference for storage space.

[VT Sasquatch]

I am looking for a new tent myself. I intend to buy a Snowtrekker. It isn't as big or comfortable compared to those bug wall tents but it is also much lighter. They are canvas and can be used with a wood stove. It may be worth looking at them if portability is a concern.