Wall tent advice

[Dubya]

Hi, I need some info on wall tents. I have been a camper owner forever and now my camper needs to retire. I am thinking instead of replacing it that I would try a wall tent. I am just uncertain because I have never even stayed in one. If I get one it will be a good one, I don't want to waste my money on something that wont last.

We like to going fishing on Quesnel Lake a lot or hunting out in the Chilcotin on the weekends. Are they worth taking on a weekend trip or are they too much of a hassle?

I read you have to dry them out if they get wet, how long does that normally take? How do you do this if you don't have a large shop?

We also like camping in the winter time so i thought a wall tent would be perfect on a lake for ice fishing. do I need to go with an insulated one if i buy a stove?

Thanks

[teelt]

I've had a wall tent to a long time now and love it. My dad originally bought it at a forestry auction early 90's. There are some tough time in spring when mosquitoes are bad up here in the Yukon that I'd love a camper but my wife recently made a bug screen on it the slides into the poles and it works pretty well.

I use it in all settings in including -30 bison hunting. I have a wood stove from the guy in castlegar which is dynamite now and lasts a lot longer throughout the night. The wood heat is so nice at night and dries out wet clothes. Since its older I also had to get a custom frame for it made when my dad passed it down to me. It only has 3ft walls which I would not get if I ever bought one. Set up with two people takes about 20 mins including the stove set up. Also I would imagine a newer tent setup would be easier. Also I would recommend getting the porch options that extends the frame and tent to give a little bit of a vestibule. I just use a tarp to extend it but it would be nice to have if I ever bought one.

[wos]

Im on my second tent. They will last your lifetime if you treat them right.
Drying out like you mentioned is key as well as dry storage. You will need to hang
it in a grage for 2or3days after use.Personally
like having no floor, and my new tent has an extended porch area l use for cooking
I love wall tents they are the most practical hunting camping setup. Setup and take down
is reasonable but is best with 2 or more guys.

[375shooter]

Take a close look at the Arctic Oven. It will probably suite your needs very well. They're expensive but probably worth it. That's what I'll be getting.

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

[Paulyman]

I set one up on my quesnel lake fishing trip a couple of years ago, too much work for a weekend in my opinion. All of the wall tents I've seen around these days are well built.

[375shooter]

My Snowtrekker tent is easy to set up and only takes about 10 to 15 minutes. It has an aluminum internal frame and is 8 x 10 feet - good for 2 people with gear and a stove. My stove box is 10" W x 19" L x 9.5" H and has a 3" collapsible stove pipe, which fits inside the stove. There is a rain fly available for it, too. This setup is pretty comfy on cold days and is not too much trouble to pitch even if only for a weekend. It would work great for ice fishing, as well.

To drying it, I just hang it over a clothes line on a sunny day.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk163/pdrigby/109_zpsprw3lvl3.jpg (http://s280.photobucket.com/user/pdrigby/media/109_zpsprw3lvl3.jpg.html)

[Daybreak]

Wall tents are great for many reasons;

You can get them in the bush where no camper or trailer would ever get.

Combined with a good woodstove you have the best and cheapest heat available. Like previously mentioned you can end the day with dripping wet gear and have bone dry toasty clothes and footwear for the next morning. As you know, it is difficult to get anything to dry in a camper or trailer using propane or electric heat. Wall tents breathe and the woodstove will bring it up to tee shirt temperature even in bone chilling weather.

Set up is a wee bit of a chore particularly if you tarp it over which you should. This will keep it that much drier and reduce effort required to prep it for storage.

Wall tents are extremely roomy. Headspace and elbow room is not an issue. Once organized, you can live in comfort and not spend half your time rooting around in boxes and duffle bags looking for crap you need but can't remember where it is.

Wall tents do require flat un-sloping ground which is not always available exactly where you want it. A shovel and rake is sometimes required to prep the area prior to pitching.

You will need a good set of stakes to properly secure the tent. I salvaged 20 hydro line anchors and put sharp points on them. They are galvanized and will not bend or come loose. Roughly 5/8ths diameter I think.

I built boxes for all my tent and stove gear and once pitched, the boxes serve as both storage bins and tables.

You will need a means of supporting your chimney on the exterior as it will catch the wind easily. I have a light weight metal pedestal that stakes to the ground and telescopes up to the desired height. then two or three large worm clamps and the chimney isn't going anywhere. Get the chimney high, above the tents peak if you can. Always try to check prevailing winds before pitching as you do not want the campfire outside blowing in your door. Porch is great for storing wood and lawn chairs. I never cook (except coffee) in the tent. Food odours and grease don't mix with canvas too well.

Woodstoves from Castlegar were mentioned, I got mine there too. It's the "Four Dog Night" brand and is the cats ass. You have 5 gallons of hot water always available and it's truly airtight and cranks the heat. Made in USA however guy in Castlegar carries them. Heavy but will outlast you or me.

A wet tent hung in a carport with a large fan will dry quickly if it's shifted and rotated every few hours. They must be bone dry to store for any length of time.

Too much work for a weekend in my opinion. I wouldn't set it up for any less than 5 nights.

You have the option of buying a frame or they can be pitched using rope only or saplings from the bush. Pretty flexible. You get the best set using the frame.

Deluxe Wall Tent, our longest sponsor I believe, sells a good product and provides prompt delivery from Vancouver Island.

Lastly, the tents are a little more labour intensive in some respects as compared to a camper. However, once set up and functioning you can't beat them for practicality and comfort. Wood heat is such a comfort at the end of the day it makes it all worthwhile.

[Daybreak]

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk300/logonphoto/IMG_2488_zpse2817dde.jpg (http://s283.photobucket.com/user/logonphoto/media/IMG_2488_zpse2817dde.jpg.html)

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk300/logonphoto/IMG_2492-1_zps7c2ee820.jpg (http://s283.photobucket.com/user/logonphoto/media/IMG_2492-1_zps7c2ee820.jpg.html)

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk300/logonphoto/IMG_2493_zpsafd96b22.jpg (http://s283.photobucket.com/user/logonphoto/media/IMG_2493_zpsafd96b22.jpg.html)

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk300/logonphoto/IMG_2490_zpsb3f94a2c.jpg (http://s283.photobucket.com/user/logonphoto/media/IMG_2490_zpsb3f94a2c.jpg.html)

[sheep hunter]

Does any one have the contact for the wood stove out of Castlegar ? I'm looking for a new stove for my wall tent

[mikeboehm]

I have a 10x12 wall tent. It has not awning so i bought a 2nd 10x12 frame. I run a 20x30hd tarp. Works awesome.

One piece of advice whatever size of Wall tent you want when think you will need get one size bigger

[Daybreak]

Does any one have the contact for the wood stove out of Castlegar ? I'm looking for a new stove for my wall tent

Here you go. These stoves are awesome! Hot water whenever you want it and adds a little humidity to air while you sleep.

http://www.canvastentshop.ca/stoves_fourdogs.html

[sheep hunter]

Here you go. These stoves are awesome! Hot water whenever you want it and adds a little humidity to air while you sleep.

http://www.canvastentshop.ca/stoves_fourdogs.html

Thanks For the information

[mikeboehm]

they look like good stoves but if those a galvanized stove pipe i would never use inside the tent

[ACE]

Wall tent .....
At least 5ft. walls.
50% larger than you think you'll need ..... stove, firewood inside for wet weather.
External ridgepole works well in cold/snow as it holds the tarp off the tent.
Internal ridgepole works well if you aren't going to tarp your tent. A clothes hanger is easier to rig from the internal ridgepole. Six of one, 1/2 dozen of other.
No floor ..... sod flaps seem to work better, and makes your tent easier to dry out after use. Treat the sod flaps and the lower 18" of wall with Thompsons Water Seal or equivalent ....
Tarp large for a veranda/porch at the entrance.
We slide the 4 x 8 sheet of plywood out of the truck bed, and with two sawhorses have a very usable table for under the veranda.
Stove pipe through the roof, not the wall. Cut your tarp to fit.
If you are using external wall poles with rope and tent pegs .... cut long bands of inner tube and tie these as a 'stretchie' ..... the wind will blow, and you'll never pull a tent peg. The tent just returns to normal.
A good wall tent is a very comfortable home at -25 .....
Cots with thick open cell foam, and covered perimeter ...... heavy weight sleeping bag!

Now you're ready for those late season Mule deer ........ Peace River.

[Dubya]

Thanks for all the advice. I am sold on the arctic oven.
anybody on here own one?

[albravo2]

I'll be a bit of a contrarian. No need to spend all that money. I bought a huge costco portable garage ($400 for 24x12, I think) and a military surplus diesel heater ($200) from the US. Love it.

We had 8 cots and there was still enough room for camp chairs around the diesel heater. We used landscape cloth as a floor.

Our first set up was a couple hours, but our next will be about an hour. It was a bit noisy in high winds, but we'll fix that next time with some velcro tie downs.

With 8 people on a +2 degree night there was a bit of condensation in the morning on the walls. I'm not sure how it would be in bitter cold, but I'm looking forward to trying it this winter.

Since it is flame resistant plastic, I don't see much harm in putting it away wet. I found the steel poles a bit heavy but the tarp itself is quite light. I will be replacing the steel poles with some aluminum ones.

[Ride Red]

We have a 12x14 with a 5' porch. I use the tent when we pull our boat as I can't take everything. Room for 4 people, gear, wood and storage boxes. I like the stove pipe out the side wall, but that's my preference. Tent material won't condensate like tarp material does when the temp drops. You can run a longer tarp out over the front of the tent if you want a larger outdoor area. Wood heat has been my favorite since I was a kid on the farm. Nothing beats it's drying power and just the smell of burning wood. Clip cheap LED tent lights up inside and it will be a super bright home away from home.