My wife approved a wall tent purchse this year and I am going to order one in the next few days. I am looking for a self contained set up with internal frame, stove, etc. I don't pack at all, just drive to a clearing and set it up so weight and packability isn't important. I will use it for family camping in the summer and 10 day elk trips in September. There will usually be 4 or 5 people sleeping in the tent. Here is what I am leaning towards...
16'x20' 10.10 oz Marine/Mildew/Fire treated with zippered storm door and screen door on each end.
Snap in floor.
Fly.
Cylinder stoves Yukon Package (biggest, baddest stove I could find).
My questions are many, what things do you wish you had? What would you never live without? What would you never waste your money on again? If you could order a tent custom with a $3000 budget what would you order?
Incidentally, I am planning on ordering this through Reliable Tent and Tipi in Billings, MT. If you have any experience with them I would love to hear about it.
:campfire:
I forgot to add I am going to purchase an aluminum internal frame with it as well.
Check out Whip's website as well. he is a sponsor on here and a great guy to boot. He handles the Panther Primitives. Very nice stuff.
Prarie Traditions I think is the name of his business. Look at the sponsor lists up top.
Speak to Joe L. aka "Whip" I bet he could offer some good insight and help you find the tent that fits your needs. I'd bet he'll be along here shortly.
Also check out his site: www.prairietrad.com (http://www.prairietrad.com)
He has Panthers...from what I've read they have a very solid reputation.
Good luck!
Sorry bud...I was typing when this was posted..ha ha!! Guess 4runr and I are on the same page...
We'll I guess you have our take on it..ha!
Best of luck!
Actually is Prairie Traditions Kenny, but that's close! :thumbsup: Thanks!
I carry both Panther Primitives and Montana Canvas brands on my website, and both offer wall tents. There is also another option that isn't shown on my website. I carry the Cylinder Stoves, and they make a very nice wall tent as well.
The Reliable Tents are very good as well, I just had to pick a couple to represent and these are it.
If you are not commited I would be happy to work up a quote on a package for any of the three I represent for you. If I can save you money, great, and if not I'll let you know.
Is there any sponsors on this site that sell tents? :knothead:
LOL I will be sure to check the Prarie Traditions site.
Whip, PM sent.
I bought a 14X16 from www.davistent.com (http://www.davistent.com) and have been very pleased. I just looked at their website and saw they are selling the "King's Package" for $1,610.00. That's what I paid about three years ago. It came with a stove and choice of internal (angles only) or external frame. The service was great and the quality is top notch.
I also bought two of their "Big Boy" cots and was very surprised with how comfortable they were. I sleep on a Tempupedic at home and used to dread sleeping on a cot, but these were not bad at all.
Excellent set-up trout guy. I have a similar, but smaller set-up. My wall tent has a sod cloth and floor is a heavy vinyl that's laid on top. Stays in place fine, but the snaps may be an improvement. I expect a tent that large has 5 ft. high walls, but if that's not standard, you might consider getting the tent made with 5 ft. walls. Provides a lot more standing room closer to the side walls than do 4-foot height walls.
Orion, I can order 4, 5, or 6 ft. walls. The 5 ft. is standard and that is what I am leaning towards.
Advising a guy on a wall tent purchase is kinda like suggesting what kind of hunting dog to buy or what gal to marry...fraught with danger!
IF, you get lots of rain like we do here in Oregon you may be better off with outside poles vs. inside. The inside poles can rub against the canas and is more apt to leak.
Cylinder Stoves are great and you can use wood pellets with them if that is better for you.
I also like a separate sod cloth from the floor...you can roll it part way back from the entrance and stove area. Take off your boots on the dirt and not track any mud into the rear of the tent.
A tent maker here, Canvas Cabins gets most all of
the locals business. He doesn't charge extra for two full doors on both ends which comes in use a lot more than I originally anticipated.
Good luck!
Bob
I'm willing to bet you would be happier with two smaller tents. One for sleeping and one for living (cooking, etc.) When you do one with that many guys it gets pretty cluttered and hard to move around.
We have a wall tent for living and Cabela's 8 man expeditions w/cots for each three hunters.
Although the tube frames are external for the side poles, you might want to look at Canvas Cabins.
I tried a floor and gave it up.
Oh yeah, the two tents work better when a few of the guys have been successful and decide to stay up all night playing cards and drinking Koolaid.
Last I remember, there was a co. called Montana Canvas that make's all kinds of wall tents, I'm sure they have a wed-site. I've been using a Cabelas outfitter wall tent in the Adirondack's for over ten yrs. now in some harsh conditions & it's held up great. I would'nt hesitate to buy another, hope this helps.
Springbar tents wwork well for me
I have the Montana Canvas 12x17x5 and the cylinder stove. I LOVE IT! spent two weeks in November in the rain, and snow and was as dry as a bug. I use the 12x20 rain fly on top. I will be using it again this April for spring turkey and can't wait to use it. I am able to set this all up myself, it is nine feet high at the center rafter.
Doctari, I am glad to hear you can set it up by yourself. I was a little worried about that with a tent that big.
I second the DAVIS TENT i have had mind for over 10yrs now 14-16 no problems at all i use it 1-2 times a year.Sometimes it sits for a month. Only thing i wish i did different was get the larger stove just because it holds more wood, when its cold i fill it 2-3 times a night when its in the 20s. I also wish i had gotten the awning with it sewn on which i`m going to add it here shortly. 4 is perfect with this size with hunting gear, but i,ve sleep as many as 6 in mind just not as comfy. Can`t go wrong with DAVIS THERE GOOD PEOPLE.
One more thing...yes you can set it up by ur self but it`s a lot easier with 2nd hand. I`ve put mind up several times with just my daughter when she was 2-5yrs old... that was years ago Dam i`m getting old :banghead:
I started with this one,14x17,for a Spring bear hunt on a portage in Ontario in the '70s. I personally think they are the ultimate in camping equipment. This one had a heavy vinyl floor sewn in and the tent weighed a ton. I now have two that I can handle setting up by myself,one is 10x10 and the other 11x12. IF you're going to camp for longer than a couple of days at a time,I highly recommend a wall tent. A large overhead tarp/fly extending out the end works well for an outdoor kitchen.
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/wapiteee/canada1982.jpg)
Here is the 10x10. There was only two of us using it on this hunt. I set it up here on a wooden camper pad overlooking the lake.
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/wapiteee/CenterHillLakelatehunt.jpg)
My 11x12 size that I take out to CO when hunting solo. No floor so I cut a piece of black 4 mil landscaping plastic and put it down. Add a few astroturf rugs under the cot,strategic spots. I use the military telescopic poles as ridge poles and cut 2x2s with dulled crucifix nails as side poles. A galvanized oil drip tray from Wally World is my wood stove floor shield.
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/wapiteee/LifeisGood.jpg)
You might want to think about a couple of windows if your going to do much summer camping. The fly will help to keep things cooler if there is an air space between tent roof and fly, perhaps another reason to get an external frame.
Oh yeah, get the mosquito net door that you tie over the ridgepole.
Some great thoughts on wall tents. Just wondering about stoves. What light weight stoves would you recommend? Who are some of the better manufacturers? Any good websites - tents or stoves [other than Cabelas]?
They aren't light weight, but I carry the Cylinder Stoves at Prairie Traditions. Very nice stove for a canvas style tent. They come in a variety of sizes based on what you need. Right now I only have the Scout and the Hunter models shown on the site, but can also get the Outfitter and Yukon models as well.
Reliable tent and tipi's are very reliable :saywhat: :D I have one of there tipi's and so does my brother and sister.I went through there shop in Bozeman when I was there on a hunting trip and they are very good people to deal with. They have a spring sale every year in April and you could save some money, You should call and ask if there having it this year.
Whip has some great stuff to and your not going to find a better guy to deal with so you cant go wrong there either :thumbsup: Good luck
Tracy
I`ve always wanted a tipi, that`s a good way to go too, an you don`t need a wood stove. An i believe they are cooler in the summer
Whip - thanks for the info. Tox Collector
I had a Panther Primitives a few years back. I'm not sure I'd want a "snap in" floor. The Panther uses a flat floor and they put what they call a sod cloth all around the inside edge. Your "floor" lays over that and overlaps it by about 8" or so IIRC. It allows some give and wiggle room. It seems to me that snaps would require that everything be set up absolutely perfect every time.
I never had a single complaint about my Panther lodge.
Montana Canvas Wall Tents w/ their realite fabric is a great way to go. I have two of them and prefer this over any canvas tent. Much lighter and easier to take care of. That canvas gets stiff and heavy if you need to pack up in a montana blizzard.
Mo. Canvas is a company located in Bozeman MT.
krems
I have had a Montana Canvas wall tent for the last 8 yrs. It has an internal frame - I purchased the joints and made poles from 1" conduit. It is 10x12. We have had as many as 6 guys in there sleeping on straw and 1 on a big cot and it worked fine, crowded though. I'll second the notion of using 2 tents. We did that the last 2 times out and it works great, especially with the gear that many people can bring along. I have a heavy vinyl floor that is staked down with large spikes and works great, it really reflects a lot of light from candle or lantern at night, and keeps it drier if you set up when it is wet or over snow. The floor came with an area cutout for the stove. I have a rain fly and would not do without that. My smoke hole is on the roof - if I were to do it again I would have the smoke hole in the wall - when it is raining or snowing it will come through the smoke hole on the roof and sizzle on the stove all night long. Make sure to get a flap (with clips or ties) over your zippers on your doors just incase a zipper breaks, you will at least have the flap to secure the door. I have a 3-Dog stove and is plenty warm for that size tent. I would probably go with a lighter canvas weight next time and with shorter walls - I have 5 ft. walls. The tent we use for sleeping is the same size but lighter wt. canvas (sunforger), 4 ft. walls. and smoke hole in the wall - I like it a lot. As I get older (47) it's getting a little harder to move the heavy canvas tent around, even just rolling it up and putting it into it's bag. When I first purchased the tent I too drove to the site, in the last few years we've been hauling it in from 40 yds to over 1 mile (with a lawn cart). The light wt. tent is easier to use with pole found on site and just tieing it up to surrounding trees. And looking to the future I might get the lighter wt. setup. When I first set up my tent, my self made frame wasn't quite the right size, too long, and I tore a 10 inch hole in a corner, but I used the repair kit that came with it and haven't had a problem since. I have had one grommet go out.
I would not do without the floor, stove, rain fly, smoke hole in wall, and what I would get in the future would be some type of oven for either on top of the stove, or in-line with the chimney.
Lots of stuff to research - good luck.