Author Topic: Wall tents (Read 3953 times)

Jamisjockey · « **on:** October 12, 2005, 03:05:40 PM »

Anyone have a wall tent? I'm buggin the wife about getting one.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #1 on:** October 12, 2005, 03:14:03 PM »

The group I go camping/hunting with has several. What do you want to know (not that I'm an expert...)?

Chris

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #2 on:** October 12, 2005, 04:02:24 PM »

I guess that would help.
My biggest question is what sort of features are useful, and what isn't.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #3 on:** October 12, 2005, 06:48:35 PM »

I see no need for a floor. A stove jack is nice (as is the corresponding stove). If you get a stove, get a good one, put the damper near the stove (not up high), get the accessory water tanks that hang on the sides. A sod cloth is good and keeps the wind out. Get a tent slightly larger than you think you need.

We use a couple of these: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/horizontal-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20075&id=0005869513987a&navCount=2&podId=0005869&parentId=cat20105&navAction=push&catalogCode=IF&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20105&hasJS=true

We use the Alaskan Stoves: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=search&rid=&indexId=cat20118&navAction=push&navCount=15&parentType=index&parentId=cat20118&id=0005876

Chris

Sylvilagus Aquaticus · « **Reply #4 on:** October 12, 2005, 08:43:27 PM »

I've seen military GP tents for sale every now and again. Of course, you just about need a 5 ton to carry anything bigger than a small one. Should be tough and last a long time for you, though.

I do like the Cabela's model, though. They also have a single center-pole model in the new catalog that's kind of like the ones on M*A*S*H.

Regards,
Rabbit.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #5 on:** October 13, 2005, 01:45:43 AM »

Funny that you mention the GP tents. We started out on a GP Small. We moved to wall tents because they're lighter and easier to set up and a the material let's light through, which means you don't have to have artificial lighting in the middle of the day. The GP was like a cave, even at noon.

Chris

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #6 on:** October 13, 2005, 03:35:13 AM »

Cool thanks for the thoughts.
We just had a cabelas open here, and have a custom maker named Kirkham's
http://kirkhams.com/
A buddy of mine just got one and I'm drooling over it. He's hunting right now, I'll be real curious how it worked out for him.
I figure if someone wants something to step onto, a piece of outdoor carpet could be used.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #7 on:** October 13, 2005, 05:27:00 AM »

If all you've ever used are the standard backpacking tents, a wall tent is going to seem like a luxurious hotel. With cots, laterns, and a wood stove, you live like a king. There's nothing nicer than coming in from the cold or damp and taking a chair next to the stove. Nothing more soothing than the gentle crackle of the fire in that stove while you sleep.

Chris

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #8 on:** October 13, 2005, 06:29:52 AM »

Chris,
That's very appealing. I'm tired of freezing my ass off in small tents on 20* nights. And now with kids, I could use something more spacious. Also, I'd be more tempted to take off during the winter with a setup like that.
Lastly, the family vehicles are a Hyundai car and a Suzuki XL7. We've talked about getting a small popup we could yank behind the 'zuki, but with the impending move we can't justify the money. I could easily yank a small utility trailer loaded with gear and a wall tent, though.
I guess I oughta get it down to brass tacks and start in on the war department.

charby · « **Reply #9 on:** October 13, 2005, 06:49:52 AM »

Wall Tents Rule

I used to spend a week every summer in one and at least a long weekend in one in Jan or Feb. I am actually thinking about getting a wall tent for winter camping.

Its like a Holiday Inn compared to a smaller tent. If you plan on camping more than a few nights in one spot or cold weather camping, get a wall tent.

Get ready to spend some money too, get a sod cloth and floor for it, the stove will heat the ground up and soon you will have a muddy floor in your tent in the winter time.

Charby

Sylvilagus Aquaticus · « **Reply #10 on:** October 13, 2005, 08:30:07 PM »

I just remembered this:

Might be an interesting option. Not a wall tent, but they do have merits of their own.

http://www.reesetipis.com/

http://www.pacificyurts.com/
Regards,
Rabbit.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #11 on:** October 14, 2005, 02:53:14 AM »

Heh. I have some experience with tipis as well. One of the couples that camps/hunts with us uses a tipi. We've spent many a night in the tipi drinking whisky and raising hell. Tongue

If you do it right, prepare to haul long poles (15+ feet) to camp. They're kind of difficult to set up, but once they're up, they're more stable than a regular tent in the wind. You're not going to have as much room unless you get a HUGE tipi. Forget the fire on the ground method of heating. You have to have perfectly dry wood and luck to get it to burn without smoking the insides of the tipi. Get a woodstove. On the plus side, they do handle bad weather better than a regular tent.

They're neat, but more of a novelty item IMO.

Chris

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #12 on:** October 14, 2005, 06:25:37 AM »

Agreed. Not at all interested in a tipi.

http://www.springbar.com/wall_tents/

mtnbkr · « **Reply #13 on:** October 14, 2005, 06:30:25 AM »

You mentioned a popup camper earlier. Have you priced a used one? I ask because by the time you buy a tent, frame, and stove, you're looking at $1k+. I've seen decent, used popups for that price. A popup might be more comfortable for a family.

Of course, it all depends on WHERE you want to use it. We take the wall tents to places where a popup couldn't go (well, except for the new offroadable popup one company offers).

Chris

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #14 on:** October 14, 2005, 06:56:06 AM »

If we came across one it might be an option, but one big problem is storage. We don't have RV parking and I don't want to pay for storage.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #15 on:** October 14, 2005, 06:59:15 AM »

I hear ya on that. That's another reason we don't have one yet. I could store it in my garage, but I like keeping my SUV there. Once the SUV gets sufficiently aged that we don't feel like "protecting" it, we'll probably get a popup.

Chris

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #16 on:** October 14, 2005, 07:02:16 AM »

I considering getting a folding utility trailer. This would make hauling gear to a campsite a snap. With a little modificiation it would do well offroad, too (larger tires, stiffer springs).
There are other considerations with a camp trailer. Maintenence and registration. I don't know about there, but here a small utility trailer doesn't require registration, while a camping trailer does.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #17 on:** October 14, 2005, 07:10:31 AM »

I think any trailer requires registration here.

Chris

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #18 on:** October 14, 2005, 07:16:03 AM »

Hhmmm.
Another problem is that we don't have a truck (SUV). We really need to get a utility trailer. That would mean having two trailers. I think it'd work out real well for us to have a wall tent and a utility trailer.

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Author Topic: Wall tents (Read 3953 times)