Wall tents durability?

[Immigrant]

I am not sure if this is the right place to post, but I figure you trappers may have more experience with wall tents than others.

I want to build a little cabin (on my own private land) for me and the kids to go spend some time during, and after the hunting season. Would probably go there in the middle of winter a few times as well.
I priced out building a cabin, not overly expensive but not cheap either. we may or may not use the cabin a lot (summer reserved for lake camping and mosquitos) and most winter days are too cold to go in any case. And the novelty would probably wear off with the kids after the first rainy and cold night. I was looking at wall tents and they seem to be pretty durable, and cheaper and more mobile than a cabin
So my question is this. If I were to put up a wall tent around end of september and leave it till the spring, will it be all rotten and full of mould? I am planning to have a stove in it and set it on a wooden "platform".
How many seasons like this will the tent withstand?

[Marten1576]

IMO it would last till the first heavy snow . If you are only going occasionally I would set up and take down each visit.

[Sooner]

My tent stays up from end of Sept till the end of October(early moose draw) Usually packing it up in snow. I dry it out in the heated garage after. But I would say your good to go if you buy a real good insulated tarp and cover the whole tent in as much as possible. Buy a good internal frame and I use chain link top bars cut to fit to support the ridge pole when the snow flys. Most snow slides off my blue tarp easily but if your leaving it over winter, the snow load is a issue. Buy the biggest wood stove you can afford, bigger means less getting up to fill it.

A good tent and frame isnt cheap but there are good deals from time to time on here for a used one. Lots of wall tenters in the hunting forum.

[Immigrant]

I thought the snow would be an issue. I thought i would support/ brace the ridgepole somehow.

[bullgetter]

Do not leave it over winter. You will find it on the ground with the canvass torn and poles busted. They will hold a certain snow load until they reach their limit then it's gonna come crashing down. If you are there you can stay ahead of things by keeping the stove going and knocking the snow off. Build an insulated floor to set the tent on and setup every trip. When it gets wet hang in your garage to dry when you get home. Do not fold up and store wet! If you do get mold spray with a bleach solution and hang to dry.

[jim summit]

Alot of alaskans trap out of tents over the winter. It's alot harder to get a cabin
permit over there.
Keep the snow off and you'll be fine. I have gone fishing at remote lakes staying in a wall tent at -30c.
Good air tight stove and we had the snow melting on the ground.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by jim summit

Alot of alaskans trap out of tents over the winter. It's alot harder to get a cabin
permit over there.
Keep the snow off and you'll be fine. I have gone fishing at remote lakes staying in a wall tent at -30c.
Good air tight stove and we had the snow melting on the ground.

Or you could build a frame including a floor and as steel roof with a 9-12 pitch wrap the frame with a good heavy canvas and frame in a door. This will cost more then a good wall tent but way less then a cabin. With the roof there is no need to worry about snow build up. You can install a air-tight and bunks and be set. It would take some effort, but if done right as you can afford you can change out the canvas walls for wooden ones. I've done this before if you need help just PM me.

Just a thought.

BW

[Torkdiesel]

Although a wall tent is certainly more mobile then a cabin, for this application the cabin would be way better IMHO. If you're going to build a floor for the tent anyway you might as well build the whole cabin. Wouldn't cost much more then a good tent and internal frame. Plus the novelty of -30 in a tent wears off fast. At least the cabin will last for more then a couple seasons.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Guys, we have a good quality wall tent my partner sewed from heavy canvas and have been using it for 20 years. We leave it set up from September until end of hunting season end of November. We use 6" ridge pole but 2' of snow in mountains has broken pole 3 times. We got smart and made expandable aluminum support pole we place in middle when we leave and have not had tent collapse ever since. Good quality heavy yellow treated canvas tent will last 20+ years.

[Red Bullets]

Try a teepee. Much nicer than a tent. A teepee handles snow better too.

[jpohlic]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Good quality heavy yellow treated canvas tent will last 20+ years.

For a number of years I've been using the same wall tent that my dad and his hunting buddies used when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure they bought it used - it's got to be at least 35 years old now and still in great shape.

[Immigrant]

I appreciate the input. I guess there is no "easy" way of doing this. Like TD mentioned, if I am going to build a floor etc I may as well build a cabin.