Wall tent tips and tricks

[Billy The Kid]

Bought a wall tent thanks to a fellow AO member. It's an old 12x14, the kind with no frame so you have to cut poles. Took it out once and it seems like I got a pretty good deal, but I don't have much experience with them. Anyone have any tips to make life a little easier with them? Advice for stoves, floors, etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[35 whelen]

Buy a frame

[CDNOutdoorsman]

cylinder stove with a water tank and a warming tray.
tarp for the roof, get it at least 6 feet longer than the tent so it overhangs for a vestibule. great for cooking, keeping wood and gear that doesn't need to be in the tent. I like them a bit wider than the tent as well to deflect snow and rain away from the walls of the tent.
internal frame.
tarp for floor
get a cot and a themarest pad
rope on the inside along the walls and down the centre to hang clothes, paper towel etc

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Billy The Kid

Bought a wall tent thanks to a fellow AO member. It's an old 12x14, the kind with no frame so you have to cut poles. Took it out once and it seems like I got a pretty good deal, but I don't have much experience with them. Anyone have any tips to make life a little easier with them? Advice for stoves, floors, etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Lol, a bunch of bush firefighters I know have a rule of thumb that involves using axe handle lengths to measure your poles. Cant remember it though, maybe someone else here does.

[Hilgy]

There’s a guy on kijiji that sells frame kits for $250. Includes all poles and angles. I retrofit one of his kits to fit my 12x16. By far the best addition to a wall tent if you don’t have one.

[dfrobert]

Get a frame. We use old area rugs or old carpet rolled up for floors. Just pressure wash, dry, then vacuum clean after hunting trips if needed.
Get a stove with good dampers, and have a wind cap for top of stove pipe.

[7magtime]

I use some sheets of OSB plywood on the floor so you can walk around without shoes, transport them on the trailer under the quads. I also have a piece of tin for under the stove to deflect any heat...

[starvin]

If you can set up in the trees you can use ratchet straps instead of poles. Zip tie loops to strap. Can be a quick and easy one man job.

[kmacisaac]

I don't have the tent but hunt with a fellow A.O. member who does....if he chimes in you will get the been there done that information that will make things a lot easier.
As I see it, external rails/poles are the way to go. Set up this year and they are there for years to come for your "go to" spot. That's the main thing....I could write a book on the additional comforts I've come accustomed to over the years. Save those for another time...I think every year is a learning year and the only thing your camp will ever get is better.
Best of luck.

[Drewski Canuck]

First time we set up a 10 x 12 wall tent my baby bro and I SUFFERED. That was 1990. Many scars later, I will be glad to help.

Get the Internal frame kit. Try it out in a field or your back yard first to get familiar. Set up the top rafters and the gable (horizontal) pipes. Drape your tent over. Now lift with someone from one side, and put in the vertical poles. Go to the other side, lift up and put in the vertical pipes on the other side. Now it is standing up usually in 15 minutes.

Skip the wood pole frame idea. You will easily waste 1/2 a day getting enough poles and doing the lashing to make it work. Not worth it especially if it is raining.

Now take your set up tent, and spray it with a pump sprayer with a water proofing like Thompson's Water Seal. It is made for canvas as well! If there are patches needed, use iron on patches like the old blue jean patches to patch any holes. Let the tent air out a day, take it down and fold it up dry and clean.

Next, go to a lumber yard and get a bunch of cast off lumber tarps. Pull the staples and cut it to a size of your tent floor, now you have a free, disposable, clean tent floor. Make a few as the tarps are very handy.

When you look for tent pegs for your tent and the guy ropes, Don't use pegs from a camping store. Use the biggest common nails you can get, 10 - 12 inches. Get some washers and slide them on the nail. There, now you have a good bush peg. If you are handy, use a welder to tack the washers onto the nails. The washers help to keep the peg loops and guy lines secure.

Take a SLEDGE HAMMER and a brush pick with you, AND A SHOVEL. Try to pick as flat a ground as possible. Take your pick, and chop out all the saplings. Take your shovel and try and level off the tent area. ABSOLUTELY dig all the grass out from where your stove will be set up in the tent, about 1 foot past the perimeter at least. Set up your tent, pound in your bush pegs, and spread out the tarp in the tent.

To be fancy, use 3 inch nails on the corner of the tarps and along the edges to keep the floor tarps in place.

Now get everything in on the nice clean tarp floor, and go get a pile of firewood cut to last a few days at least. Weather can turn in a few hours, and you must have some firewood inside the tent to at least get you through a day. Once your firewood is in, then you can go about setting up the cots, tables, propane stove and light, etc.

Cover the rest of your firewood outside the tent to keep it dry if it rains or snows.

We have seen + 2C turn to - 20 C overnight. No fun. We have been swatting flies at the start of the week, and digging a trench to drain water from melting snow around the tent by the end of the week. No fun.

But a good wall tent with a good stove and lots of firewood can really be a life saver if things really go bad with the weather.

Drewski

[338Bluff]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Buy a frame

Best tip ever!!!!

I will have seen 52 years tomorrow and I set up an A frame by myself a week ago.....for the last time lol. I'm buying an angle kit and building a frame.

[bdub]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Buy a frame

Yup. We’re getting soft.

[35 whelen]

Originally Posted by bdub

Yup. We’re getting soft.

NOT SOFT just smart

[Boatbuilder]

I set my wall tent up only once or twice with poles. I built the internal frame soon after. best thing ever. I've recently just built all new pieces out of aluminum. for the frame. Tired of hauling around the heavy steel pieces.
Couple tips we like:
-Weld hangers on horizontal part of frame for hanging wet clothes or anything you like.
-Large heavy duty tarp to keep tent and everything inside dry.
- I made all my tie down pegs out of 1" round bar about 24" with 2" cap welded on end for pounding in and holds the guide rope on. Long pegs are great if you get into a gravel or sandy area.
-I made our own bed frames out of light wall square tubing with plywood tall enough to store action packers under them. Saves a lot of room in tent.
-I built many wood stoves over the years and great to have good air control on stove and stove pipe.
-

[jeffreys 21234]

What I like to do is take a roll of bubble wrap insulation the silver stuff that’s usally 4 ft tall we wrap it along the walls on the inside of tent seems to help reflect an retain the heat from the stove

[ArgoHDI]

Breaking down the tent after a hunting trip the tent usually is wet or has moisture in it. I always set up my 12x14 inside my garage and ensure its completely dry so it doesn't get moldy. Learned this lesson from a friend who make the mistake of putting his tent away with moisture in in. When opened up for the next season it was so bad it was un-useable.

Make sure your wall tent is dry.

[lefty 338-06]

Had a tent for years all good ideas here is a another one .
For the floor/ground sheet get a tarp that is bigger than tent 3 to 4 ft all around so when you
finish putting up the tent and trap over roof with the large over hang pull up the ground sheet and tie up the the tent this stops drafts and small gritters keep the floor dry .

[35 whelen]

I just sold mine last week, Had 20 years with it they are great take care of it and they will last forever ,this is my new camp

[Billy The Kid]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

I just sold mine last week, Had 20 years with it they are great take care of it and they will last forever ,this is my new camp

Looks like a an awesome set up!

[Billy The Kid]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

First time we set up a 10 x 12 wall tent my baby bro and I SUFFERED. That was 1990. Many scars later, I will be glad to help.

Get the Internal frame kit. Try it out in a field or your back yard first to get familiar. Set up the top rafters and the gable (horizontal) pipes. Drape your tent over. Now lift with someone from one side, and put in the vertical poles. Go to the other side, lift up and put in the vertical pipes on the other side. Now it is standing up usually in 15 minutes.

Skip the wood pole frame idea. You will easily waste 1/2 a day getting enough poles and doing the lashing to make it work. Not worth it especially if it is raining.

Now take your set up tent, and spray it with a pump sprayer with a water proofing like Thompson's Water Seal. It is made for canvas as well! If there are patches needed, use iron on patches like the old blue jean patches to patch any holes. Let the tent air out a day, take it down and fold it up dry and clean.

Next, go to a lumber yard and get a bunch of cast off lumber tarps. Pull the staples and cut it to a size of your tent floor, now you have a free, disposable, clean tent floor. Make a few as the tarps are very handy.

When you look for tent pegs for your tent and the guy ropes, Don't use pegs from a camping store. Use the biggest common nails you can get, 10 - 12 inches. Get some washers and slide them on the nail. There, now you have a good bush peg. If you are handy, use a welder to tack the washers onto the nails. The washers help to keep the peg loops and guy lines secure.

Take a SLEDGE HAMMER and a brush pick with you, AND A SHOVEL. Try to pick as flat a ground as possible. Take your pick, and chop out all the saplings. Take your shovel and try and level off the tent area. ABSOLUTELY dig all the grass out from where your stove will be set up in the tent, about 1 foot past the perimeter at least. Set up your tent, pound in your bush pegs, and spread out the tarp in the tent.

To be fancy, use 3 inch nails on the corner of the tarps and along the edges to keep the floor tarps in place.

Now get everything in on the nice clean tarp floor, and go get a pile of firewood cut to last a few days at least. Weather can turn in a few hours, and you must have some firewood inside the tent to at least get you through a day. Once your firewood is in, then you can go about setting up the cots, tables, propane stove and light, etc.

Cover the rest of your firewood outside the tent to keep it dry if it rains or snows.

We have seen + 2C turn to - 20 C overnight. No fun. We have been swatting flies at the start of the week, and digging a trench to drain water from melting snow around the tent by the end of the week. No fun.

But a good wall tent with a good stove and lots of firewood can really be a life saver if things really go bad with the weather.

Drewski

Some good info man, thanks a lot. I like the lumber yard tarp idea

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

NOT SOFT just smart

Depends on the size of the tent as well. We had a 10x12 with 3 Ft. sidewalls, no big deal to use poles to set it up. Easy to horse pack and a one person job. We replaced it with the same size tent, but 5 Ft. sidewalls. Definitely a frame situation and 2 people to set it up. Fames are heavy and awkward as well, not pack horse friendly.

Grizz

[jpohlic]

Originally Posted by starvin

If you can set up in the trees you can use ratchet straps instead of poles. Zip tie loops to strap. Can be a quick and easy one man job.

I've set up my wall tent many times in the trees using a wire rope for the ridge line and some ratchet straps to tighten it up. A rope on each side for the walls and it's easy to setup by yourself. Much easier than trying to set it up solo with a frame. I only use my frame if there aren't any trees around. I've also set it up using logs and that's my last choice

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by bdub

Yup. We’re getting soft.

for the larger tents, it's the only way to go.

Grizz

[gray7mag]

How does everyone keep mice out of their tent? I ordered a new tent and frame, and a floor as well. It says to fold the sod cloth underneath and put the floor on top, I'm wondering how that would work with the internal frame?

Does anyone bury their sod cloth? What has worked for you in the past?

Thanks in advance.

[jungleboy]

When we used to have a wall tent .

We had internal frame . I bought the angle kit and then went to an electrical supply outfit and bought conduit to make my own pole set.

We used the cam loc tie down straps instead of ropes to anchor the tent. This made a dusting the tensions as things stretched out over time much easier.

We cut spruce bows for the floor which made things easier to deal with as the ground thawed and things got a bit mucky, you just add more bows if necessary.

Gave up on the wood stove and bought an old Coleman diesel heater like they had in the old houses without central heating. Best thing we ever did! A 2 gallon tank that would keep consistent heat all night without having to get up in the night to stoke the fire. Two gallons was usually good for 24 hrs.

We would build a lean to or some such thing to cook under rather than cook inside the tent.

A tarp over the roof as a fly kept the snow from melting to the canvas , but was noisy if the wind picked up.

For tent pegs I cut 1/2” rebar into 12” lengths and welded a chain link to the side about an inch from the top. Cheap and tough.

[Sooner]

Old Forestry 12x14 I got off the Bargin Finder, added 2 ft to make it a 5 ft wall. Extra long Blue tarp covers the whole back wall and gives a nice porch. Snow slides off real nice. Campers Village internal frame. The frame was the best thing I could have bought. Cutting and fighting with ridge and side poles is a huge pain. So glad I never have to do that again. I prefer no floor. Just take pieces of carpet for your feet beside the cots. Tarps under the cots to put your gear on. Couple days with the wood stove going and the ground is nice and dry.




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[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Buy a frame

And bring a helper with that big a tent, not the wife if possible, since this activity promotes marital discord, right up there with sorting cows.


Grizz

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

NOT SOFT just smart

Frames can be pretty tough to pack on a horse.

Grizz

[Dean2]

Put a layer of dirt, sand, gravel in the bottom of your stove once you set it up. You get a much better burn and the stove will last ten times longer. This my seem obvious but I didn't see it mentioned, pay attention to the prevailing local wind direction when orienting the tent and especially the stove pipe. Try not to have the smoke, ash and embers blow across any part of the tent with a normal wind direction.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Originally Posted by gray7mag

How does everyone keep mice out of their tent?

Well, my old hunting friends would just set up mouse traps. Snap, snap, snap...

One trip, a skunk would come in every day to clean out the mouse traps. No sudden movements until he was done and gone.