Dilema-Wall tent or holiday trailer

[Griztrax]

I've been staying in holiday trailers@hunting camp for years.I sold my hunting trailer& now using newer family trailer. Not good,If only the wife knew about all the mud & snow tracked in.I've been looking @ wall tents,Im thinking 12x14by Deluxe wall tents with a 4 truss frame & wood stove.I don't know enough about them.All feed back would be great,such as are tents warm enough in minus 20* in S.W Alberta/do people leave them alone/comfort/heavy snow.Look foward to hearing coments. THANKS.

[decker]

Do alot of research before buying a brand of tent. I have two norsman wall tents. One is a 14 x 16 with 5' walls and the stove ring is in the front. The other is a 12 x 14 with 3' walls and the stove is in the back. I have stayed in the larger one in -20 weather with a rather small stove and we were comfortable but had to stoke the fire every couple of hours.

[NIKON]

I used to own a forestry tent, switched to this style and really like the ease of set up and maybe a bit warmer with the liner in them....

Nikon

[riden]

-20 is cold for any tent. You need a good woodstove for sure, we bought a kit like this one and it is great--no regrets:



If you don't have a floor, it would not be much fun. It would be cold and wet/muddy. PLus you would likely end up with a lot frost under your cot in the AM, that may be tough to dry.

With a floor, you would likely be comfortable, if you got a guy willing to get up every 2-3 hours during the night to stoke the stove.

[NIKON]

Riden

Where did you get the kit?........Does it stay lit all night?

Nikon

[Griztrax]

Thanks Decker,I havent chosen a brand yet, just wondering about tents in general.

[decker]

Originally Posted by NIKON

I used to own a forestry tent, switched to this style and really like the ease of set up and maybe a bit warmer with the liner in them....

Nikon

I have one of these as well, its good for a couple guys and really doesn't take much to heat it. The only down fall is the door way. Mine is the 5 man about 10 feet in diameter.

[ishootbambi]

having used both, i would never trade a tent for a trailer if you can drive there. the trailer is just way more comfortable and convenient. the only way im sleeping in a tent of any sort is when i hunt in the mountains. even then, if im taking horses, a motorhome beats the tent any day even though it may mean a longer ride in and out. pretty well tents are only for sheep hunts these days.

[NIKON]

Originally Posted by decker

I have one of these as well, its good for a couple guys and really doesn't take much to heat it. The only down fall is the door way. Mine is the 5 man about 10 feet in diameter.

Yah the door is a bit low, we tied our doorways together and propped a stick in between sure helped raise the doorways a bit... The Big one is good for 3 comfortable, and the 10ft diameter would be tight with three....... I really like how quick they go up...... Just need to find a water repellant if you know of one for the army canvas

Nikon

[Innoka]

My brother has a norsman tent and we have used it quite a few times on hunts up north. I think its a 14X16 which is pretty big for the two of us but I sure love the room. We used a stove that he bought at Peavy Mart and it worked really well. It kind of looked small and light but it sure threw the heat when I figured out how to use the damper .

We had a few nights where the temperature was close to minus 30 and we made it through the night okay. Just make sure you have a better sleeping bag than anyone else staying in the tent. I lost and was up every three hours to fill the stove.

The one time I stayed in a camper when we were hunting in the cold, I woke up in the night and thought it was raining. There was alot of condensation on the roof. I didn't have that problem in the tent.

The only downside compared to a trailer or camper that I really see is that it takes about 2 to 3 hours to setup and then to take down and depending on how cold it is, you might need to spend quite a few hours finding, cutting and splitting wood.

[decker]

I was going to try thompsons water seal on one tent and see how it works. I was told it works well.

[colin455]

Originally Posted by NIKON

Riden

Where did you get the kit?........Does it stay lit all night?

Nikon

X2. I'd like to know where you could check out that kit too.

[muzzy]

I have used a 14x 10 tent for about 20 years small stove to warm up in morning and evening and a good heavy sleeping bag good to minus 20 with a smaller light one stuffed iside and snug as a bug with double high air mattress for added comfort Put a 10x10 scizzored style canopy right in front of tent door and drap a 24x 12 tarp over tent and canopy Three tables set up in L shape for cooking/prep and eating and I am confortable heat and cold Have had no problems until 2 years ago when a huge black bear decided to pay a visit not once but twice in 3 days By end of second visit tent was shredded, air matresses punctured and I was sleeping with a knife and 12 gauge and one eye open!!! Suddenly camper trailers look pretty good and no there wasnt any food around or in tent first bear trouble in 20 years + but it quickly puts a damper on things

[Rocky7]

Here's my .20:

1. Nobody ever complained the tent was too big. Buy a 14x16 if you can lift it.

2. Get an inside frame. Outside poles are only fun for a short time. Aluminum is probably the best, but my steel frame was cheaper to build. Go for an extra rafter set, you never know when you'll get heavy snow in the mountains.

3. Buy a fly. Wet tents are no fun and worse to pack, then dry out at home.

4. Don't chisel on a stove. It's better to be warm.

I have one of these and found the quality pretty good, the price reasonable and the dealer treated me great and got the tent to me post haste. I have their wilderness model and wilderness stove without the water heater. Very happy with both.

http://www.canvastentshop.ca/

Oh, yeah. My wife bought me one of those Coleman instant water heater/shower thingys. I packed it the first year just to humour her. Then I used it. It's now on my list of things I have to pack. A warm shower every few days beats a dunk in a cold creek.

ps: Nobody's ever bothered mine but then I don't put it up for the season and leave it like some selfish sob might.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by NIKON

Yah the door is a bit low, we tied our doorways together and propped a stick in between sure helped raise the doorways a bit... The Big one is good for 3 comfortable, and the 10ft diameter would be tight with three....... I really like how quick they go up...... Just need to find a water repellant if you know of one for the army canvas

Nikon

I spent LOTS of time in these tents in the military.........mostly 5 man but 10 man tents a couple of times. We rarely used them in the summer as they are no good in the rain. Have a bivy bag for rain in milder weather and condensation in the cold. Scotchguard might work reasonably well on the canvas......extra coats on the seams. We slept 5 guys in them staggered head to toe on air mattresses and a two burner coleman stove and lantern for heat.

To sort your door opening out run your guideline out about 10 feet and leave it slack. Prop the line up with a branch about 8' high and 5' away from the door. Pull the line tight and the line will pull the doorway up.

We used pine or spruce bows for the floor but a layer or two of old carpet would do nicely if there's snow or frost in the ground.

I would if I had to but if I have a choice I'll take a trailer.Been there, done that, got the tshirt.........

[mudbug]

You can get that stove kit from home depot for about $50.00. I saw them the other day on an American Home Depot site. If any of you are interested send me a PM and I'll try and find the link for them and I'll give it to you

[HunterDave]

If you are thinking compact and versatile for heating a tent a military M-1950 stove (better known as a Yukon Stove) is a great piece of kit. You can heat with a jerry can of gas, diesel, kero, whatever and if you don't have that available or you run out, just burn some wood.

http://myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=34463

Deluxe makes a great tent but for -20 camping, if access wasn't an issue, I'd choose a trailer with a furnace. The wall tent is a great option if you have to quad or horseback in though.

[cougar chaser]

just a thought but i purchased a hail damaged trailer from sask salvage web site,, dented tin on one side but way better than sleeping on a tent floor,,, trailer was pretty cheap,,, doubt you would heat it at minus twenty tho,,,

[honda450]

Used this US Army tent this past fall at huntin camp. Dang heavy duty and you can add more sections to it if ya wanted. Huge for 4 guys and lots of gear. Had a diesel stove and could pound out the heat, it was not very cold though. No floor, just layed down a tarp. Takes at least 3 guys to set up and a course on how to do it too, hehehe

Made of some sort of rubberized material, and yes its heavy.

I like the Deluxe wall tents. Frame with porch.

[packhuntr]

Go with both! I have 2 wall tents, one cook tent and a living quarters tent. They work well on alot of hunts both cold and warm weather. I also have a holiday trailer, great for some trips, but the cook tent always seems to come along as well. I also have a truck camper, works well for dragging the boat going to a tournament or quick cast and blast somewhere. The benefit there is that you only need one truck,,, two rigs is counterproductive and way too expensive going down the road, not only that you decrease chances of mechanical issues with everything loaded on one truck, unless a guy hunts in big crews. Edit.

[billie]

Get a tent for your trailer, or provide extra snow support and close in your awning, use "trailer shoes" and only bring in what you have to. Most times your outer clothes can stay outside and with a dry/clean outside area, the trailer stays clean.

Princess Auto has a wood stove on sale next week.

Originally Posted by Rocky7

ps: Nobody's ever bothered mine but then I don't put it up for the season and leave it like some selfish sob might.

Why would setting up camp for the season be selfish?

[honda450]

Originally Posted by packhuntr

Go with both! I have 2 wall tents, one cook tent and a living quarters tent. They work well on alot of hunts both cold and warm weather. I also have a holiday trailer, great for some trips, but the cook tent always seems to come along as well. I also have a truck camper, works well for dragging the boat going to a tournament or quick cast and blast somewhere. The benefit there is that you only need one truck,,, two rigs is counterproductive and way too expensive going down the road, not only that you decrease chances of mechanical issues with everything loaded on one truck, unless a guy hunts in big crews. Edit.

We used one of those portable garage units for a cook house this past fall, worked OK, little bit of a set up. Just make sure ya anchor them down, we found that out the hard way. hehe

[Justanotherbuck2]

I have used a norseman 10x12 for four years now, my only regret is I didn't go with a 12x14, i have an internal frame and use a heavy canvas for a floor, the 10x12 is great for two guys but we often have three and then its a might cozy..bunk beds are a must for three in this size of a tent, I can set it up myself in less than 45 minutes and have been comfortable at minus 30. My wood stove gets about four hours so I stoke it heavy before sleeping and damper it right down also use a bit of popular for the last stoke burns longer. Tent is a great choice, I was at Cabellas on the weekendthey have a light weight tent with frame for under 900.00 looks interesting its a octogon style with a five inch stove pipe hole , might be worth checking out.

[Predator]

Originally Posted by riden

-20 is cold for any tent. You need a good woodstove for sure, we bought a kit like this one and it is great--no regrets:



If you don't have a floor, it would not be much fun. It would be cold and wet/muddy. PLus you would likely end up with a lot frost under your cot in the AM, that may be tough to dry.

With a floor, you would likely be comfortable, if you got a guy willing to get up every 2-3 hours during the night to stoke the stove.

For those trying to find them:
http://www.vogelzang.com/browse.cfm/...-kits/2,6.html

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Do-It...h-All+Products

[NIKON]

Originally Posted by Predator

For those trying to find them:
http://www.vogelzang.com/browse.cfm/...-kits/2,6.html

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Do-It...h-All+Products

Thanks for the link, Just wondering if you used this option and how it worked for you?

Nikon

[riden]

Originally Posted by NIKON

Riden

Where did you get the kit?........Does it stay lit all night?

Nikon

Here ya go
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/VOGELZANG-BK1...item45f91af7f2


You buy the kit and supply your own barrel. We used a smaller barrel to conserve space, I think 30 gal.

It does not stay lit all night, but is 10 times better than our old air tight. I have never woken up and not had enough coals to get a fire going easily.

I highly recommend it

[riden]

Originally Posted by NIKON

Thanks for the link, Just wondering if you used this option and how it worked for you?

Nikon

Any questions pipe up, we have used ours two years. In our camp the woodstove is my job.

[diamonddave]

With us the trailer goes away at the end of september. I hate how damp everything is in the trailer, even with the furnace. Nothing beats the heat from the wood stove for drying and being comfortable. We always put down a grass matt for a floor and keep the slippers at the door. 4 inch foamy on the cot and a good bag, its all you need to sleep like a baby!!

[mudbug]

Here's a home depot link for that barrel stove, it is a US Home Depot site so the part # will be different in Canada


http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...e=cii_13736960