Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Wall tents

I've never owned a canvas wall tent before and wondering how well they deal with the moisture issue that most other tents suffer from when used in cold weather? What maintenance do they require?

Set em up when you get home, clean it, let it dry and put it away. That's all you need to do

If using a wood burning stove, at least in the west here there are no moisture problems.

I used a 30K btu propane Blue Flame heater in mine and really didn't have a moisture problem that some encounter.

Biggest maintenance is to make sure they are dry, dry, dry, before rolling up and putting away after the season.

I did lightly scrub mine with Dawn dish washing detergent a few times.

If you have zippered doors, the zipper takes some maintenance every so often.

Always using a poly tarp on them solves any leak problems and protects against UV damage.

Basically if you take care of it, it is relatively free of any up keep

So, you still need to use a rain fly or tarp if in snow or rain?

We don't use a tarp on our two wall tents. Every few years we set them up and spray a canvas waterproofing on the roof. We have zero problems with them.

I don't use a water proofing as it adds weight which I can't handle and I don't like the smell.

Mostly I use the poly tarp for two reasons. #1. They are 100 %water proof. #2. When it does snow, the snow slides off easily. With out one,the snow next to the canvas melts and then freezes and it builds up making an extra snow loading I don't need.

You don't have to worry about tapping the canvas and getting leaks when you do have to remove the snow.

I did wall tents hunts for about 40 years and the poly tarps are about the best thing I ever come up with. Because of physical problems I gave it up two years ago. Look at most oufitter's camp andyou will see them in use also

What do you do where you bring the stove pipe through the tarp?

A tarp or fly is a must IMHO and I have taken it one step further with a front awning.

A tarp is a blessing if you get heavy snow, it slides off a lot easier.

Another reason I use a tarp is to keep the embers off your new tent (roof)
I've done trailers, campers and wall tents and something about the wall tent is what Calls out to me while hunting. We bring another tent for chow hall as well

Stove pipe out the side....or you get a lot of holes in your roof.

Tarp will take an ember or two. easier to replace the tarp than the tent.

if you order a new tent, just order a tarp at the same time, my tarp is just a over size square hole that fits over the stove jack.

I install a spark arrestor for added protection.

Notice where the tarp is out front for my awning has snow on it but over the tent has melted and has much less snow. My tarps are also long enough to give me some out of the
weather storage beside the tent outside under the over hang.

I'm looking at a 12x17 with 5' walls, so it looks like a couple 12x24's would do something similar to what Huntinut is doing. I take it you just lay the tarps right over the top of the tent and stake them down?

Looks like a roll of indoor/outdoor carpeting inside for a floor?

I use a tarp on the floor first then put down your carpet. That will help keep the carpet dry. We also use a big enough tarp inside to raise it along the sides and back a few inches (tied to the internal frames) to help keep critters and water out.

[bleep] floors......

Definitely putting the stove jack in the front or back wall eliminates the problem of how to tarp around the stove pipe.

Plus it makes cleaning the pipe a lot easier which tends to get sooted up if all you have to burn is pine

I have never had floor in my tents, but I do put a tarp down in the back where the beds are to keep gear dry. A small piece of carpeting to stand on when I got up was an extra comfort.

Creosote can be a problem and why you can't just use any spark arrestor as it will get clothes up. Chinese cap work fine.
I don't use carpet or big tarps on floors.
I Found the cheapest and best space saving option to be A painters tarp from harbor freight under my cot.. Nice to get out of bed onto something dry and clean.
Last thing you want to do is pack bunch of extra stuff or take it back when it's covered in mud.

Another reason to use poly tarp on the tent. Once a tent gets wet and you have to pack it back out on a horse or mule, you add a lot of weight with all that water in it in. I never had
much problem with muddy tarps I shook them off and rolled them up with the mud on the inside.

I was referring to bringing carpet for a large tent floor.

Here are some wall tent elk camp pictures. In my opinion, there is not a better option for backcountry camping (assuming weight is not a consideration).

Amen

Ok, this will probably never be used where it can't be hauled by a 4x4 or ATV.

I was looking at the different types of stoves and was liking the looks of the Cylinder stove. Any pros/cons to this model? Something better out there?

I was thinking of buying the frame kit and finishing it off with 1" EMT to save a pretty good chunk of change. With the size tent I'm looking at, it seems that should be strong enough. Any rookie mistakes to avoid here?

cylinder stoves are great.but heavvvvyyyy......

Yes, get the angle kit and make your own emt frame. Super easy.
If you want to save more money by building your own wood stove by using a 55 or 33? Gallon drum is easy as well. Not heavy but cumbersome if you don't have utility trailer. One benefit to the drums is you can store your chimney pieces inside of it. I'd also try to put a flat piece of metal or plate on top so you can have a pot of hot water all the time. Also have the doors little higher than center so when you stoke the stove for the night. you have room to fit bunch of wood in there with out trying to snake it up.

That cylinder stove looks pretty slick...like one of those deals if someone else makes it, I don't have to.

Yep I use 2 12x24 tarps and they overlap 6-8" in the middle, I also have another tarp on the floor under some carpet pcs that make it very comfortable. Buy your angles from here they have all you could ever want and very reasonably priced

Google Davis Tent and Awning, Denver, CO. They have a wealth of info on their website. I have their tents, stoves, cots, etc. and have been satisfied.

Put a 16' X 24' white poly tarp over my 14 X 16 tent, makes a nice 8' awning. Just cut an oversize hole for the stove pipe. If you order a tent get the "eave sleeves" and you can just extend the internal frame out front for the awning area.

Cow doc gave you the best info Davis Tent. Also look hard at Fourdog stoves they really keep the beers down. Also you don't need to tarp your tent if you buy A Davis tent, never had a leak and if you set it up right the snow slides off pretty well. Also if it's flat arse coming down stoke the four dog up and the snow will melt away.

Some comments on what has been discussed.

Poly tarp - check
Cylinder stove - check
Indoor/outdoor carpeting - check
Spark arrestor - check (I made my own from welded wire hardware cloth)

some great looking setups. Getting fired up for hunting season now

True a poly tarp is not necessary, but you will prolong the life of the tent from UV damage, reduce burn holes if your stovepipe goes thru the roof, the snow will definitely slide off faster, and you won't have a tent that doubles in weight from being wet.

A $20-$25 investment to protect a $800+ tent seems reasonable.

One thing you want to do if you buy a new tent. Set it up on a bright sunny day and hose it down good inside and outside with water. Then let it dry good. That shrinks up the canvas adding to the water tightness. If you make your own set of poles or frame, be prepared to cut them down a bit after the tent shrinks up if it hasn't been so treated

On stoves, don't get a small one unless space is an issue. The large stove will go 5 - 6 hours on a full load of wood with the fresh air vent closed almost all the way down.

We also use the side mount water tank. Make sure you put it on the side of the stove closest to the canvas wall or it keeps heat from reaching the center and rear of the tent. You will always have hot water and it adds some humidity to the tent. On the negative side you have to keep it full or the lid will warp, takes about three gallons per day in evaporation.

I've got two of those tanks if anybody wants one.
For me they're more of a pain in the butt.
I just keep a big coffee pot on top of the stove

I've gotten along without a tarp when horse-packing but I don't recommend it. Tarps are light and cheap. Only negative is that they don't let all the light in --- but you shouldn't be sittin' in the tent during daylight anyway. We use an oversize tarp and have "eaves" on both sides. Handy for storage in deep snow.

When we reach camp in a pickup --- I use 3' sections of steel fence post for tent stakes (8 of them). Great in a high wind. Get something like a Camp Mor internal frame and you can pitch that 12 X 17 by yourself; if need be.

I have a RILEY Wrangler box stove and recommend it highly -- very light and handy. Stove pipe fits inside. Screened stove pipe covers don't work when burning Lodgepole -- they soon plug. A "Cap" helps a lot. We try to pitch the tent so that the prevailing wind blows sparks away from the roof.

We use an old truck tarp for a floor and lay some funeral home grass for pathways. I hate generators -- but I'm outvoted on that issue.

If you get a white tarp vs. dark colored tarps it seems more light in the tent.

Bought regular duty white tarps online, and by using cheap grommet repair kits, are still using the same after 10 seasons of elk camp.

Awesome pics

If you use a dark tarp, does it keep more light in the tent after dark with the lantern? When you should be in the tent.

No. It seeps out under the walls.

Nope, goes up the stovepipe.

I wish someone had told me this sooner.

I'll start doing a better job on the sod cloth.

You lot are far more sophisticated than I, one of these and three issue canvas stretchers is what I have.

I do like the idea of an additional tarp though.