Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting wall tent frame Idea.

I have a chance to get a new 14x17 wall tent at a great price, I should find out today.
My ? is on frames.
I would like to use the old traditional style, but on the ridge pole I was wondering if there was a way to do it with only having an upright in the front and back? Also having the front with two angled poles instead of in the door way(A-frame).
I have seen somewhere where this has been done and on the ridge pole they had a small cable running along the bottom of the pole with 2 short pieces spaced out pointing down pushing down on the cable to act as a support.
What is everyone's thoughts?

Sounds like it might work. If it doesn't, put in some extra rafter poles.

Tx Trapper:

You can make your own frame using 1" EMT and prefab joints like these.
http://www.walltentshop.com/anglekit.html
I have two tents with frames like these and they work Great. A lot cheaper than buying the whole shebang from Cabelas. Buy the EMT at your local big box hardware/lumber store.

BTW here's another thing that might be useful. 1" EMT fits just right inside the top rail that is used for commercial grade chain link fencing. So you can splice tubes together. That is what the joints are made of.





KC

KC, thanks for the link.
If I do the internal frame, the rafters will be 8'6", do you cut them in half and use a sleeve or what? Thanks........Allen

I use threaded black iron pipe for my ridgepole and it requires a center support. You can cut a pole on site that won't require an upright. I ripped some treated 2x8 lumber down into 3/4x1 1/2" for my outers to hold the walls up. I ripped 2x8lumber in half and bolted it together a foot from the end in scissor fashion for my ridge supports. The outers and broken down ridgepole make a bundle 5' long and easy to transport. With all that being said, I only use that frame when camping locally. When elk hunting in Colorado I just cut the entire frame out of pine near the campsite in about 20 minutes. If you know you're coming back to that spot you can stash the poles in trees for later.

Tx Trapper:

I think maybe you're trying to span the wrong way. The rafters should span the short dimension. For a 14'x 17' tent, the rafters should be about 7'-2" long. The ridge and eave poles should be 5'- 8" long if you use 12 pipe joints.

My big tent is 15'x 20' and the rafters are 7'-8" long. The ridge and eave poles are 5'- 0" long because I use 15 pipe joints.

BTW a roll of duct tape makes it easier to setup the tent. You put a little tape around the area where the pipe rail goes into the pipe joint so that the frame doesn't fall apart before you get the tent fabric on.

KC

Tx Trapper: If you are in wind or snow country then I highly recommend what we "settled on" for on our tent.
Put an upright pole right in the center of your tent!
It adds MUCH stability and much to the weight load before damage amount.
Yes its right in the middle of everything but it comes in handy for hanging things on/from.
With this "upright" center pole you can "tighten" your hold down ropes even more and again this aids in the wind.
Good luck on the good deal with the big tent.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

X2 on the center pole. I have hooks on mine where jackets go to dry. When I use a cut pole for the ridge I miss not having it.

Buy an internal aluminum frame setup. You will be much happier. Fast, easy to set up. Light. Tent is up in 5 minutes.

I believe Kwik Kamp will be able to help or other frame builders. They should be able to mach the pitch of your tent with one of their frames setups. I had a KK frame for my 14x16x5 tent. LOVED IT. Used it for camp in the mountain for sldding all winter and moose camp in the fall.

HAve couple more guys involved now so we got a bigger tent (16x20x5) from Deluxe Walltents in British Columbia.

I have two 12x14's and a 16x21 with internal frames, I bought the angle joints from Bussards & Son's and 1" conduit from the electrical supply house, Had them sew up bag's for the joints and poles some I can keep them seperated. I can put up the small tents in about 30 mins apiece by myself and the big one takes about 45 mins but goes better with a couple guy's. Have some white truckers tarps to go over them to shed snow and rain. Wouldnt do it anyother way now. plus it leaves a nice area wher ll the tents come together to stack wood for the stoves.

Yes, they're alot easier to handle.

Well after all the hoopla I made over this I went back and worked a deal on the alum frame. Ended up getting a brand new 14x17 with screened door and window and CO. door plus the 4 section alum. frame for $1000.00. Now the fun begins..........Allen

Late to the party, but here goes:

I made a ridge pole kit for my 14 x 16. Cut chain link to rail connectors in two, brazing them to make 3 'T's for the support poles. I find the middle pole is a good demarcation point for the sleeping versus heating and eating part of the tent, plus you don't have a lot of space to hang things (including lanterns and wet gear) to dry anyhow. A buddy turned me onto using (worm gear) hose clamps and steel rods for hangers on the verticles. And it is well supported.

If I was packing in or had no room, I would use local materials. I use 3/4" & 1/2" emt for the side walls. All three pipe sizes nest inside each other.

Davis Tent sells ridge pole kits (they use the top rail, but have these pins set up for the uprights to make it all fit nicely).

I presume your canvas is treated? Untreated shrinks and requires the internal frame kits to be re-cut over time.

I don't like the rafter-type internal frames. I use 6 pieces of chain link fence top rail which has hubs for butting them together. I cut the ridge pole so that both pieces are the same length. I then either duct tape them together when they they are pressed in or run a small sheet metal screw through the joint to keep them from slipping apart. I have a pole on each end that I do the same way but no need to tape or screw- gravity does a good job. I fabbed a T-shaped tubing section for the joints where the ridge sits on the end poles.

I then use 5' sections of 3/4" EMT along the OUTSIDE of the walls- one at each grommet. I can pull it all tight with the guy ropes and it sheds water just great. I usually cut a temporary middle pole if camping in snowy conditions to stick in the middle for extra support should I have a heavy snow load. I take it out when the weather permits.

I have seen a "trussed" ridge pole and that would be my preference. You simply use 1/8" cable with turn buckles and a 12" kicker coming down off the ridge pole that the cable runs over. One of these days I will make one.

My very first Wall/Sheepherders Tent, as we called them back then.Was framed out with 2X4's cut to truck bed lengths using simple wood sleeves from the local hardware store and I preferred Marine Canvas back then.

Very simple and inexpensive..Screw in hooks where ever you want them for hanging stuff.

Jayco