Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting need a new wall tent

I am thinking about getting a new wall tent from Davis Tent and need opinions on what size to get. I have been using my 12x14 for the last 10 years and sometimes it is a little cramped when there are over 4 hunters in camp. Even more so if there is a new guy that takes every hunting and camp item he has. So I am looking at a 14x16 or 12x18. The concern I have with the 14x16 it that there is alot of roof area to catch snow.

Simpler to add another 12X14 end to end, you still have the option of just one 12X14 for less people. You can get a new tent with doors in each end that lets you stack them. One heating stove should do both. I will use a 3/8 cable through the ridges to hold it all up. Use a cable hoist or ratchet strap to tighten. Put poles verticle at each end and the middle to assure the proper height. THe width of your tent is more of a concern in snow than the length.

14x16, tarp it if snow is a concern, and never look back...

We actually cover our 12x15 with clear plastic, that we get at wall mart or home depot, and we don't loose the natural light inside the tent. We also use two wall tents if more than two of us, one for sleeping and the other for cook tent/gathering tent. The two tent system works great for us, if you want you hit the sack early or stay up late and not bother the others.

I do not run mid-tent peak to eve support on my 12 x 14 internal frames. When going to 16 ft+ in length, I do. It takes a little more engineering if one is packing in and framing with available timber.

Canvas sheds moisture/rain in fine style, but a plastic fly will facilitate sliding off snow.

Snow's typically not an issue if someone is in/near camp, but if one is off spike camping, a heavy load can do damage.

Our parties use wall tents for cooking and socializing only, so space is never an issue. Sleeping and personal gear goes to other tents, so one does not have to stow his gear or deal with tending fires when we would rather be sleeping at night.

+1 for getting a second tent of the same size.

You can setup the two tents with the doors facing each other, about 6 feet apart. Then span between the two tents with 3 pieces of 8' x 1" EMT and cover with a tarp to create a vestibule. The vestibule can be used for storage and it keeps snow out of the tents. We sleep in one tent and cook in the other.

Here's a photo of that arrangement using smaller tents.



You don't have to cover the tents with the tarp. Just enough to cover the vestibule area and overlap a little onto the tents works fine.

KC

You are probably aware that Davis is running a very good sale on their tents right now. I'm thinking about a new 14x16 myself.

That's a pretty good sale going on right now, but the best sale, IMO, is their annual Spring "scratch, dent, and one-of-a-kind" sale. If you can wait a bit, they offer some killer deals. Generally in February or March I think.

I did take a look at the sale and now waiting to see if the 12x18 goes on sale. I think the 12x18 will work for most years with 5 or less hunters and gear. If 6 go then I will take both tents. I like the idea of being able to put them end for end since it would be the same width.

You guys must not like your hunting partners all that much if it takes a 12X18 tent for 5 folks. Heck, we used an 8X8 tent for three guys.

I have used Davis tents for 15 years now. I have learned a couple things during those years.

First, go with the larger size, you will appreciate the extra room should the weather get real nasty.

Second, Davis will build you just about anything you want. We went from a 14x16, to a 14x20 by just having them add a panel. We than ordered up another 14x20 and put them end to end to have a 14x40. Front one for cooking, back one for sleeping.

Currently we have a 14x16 with a 8 foot vestibule.

Overall Davis has been fantastic, and you can not go wrong with their tents or their service.

I like my hunting buddies just fine. But I have changed my criteria for camping comfort. Our elk camps have evolved over time.

This was my first elk camp, in 1979, for three guys.




This was our camp ten years later.




This was my elk camp for five years. It just didn't seem the same.




This was our camp last Fall.




I just bought a travel trailer. Who knows what our next elk camp will look like.

KC

KC- I'm sure I'll get "there" someday as well. I won't turn down staying in a nice camp and doing my share to make it nice. But, I don't need a whole lot of comforts in camp. Niceties like big kitchens for meals, tables, etc are lost on me. I'll do the MRE/Mtn House thing just fine. I just wish I had enough time to be afield that I'd appreciate the compforts...

Never bad mouth a good camp based on year's of "experience".....

A comment on the scale of some elk camps....The entire camp, the hunters, and their harvested elk should all fit in a single pickup. I noticed two camps this past season in Wyoming that would likely take two full days to set up and the same to tear down. Both included satellite TV's and lighting systems that could illuminate a city block. On top of that, the volume of life and traffic in each was sufficient to turn the site into a mudhole that an industrial pig farmer would be proud off. When time comes to log such a site, I'd not want to be the one running my saws through any of those trees. There was probably half a keg of nails holding those places together. Sorry, just my rant...

What the heck is the ""scratch, dent, and one-of-a-kind" sale" that is put on by Davis? Anyone interested in parting with one of their used 10x12 or 10x14 wall tents? Good condition, with poles and angles...Just thought I would ask since some of you are upgrading to larger tents and travel trailers...I'm just a beginner with one year of Elk hunting under my belt!

On a side note...I ran into an elk camp this year that had a freakin Coach motor home, a huge wall tent for cooking. Following the Motor Home was three fifth wheel trailers with 4 four wheelers and 2 two person bobcat 2200's. It was a sight to see...they had a great time late into the wee morning.... they came by the third day to see what we had been up to as we were always gone before they got up and they were eating before we got back to camp!

I guess elk hunting means different things to different people!

Their "scratch and dent" tents are usually trade show display models, mix and match fabric colors off ends of rolls, or some that didn't quite come out to the specified dimensions. I've even seen them discount tents because the canvas was wrinkled. Anyway, it's a great way to save some $$$ on a great tent and should be coming up in the next few months.

There was a smoking deal on a brand new 14x16 Davis in the local classifieds last week that I tried to snag, but it was 4 hours from home and by the time I figured out a way to get it paid for, it sold. Tent was brand new in the box and the guy had all the angles and a rain fly for $625.00! I need another tent like I need a hole in the head, but would pick up another for a spare at that price!

Can't go wrong with a Davis Tent. Been using the same one for over twenty years......plus a lot of their horse packing equipment. They have great service and stand behind what they sell.
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