Hey Guys,
Sorry for the double post.....I started a thread on the Beckel EENA TT Tent and am now considering looking at the Cabelas Alaknak or a conventional wall tent with internal frame. Wanted some opinions on the Alaknak. Sounds like the Cabela's reviews are good for it....just wanted to hear any comments on choosing between the two....or between the three I should say...
Seems like a nice quality tent and a bit lighter than a canvas with the frame, etc. Decent price for a 12x12 and I was also considering going to the POD version which allows you to put up to 6 'pods' for sleeping in and maximizing floor space in the main area of the tent....

Any comments appreciated!!

The Cabelas tents are nice, but if there is alot of humidity like snow, rain and you do not have a wood stove it will be wet inside. Canvas is heavy, takes alot of space to store, but dries quickly, breathes well, insulates great. I thought about getting the Alanark many times, but canvas is best in my opinion.

I agree with hunting1. Most all single wall tents are going to have moisture issues unless there is a heat source in them. If the source is a propane heater it won't take care of all of the moisture.

Sometimes all it takes is a Coleman white gas lantern running for a few hours a day but some kind of flame seems to be required.

The exhaust from cleanly burning propane is water so it adds moisture. I have a propane catalytic heater in my camper. If I have to run it steady for several days, it'll get pretty damp in there, even when keeping windows cracked for ventilation.

Dick

Definatly will be using a wood stove with any choice.....so I do appreciate the comments regarding either of em....its greatly appreciated in helping make the decision....

my alaknak tent has survived roughly 10 moose and 3 or 4 bear camps .A optional roof tarp was available at the time and was needed as the actual tent leaked.I have used it down to minus 18 or so and still slept on top of my sleeping bag as it gets fairly warm inside.I would buy another in a heartbeat.

Redmtn,
Not good to hear that the actual tent leaked....how badly did it leak? What type of stove do you have in yours? What made you choose the ALaknak over the canvas?

A canvas tent with a fly over it is a pretty awesome thing to spend a week in, in bad weather. Gotta have a woodstove of course.

I don't know about the Alaknak; it might be equally pleasant.

-jeff

I bought mine aprox. 14 years ago.The new alaknak 2 tents dont look like mine in anyway and maybe they have made the seams more water proof , dont know.I used a couple litres of seam sealer and did the whole tent , inside and out.Before we took it out i set it up in the yard and ran a sprinkler over it for a few hours and water was coming through in a few different areas.At the time you had a option of ordering a fly to go over the top and a alaknak stove , i bought both.The reason i chose it over a canvas tent was mainly due to weight considerations for fly in trips , thats all.I definitely would buy another if i had to replace it and again only with a fly as i dont like water dripping on me.

We`ve hunted out of a canvas wall tent, for years. This year, we went to an Alaknak, mainly for the weight. The first night, we didn`t lite the stove, because the temps were in the 20`s. When we got up next morning, the inside of the tent was all frosty from our breathing. When the sun rose, the frost turned to rain, in the tent. The wood stove took care of the problem. The vestabule, is a real plus. Keeps gear and boots inside, plus a handy place to cook in bad weather.

We have both, and the Alaknak never comes out with us anymore. it leaks and you use twice as much wood to keep it warm as the canvas tent. Plus I think it is more of a PITA to setup then our canvas wall tents.

Thanks Virginia...

So now I'll add another loop in the thread....which brand wall tent are you guys running, and why?

For some reason a 12x15 with 5' walls keeps coming into my mind, and a nice internal frame. Sure seems like thats a cats ass setup.....

I've looked at Beckel, Davis, Cylinder Stoves, Reliable, Deluxe, and Norseman....

We have been using:

Kwik Camp KwikCamp Linky This is our Food/kitchen/card play�n/everything goes here tent 10x14

Cabelas Cabelas Linky
12X14 with rain fly this is our sleeping rig. The Cabelas Tent has thicker canvas, and seems to retain the heat much better.

Both have internal aluminum frames, so I would suggest getting a rain fly, since water likes to wick through to the frame when it rains for more then a day (or if it comes down in buckets <wink>) In both we have the Alaskan stoves. We also have a Tippee which is way cool, and is very comfy but sure uses up a big footprint (17� diameter) but is really only good for 4 ppl.

I bought a Davis canvas tent over 15 years ago and it is still going strong. I have the internal frame that is so easy I can quickly erect it myself if need be. Most of the time though I'm packing in with horses and just cut poles.A couple of friends have bought a Davis since I purchased mine and they like theirs as well. The service is also great if by chance I do something stupid and it needs to be repaired! A great family to deal with.

Basically what it comes down to is that you will find a large majority of hunters appreciate a good wall tent over any other type.
One of the best attributes is that you can pack thme in and cut poles on site. I have packed everything from a 16 x 24 toa 10 x 15 on mules with no problem, or if you camp right at the truck, the poles are handy
The 12 x 15 is an excellent size

How about the Montana Wall Tent Shop, anyone have experience with their tents? I am looking at one of them for next year.

I'll be checkin them out too Rob....thanks for the link on the other thread.....

TTT....thanks for the comments guys...keep em comin!

Have you considered the
Kifaru tepee with wood stove?
It is in a class by itself weight wise.

I have an alaknak that is 6 years old. I sold my trailer for it. I always have the stove burning and it stays dry inside with less than 3 guys in my 12x12. I have to say a nice dry floor is worth a pile to me. no mud in the tent, does good for keeping mice out too.

I like the alaknak. and the vestibule and roof protector are money well spent. we just use a silver tarp for the floor, it is cheap and reflects light well.

We used the alakanak one year. It was a lot harder to heat than the canvas wall tent. Harder to set up. Condesated a lot of water when we used the propane heater and cooked inside.



So My preference Good Old canvas Wall tent

My 12 x 12 Alaknak has worked well, although only three years. I use it for fly-ins and short portaging into a wilderness area, where poles cannot be cut. Must have a vestibule for long trips or more than a couple guys, or if you like to change clothes, shoes(which I recommend), etc before you get inside the main area. It need lots of tie-down/stake spots, so bedrock is a pain to deal with. Like has been said, use a small wood stove. Spark arrestor is a must, as the material melts easily. Mine has beer holders on the walls. I use an "eco fan" on the stove. It really helps.

In general, I'd say that if you take care of it, as I do, it will serve you well. If you are going to treat it roughly, get a wall tent. If it will be used for more than a week or so at a time, get a wall tent. If you or your buddies are rowdy or drinkers, get a wall tent. If used in the most horrible weather (blizzard or something), get a wall tent.

well said DPole

We've been using a Reliable 14X16 internal frame for a number of years. It's well made and we have been very pleased with it.

They are big and bulky, but nothing works like canvas and a good wood stove!

Speaking of wood stoves.... Looking to buy a nice light weight camp stove for my canvas tent. Any suggestions?

Those Simms are nice stove. Light weght and fold up for packing if need be, icluidng nested chimneys. I have had mine for over 15 years with no problems. You do have to spray them with vegetable oil after each season to keep from rusting. Expensive though

My experience is pretty close to that of high_country_. We're about to take out our Alaknak 12x12 for the seventh season. We usually use it for two weeks a year, one in Sept. for grouse and one in Oct. for elk. Three times we've had snow up to about 6" for a couple of days in the tent. We use a wood stove (Riley Wrangler)and, while we've had some issues with condensation, it hasn't been that bad. Nothing a little sponging up in the corners hasn't taken care of. We also try to be pretty careful about keeping it vented. Very comfortable for two guys, fine for three. No problems with leakage, though I probably ought to seam seal again. The new models look like they have bigger vents. We got the Alaknak due to price and less weight than the wall tents. If you get one, definitely get the vestibule and the spark shield for the roof.

Put me down in the canvas tent camp for many of the same reasons others have stated here. My tent is 10" x 12" which is a little smaller than many prefer. But heated with a Hunter model Cylinder Stove it keeps us warm and comfortable.

I have a Fort McPherson Tent and Canvas Company tent. It's a big one, 12x14 and with a wood burning stove in it it's nice and toasty. I can't wait to get out this winter and do some winter camping.

For our hunting camp we use a 14x16 canvas wall tent, a 17x17x 14 tall pyramid tent and a 12x14 cook tent. the two sleeping tents are from Norseman tent and awning edmonton alta, the cook tent is jones tent and awning vancouver, they've been out of business for a long time now , it has 21 seasons on it and good for more.