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I am planning on buying a Reliable Tent Big Horn 10'x12'x5' model. Is there a cheaper way to make a frame rather than buying the angle kit and then buying the conduit or should i quit being so cheap and just buy the angle kit?

I have two wall tents. what i do is have ridge pole made out of 1" pipe in three or for pieces that screw together, pipe thread, use two 2x4's crossed at each end to support, can use one at each end if you like, On the sides I use 2x2 s with a 1/4 inch lag screw in the ends with the heads cut off, this upright goes thro the grommet on top and the loop on the bottom. use 18" pegs to tie these back. Lotof explaining for a simple operation, pm in the am and I will send picture

I would recommend NOT going cheap on anything that has to do with a wall tent. You will pay in the end. IMO there is only one way to fly thats thats a Davis tent with an internal frame. They make the frame specific to your tent. You will run into problems going your way when your campsite is not excatly level. The davis frame fits to the tent so you could put it on the side of a mountain and still have a solid frame.

Davis Tent actually recommends traditional poles on their website as the preferred option.

They will make you a set if you send them your ridgeline "grommet to grommet" measurement.

I made my own. But, I am a cheap ol' bas........

A single upright where the a-frame is will work as well, we used the a frame for ease of egress and exit.

Frames fit great when the canvas is new but canvas will continue to shrink over its life time. I have had to cut down the side poles to accomedate shrinkage. The ridge pole on this one is 4 sections of pipe with a T in the middle for a center support, with a 12x 14 you wont need a center support, the one in the picture is 14x18. Also , if you are taking the tent in by quad or horse you will want ties on the out side for the ridge pole/ pecker pole. You will need to cut 7 pecker poles to put tent up . All that is required for this is light twine and a hand saw. There are lots of options but my opinion, after hunting out of these for2/3rds of a lifetime is to make something on your own as it is all repairable with a saw and rope

I have a Davis Tent and I bought the conduit and made the frame from the measurements they provided.This is the best wall tent I have ever owned (I'm on my 4th)so far the frame still works great this tent will be on it's 4 th season this year.I take the frame when car or atv camping and use the forest for making the frame when on horseback.

I have that exact tent, the Reliable 10x12. I bought their angle kit. It was a little tedious cutting the conduit, but, it turned out great.

A couple thoughts. First, I would HIGHLY recommend buying the 12x14 model instead. I wish I had done that. In fact I sort of meant to do that; I was replacing a tent that my friend had shared with me, which I was pretty darn sure (from the diagrams and so on) that what we'd been using was a 10x12. Turns out it was a 12x14, and my 10x12 feels a little "small", even for two people.

Second thought. When you use the angle kit and conduit, the resulting frame is HEAVY. Not a problem for car camping, but for instance we are booking a drop-camp for next fall and my steel frame is actually going to be a problem; it's going to eat up a lot of our weight allowance. So if that matters, you might want to go with their aluminum frame.

That said, my bud's tent had the aluminum frame and the angles were pretty fragile and easy to bend. His was not a Reliable though.

-jeff

Agree on Davis. Great tents.

Jeff, You need to learn how to cut poles instead of packing that conduit in.

An internal frame is the way to go if you are only car camping. The frame pieces and angles are heavy.

You should consider a larger tent too. A 10x12 will be cramped for more than two people.

If available, get the marine treated canvas. I use wall tents for work and the treated tents hold up a lot better than regular canvas.

Here is a 10x12 with internal frame.

I would get the complete internal pole kit if you can afford it. I have one and it is great for one man set up. I have used about everything possible for tent poles 2X4's etc. Depending on where I am going and how much my load is I may leave the poles behind because the nice thing about the wall tent you can bring a box of 16d nails and a saw and make all your poles. but the easiest and sturdiest is the internal frame it is not worth my time to gather all the conduit and cut it to size etc. the snap in eyes on the frame kit are much better


Then tent on the right has the internal frame the one on the left I got the poles from the forest.

Sorry for the size of the pic. but it is the one I have saved on the server.

Hi Guys

I know that I am pretty new here but I do have a little experience at this. Year before last on a mule deer hunt in eastern montana we had two tents set up end to end ( see photo).
Well one of the guy's and had to go to town(to have his truck worked on in Wolf Point When we got back he jokingly said well at least the tents didn't blow away ( anybody been in eastern Montana when the wind decides it really wants to blow. Well it compleetly blew down one of the tents, but the one with the enternal frame withstood 50-60mph wind gusts while our buddies were pickin up schit halfway to North Dakota. I'll keep my internal frame, also makes setup alot easier (I can set up the 14x16 by myself but it takes two guys to put up the 16x20.

Hope this adds some isnight.
Dave

Here's our wall tent (from Davis Tent), 14 x 16, during the 2005 MI firearm deer season in the Pigeon River Forest. That year it withstood winds strong enough that they closed down the Mackinaw Bridge just north of us.

Before the storm



And after



The Beast that kept us warm



Our inside set up sleeps 3 comfortably, a cot goes against the back wall but a bunk bed is being considered to add a 4th

Jeez, M1. Where does the maid stay? In the motor home out back? What is her favorite cordless vacuum? It's great that you took yer pics after she cleaned the place up............ It's called camping, you know? Ever heard of dirt floors and sleeping on the ground?

M1, that's nicer than a lot of people's houses! I gotta set my frame up and color code it like you did. Just been waiting for it to warm up a bit.

It's dirt...underneath the tarp and old indoor/outdoor carpet makes it reaaaal cozy. Here's after a few days hunting...






And my hunting partner, Dad, guarding the liquor stash

It definately makes it a lot quicker and easier to set up, otherwise I bet it'd take at least twice as long, probably longer.