Wall tent our outfitter camp tent????

muleyslayer52

Active Member
Messages
134
After a few years of camping next to my truck in a small 4 person tent and camping in 4 days of raining weather last spring hunting turkeys, I am looking to invest in a large tent like a wall tent or an outfitter tent.

I will be camping next to my truck. I want a tent that i will be able to have a stove in it for heat. Standing up and drying clothes is a must for me now.Sleep most 4 people

I have $ saved up and was wondering what you have for tents and preferences.

-windows?
-sizes?
-brands to look at?
-brands to stay away from?
-colors
-finishes (for mildew.etc)
-outfitter tents vs Wall tent

thanks
 
I have been happy with Cabelas Alaknak Tent. They are easy to set up, accommodate a heater and keep you dry. I have the 13x27 with vestibule. They come in 12x20 and 12x12 as well.
 
I like the Cabelas Alaknak tent. The 12x12 should work well for you. I put a wood stove in it and have bunk bed cots for it. It fits in one bag and if you want more room. You can get the Vistable to put on the front for gear or cooking.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-15-17 AT 10:43PM (MST)[p]I too have a Cabelas Alaknak 12X20 with a vestibule. Very comfortable for 4 with cots for all, a table for eating, kitchen area and a wood burning stove. In the vestibule we have a shower and potty. You can buy them out of the bargain cave if you have a Cabelas near you for $650. Just tell the clerk you want to make an offer. They will have it marked at $975 but will take $650. These are new tents that had the packaging damaged in shipping or returned unopened. I can put it up and take it down by myself. I did replace the cheesy tent stakes with 3/8 X 12 steel tent pins for the canvas and 3/8 X 15 steel tent pins for the guy ropes. Expensive but a worthwhile investment. I can drive those things through rock and tree roots with a 3LB maul. I also use a pick to pull them up when its time to break camp. I have not been able to find a deal on the vestibule, stove, floor liner or spark protector, so you will probably pay regular retail for those.

13622004small.jpg


"You can fly a helicopter to the top of Everest and say you've been there. The problem with that is you were an a$$hole when you started and you're still an a$$hole when you get back.
Its the climb that makes you a different person". - Yvon Chouinard
 
go with a true wall tent! They can not be beat and have been proven by years of use! For brands there are many good ones, but I recently purchased a tent from "The Walltent Shop" they were great! Their tents come with a ton of options that you pay for on other tents!

My tent came with a front and rear door with bug screens, the corners were awesome and so far we have spent nights at -28 degrees in MT and many night in Colorado!

Solid tent and very happy! As for size, I got a huge one for 6 guys with gear! So far the most we have were 3. Adults and 2 kids and had plenty! But if you think for 4 ,are sure you get enough room for gear also! Mine came with a roof cover and extended porch etc.

I can not say enough good about the Wall tent shop! They have some really good videos on you tube!
 
+1 on the Cabelas Alaknak

Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora
 
Love my 12x14 Davis Tent and Awning wall tent. Made in Denver. Fits 3 guys with a wood burning stove. No room for a table or cooking though. 14x16 would be a nice choice for 4 guys. Always buy 1 size bigger that you are thinking. Wish I did.

Fire, water and mildew proofing. Bug screen door on the front and 1 window in the back gets a breeze and keeps it cool in the summer. DO NOT put away wet, it will mold even with the proofing. Would do 2 windows (1 on each side) with a 14x16.

Get the internal frame. Much easier to put up than external. Buy the corner pieces from them and they will give you the measurements for the rest of the frame. Buy and cut your own conduit and save a couple hundred bucks.
 
I bought a 12 x 20 alaknak with vestibule and roof protector and have used it for two seasons now. Great tent, had three days of really nasty wind last season and the tent didn't budge. We heat it with a four dog stove. I bought a heavy duty tarp for the floor and use welders blankets under and behind the stove. plenty of room for 4 cots and a table. I also made a clothes rack out of threaded pipe and fittings for drying clothes. I've owned canvas wall tents before and still like them but the alaknak is awesome.
 
I've got a Davis 12 x 14 wall tent, with the inside frame and a Colorado Cylinder wood stove. I love it. It's simple. One door, no windows, no extras. If i ever add to it I would get a fly to go over it to keep the snow from building up and keep more of the rain off, although I have never had it leak a drop in some heavy rains storms. I think a fly would extend the life of the canvas as well.

It sleeps three on cots or would easily do four with cot bunks. When the stove is set up it does take the forth cot location.

I've put four in it with cots and the stove but it does make it pretty tight, so the next size larger tent would be best for four men with a wood stove.

My son has a large Kodiak spring bar, that he heats with a propane heater. He likes it and it's okay (I've stayed in it a time or two) but I prefer my wall tent with the wood stove.

I'm bias because I haven't used some of the other suggested solutions, they may be better but I have been very happy with what I've been using for years. But one size bigger may work better for you.

I would definitely recommend the Davis company. I've had nothing but good relations with them.

DC
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-16-17 AT 04:15PM (MST)[p]I have 4 tents, depending on the seasons. One is a regular wall tent. Here are my suggestions. Get screened windows, perfect for cooling your tent if you use it in the early seasons. I have come to love doors at both ends. Mine are zippered and have buckles also. Usually costs some more but it comes in very handy. Get a roof stove hole instead of the side. The side hole will cause some issues with getting your stove pipe above the ridge line. It is doable, but much easier to go straight up and out.

12X14 is not big enough for 4 guys in my opinion. Once you lay out your cots and stove you will have limited area. I have a 14X18 and it works well. I have owned both internal and external frame. The internal frame is the way to go in my opinion.

I put down a tarp for the floor and then cover it with outdoor grass carpet. Once you spend the money it will be a perfect tent for all kinds of weather.

I don't have any experience with the alaknak.

Any questions let me know,

Rich
 
Cabela's outfitter Montana canvas tent 12 x 17 had mine for 25 years love it!! Put a Utah cylinder stove like the outfitter model in it and you're good to go ! Get a good internal duel upright frame .
 
since it by the road type camping GO with a 14' wide 17' long for 4 guys, if you have a another guy show up you can put a cot across the end or a large table for cooking. I used a plywood floor that I carried with me on the bottom of the trailer, with a piece out front so we could take off muddy items. Worked pretty good for 4 of us. We used a tarp over the top to keep snow,rain off the tent.
Cylinder stove can't be beat for a nice stove,
Davis tents is a good bet on a long lasting tent.
Now for early season hunts a window sure is nice to let a breeze in.
Never did like a sewn in floor to hard to keep clean and dry.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Regarding canvas wall tents and floors.

Where as there is no floor in most wall tents, i've always wanted to put something down to keep the inside clean and whether is muddy outside or if your just in the tent with your shoes off, getting ready for bed or getting up in the morning, your in your socked or bare feet, so a clean floor is a pretty good idea.

I tried canvas, it's a little thin and you feel ever rock and stick. Then I tried carpet, it too heavy to haul around. then I tried an thin indoor/door carpet and the problem I had with it was keeping the stickers and little pointy things out of it. if you walk in with a bunch of thorny type sitckers on your pants and socks, pretty soon they are embedded in the fabric on the floor and you can't get them out, no matter how hard you sweep and clean.

So...... I'm now looking for a slick finished, rubberized material like my son's Kodiad springbar tent has. It's got some thickness and it's smooth as plastic on the inside, so no matter what gets tracked in, you can quickly sweep it back out and it can be rolled up and pack away as easy as canvas.

Has anyone found anything they really like for a wall tent floor.

DC
 
You might look at the horse trailer floor type of liners, some of them are pretty thin and would be wide enough to fit between the cots.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
I have bought some extra heavy duty canvas tarps online and they seem to work the best for me. The ones I bought were coated with a water repellent that smelled some when first used, but that has gone away for the most part. I got the last ones from myteeproducts.com. I do have one tent with the rubberized tarp and it works well, but is a bear to fold up once cold.
 
Gator, I did a quick search and found this product on one of the horse trailer floor pad sites.

This would be a little light weight for horses but I might just fit the bill for a wall tent floor material. A couple of these would just about do my 12 x 14, when the stove's in it, which it generally is.

71279rubmat.jpg


Thanks again.

DC
 
That should do the job,

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
I have a Davis 14x16 tent with the cylinder stove and love it. One option that I had added was a stove jack on each side of the tent. This gives you some flexibility when pitching it if there happens to be low hanging trees on one side.
 
I think that the floor and taking up a lot of space is the issue with the wall tents. The Cabelas tent is in one bag easy to carry poles floor and all. No mice or snakes running around in your tent. ?
 
Yes it do BigJ, there is no doubt about the "lots of space" reality. And....... the critters will come check you out, on occasion. Never had a snake yet but I've had chipmunks, squirrels and while I've never seen a mouse, I have to think, if the others have been in there, the mice have been too. Haven't given it a second thought, in good weather (and a handful of down pours), when I was 15 years younger, I often just sleep out on the ground, without anything but a sleep bag and a ground pad, so a tent, without a floor has never been concern. And......the gentleman did say he was buying a "next to my truck camping" tent.

But...... I've never used a Cablelas or and Alaskan so, like I said, my bias is only influenced by my bias, if you know what I mean. ;-) I can't really judge, I can just share my wall tent experiences. And I freely admit, there have been some darn good improvements in all outdoor gear over the years.

DC
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-19-17 AT 10:33AM (MST)[p]I see a lot of the Cabela type tents, I have never used one. I have a 12x16 Montana wall tent. It has served me well for over 15 years. Every other year I set it up in the yard and spray it down with Thompsons water seal. If it rains the water just beads up and runs down. If it is later in the year I put a tarp over the top so the snow will slide off. It has no floor and it has never been a problem. I just dig a little trench around the outside so water will not run back inside. I do not have a internal frame. I use a ridge pole and cross poles on the ends. I pack the tent in on horse back to the happy hunting grounds. There is not way you are going to put this thing on your back. Over the years I have used many stoves on the inside. From a square outfitter style, a cylinder style stove and have found that the just do not draft very well and keeping a good fire going inside of them is a chore. The stove that I have used for the last 12 plus years is a military surplus style. It breaks down into 3 pieces, which makes it much easier to back on a horse. The dam thing is the best stove that I have ever used. It has no legs so I always build a rock base to put it on. The nice thing is I hunt in the same location so my rock base is already to go. I have spent over 400 bucks on various outfitter stoves and they are not worth the price. If you are looking for a stove that will out perform them all try this thing. You will not be disappointed.
95334stove.jpg
 
Davis,Davis,Davis! We have a Davis 14x16 and had 4 guys with tons of room with a wood stove. When you call there to inquire you will talk to someone with the same last name thats sewn on the tent. Great customer service,quality product and it will last forever if taken care of with great resale value. They usually offer specials on complete setups throughout the year. I wouldnt waste money anywhere else.
 
>Regarding canvas wall tents and floors.
>
>
>Where as there is no floor
>in most wall tents, i've
>always wanted to put something
>down to keep the inside
>clean and whether is muddy
>outside or if your just
>in the tent with your
>shoes off, getting ready for
>bed or getting up in
>the morning, your in your
>socked or bare feet, so
>a clean floor is a
>pretty good idea.
>
>I tried canvas, it's a little
>thin and you feel ever
>rock and stick. Then
>I tried carpet, it too
>heavy to haul around. then
>I tried an thin indoor/door
>carpet and the problem I
>had with it was keeping
>the stickers and little pointy
>things out of it.
>if you walk in with
>a bunch of thorny type
>sitckers on your pants and
>socks, pretty soon they are
>embedded in the fabric on
>the floor and you can't
>get them out, no matter
>how hard you sweep and
>clean.
>
>So...... I'm now looking for a
>slick finished, rubberized material like
>my son's Kodiad springbar tent
>has. It's got some
>thickness and it's smooth as
>plastic on the inside, so
>no matter what gets tracked
>in, you can quickly sweep
>it back out and it
>can be rolled up and
>pack away as easy as
>canvas.
>
>Has anyone found anything they really
>like for a wall tent
>floor.
>
>DC

I bought a floor from Davis tent. Its thicker then a standard plastic so I don't feel the small rocks or stickers. Its easy to sweep clean. I bought mine the size of my tent and it has a spot that unzips and you roll that part away for the stove.
 
Thank you for the heads up foundation. I will stop by the Davis booth at the Expo and get more information on that flooring material you recommended. I should have thought of them to begin with, funny........ but you'd think I would have thought to check with the tent company for a tent floor solution. I've never been accused of being the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Good to hear from you from time to time.

DYI, I really like the looks of that military stove. I've only had drafting problems with my cylinder stove when the spark suppressor screen clogged up, from burning wet wood, but I'm all for "better solutions" so I'm going to have to look into on of the stoves you recommended. I especially like the idea that it breaks down into three pieces. Even when camping out of a pick-up, space becomes an issue, so if I can find something that takes less space, in the truck and in the tent, I'm interested.

Would you have any idea where we could look for one of the stoves like your using.

Thanks for the tips guys, much appreciated.

DC
 
DYI, I just found this on ebay. It looks like the stove you are using but I see it has the parts for another kind of fuel, other than wood.

Is or was your stove at one time a duel fuel kind of set-up. That is, are you using a stove like this with just wood?

89173stove.jpg


Thanks
DC
 
They made a couple version of the stove. The one you found is the diesel oil model. They made it in duel fuel or just the wood model. The wood burning model is not quite that tall. If memory serves me correct I think I paid 30 dollars for mine. Believe me this one hell of a stove. And like I stated before it packs great on a pack saddle. You will not be disappointed in it's performance.
 
If you are anywhere around a military base thee should be a surplus stove nearby. That is where I would start my search. It is a model M1941 wood stove. I just did a search and it looks like the price has gone up. I still think you can find one for less than a hundred dollars.. Good luck. You will love this damn stove. Its flat on top and perks coffee in no time.
 
+1 for Davis Tents

14x16 sleeps 5 on cots fairly comfortably with the stove in it. Less guys and there is lots of room.
 
Check this link out. It has the stove plus parts to go along with it. Make sure to get the 4 pieces, two pieces are the body of the stove, the center ring that the two stack onto each other and the grate. The grate is important. You can get your own pipe and damper.

dryfitshirtstore.com

then in there search box type in m1941 stove

They have all kinds and the price is right.
 
I use a 10x12 Montnana canvas tent. With 5 foot walls. My previous one was 4 foot walls and ya just bend over so the 5 foot wall is a must. Then I stick ton a sims stove cause they fold down and take up minimal space on my pack mule. But always put dirt on the bottom of the stove so ya don't burn the bottom.

Finally I always throw a tarp over my tent roof so the snow glides off instead packing up on the roof.
 

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