Wall Tent Camp Questions

[CCity65]

Hi all, I've hunted from campers, pup tents, hotels and home. As a kid I hunted out of a camp that had a couple of wall tents. I am planning on burning my points next year and hunting at least 3 weeks of the season, if not all 4. Lately I've been hunting out of a motel but for next year I'm seriously looking at going with a wall tent. However, I've a couple of questions.
1. The area I am going is known for a healthy population of black bears. Do those who hunt out of tents, do you have a separate cook tent and sleep tent? I don't really don't want to cook in my sleeping tent, but would like to have hot coffee in the morning brewed in my sleep tent. Can you cook underneath an extended fly, realistically? Do you set up a cook tent well away from the sleep tent? If so, what how is "well away" defined?

2. When you burn a woodstove in a wall tent for heat and/or coffee and oatmeal at breakfast, how do you handle leaving camp with a hot stove that would likely have hot coals inside? Do you let your woodstove burn down during the middle of the night and just not fire it up in the morn? Is it acceptable to shut down the air to the stove and walk away? Do you try to have someone in camp to keep an eye on the stove? Pardon my ignorance but I really don't know. My gut tells me to not leave a stove that has any coals, but thought I'd ask.
Thank you all, I will appreciate all responses...

 

[DW]

The fire is in a contained iron box, stay warm, dont worry about leavin a fire in it. Close your stove and pipe damper when you leave. If there's really a bear issue where your tent is set up, hang your food. I've never had a problem in camp by the road, have lost some elk meat I didn't hang in the field once. Once!


#livelikezac

 

[YBO]

Just keep pizzing around the tent everytime you got to pee. It works..that and projectile.

 

[arns]

We have a cook and hang out tent, that we put all are coolers,food and a camp chef stove in for coffee.Then we set up another camp chef out side for cooking all are meat.Then we set another tent for sleeping.We have done this for years and never had a problem with any critters other than mice running around.So we keep everything in coolers and plastic tubs.

 

[N_Corey]

I've done separate cook tents but they've always been right next to the main tent. Never really worried about bears. I always keep a fire going if it's cool enough to need it. Just damper it down when you leave and call it good.

 

[callsalot]

I've been using a 15X18 wall tent for years I've never had an issue with black bears so I cook either with it right outside the tent or inside the tent by the opening and just flip open one of the doors while I cook. Although a wood stove is a nice thought I quite using mine a long time ago, just to much work. I have a 3 burner Mr. Heater I turn on and it will roast you out. Since the top of the tent has main ridge pole holes and I have windows on each side I can open I've never issues with carbon monoxide. I turn it off half an hour before bed and then I turn it on 15 minutes before I get up to warm the tent up. This is way easier than a wood stove you just have to play it safe with the carbon monoxide issue. I really love this tent except for one thing. MICE!! I've been in area's they aren't an issue but I've been in area's that I've honestly thought a bear got in the tent their were so many of them. It is the only thing that has made me think about trading my wall tent in for something with an attached floor. Good Luck.

P.S. When I hunt in Grizzly country it's a different story on how, where and when I cook.

 

[littlebull209338]

Many years ago I learned a "mouse trick " by accident. I used a 5 gallon plastic pale to horse pack my eggs in. I would put a few inches of oats in the bottom as a cushion. I forgot the oats and had a camp cot wooden brace leaned on the bucket. I left that camp to go to another camp and was gone all day. When I returned there were mice about 3" deep in the bucket. In the next few days there were hardly any mice in camp. I must have killed hundreds of mice this way over the years.

 

[rmanwill]

Wall tent camping and hunting is my favorite. Been doing it for 30 years. Own four tents myself and have buddies with another dozen. Our elk camp is a city of wall tents.

Wood stoves are awesome and really make the tent all it can be. We just cook coffee on top of it in morning and have cooked meals on it also.

I like cooking out side under awning, but also cook just inside the front doors.

Hunt bear every year and never had a problem and have seen bears and their sign within a hundred yards of camp and never a problem.

Always through in several mouse traps just in case. Sometimes a problem and others not. Seems like it changes with the years even in same spots.

Enjoy the wall tent hunting. It is awesome.

 

[oldmossback]

Sorry to high jack your post but i got a silly wall tent question, When you guys are setting up camp with snow on the ground, do you clear the snow first or set the tent on top of snow and what every your using for a floor on the snow?

 

[rmanwill]

Clear the snow. As much as possible.

 

[DW]

Yes! Pack a snow shovel in the truck, and a kitchen broom to sweep the floor occasionally.


#livelikezac

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Make sure you take at least one older guy with you. When they get up to pee they'll fill the stove.

 

[arns]

>Many years ago I learned a
>"mouse trick " by accident.
>I used a 5 gallon
>plastic pale to horse pack
>my eggs in. I would
>put a few inches of
>oats in the bottom as
>a cushion. I forgot the
>oats and had a camp
>cot wooden brace leaned on
>the bucket. I left that
>camp to go to another
>camp and was gone all
>day. When I returned there
>were mice about 3" deep
>in the bucket. In the
>next few days there were
>hardly any mice in camp.
>I must have killed hundreds
>of mice this way over
>the years.

 

[arns]

>Many years ago I learned a
>"mouse trick " by accident.
>I used a 5 gallon
>plastic pale to horse pack
>my eggs in. I would
>put a few inches of
>oats in the bottom as
>a cushion. I forgot the
>oats and had a camp
>cot wooden brace leaned on
>the bucket. I left that
>camp to go to another
>camp and was gone all
>day. When I returned there
>were mice about 3" deep
>in the bucket. In the
>next few days there were
>hardly any mice in camp.
>I must have killed hundreds
>of mice this way over
>the years.


I like this idea if I'm going to take horses if not,we started taking a bucket of tomcat bait chunks and put 1 or 2 in each corner of the tent in .On one hunt the chipmunks were so bad they were in to everything even pulled all the insulation out from under a camp trailer. So we made a trip to town and bought a bucket of Tomcat and in 2 days they were gone.

 

[CCity65]

Thanks for all of the responses, I greatly appreciate the input. I'm glad to hear that shutting down the stove and going out is common practice. There is a chance I'll have people in camp hanging out all day but it is not assured.
Sadly, my brother and I will be the old guys in camp, add to it our wives may very well be joining us. Luckily, a couple of his teenage grandkids could possibly join us from time to time, so he can play the " throw another log on the fire, your grandmother is a bit chilly" routine! Thanks again, I'm now trying to research tent manufacturers. I'm sure they are like everything, good, bad and in between?

 

[HiMtnHntr]

You can't go wrong with a Davis tent.

 

[FrontRange]

Davis tent company is great. If your looking for something a little less weight you should look at the cabelas alaknak. I've used the alaknak w/stove for a few years now and it's withstood almost everything mother nature could come up with. Just don't use propane to heat it or your have a rain forest inside your tent.

 

[rmanwill]

I second Davis tent. Two of my tents are Davis. They have a April special on their 12X14.

 

[DW]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-07-19 AT 11:17AM (MST)[p]Another vote for Davis tents. They're a local Colorado company and are great to work with. I own 2 of them and I'm sure my nieces and nephews will use them long after I'm gone.


#livelikezac

 

[arns]

I have a 30 year old Davis tent 14x16 with 5 foot walls and a new one with 6 foot walls and it is awesome you have so much more room with the 6 foot walls.Give them a call 3rd generation family building tents.

 

[NebrCatMan]

I love our wall tents. Using one puts you right in your hunting area rather than several miles away in a hotel or rented cabin. I have rainflies on my tents that extend on the front. The rainfly extends about 10 feet. I usually take some cheap plastic tarps and clamp them on a couple sides to enclose the porch. Do the cooking there ( use propane burners) and use that are also for cooler and tote storage. I never worry about my wood stove when we leave camp. Never had a problem. Bears have never bothered either but I have heard stories where they can make a mess of camp if they decide to. We usually take a bunch of fiberglass rod posts and a roll of electric fence plastic twine (interwoven with stainless steel strands of wire) and throw up a fence with 2 or 3 strands. Keeps bears and range cattle from messing with our tents or tie down ropes. I read up on electric fence usage in Grizzly bear country and the research seems to indicate it works great. We run cattle here at home so We have battery fencers. As for the mice problem, a couple suggestions mentioned and a bunch of sticky papers work great. Once you get the local resident population out of the picture you are usually good for awhile. I have invested over the last 20 to 25 years for just about every thing for a great camp. Money well spent. Saves a bunch on housing , not to mention money spent on gas and the time wasted driving to and from a hotel. Good luck !!

 

[CCity65]

Thanks all for the great advice. I'm glad to hear the recommendations of a Colorado company and will definitely give them a call. I've seen some pics of some set ups, as well as a few in person. I think we can have a set up that even our wives will enjoy. Our goal going forward is for my brother, his wife, daughter, 2 grandkids and myself to put in for cow tags after I burn mine next year. We will pick a prime unit where we can be reasonably certain of drawing 1 cow tag per year, 2 at most and then anyone who wants or can go will go. We may even be buying another tent in the future. It's conceivable we will always have 3-4 people in elk camp, possibly more. Thanks!

 

[Bolt]

We camp all over the west in a wall tent

We pack in on horses too

This is by far the best tent we have found....

Cabelas Alaknak 12x12 with stove jack

Then pick up one of the small barrel stoves

Leave the fire going

Get a griddle for the top of the stove and cook steak for every meal

Bring in the wood every day and put it between the stove and the tent wall to dry the wood out.

You will love every second of hunting like this...

 

[sridge]

I've been using a Davis for years and love it. Great tent. Havent had problems with bears. I run a big framed cannopy off one end with an oversized tarp that i use as a cook shack; this covers the whole tent and cook shack. Don't worry about leaving the stove.

 

[AspenAdventures]

I think the Cabela?s tent is the only one with a floor. That's why I chose it. I hate having spiders crawling in my sleeping bag. I hate getting up in the morning to muddy floors. Pretty easy to take your boots off I keep a small broom with me and I packed the whole thing into the back country. It's half the weight of canvas and it's waterproof.

 

[fullcry]

I went to the buddy heaters many years ago With 5 gallon propane tanks.Alot less work and safer.
Plus you can get a propane tree or two and
Run lights and a cook stove.

 

[gopher1]

try to pick the most level piece ground you can find, other wise the sides of the tent "one side could have a gap", cots need to be level as close as possible, so on and so forth, try and find a spot in evergreens if you can , on windy day you'll be happy about that.

 

[AspenAdventures]

I don't like the buddy heaters. They don't heat up the food. And they are tough to pack on horses.

 

[DW]

>I think the Cabela?s tent is
>the only one with a
>floor. That's why I chose
>it. I hate having spiders
>crawling in my sleeping bag.
>I hate getting up in
>the morning to muddy floors.
>Pretty easy to take your
>boots off I keep a
>small broom with me and
>I packed the whole thing
>into the back country. It's
>half the weight of canvas
>and it's waterproof.

How many in your camp Aspenadventures? I've got 6-8, tough to keep the snow from coming in on everybodys boots and melting, creating a lake. Like the idea of lighter for packing in on a horse. May need to look into em.


#livelikezac

 

[Nobull]

I have been tent hunting for years. I use to have a wood stove but several years ago I went with kerosene heater. No cutting wood. We leave the stove on all night on low and it keeps us cozy and warm while sleeping and when we get up. I use several large tarps bought at Harbor Freight Tools that we drape over the tents supported by a strong rope between trees. As for as cooking, outside the front of the wall tent we set up a pop-up awning and it also covered with a tarp that we have a makeshift kitchen with tables and Coleman stove. The floor of the wall tent we again use a tarp as a floor.
We do have a carbonmonoxide detector we have in the tent but have never had any problems. The stove uses about 1 1/2 gal of kerosene a night.
We have taken a bottle of Ammonia and pour around camp for bears but haven't ever had any problems when we didn't
Hope this helps or gives you some idea.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

 

[Elkduds]

Kerosene heaters can cover the inside of a canvas tent w smelly soot if used wrong. I bought a used wall tent for a song because it was gray w soot from a kerosene heater. I scrubbed & power washed it several times, it never came completely clean.

For heat, I use a tanktop propane heater. Off @ night.

Last year I went to Kodiak canvas, sold the wall tent. Kodiak springbar has a stout floor, uses 10% of the poles a wall tent metal frame of the same size uses, takes up far less space in storage/truck, pitches and strikes faster and easier solo. So far I like the change.

Alaknak is nylon, not canvas.

 

[BigChiefJ]

I prefer wood stoves because they keep the inside of the tent dry.

 

[AspenAdventures]

Kerosene is not even an option in the back country. I'm not loading that stuff on my horses. I can take a 40 pound wood-burning stove anywhere I want to go and never need to buy fuel. It takes me 30 minutes to Chopwood and it's good for me There is even a new wood burning stove with a glass door on it. I am sure it is plexiglass. Going to get that one this year. I currently have for wood-burning stove options to take with me into the back country. Staying a week in the back country in a wall tent with the wood-burning stove is actually a luxury. I cook rib eye steaks and enjoy a warm temperatures every day . And there is nothing like the smell of wood smoke and pine to get you into the backcountry

 

[Gator]

You would be wise to set up the tent in your back yard and make sure everything you want to set up in it fits, I sure don't want my cot to close to the woodburner.
Sometimes 2 tents are better the one crowded one.
And extra rope is nice for hanging wet clothes/bags to dry.

take at lest one or 2 stove full of dry wood( 2x4 scraps are good) with you in case you get there and it been raining for a couple of days.

Set a few trailcam close to camp to see if any night life is coming in or camp thieves are coming around too.
Will give the non hunters something to do watching the films is pretty good.
I use to lay a couple sheets of plywood down as a tent floor if we was camping close to the roads we just put on the bottom of the pickup bed or trailer bed to transport it, sure does make it nice floor to sweep out dirt and such and it keeps out of the mud.
Having a place where all can sit and eat together is a nice thing for wives and kids.

I bad trip will thin the herd for the next trip if you DON'T cross those T and dot those i.

"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/]

 

[gasman]

Ive has mine for 5 years, I take a couple car batteries, and a solar panel to charge them and hook up an inverter to power LED shop lights. It's way better light than a lantern and a lot less intrusive than a generator.