Tyler,
Shopping wall tents shows how many options are are out there! Curious if you could outline here, based on your experience in this market, your ideal setup for 4. Tent, fly, stove, porch, floor, etc.
Thanks!
Matt,
The options are truly limitless!
For a group of four I would recommend our 14x16
Wilderness Tent or 14x17
Montana Canvas Tent. I am most familiar and have the most experience with our Wilderness and Montana Tents, but have also stayed in the Davis, Kwik Kamp, and Magnum Wall Tents and could't say enough good things about them - All well built products worth consideration.
The 14x16 will allow for adequate room for cots, gear, a table, and room to move around. This is the size we most commonly sell to parties or 4 - 5. One thing many people fail to account for is the room for a stove. Where the stove pipe will come down in your tent is 30" from the front door and 30" from the top of the sidewall, lets call is 3'x3' for sake of simplicity. Most stoves will be around 2' long and 1' wide and we recommend at least a 2' standoff from the stove. All of this combines for the stove requiring a space of 7' x 5'. Typically much more than is accounted for. This is important to consider when determining size.
With any tent we strongly recommend using a fly or tarp to protect your roof. This will extend the lifespan of your tent by at least 50%. Covering your roof is going to protect from sap, pitch, animal droppings, uv rays, help snow and rain slide off, and be an extra line of defense from sparks. It is much easier to clean your fly than it is your tent and it is much more affordable to replace your fly than it is your tent. A wall tent is an investment that should last you a lifetime and I believe it is wise to protect it. Our standard fly will cover your tent front to back and allow for a 1' overhang on each side to allow rain to run off and away from your tent. Our extended fly will cover your tent plus 8'. The extended fly is nice if you want a covered area out front for hanging out, storing firewood and coolers, and for cooking. Determining which is best for you will be solely based on the amount of room you have and what you prefer.
The ideal stove for the 14x16 tent is going to be our mid size stove, the
Wilderness 4 (Square) or
Yukon 4 (Round). Stove heating capability is mainly determined by the space of your firebox. The Wilderness stove comes in at 26" long x 14" wide x 14" tall. The Yukon comes in at 26" long x 16" wide x 14" high. Each stove will feature an airtight door, air intake on the door, and damper within the pipe to allow for full control of your burn.
What we call a porch is an 8' canvas extension of your roof and sidewalls. The porch is nice if you want an even more protected are for firewood, coolers, and relaxing. Many individuals who are doing winter camping go with the porch option as it keeps their firewood well protected. This porch would be cover by your extended fly.
Our
Wilderness Floor is option that you are not going to regret. This floor is full size to that of your tent and is constructed of an 18oz fiber reinforced vinyl similar to a heavy duty truck tarp. It features webbing and d-rings in each of the four corners to allow you to stake it tight into the ground. It is heavy enough to disallow puncture from twigs and rocks, but at the same time pliable enough to allow for the contours of the ground - the best of both worlds!
The most important thing to keep in mind is to base your set-up off your specific needs. These are going to vary based on season, geography, and group size.
As aways, I am here if you need me!
Tyler
