Wall Tent Questions...

[Ross]

Montana canvas has some nice options like relite which is lighter and dries faster I went with two screened windows for more venting in the warmer months imo stove Pipe out the top is best Better draft this tent and stove still going strong coming on 2 decades of use

 

[5MilesBack]

What fly did you go with from Davis? i.e. the poly or vinyl

Pretty sure it's the poly, and the awning has the side walls as well. I also have just a heavy duty white 16x20 tarp that I've used for a rain fly by itself.

I use the 14x16 solo quite a bit. A 12x14 would be fine solo or with another 1 or 2 for normal people, but for me.......my 14x16 gets too crowded with more than 2 in it. I'm one of the original social distancers.

 

[gelton]

What fly did you go with from Davis? i.e. the poly or vinyl

I know you've posted a bunch on wall tents, I've read a lot of them and know you like the 14x16. I'm trying to cut down on weight, size, bulk, etc and cost and am thinking about a 12x14. 14x16 being a very close second. It will mostly be just me using it. My son occasionally, and even less occasionally... my wife and son. I know everyone says go bigger but what are you thoughts on the 12x14 (and anyone else for that matter) for my use case?

We have a 12x14 and 3 is the very most that you will ever fit in there...if you ever plan on having a fourth then get the 14x16. One thing that you might want to consider though is how you plan on using it...if you ever plan on hiring an outfitter or packer to do a drop camp for you, you are going to want one small and light enough to fit on the pack horses. Truck camping only, I would go with the bigger of the two.

 

[SaltySailor]

When I had a wall tent, the tarp we used as a fly extended past the front about 6 feet, this was awesome for gear storage or just sitting out of the rain if you didn't want to be outside. Not sure how much a custom made fly would cost for your tent, but the tarp was pretty cheap. Just cut a oversized square hole for the stove pipe and it worked like that for 3 seasons, but if wanting to be legit we could have just awl sewed a stove jack into it. As you can see in the pics, a simple log pole sunk about 2.5 feet down is what we attached tarp peak to out front, guyed the rest of it out real good. Shed snow like a dream. Window was nice for ventilation if it got smoky inside or for the dude-stink. Don't recall ever wanting a screen door.

*I always stretched mine out in garage for a few days, with eye bolts from ceiling to dry it out before storage.

 

[JeffP_Or]

Agree with the wider 15' or 16' options - they make a difference; but of course, are heavier as well.
Each end is a 'door'; open flaps for ventilation as needed - screens might be handy if you are in a bug area; have not missed them on ours [though we have had a few bats invite themselves in].
Stove pipe out the side wall - angles the pipe and keeps embers off the roof.
Velcro closure flap for the stove pipe hole - when fires are not allowed, helps keeps the cold out.
Internal frame - we retrofitted two earlier tents with an internal frame after we bought the third tent that came with one. One-inch electrical conduit and tent fittings from a local outdoor/surplus store. Our original tents had centerpole set-ups that always had us running into the supports - the frame eliminates this and opens up the floor.
Fabbed a coat rack for drying clothes out of the leftover conduit; hangs with some conduit clamps to the rafter pipe.
Our smaller narrower tents fit just inside our wider tent for added space depending on the number of campers; door flaps roll up in eachother for clear pass-thru.
We [well, one of the guys wives who is handy at crafting/sewing] sewed up some canvas pot/utensil holders that wrap the eave pipe and hang down the wall in our 'kitchen' - acts as a splash screen in the cook area keeping the tent clean and also holds cookware etc for ease of access and less clutter. Now we see you can buy them.
We don't use flies/tarps - too noisy.
We use certified straw for the floor; critter bedding in a pinch. Also use a canvas painters tarp when we don't feel leaving behind straw is acceptable [dusty desert].
Keep them clean, rinse them down or blow them off after use and make sure they are dry when put away and they last forever [yes on the eye hooks in the garage rafters ala @SaltySailor].

But they are heavy. Especially with internal frame pipes.

 

[BluMtn]

For giggles check out Kwik Camp tents and frames.