Wall tent setup?

[MD]

I've only set up my 9x12 canvas wall tent twice. It was during on a moose hunt in 2018 (we moved camp once) and each time I used bracing poles at each end to keep the A-frame poles from tipping over forward or backward.

I have however, seen photos of wall tents set up with just the a-frame at each end, the ridge pole across them, and some poles on each side to hold the walls up.

How do those stay up without bracing poles?

Here is my setup.

 

[Why not?]

They hold up long enough to take the picture, then fall down when the wind comes up or someone leans a bit on the canvass.

Ted

 

[smokeeter]

There are usually shorter poles along each of the side walls. they have ropes on each pole that are pegged to the ground, the end ropes are angled out to the front and back of the tent . once each side is secured the tent won't move.

 

[medvedqc]

They hold up long enough to take the picture, then fall down when the wind comes up or someone leans a bit on the canvass.

Ted

nothing beats the sweat house we built ... still remember how great it was.

 

[bearhunter]

OP, my tent is a bit larger, 10x14. I wanted enough room for a couple of guys on cots and a stove. I also want room for the small table I have and a couple of folding chairs so that if we had to stay inside, due to weather, we could do so comfortably. I also wanted to be able to hang up wet clothes to dry.

You don't want to sleep on the ground, unless you have to, even with good ground mats.

We use those furniture packing blankets, used my movers on the floor and as mattresses on the cots. They also make cheap and excellent covers for the sleeping bags when temps get below zero and the stove runs out of fuel in the middle of the night.

Depending on where I set up the tent, I either set it up in a similar manner to what your pic shows, but usually use poles from onsite, rather than carry ins such as those shown in your pics. When we set up in such a manner, there is always a ''stabilizing pole'' tied in on both ends.

We tried rope tie downs on the ends "once'' and regretted it when the wind picked up overnight during a weather change. The ground we were on was hard as rock and the steel pegs we had driven into it didn't hold properly.

If I'm able to drive the pickup right to the campsite, then I use the steel frame that came with the tent and tie the sides down to logs as well as use guy ropes if possible.

You did good in covering that tent's roof, however, you may want to consider getting a tarp that will cover the sides as well. When those tents get wet, they double in weight. Without a stove to help keep them dry you will need a lot of help folding and loading it up when it comes time to leave.

I actually prefer to hunt from a tent than a camper of trailer. Just more in touch with what's going on around during the night.

Nice little tent you have there.

I had mine custom built by WOODS so that it has a window on the back end that's large enough to get out of easily should the need arise.

Had a good friend get burned very badly when his tent caught fire and he couldn't get out fast enough. He was using one of those propane GLOW type heaters in a small tent with two other guys and it fell over during the night against some of the clothing that was drying out.

 

[Potashminer]

I've only set up my 9x12 canvas wall tent twice. It was during on a moose hunt in 2018 (we moved camp once) and each time I used bracing poles at each end to keep the A-frame poles from tipping over forward or backward.

I have however, seen photos of wall tents set up with just the a-frame at each end, the ridge pole across them, and some poles on each side to hold the walls up.

How do those stay up without bracing poles?

...

I think you will find those bracing poles only do their job when assembling the tent - once you have the roof relatively taut to the angled poles, it won't fall over - the canvas can not stretch that far - although it won't be "solid", like made from plywood - so your tent will "wiggle" but I do not think it can fall over, so long as your tie downs knots stay sort of tight.

We have a 10x12 Woods prospector tent - I had the walls made a foot higher than original - we used to pitch it with the ridge pole lashed to a largish tree (at the rear), and two A-frame poles on the front, to support the front of the ridge pole. Getting all stood up was a bit of work, but once all tied tight, never did fall over. As mentioned above, it also has about 10 x short poles on the walls (5 each side) - each has a rope on top that is guyed outward to put tension on the roof.

 

[MD]

OP, my tent is a bit larger, 10x14. I wanted enough room for a couple of guys on cots and a stove. I also want room for the small table I have and a couple of folding chairs so that if we had to stay inside, due to weather, we could do so comfortably. I also wanted to be able to hang up wet clothes to dry.

You don't want to sleep on the ground, unless you have to, even with good ground mats.

We use those furniture packing blankets, used my movers on the floor and as mattresses on the cots. They also make cheap and excellent covers for the sleeping bags when temps get below zero and the stove runs out of fuel in the middle of the night.

Depending on where I set up the tent, I either set it up in a similar manner to what your pic shows, but usually use poles from onsite, rather than carry ins such as those shown in your pics. When we set up in such a manner, there is always a ''stabilizing pole'' tied in on both ends.

We tried rope tie downs on the ends "once'' and regretted it when the wind picked up overnight during a weather change. The ground we were on was hard as rock and the steel pegs we had driven into it didn't hold properly.

If I'm able to drive the pickup right to the campsite, then I use the steel frame that came with the tent and tie the sides down to logs as well as use guy ropes if possible.

You did good in covering that tent's roof, however, you may want to consider getting a tarp that will cover the sides as well. When those tents get wet, they double in weight. Without a stove to help keep them dry you will need a lot of help folding and loading it up when it comes time to leave.

I actually prefer to hunt from a tent than a camper of trailer. Just more in touch with what's going on around during the night.

Nice little tent you have there.

I had mine custom built by WOODS so that it has a window on the back end that's large enough to get out of easily should the need arise.

Had a good friend get burned very badly when his tent caught fire and he couldn't get out fast enough. He was using one of those propane GLOW type heaters in a small tent with two other guys and it fell over during the night against some of the clothing that was drying out.

Thanks bearhunter.

That picture is now five years old. A buddy sold me that tent for $200 several years ago. I wasn't picky about the size. A 9x10 canvas tent for $200 is hard to come by. He had told me several years before he had it but his grndchildren loved to have it set up in the summer. Then one time we were meeting at his cousin's for a music party and I asked again about the tent so he brought it down from Westwold to Campbell River. He used to use it grizzly bear guiding at Rivers Inlet. He never used a stove and got it wet quite a few times, and it has mildew stains, but it has held together so far. I just yesterday finished sewing in a stove jack after getting a stove this summer so I am eagerly anticipating getting out soon for few nights deer hunting this month and trying it out with the stove. I have camped in other tents, once with an airtight and another time with a decent little barrel stove, and it sure beats sitting around under an improvised tarp roof with an open fire at the edge trying to keep warm in wind, rain or snow.