Wall tent size

[mrbortlein]

After looking at lots of pictures online, my wife is concerned about the size of our new tent. So I would like to ease her mind by asking you all what size wall tents you have and for how many people.
mrbortlein

 

[Stony]

I have an "over sized sargent's tent" which is about 7 1/2 by 9 give or take a few inches. It's an ideal size for two people but will work for two adults and one child very well.

 

[Many Klatch]

I have a 10 X 12 that works for two adults. But if you are going to be camping for a week at a time, you will need a fly to protect you from the sun and rain. Being stuck in the tent for a day or two during a rainy period really sucks. The fly will let you at least get out the tent. We also recently bought a small wedge for use on those small weekend do's. It is also useful for those week long events as a supply tent for the food, guns, ice chest and miscellaneous junk. For a week long event, it is nice to have the wall tent facing the supply tent with the fly attached to both of them, so you have a "porch" and can get to the food and ice chest without getting wet.

Many Klatch

 

[RC]

gotta go with ManyKlatch, havin even a small wedge on other end of a fly is a huge plus! and you cannot put a price on a fly! havin been to vous that had rain 8 outa 10 days...we lived under the fly!!...and if you have a wedge..you can sneak a shower at the other end and scoot right back to the wall tent! :hatsoff: (even 8 days rain a hot shower feels great!) :grin:

 

[PaulN/KS]

10x12 wall tent with a 10x12 fly is what the 3 of us,wife,daughter and I use. Sometimes 4 counting the dog...
The fly is sort of your front porch and a big plus for your camp.

 

[Robert Egler]

To some extent the size depends on how you're getting it to the campsite.

We use a bigger tent when we are canoeing than if we’re backpacking.

Backpacking the largest tent I’ll carry is 6 X 7 wall tent, which works well for 2 if you’re setting up a camp for some days, but can be used for 3 if you move camp every day and only sleep in the tent. By move camp every day I mean move camp EVERY day, whether it’s raining or not. That size is too small for 3 people to spend a couple days in if you’re sitting there in the rain.

Generally though we go with a rule of 1 tent for 2 people. Then all you have to do is argue who has to carry the tent in each pair. :grin:

I’ve never found a real 3 person tent that was light enough that I’d carry it backpacking.

I would think that if you’re going on horseback you could carry a pretty large tent as well.

If you’re driving there, I guess there’s no real weight limit. I’ve never driven to someplace and then set up a tent at the same location.

 

After looking at lots of pictures online, my wife is concerned about the size of our new tent. So I would like to ease her mind by asking you all what size wall tents you have and for how many people.
mrbortlein

How big is the one you have? How much extra clothing and gear do you transport and store? How big is your bed? How big are you? Is she afraid it is too big or too small?

My wife and I have a 12x16x8, with 5' walls, we set up at big camps. It holds all our clothing baskets/cheasts, gear (2-3 guns each w/powder horns + bows, spears, atalatal gear, kids game gear and wilderness skills teaching supplies) a full sized 4 poster bed, bedside tables, screened off port-o-let in one corner and still plenty of room to walk around the bed and stand up straight or move a card game inside.

That particular tent is bigger than our bedroom. We use it only when we are staying for a week or more or when the whole clan, complete with in-law parents, husbands, wives and babies, is showing up. That situation usually demands that all tents great and small be present with the big tent as headquarters.

But who wants to stay inside? Tents are for storing gear and sleeping.

For weekend camps we use a medium wedge, 8x8x12. Very cramped but it keeps the rain off. At those camps we have only 2 sets of clothes, food for the weekend and a bed, possibly a gun and a bow. Grub is stored outside in wooden boxes. 3' from the end of the tent you hit the bed and fall in (we are into togetherness, cots would make a walkway). There is just enough room at the end of the shelter to stand and change clothes (that is important).

Remember that during the spring/summer/fall camps you spend most of your time either outside or asleep. Most folk do not hibernate in their tents. It is a place to crash for the night.

You want the best and biggist dining fly you can afford! That is where you spend your time, rain or shine. I normally carry our 14'x20' dining fly with the smaller tent.

I even know some "Red Roof Rangers" that set up a small, empty tent and a big dinning fly. They hang out under the fly all day and go to a motel at night. The tent is just for show, and size is irrelivent. Same thing for diamond shelters. Untralight/ultraprimitive Trekker camps are a lot more fun when you are sleeping in a motel/RV (we are not going to call any names).

Everything depends on your preferances, the amount of gear you need to protect and how long you are staying.

 

[mrbortlein]

She's afraid it'll be too big. We just got our tent and its 12x18X9 with 5' walls and a 12x16 fly. We plan to camp mostly at large week-long events, but also for shorter weekend events. We went with a larger tent because she wanted room for a stove. My in-laws do Native Reinactments, so she grew up with the tipi and insisted on having the ability to have fire inside. The stove says to keep it 3 feet from any wall, so almost 1/4 of the tent is supposed to be dedicated to the stove that we won't need for most of our camping....

She wants a 4 poster bed for us and we have cots for the kids. She wants me to make shelves for her to have inside. For under the fly we have a foldup table with benches, two long counter-type tables and a kitchen cabinet thing.

She was set up in Hurricane Hugo as a child and was at an Eastern Primitive Rendezvous once while there were funnel clouds overhead, so we ordered the tent large enough so that we could move gear inside during windy weather.

Now she's looking at pictures online of other peoples camps and seeing mostly smaller tents and worrying that our tent will take up too much space. She's pretty obsessed.

I really need it to stop raining here long enough to set the thing up and show her that everything is fine.

Our first event will be the Old Northwest. Her parents are going to set up with us. They want ring side seats for the fight that's going to take place when we set up camp for the first time, especially because we'll have 2 disinterested children to content with as well.

Another question though... We were thinking about painting the tent poles. We've seen a lot of pictures that have the poles painted. Is this ok, and if so, what colors are appropriate?

Thanks for all the help!!

 

[Many Klatch]

If you are going to paint the poles keep it simple. I have ones that are painted brick red and ones that are blue. Keep to traditional colors, red, white, black, blue, ochre.

Many Klatch

 

[PaulN/KS]

Ahhh yes, the set up "fight"...BTDT and also don't forget the teardown "discussion"... :hmm:

I hope it goes smoothly for you guys and I hope your kids get interested with you. We need more families involved.

 

[Maestro]

She's afraid it'll be too big. We just got our tent and its 12x18X9 with 5' walls and a 12x16 fly. We plan to camp mostly at large week-long events, but also for shorter weekend events. We went with a larger tent because she wanted room for a stove. My in-laws do Native Reinactments, so she grew up with the tipi and insisted on having the ability to have fire inside. The stove says to keep it 3 feet from any wall, so almost 1/4 of the tent is supposed to be dedicated to the stove that we won't need for most of our camping....

She wants a 4 poster bed for us and we have cots for the kids. She wants me to make shelves for her to have inside. For under the fly we have a foldup table with benches, two long counter-type tables and a kitchen cabinet thing...

Now she's looking at pictures online of other peoples camps and seeing mostly smaller tents and worrying that our tent will take up too much space. She's pretty obsessed.

She wants a four-poster bed and is worried about the tent being too big :rotf: We had to get a small military wedge just to use as a "supply" tent! (I could go alone to a weekend event with ONLY the small wedge.) BTW, you'll love the large fly/awning (ours is about 16x20) - it's where you do most of your living and you have plenty of room to entertain guests.

Another question though... We were thinking about painting the tent poles. We've seen a lot of pictures that have the poles painted. Is this ok, and if so, what colors are appropriate?

Old Village Paint - excellent paint in excellent period colors.

 

[Robert Egler]

She's afraid it'll be too big. We just got our tent and its 12x18X9 with 5' walls and a 12x16 fly. We plan to camp mostly at large week-long events, but also for shorter weekend events. We went with a larger tent because she wanted room for a stove. My in-laws do Native Reinactments, so she grew up with the tipi and insisted on having the ability to have fire inside. The stove says to keep it 3 feet from any wall, so almost 1/4 of the tent is supposed to be dedicated to the stove that we won't need for most of our camping....

She wants a 4 poster bed for us and we have cots for the kids. She wants me to make shelves for her to have inside. For under the fly we have a foldup table with benches, two long counter-type tables and a kitchen cabinet thing.

Ok, well, it's obvious that my comments were irrelevant! You sure aren't carrying that stuff with you OR taking it in a canoe! :rotf:

 

[mazo kid]

Right now, we have a 10 X 12 wall tent with a 15' fly with attached walls. Works just great for protection. And we can heat it with our double brazier to make it cozy; we have lots of company and good times when the weather is not nice! We just ordered a 12 X 14 as friends have one that size. We tend to take a lot of "stuff" so there is room for everything. We also have a double bell wedge for shorter events or, as Many Klatch says, a store room/overflow area. Emery

 

[Robert Egler]

She's afraid it'll be too big. We just got our tent and its 12x18X9 with 5' walls and a 12x16 fly. We plan to camp mostly at large week-long events, but also for shorter weekend events. We went with a larger tent because she wanted room for a stove. My in-laws do Native Reinactments, so she grew up with the tipi and insisted on having the ability to have fire inside. The stove says to keep it 3 feet from any wall, so almost 1/4 of the tent is supposed to be dedicated to the stove that we won't need for most of our camping....

She wants a 4 poster bed for us and we have cots for the kids. She wants me to make shelves for her to have inside. For under the fly we have a foldup table with benches, two long counter-type tables and a kitchen cabinet thing.

Ok, well, it's obvious that my comments were irrelevant! You sure aren't carrying that stuff with you OR taking it in a canoe! :rotf:

I am curious, though. If you're trying to be period correct, isn't that a bit much? How many pack horses would you need to carry all that stuff?

 

[mrbortlein]

Squirrel Tail
Between the in-laws and us, we hope to both have 4x6x6 trailers to haul our stuff. So far, all of our furniture either dissasembles or folds very compact so storage and room for hauling is at a minimum. We are trying to keep our towing weight under 1500 lbs. Thanks for your time.
mrbortlein

 

[Robert Egler]

Hope you have a great time!! :thumbsup:

 

[RC]

mrbortlein, the best thing you did was get two doors! once you get the sides up, that tent will pop right up! i've got a huntin tent, 16x20x9 with 5 ft walls...one door...(somebodys gotta go in there!) :haha: but its really nice once its up! have fun! and avoid takin it down in a downpour...that waterproof works against ya! :haha:

 

[mmahlock]

Ahh the old what color do I paint the poles question . :hmm:

The reading and research I've done on the subject keeps coming around to "Spanish Brown" a color I've come to believe is close to a brownish red. As for paint, I personally like Milk Paint like these guys sell Old Fashion Milk Paint After it dries a once over with a scotchbrite pad and you have a very smooth finish that doesn't rub off. No other finishing necessary. I'd start with their Barn Red or Chocolate Brown and maybe experiment with some white and/or black to get the color you want. Although some have said the Barn Red is a s close to Spanish Brown as necessary.

 

[mrbortlein]

Well we did it,
There were some gnashing of teeth but we made it through. The set up took about 6 hours. Some of that time was doing some fit and finish, drilling holes and cutting boards etc. Still have some bugs to work out, but had an enjoyable couple of hours this evening just sitting in the tent. Did I mention it rained most of the time? Here are some pics. mrbortlein
tent 1
tent 2
tent 3
tent 4
tent 4

 

[RC]

Good Job! but ya need some smoke an dirt stains!!! :haha: waaaay tooo white! nice set up! :thumbsup: