Canvas wall tent comparisons

[TNHunter]

Thinking of buying canvas wall tent for next season. I've done some looking and found walltentshop and Montana canvas tents so far. There is a pretty good price difference between the two however. Wondering if anyone has had any experience with either and can give their opinion as to the difference. Thanks in advance from Music City USA

 

[Ross]

I've had a Montana canvas 8x10 with relite walls for 10 yrs. no complaints and love the tent. The relite dries out very quickly but you do have to be careful with it when removing the poles as someone had a zorro incident with it one time trying to set it up in a windstorm and on uneven ground.

 

[Sam Millard]

I had a 10x12 all-canvas Montana Canvas tent for 10 years, then sold it to help fund a 8x10 and 12x14 Montana Canvas blend tent combo. The big one has their matching four-rafter pole set, and the small one uses the homemade electrical conduit piping. All three of them are top-notch. I sold my original tent to a friend who uses it regularly. Great tents! Glad Ross talked me into the blend tent; the 12x14 weighs about what the canvas 10x12 did, and dries much faster.

 

[Sam Millard]

Here's the little one with a 30-mph Wyoming wind trying to kill it

 

[Bubblehide]

I currently have an all relite Montana Canvas wall tent, and another brand (at the moment I do not recall the brand). Both tents are top notch. However, what you should buy may depend on how you plan to use it, how many in your party... If your going to be packing the tent in (I would presume on horseback, I'd go with an all relite fabric tent for the weight and bulk reduction. If your driving to your camp and setting it up, the relite fabric is much easier to work with, but the canvas holds heat better. You never want to pack away a canvas tent if it is wet or damp, it will mildew, and then rot before the next season rolls around; thus the relite material performs better in such situations.

Stove size can make a huge difference, presuming you will use a stove. I have 2 different size stoves, and very small one, and a large one. The large one is for my relite tent, 14x16 or 16x20, it's been so long that I forget exactly how big it is, but it is huge for a wall tent, and can be difficult to set up in some places due to the size plus guy line distance that it take up. The small stove is for the all canvas 10x12 tent. The 10x12 is perfect for 2 with stove, but it can squeeze in 3. The small stove will literally heat the tent to where a person is uncomfortably hot in it naked in below freezing temps. However, if I want to keep the tent warm, I need to add wood to the stove every 2 hours. I prefer to sleep, so whenever I do wake, it's freezing inside the tent. The large stove will keep the tent warm almost until I wake in the morning. I usually wake at night to pee, so I also refill the stove with wood, so it's warm inside the tent all night. You want a zippered door that also has clips on the outside; the clips help protect the zipper in high wind conditions, and also allow you to clip the door flaps open.

I can set up and take down both tents by myself. But, I had a 12x14 Montana Canvas, all canvas tent that was on the outside of doable by myself, due to the weight and bulk. So depending on the size your looking at, you might want a blend or all relite just to make it manageable. If you have help, most any size is manageable with 2 or more people.

Important features, Make sure the tent comes with "Sod Cloth", at least one window, as there will be times you will want ventilation (the door and window open is enough), eves that extent beyond the walls of the tent (most all do by about 2-3 inches). Do not get one with an attached floor, just use a tarp. If you do buy an all canvas tent, make sure you use a rain fly if you might get any weather; it will keep your tent much dryer, and protect it from mildewing, and help it hold heat better. I make my own rainflys by using a tarp and gluing in (a specialized glue) some fine fiberglass that I siliconize, with a hole for the stove-pipe. The relite fabric does not need a rainfly, except to protect the tent fabric from embers, so you can get away with a small one as there is no need to cover the entire tent.

 

[Ryan Avery]

The wilderness tent is every bit as good as the Montana canvas at a much better price.

 

[ridge]

I second wilderness tent I've had kwikkamp. montana, davis and the wilderness is my favorite

 

[5MilesBack]

Check out Davis Tent in Denver as well. Great tents that will last a lifetime if you take care of them. Here's my 14x16. I got the whole setup for $800 brand new. I put it up and take it down by myself just about every time I set it up. Doesn't take long. This tent is 8 years old, and I set it up for the entire 30 day archery season every year, plus some rifle seasons and summer family camping trips. So it has been up for probably close to 300 days in the last 8 years. Still looks pretty good.

I had another 14x16 that had the fire treatment and I couldn't stand the smell of it. Couldn't even stand to spend a couple minutes in it let alone all night......so sold it last year. This one just has the water and mildew treatment.

 

[Whisky]

Another 14x16 Davis fan here...No experience with others though.

 

[TNHunter]

Thanks fellas for the insights. Not packing it in, just base camp from the roadside. My partner had a Montana canvas set up last year and I really liked the setup with his stove. Kept him and his son plenty warm, so I'm getting one before next season. He bought his several years back and didn't have any knowledge about the other brands out there now. So I'm doing a little research and know folks like y'all have some good knowledge. Thanks and keep it coming ...

 

[MontanaMarine]

Here's a Davis 12x14, nice roomy size for the wife and I,

 

[mullmann]

I have a Davis 12x18 and my father has a Davis 8x10. Both are great. We Have used them from mid 80's down to the teens with some rain. No issues.

 

[husky390]

16'x20' Davis tent here. It's work to setup and take down but short of a 5th wheel with slide outs, it's paradise.

 

[neverquit]

I love my wall tent shop wilderness tent. I did the 14x16 with the 5th rafter option

 

[camping1601]

Which ever you decide on buy it in the off season. Bought my tent, stove, and angle kit all right before the western big game seasons. Stove from Four dog got lost, angle kit form Wall Tent shot was very poor and they had to sent me some new angles, tent from MC was very poor workmanship. Everybody made it right and MC told me to use the tent for the season and they then picked it up on my front porch and delivered a brand new one to the porch. MC also gave me windows and a second door for free plus 10% off for being a RMEF member. If I bought another tent today it would be a MC. Also love my Fourdog stove. It was obvious these places were very busy at the time I bought my stuf two years ago.
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[TNHunter]

Thanks for the detailed info. Some things that i hadn't considered

 

[NEhunter]

12x14 davis tent here. Makes a nice place to stay.

 

[under h2o hunter]

I own two Davis Tents. I have a 14x16 for a cook tent that was our main tent for over 15 years. Then a couple years ago I purchase a 14x20 that became our sleeping tent. I can't say enough about Davis Tents and their warranty. I had them replace a zipper last year on our cook tent and they did it for Free.

 

[Regul8r1]

I have used And own two Davis wall tents. Nothing but good things to say about the tents and service they provide. Easy to set up and they handle the wind and snow great. I have no experience with the others.

 

[bigmoose]

Here's a well used Montana Canvas 12X14 probably 25+ years old. Lots of good tents out there now. I agree with the sod cloth and window option. We've always used a tarp over the tent in stormy weather. If you get one wide enough, you can stack firewood under the edges. The tarp will save the tent from sparks and you'll need to replace it every few years. Nothing like a wall tent for a great base camp. Another option is to have another door put in. I had one put in my 10X12 cook tent for times when our group is larger than normal. We just roll up the doors inside.