Wall tent size for family of 5

[String&stick]

I am currently looking to purchase a wall tent in the next 6 months. I've been doing research on brands/styles and think I have things narrowed down to Davis tent or wall tent shop. But I can't figure out sizing! My next step is to call each company and see what they recommend but I figured prior to that I'd touch base with you guys.

Tent use:
We will use the tent once or twice per year for hunting trips if we aren't backpack hunting with 2-3 guys in the tent, maybe a max of 4 people in the tent. Cots, gear, etc. Would like to use a wood stove, but could use propane if it cuts down space. Trips are normally 9 days and we typically set up a cook tent so that wouldn't have to be in the sleeping tent.

As a family we would use the tent 15-30 days a year camping. This would involve my wife and I and our three kids (13, 10, 6). My oldest is already 5'5" 140lbs and growing so basically 3 adult sized humans and two kids. Would like cots for all but again most of the time can have outdoor cooking and/or a pop up canopy with walls to cook in and coolers can be outside.

I'm basically looking for real world use on what size tent you would prefer. I've been in a 10x15ft on hunting trips where a friend and his dad sleep. It looks like for 2 there is plenty of room hunting 3 would probably work. 4 with no stove would be cramped! Would a 14x16/16 be enough or do I just go with a 14x20 or 16x20?

Next step might be chalk on the driveway and setting up some cots in the chalk outline! Will be fun for the neighbors to watch!

 

[hunterjmj]

Doing a layout on your driveway is a great idea. I have a 14x19 and we were really crammed last year with 5 dudes and a stove. We had a small tent for our cook shack since we didn't have more room. I don't think youd want to go smaller than 16x20 to be comfortable. You could stow away some cots during the day to make room.

 

[CCooper]

Bunk cots save a lot of room as well. My brother has 2 sets of XL outfitter sized bunks- they really aren't too bad. 12x15 is a palace for 2 and stove but starts getting tight with a 3rd and gear.

Edit: spring for the awning on the front and 5’ walls- doors on both ends are awesome if you ever want to add on. Windows are nice in the summer. I also like the floor I had made by the tent maker- it provides a nice guide to throw down first to see your ground layout and assemble the poles on.

 

[Davis Tent]

16x20 is the route we would recommend. Anything smaller than that you will definitely start to feel crammed. Let us know if you have any other questions. Glad to see you are interested in buying a tent made in the USA.

 

[Gseith]

My family really likes a tipi. I bought a seek outside. few years ago and it been a hit. My boys, 9 and 10, love it. It’s also easy to set up I think for it size. Which is nice since I’m doing everything myself.
I also bought a stove with it if we ever do any cold weather camping when they get a little older.

 

[JeffP_Or]

I work with and hunt with architects....lay it out to real scale and fit in what you anticipate wanting/needing.

We have, over the years added/upsized. The current large/main tent is 15x20. It fits a drying rack [for clothes by the wood stove]; a wood stove; a hanging rod [for coats]; a couple bins of interior wood storage; a prep/cook table [3x6]; a 3-burner propane cook stove; an eating table with chairs for 5 [3x6]; (1) cot. This leaves room to sit [tight] around the wood stove in the evenings]. This allows everyone to be inside and around the 'kitchen' when meal prep is underway etc.
To this we have a 12x18 that nests inside the larger and use that as sleeping quarters for the remaining (4) persons/gear/cots. This affords a separate dressing and 'personal' area and allows folks to retire early to sleep if they want.
Each is an internal framed tent. We also have a smaller 12x14 tent if we happen to have a smaller crew in camp; this would replace the 12x18 in that instance.

These layouts give ample room for moving around without being on top of eachother as well as comfort at the end of the day. A 9 day hunt, things can start to feel crowded; the family could go with just the 16x20 pending cold temps/wood stove and using bunk cots [not an option as they get older?]

One option that might afford you some space would be a vestibule off the front of a single tent to stow coolers, wood and have a cook area outside - or as noted a canopy etc. The vestibule is nice for weather etc in hunting and summer camping though.


Fire restrictions this year - so no wood stove in picture:

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

I have a family of seven and we bought the grizzly package from Davis tent. It is nice but can be a bit of a pain to set up. I would go with the elk package from Davis tent but I'd get the biggest wood burning stove they make, you will never regret that. My brother has that set up and it works great for his family of 5.

 

[MTtrout]

Hard to complain about more room. But more room means larger footprint and more to heat in cold temps. I have a Davis 14x16 and love it. We’ve spend many trips in it with four cots, foldout table, small shelve rack for storage, large woodpile,… as long as everyone keeps there stuff in their spots I see no problem with the size. Several places we’ve camped a larger tent and awning simply wouldn’t fit. If you have a good idea of where you would be spending most of your time then maybe go larger.

Maybe one other thing to consider is we’ve setup the 14x16 during some serious storms. You need to have a good program or it can go south in a hurry. Maybe others will chime in but I couldn’t imagine setting up a tent like the 16x20 during those situations.

Definitely chalk out the footprint options and even were cots and stuff would go. You’re going to love one!

 

[Seeknelk]

I'd definitely go with two tents of about the 14x16 size. Maybe one 14x16 and one a bit smaller. That means two stoves etc of course...

 

[5MilesBack]

I've put my family of five in my 14x16 Davis tent before, but it is cramped, and that was when the kids were all younger. Later on just used two tents for sleeping. I'd go with the 16x20 or two smaller tents for sleeping.

 

[Stalker69]

We use the bunk bed cots also, they are actually pretty nice. I have a Montana canvas lodge ( I believe its 14x16) and can sleep four without an issue what so ever, plenty of room for stove or heater and still more then enough room. And six if needed is not to bad.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Two 14x16's, you and wife in one and kids in the other. That way nothing gets in the way of the hanky panky and you can pack a smaller tent on your hunting trips if only two people. If you have four people you still only have to put up one tent, let the extra two guys out up the other one.

 

[String&stick]

Thanks for the input guys, I think next step is some weekend chalk on the driveway and moving some gear around in the different spaces to see what it looks like!

 

[travispe]

I also went the 14x16 route from Davis and added a 14x10 cook shack to go on the front or back when extra room is needed. I think with a large stove and keeping the doors open you can get by with only taking one stove. Regardless of which size you choose, and if you live near a city that has a Sports show in the winter you can save on shipping by having Davis Tent deliver it to the show. Worked out real easy and saved a bunch of money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[String&stick]

I also went the 14x16 route from Davis and added a 14x10 cook shack to go on the front or back when extra room is needed. I think with a large stove and keeping the doors open you can get by with only taking one stove. Regardless of which size you choose, and if you live near a city that has a Sports show in the winter you can save on shipping by having Davis Tent deliver it to the show. Worked out real easy and saved a bunch of money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If I go with Davis I'll just tell the wife we can go to Ikea in Denver when the tent is finished(4.5 hour drive from me). Then I'll drop her off and go get my tent!!! I'll just make sure she understands that space in the pickup may be limited!

 

[CorbLand]

If I go with Davis I'll just tell the wife we can go to Ikea in Denver when the tent is finished(4.5 hour drive from me). Then I'll drop her off and go get my tent!!! I'll just make sure she understands that space in the pickup may be limited!

If you are dropping your wife off at Ikea, then going and getting the tent...you better have something to do after you get the tent for a couple hours and take a trailer.

 

[hoppyumr]

I am currently looking to purchase a wall tent in the next 6 months. I've been doing research on brands/styles and think I have things narrowed down to Davis tent or wall tent shop. But I can't figure out sizing! My next step is to call each company and see what they recommend but I figured prior to that I'd touch base with you guys.

Tent use:
We will use the tent once or twice per year for hunting trips if we aren't backpack hunting with 2-3 guys in the tent, maybe a max of 4 people in the tent. Cots, gear, etc. Would like to use a wood stove, but could use propane if it cuts down space. Trips are normally 9 days and we typically set up a cook tent so that wouldn't have to be in the sleeping tent.

As a family we would use the tent 15-30 days a year camping. This would involve my wife and I and our three kids (13, 10, 6). My oldest is already 5'5" 140lbs and growing so basically 3 adult sized humans and two kids. Would like cots for all but again most of the time can have outdoor cooking and/or a pop up canopy with walls to cook in and coolers can be outside.

I'm basically looking for real world use on what size tent you would prefer. I've been in a 10x15ft on hunting trips where a friend and his dad sleep. It looks like for 2 there is plenty of room hunting 3 would probably work. 4 with no stove would be cramped! Would a 14x16/16 be enough or do I just go with a 14x20 or 16x20?

Next step might be chalk on the driveway and setting up some cots in the chalk outline! Will be fun for the neighbors to watch!

I bought a smaller size wall off of an older hunting buddy of mine who is downsizing his gear. I think we can easily fit 3 in the tent for hunting, four would be a decent stretch but probably doable, 5 without a stove is a possibility. Hunting groups tend to have lots of gear that takes up lots of room. Keep that in mind.

Some suggestions:
1. I have a battery, inverter, and a 40w LED shop light that is awesome in our tent. I think it’s about 4000 lumen output and it’s nice and bright. Obviously with the inverter we can charge radios and phones. I am possibly incorporating solar this year to keep the battery charged up.

2. I’m not sure that you are going to be able to backpack in very far with a large enough wall tent to sleep 5 while hunting. That’s going to be a BIG and heavy tent. My smaller canvas wall tent, 12x14 I think, isn’t exactly a lightweight. The hunting buddy I got it from has horses and he’s packed in with it during elk hunts, but putting it on a horse is a little different. The tent has poles and a ridge pole, but if you were to pack it in you could always cut some small trees to use as the frame. If it’s cold, then you are going to have a stove; even the collapsible stove I have isn’t necessary insignificant in weight or size. I’d generally consider wall tent camping to be close to my vehicle. Back packing in would be with smaller more light weight tents.

3. Floor - I put down a plastic tarp and then put canvas tarps . The plastic keeps the canvas dry, and then it’s almost like having carpet and it isn’t quite as cold on the feet, and quieter in the middle of the night for bathroom calls.

4. Awning - I don’t have one for my tent, but I’ve if my other hunting buddies does. It’s pretty nice to have that area too hello clean if boots, or place things you don’t want in the tent. Maybe some day.

 

[hunterjmj]

I bought a smaller size wall off of an older hunting buddy of mine who is downsizing his gear. I think we can easily fit 3 in the tent for hunting, four would be a decent stretch but probably doable, 5 without a stove is a possibility. Hunting groups tend to have lots of gear that takes up lots of room. Keep that in mind.

Some suggestions:
1. I have a battery, inverter, and a 40w LED shop light that is awesome in our tent. I think it’s about 4000 lumen output and it’s nice and bright. Obviously with the inverter we can charge radios and phones. I am possibly incorporating solar this year to keep the battery charged up.

2. I’m not sure that you are going to be able to backpack in very far with a large enough wall tent to sleep 5 while hunting. That’s going to be a BIG and heavy tent. My smaller canvas wall tent, 12x14 I think, isn’t exactly a lightweight. The hunting buddy I got it from has horses and he’s packed in with it during elk hunts, but putting it on a horse is a little different. The tent has poles and a ridge pole, but if you were to pack it in you could always cut some small trees to use as the frame. If it’s cold, then you are going to have a stove; even the collapsible stove I have isn’t necessary insignificant in weight or size. I’d generally consider wall tent camping to be close to my vehicle. Back packing in would be with smaller more light weight tents.

3. Floor - I put down a plastic tarp and then put canvas tarps . The plastic keeps the canvas dry, and then it’s almost like having carpet and it isn’t quite as cold on the feet, and quieter in the middle of the night for bathroom calls.

4. Awning - I don’t have one for my tent, but I’ve if my other hunting buddies does. It’s pretty nice to have that area too hello clean if boots, or place things you don’t want in the tent. Maybe some day.

Some sort of floor is a great idea. My dad bought this outdoor carpet when he bought the tent new around 93'. Still going strong after 20 years. I put it over a large tarp. I inherited the tent after he passed away and just bought this stove last year which was a yuge upgrade over the undersized stove we always had.

 

[Rich M]

We had 4 adults on cots in an 8x10.

 

[Xbow hunter]

We had 4 adults on cots in an 8x10.

No stove?