Canvas Wall Tents | What To Look For
Wall tenting is one of my favorite ways to get out and enjoy the back country. My first experience was as a Canadian Ranger patrolling Canada’s arctic with the Canadian Armed Forces. I was a Section Commander and would take 10 Rangers, 5 canvas wall tents with 2 people per tent and patrol for weeks at a time. Breaking camp everyday, setting up every day. In the dark and in the cold.
I absolutely love wall tents and winter canvas tenting.
Now I wall tent with my young kids and usually plan those trips for the middle of winter. This is the slow season for camping. All my summertime back packing trips are complete for season and I switch out my gear for the wall tent trips. Its a complete mindset change.
In the summer months I live with only what I can carry. In wall tent season I use a snow machine pulling a 10 foot sled full of gear to beautiful remote locations. Setup takes me an hour from clearing a spot to having wood burning in the stove.
In this article I’ll take you through all the best canvas tent features that are important to me and what to look for.
Canvas Wall Tents
What is a canvas wall tent?
A canvas wall tent is a type of tent that is made from canvas and features vertical walls, as opposed to the sloping walls found on many other types of tents. Canvas wall tents are perfect for winter camping as they retain heat and are very comfortable to stay in.
Canvas wall tents have been used for centuries, and are known for their durability, spacious interiors, and ability to withstand harsh weather conditions.
Canvas wall tents are often used for camping, hunting, and other outdoor activities, and are a popular choice among outdoor enthusiasts who want a comfortable and reliable shelter while enjoying the great outdoors.
History of canvas wall tents
Canvas wall tents have been used for centuries, with their origins dating back to the days of the nomadic tribes who roamed the plains of Central Asia. Over time, the design of the canvas tent has evolved to include features such as sturdy frames, zippered doors, and waterproof coatings, making them a popular choice.
Today, canvas camping tents are used for a variety of purposes, including hunting, camping, and even glamping.
Why buy a wall tent?
There are many reasons why someone might choose to buy a canvas wall tent, including:
- Durability – One of the main benefits of a canvas wall tent is its durability and long-lasting construction. Unlike many other types of tents a canvas wall tent is made from sturdy, natural materials that are built to last. Your tent is a buy-it-for-life purchase.
- Lots of Space – Canvas wall tents are known for their spacious interiors, which can provide ample room for sleeping, storage, and other activities. Lots of space for family trips.
- Versatility – Do you like ice fishing? Are you a hunter? Need a hunting camp? Cook shack? Have an ice rink in the back yard? Base camping? Host outdoor events in your back yard? Emergency and disaster prep? I have a couple friends who lived in a wall tent for a year and a half while their house was built.
Wall tents are a good choice for anyone who wants a versatile, durable, spacious, and weather-resistant shelter for outdoor activities.
Here are a few tent options that I would buy online.
1) 10 x 12 Canvas Wall Tent and Frame
2) 10 x 12 Canvas Wall Tent with Heavy Duty Aluminum Frame
Below is a wall tent set up in my backyard last winter.
We made a skating rink and left the wall tent up. We would light the wood stove in the morning and have a place to put on and take off skates and warm up! You don’t have to use your canvas winter tent only in the bush.
Must-Have Wall Tent Features
If you are looking for a sturdy, stable wall tent, you will want a tent with high-quality, durable canvas construction and a sturdy frame to withstand harsh weather conditions.
You will also want features such as :
- a waterproof coating
- zippered doors and windows
- plenty of ventilation to keep the interior of the tent dry and comfortable
Here are a list of things that are important for a good, quality canvas wall tent.
1. Wall Tent Angle Kits and Frames
A wall tent angle kit is a set of welded tubes that are used as the cornerstones of your internal frame.
Having an angle kit is mostly about convenience. Sure, you could bring external wood poles or lumber, or even cut fresh poles in the field but having an angle kit and frame makes setup VERY FAST.
I’ve probably tried every way there is to set up a canvas tent and my preferred method by far is with a frame and angel kit.
2. A Wall Tent Wood Stove
These are compactable and are portable. When looking for a tent stove for a canvas wall tent, there are several important design features to consider (I will leave a shopping list for you below these points to look at these items):
- Size – The single most important factor when choosing a tent stove is the size. You will need to decide for yourself but for me, wall tenting isn’t about saving weight. What matters to me is that it will last through the night when I’ve closed all the vents. That means I buy the largest stove I can for the space I have. Mine is 26″ x 18″ (65cm x 45cm).
- Material – The stove should be made heavy duty to withstand the heat of the burning fuel. I have a friend with a stainless steel stove and it is by far the best I’ve seen. Mine is 11 gauge steel.
- Good Legs – The wood stove should also have sturdy, wide legs to prevent tipping over.
- Chimney – The pipes of eh wood stove for your wall tent should be the nested style (each section fits into each other) and should have an adjustable damper to to regulate the heat output.
A spark arrestor is important to prevent any stray embers from igniting tent or burning holes in it. Also ensure the chimney hole in the stove is placed in the back corner. With will give you more cooking space. - Buy Round, not square – The square stoves warp. When you have all the vents open because its cold outside, these stoves glow red. The round style with a reinforced flat cook top is the best option. It will withstand extremely high temperatures.
- Stove jack – Make sure your tent comes with a stove jack with a storm flap.
When you are buying a stove choose components that all fit nice and neat inside the stove for easy packing.
Canvas Wall Tent WOOD STOVE Shopping list:
Wood Stove Recommendation-
Check price on manufacturers website here
Compare price of same wood stove on Amazon
Wood Stove Pipe, nested 5″ to 6″ – Check price here
Stove Pipe Damper 5″ – Check price here
Spark Arrester – See the one we recommend here
Fire Proof Floor Mat – Check price here
3. A Canvas Tent Rain Fly and Floors
Rain Fly
A rain fly for a tent is a cover that is placed over the top of a tent to provide additional protection from the elements.
A rain fly is typically made from a waterproof or water-resistant material, and is designed to cover the roof and sides of the tent, creating a barrier against rain and snow. For winter camping in a canvas wall tent, a rain fly will also keep the stove embers from burning holes in your tent.
Benefits of a rain fly include:
- Increases your tent roof life which is the first part that fails.
- Prevents spark burn holes. It is much easier and cheaper to replace a fly than a tent.
- Keeps the rain and snow off your tent roof canvas.
- Protects your roof from UV rays.
- Keeps roof clean.
- Prevents tree pitch from getting on the roof. If you remove the tree sap you will remove the roof water, mildew and fire treatment. Then you will have leaks in your roof.
- The fly should provide 1 foot overhang on each side of tent carrying water and snow 1 foot away from side wall.
Tent Floor
The purpose of a wall tent floor is to provide a barrier between the bottom of the tent and the ground.
A wall tent floor is typically made from a durable, waterproof or water-resistant material, such as canvas or vinyl, and is designed to protect the bottom of the tent from moisture, abrasion, and other types of damage.
In addition to protecting the tent, a wall tent floor can also provide a more comfortable and hygienic surface for sleeping and other activities.
4. Canvas Wall Tent Vestibules
A vestibule is a small, covered area that is attached to the entrance of a tent. It provides a sheltered space for storing gear, shoes, and other items, and can also serve as a transition area between the inside and outside of the tent.
Some people find a vestibule to be a useful feature, as it can help to keep the interior of the tent clean and organized, and can provide additional storage space. However, others may not find a vestibule to be necessary, and may prefer a tent without one in order to save weight and space.
Ultimately, the decision to buy a canvas wall tent with a vestibule will depend on your preference. Mine doesn’t have one and I’ve never wished I had one, but to each their own.
5. Canvas Wall Tent Tie Down Locations
Tie downs are important for a canvas wall tent. Tie downs help to secure the tent to the ground and prevent it from being blown away in windy conditions.
Have a look at the photo below where I was setup in the middle of Great Slave Lake, right on the ice. We tied the tent to our snow machines.
If your tent doesn’t come with road for this I’d recommend a good solid rope with a kernmantle layer. Do yourself a favor and buy a spool of 550 paracord (link below in the shopping list) and at your first tent setup permanently tie these on with tensioners.
6. Internal tie locations
Internal tie locations are points within a canvas wall tent where ropes can be attached to hang stringers to hang and dry gear, such as clothing, towels, or sleeping bags.
These tie locations are usually D rings. They also provide additional storage space within the tent.
This will help to keep the gear off the ground, and will provide a convenient and organized way to dry or store gear within the tent. You can use the same paracord mentioned for the tent tie downs. I leave mine installed on the D rings.
Shopping list: Setup your wall tent tie locations.
Spring Clamps (for drying gear)
7. Ventilation
We don’t want anyone breathing in carbon monoxide in their sleep, so this is an extremely important point. This will also help keep your gear and tent walls dry.
Ventilation is an important consideration when using a canvas wall tent, as it can also help to prevent condensation and keep the interior of the tent safe and comfortable.
Most canvas wall tents are designed with ventilation in mind, and will have vents at the the ridgeline corners. Before you buy make sure it has them.
When running a wood stove I just leave my ventilation wide open. I’ve done this in -40 degrees (F and C) and sat around in my t-shirt in the tent. At night, I close all the stove vents and leave the tent ventilation open. Open the front door zipper a hands width near the floor.
The tent will cool down but your sleeping bag’s job is to keep you warm. The goal here is to let the moisture out and have a few coals still burning in the fire when you wake up for easy heat in the morning.
8. Windows and Doors
How many doors should you have on your winter canvas tent? Personally I like two doors but admit that I rarely use the door furthest from the stove (back door). It just doesn’t get a lot of use the way I setup my tent.
The only time I like to have a second door is when I connect two tents together. I’ll do this when I’m camping with my brother and his kids. We will set both tents back to back and open the doors. Now we have a house to camp in and it’s awesome.
For windows, if you plan to use your tent in the summer or anytime there is no snow then you will want two windows with bug screens to get a nice breeze flowing though.
Build quality
When it comes to purchasing a canvas wall tent, one of the key benefits is the potential for it to be a “buy-it-for-life” product. This means that the tent is built to last, with high-quality materials and construction that will withstand regular use and the elements.
A canvas fabric wall tent that is built with this philosophy will be made from durable, natural materials, such as heavy-duty canvas and a sturdy frame, and will have reinforced seams and other features to ensure that it can withstand the rigors of regular use.
Here are some things to consider in terms of quality when looking to purchase a canvas wall tent:
1. Canvas Gauge (thickness)
When choosing a canvas wall tent, the gauge of the canvas refers to the thickness and weight of the material. Canvas is typically measured in ounces per square yard, with a higher number indicating a thicker and heavier canvas.
My tent is 12 oz. canvas, the usual is 10 oz. of thickness.
The 12 oz will be more durable, but is also a lot heavier to fold up, especially when it’s cold. In comparison, the 10 oz feels very easy to handle.
You can choose either of these gauges for canvas thickness and be perfectly happy with your choice.
2. Canvas Treatment
Fire, water and mildew treatment is pretty standard and in my experience, lasts a long time. This give your tent fabric more water resistance or water repellent.
Added mildew resistance will not save your tent if you put it away wet. A canvas tent needs to go into storage dry, so make sure to bring it into a garage to dry before folding and storing.
3. Zippers
Get the most durable, heavy duty zipper you can get.
If the shop you are buying from has an upgrade option, take it. This will also give you a better weather-tight seal. I’ve broken zippers on wall tents and they are a pain to fix.
4. Corner Reinforcement
Well-made canvas tents will be well-constructed with reinforced seams and corners. Where the roof and side walls meet should be reinforced as well.
Your best tent setup will have internal frame putting pressure and friction on the corners and end wall seams.
Don’t buy any tent without this added reinforcement.
Tips and Tricks
- Choose the right location. When setting up your canvas wall tent, choose a flat, level area that is free from debris, such as rocks and sticks. You’ll also want something to tie off to so plan where the trees are.
- Set up the frame first without legs on one side. Then drape your tent over and once its in place, lift the legless side and put your legs on.
- Use a waterproofing spray to protect your tent. Buy some extra and put some on every year.
- Bury your sod cloth. The sod cloth is a vinyl skirt that is sewn along the bottom of the tent walls. Shovel now onto it and it will keep the wind out.
- Buy some repair tools in case you have a ripe or tear or burn hole. I keep an owl and a bit of canvas with the tent. I bought these ones: Sewing AwlSpare Canvas
Conclusion
Overall, using a canvas wall tent is a great way to enjoy the outdoors in comfort and style.
By following these tips and tricks, you can ensure that your tent is set up properly, stays dry and comfortable, and lasts for many seasons to come.
With proper care it should be the last wall tent you need to buy.