# Wall "tent" advice



## Bharvey (Mar 24, 2013)

Alright guys,

I've got a 10X20 dome "shelter. It was used as a lunch cover at a plant. It's a metal frame that sits on the ground and pretty much looks like a half of a cylinder. It's got a polyurethane tarp cover. 

Ok, I'm trying to get this thing rigged up to be used as a tent in Colorado in November. I've got access to three 12'x14' fire retardant canvas tarps. Long story short, I think by the time I cover the frame with the canvas tarps, I'll have a 1/2' gap between the tarps and the ground on each side. (In other words I don't quite have enough tarp to completely cover the frame to the ground.) My question is, if I take the Polyurethane tarp (that's made for the frame and DOES overlap the ground) and cover the frame with the canvas tarps still on it, do y'all think that will be sufficient enough cover and "insulation" for CO? The 1/2' gap on each side will have only the Polyurethane tarp. (If I use this option, it will leave me with one extra tarp to lay on the ground as a floor.)

My other option would be to acquire another tarp to bring my total to 4 tarps. Use two tarps to cover the frame, but offset them to one side so the canvas comes all the way to the ground, then use the other two remaining tarps to fill the 1' gap on the opposite side. I realize this isn't a critical issue, but I was just curious how you guys would engineer this. Acquiring bigger tarps is out of the question because of $. Any suggestions would be great.


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## Bob Keyes (Mar 16, 2011)

*makeshift "wall tent"*

Don't do it, the poly tarp will turn it into a wet cold nightmare!!!! I have camped in single digit temps for 10 day deer hunts in NM in a canvas wall tent with a wood stove. We could get the tent up to shorts and t-shirt comfort without much trouble. The fact that the canvas could "breathe" is what made it possible, the poly tarp will not breathe, it will have constant condensation and will "rain" on you the whole time. The other factor is that you will not have a stove jack to safely heat the tent without catching it on fire. Another factor is sealing out cold drafts, a wall tent has a "sod cloth" around the bottom that you can throw a few shovels of dirt on and seal the bottom. The bottom line is real wall tents rock, the only thing that will be more comfortable is a full up travel trailer. Try getting one of those up a FS fire road sometime. This is probably not what you wanted to hear.

Bob


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## stammster - temporary (Jul 20, 2009)

*Solved*

Cut the legs on the bottom of the frame by 6".


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## Bharvey (Mar 24, 2013)

Bob Keyes said:


> Don't do it, the poly tarp will turn it into a wet cold nightmare!!!! I have camped in single digit temps for 10 day deer hunts in NM in a canvas wall tent with a wood stove. We could get the tent up to shorts and t-shirt comfort without much trouble. The fact that the canvas could "breathe" is what made it possible, the poly tarp will not breathe, it will have constant condensation and will "rain" on you the whole time. The other factor is that you will not have a stove jack to safely heat the tent without catching it on fire. Another factor is sealing out cold drafts, a wall tent has a "sod cloth" around the bottom that you can throw a few shovels of dirt on and seal the bottom. The bottom line is real wall tents rock, the only thing that will be more comfortable is a full up travel trailer. Try getting one of those up a FS fire road sometime. This is probably not what you wanted to hear.
> 
> Bob


That's pretty much what we came to the conclusion of as well. We're going to leave the poly off of it and just use the canvas. I know what you mean about getting rained on. We camped in Wyoming in a cabeals tent and it rained on us from the condensation.

Stammster: We thought about doing that as well. So far, we've decided the best bet was to take the last 12x14 tarp and turn it sideways as a floor. there would be 2ft excess on each side of the frame and we could fold it up and 'under-lap' what's coming down from the top. This would only work for 12' of the length of the tent. The remaining 8ft we'd have to find another tarp to do the same with, or use a poly tarp for the floor and fold it up as well. (NOw that I think about it I suppose I could dig 8- 7inch holes to set the legs into. Then the tarp would be on the ground! lol

Thanks for the suggestions! Keep 'em coming!


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## Hog-Pilot (Nov 22, 2010)

If you ever decide to pull the trigger check out this
site www.walltentshop.com This is where I got all my
equip. Like Bob said 20 degrees outside shorts and tees
inside. Had mine for 6yrs now worth every dollar and Rich
won't sell you something you don't need.


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## DCC (Aug 6, 2011)

*Tent*

I have a Cabela's mountain tent with a wood burning stove that has been used once. Big white tent and metal frame and stove that vents through the top of the tent. Sells for about 2K on Cabela's website. I will sell it to you for $600 if you want it. Just sits in my garage in Houston not getting used.

Dan
713-302-9452


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