This must be the season for researching and buying wall tents.
On another forum I answered a few questions about cooking in a wall tent. I thought some folks here might find it interesting if they haven't done it.
Q: What exactly do you mean by "wall tent"?
A: A wall tent is a tent normally made of treated canvas. They come in various sizes. Some have windows. But they all basically look like this:
Q: Do you have one tent that stands alone as the kitchen?
A: For the commercial outfitters I work for, yes. We have a separate tent just for the kitchen and mess (eating area).
Q: My stove came with a warning to not use it indoors. Isn't it health hazard to cook with propane inside a wall tent?
A: First, wall tents are not anywhere near air tight like your home. But, be smart about it. Get a longer hose and put the tank outside the tent. After you hook the stove to the tank, take a spray bottle with some water and soap in it and spray for leaks around all connections including around the valves on the stove.
Second, I've cooked this way for a very long time with no accidents, but I know one lady who got a medevac helicopter ride out of a wilderness from a propane accident. So be careful and do your homework about propane.
Q: Doesn't canvas leak?
A: Canvas tents will indeed leak if not cared for. We spray the canvas with a water repellent, especially the seams. We also put a rain fly over the tent to create an extra layer of protection.
Q: Doesn't it get very cold during the fall or winter?
A: While there is virtually zero insulation in a tent, we are able to burn wood in a wood stove (shown in photo with two buckets on it). It keeps it surprisingly warm.
I've been in a wall tent when it was -25 F outside and it was +65 F inside.
Q: What do you use for a frame?
A: Three different methods.
One. Cut and build two "A's" for each gable end. Cut a long ridge and run it through the inside ridge of the tent and into the notch of the A's. Run another long pole on each side for the hip. You'll tie the top of the walls to this pole.
Two. Cut, trim, and build an internal frame out of existing wood. This is normally only done for camps that get used over and over every year and the frame is then laid down after camp is broken down and the canvas is packed out.
Three. Build your own internal frame from EMT (used for electrical conduit). You can buy the angle kits and then just cut the EMT to fit your tent. This photo shows one for a 12'x14' wall tent. I added an extra rafter because it's often used in areas where we get a lot of heavy wet snow and it handles the load better than just one rafter in the middle. Also, this photo shows the easiest way to set up and tear down the tent and frame. You put the frame together but without the legs for the wall on one side. The frame will be much lower so you can pull the canvas tent over the top from the low side.
(Hint: After you set up the frame the first time. Get a couple cans of spray paint and paint the connections so that they are colored coated for easier assembly)
Trapper