Wall Tent Camping Upgrades

Snakins10

Snakins10

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I drew an LE Archery Elk tag this year here in Utah and am planning on doing a wall tent camp. I’m curious what your guys favorite camp upgrades or improvements are to your wall tents or campsites? Obviously my hunt will be early season, but other season answers are still very much welcome.
 
Solid flooring. Hangy things to keep stuff off the floor and easy to find. Make sure the tent is cleaned and dried. Dried again. Get the most versatile kitchen you can find.
 
Snakins10 said:
I drew an LE Archery Elk tag this year here in Utah and am planning on doing a wall tent camp. I’m curious what your guys favorite camp upgrades or improvements are to your wall tents or campsites? Obviously my hunt will be early season, but other season answers are still very much welcome.
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Our family has had many different tents, shapes and sizes over the last 50 years. Unless your back packing and need a light weight product, we use larger heavy tents.

Now days we mainly use floorless wall tents with a wood burning stove and Kodiak spring bar tents with a built in floor. Both are great products if you’re going camping with a vehicle and plan to spend a few days in a tent…….. not so cool for one night tenting.

One son has a Jumping Jack tent/trailer that get lots of use as well. Expensive but well made and pretty a quick set up and take down and hauls ATVs as well.
 
We used to use a wall tent when we went to Idaho deer hunting. I have a friend who worked in a carpet store and he would save nice pieces of old carpet for us. Wall to wall carpeting in the tent is pretty nice. That was more in the later season hunts though when it was colder.
 
I would get some extra long impact driven stakes or rebar to stake the tent down in case you experience strong winds.

Don’t ask me how I know that 😂
IMG_5973.jpeg
 
eelgrass said:
We used to use a wall tent when we went to Idaho deer hunting. I have a friend who worked in a carpet store and he would save nice pieces of old carpet for us. Wall to wall carpeting in the tent is pretty nice. That was more in the later season hunts though when it was colder.
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I had that thought or maybe some old football field turf if I could get my hands on either, thanks for replying man!
 
Wall to wall carpet is very very nice, no matter what time of year.
Just be sure to have a tarp under it and cut it back away from the woodstove 12" to 18".
S hooks to hang wet clothes, boots, lantern or most any other thing.
Definitely want a rainfly or tarp on the roof to keep snow sliding and sparks from the stove from burning small holes in the fabric.
A small card table or fold up kind, you can store stuff on it and under it, kind of like doubling the square footage in that area.
 
We bring a small gonna generator for charging electronics, running the coffee pot and last year, I bought some 36" led lights from Amazon and zip tied them to the ridge pole. A lot better than lanterns if you're not packing your wall tent on horseback. And as mentioned before, a good floor and plenty of places to hang clothing and equipment.
 
I tried carpet too but have gone back to a tarp because, I’ve tracked thorns and stickers in and when those babies get down in the carpet, they are nearly impossible to get out. With the tarp…… I just sweep it clean a couple times a day.
 
2lumpy said:
I tried carpet too but have gone back to a tarp because, I’ve tracked thorns and stickers in and when those babies get down in the carpet, they are nearly impossible to get out. With the tarp…… I just sweep it clean a couple times a day.
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Even after removing boots and whatnot? I mean I can see it happening with burrs and the like of course stuck on pants.
 
Snakins10 said:
Even after removing boots and whatnot? I mean I can see it happening with burrs and the like of course stuck on pants.
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Yep…….. if they’re out there, they find their way in. 😡

And, if they get in on one trip they stay there for every trip after, if that makes sense.

If I ever used carpet again, I use a trap under it and over it. I just don’t like a sticker in my feet at 2:00 A.M. when I’m heading out to look at the moon and stars.
 
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2lumpy said:
Yep…….. if they’re out there, they find their way in. 😡

And, if they get in on one trip they stay there for every trip after, if that makes sense.

If I ever used carpet again, I use a trap under it and over it. I just don’t like a sticker in my feet at 2:00 A.M. when I’m heading out to look at the moon and stars.
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I did not know you was interested in astronomy?💁

It is a little bit of a investment but Cal-Ranch and Tractor Supply sell good heavy canvas tarps, they work great for the floor.
You can get LED string lights that run off of the battery chargers for cell phones and other electronics and you can charge them in your truck during the day.
 
eelgrass said:
We used to use a wall tent when we went to Idaho deer hunting. I have a friend who worked in a carpet store and he would save nice pieces of old carpet for us. Wall to wall carpeting in the tent is pretty nice. That was more in the later season hunts though when it was colder.
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Did you haul it back home or just burn it in the fire pit ? 🤣
 
2lumpy said:
Yep…….. if they’re out there, they find their way in. 😡

And, if they get in on one trip they stay there for every trip after, if that makes sense.

If I ever used carpet again, I use a trap under it and over it. I just don’t like a sticker in my feet at 2:00 A.M. when I’m heading out to look at the moon and stars.
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You’ll understand………. sooner than you think. 😂😂
 
I use a Kodiak Canvas tent and purchased moving blankets from Harbor Freight to soften the floor and make sure no chair legs or anything else penetrates the floor. I believe it also acts as an insulation from the cold ground.
 
Wiszard said:
I use a Kodiak Canvas tent and purchased moving blankets from Harbor Freight to soften the floor and make sure no chair legs or anything else penetrates the floor. I believe it also acts as an insulation from the cold ground.
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That’s a good idea Wis, I like it
 
Snakins10 said:
I drew an LE Archery Elk tag this year here in Utah and am planning on doing a wall tent camp. I’m curious what your guys favorite camp upgrades or improvements are to your wall tents or campsites? Obviously my hunt will be early season, but other season answers are still very much welcome.
Click to expand...
You're such a *****. I did not think you even knew how to hunt.
Kason
 
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Came home successful after 15 days of time in the desert. It was a grind but an awesome experience all the same. As we all know archery hunting is a rollercoaster of emotions ha. The first day of hunting I was with my wife and we picked up a solid bull, maybe 360-370”. It being late in the evening I didn’t believe I would have enough time to get to him and make a play. So we watched him until dark. Next morning him and his cows were no where to be found. I spent another week and some looking for him, never turning him up again. Come to find out the water had dried up, surely driving him and the cows to other parts of the unit. Switched gears and started looking elsewhere. Day 12 I found a 330” type bull I liked and made a beautiful stalk on in some slight wind. Cow called the bull out of his bed for a 50 yd shot, only to figure later he was closer to 40’s and my arrow passed through what appeared to be his back straps. Bull turned and trotted uphill and after a cow call stopped to look back at me. He appeared totally unbothered and after a few minutes of stand off he walked away. Arrow showed blood to the fletchings but not a drop of blood on the ground. I walked and walked for 2 days making circles, driving myself to insanity haha. I did see the bull later in the hunt which puts me at ease now. But anyways fast forward a week and I was down to my last week of hunting. The bulls on the mtn range I had been hunting had still not totally fired up and that was bugging me as I was well into September. I attribute this to it being a full moon most the hunt and I’m guessing most the rutting was taking place at night. Weather had been cool for a week or so but was getting hot again. First evening of my last week I went into the canyon I was hunting alone and loe and behold the bulls were screaming their guts out. It being a solid 80• I wasn’t expecting it to be that good. I found myself at 7:00 pm (after some hiking and cow chirping) right in the middle of 3-4 different bulls. I glassed across the canyon and seen what I thought was either a giant 6 pt or a big 5 pt bull and went after him. All I could see what his back end, but that was enough for me. I cut him off headed to water but he managed to still get ahead of me due to a ridgeline I thought he would peak over. I cow called and he was already off the other side but responding to me, so I ran uphill as fast as I could. Once I got over I caught a glimpse of his rear end, so in a last ditch effort I made a weak bugle with just my reed. He didn’t like that, I’m guessing thinking there was another bull trying to flirt with his lady that he was leading to water and he whirled around pissed as could be, ripping another bugle. I ranged him broadside at 52 yds. As I drew back he picked me up and turned full frontal. I have practiced relentlessly I feel from the time I drew the tag until this point, and was very confident I could make this shot. I’ve shot my bow target up to 60, and even farther some, and knew my bow target was slightly smaller than his chest so I sent it. SMACK! At first I thought I had hit a tree, but after the shock wore off I felt I had made a good hit. And it was. I got down to where he was when I shot and found my arrow bloody. As I reached down I realized there was blood everywhere, then I heard that wonderful crash and some gurgly last breaths and all was quiet. Not wanting to bump him in case he was bedded I hiked a big circle to the other ridge and glassed back over. He went maybe 70 yds and was laying dead. Thankfully I had a buddy who was able to come help me take care of him and we were home the next day! Camp broke down and everything. Like I said, what a grind, but it’s amazing how quickly you forget all the hard times and hard work after something is laying on the ground in front of you.
 
I never did get a solid picture of some of the weekends when buddies were all in camp, but I will say I am an advocate for the Kodiak Canvas tents. That thing survived hurricane winds!
 

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