Years ago I bought an 8x10 wall tent package (tent, angle kit, stove). I cut conduit pipe for the interior frame and set out for my first trip. My outfit was so heavy that I soon realized I would be limited to car camping.
I wanted a 4 season outfit, but most importantly I wanted to be able to get into the backcountry with my kit, no more car camping. I decided to downsize my tent and stove. I first cut down the poles for my interior frame to the size I wanted my new tent. I had never sewn before, but I soon learned with the help of YouTube. I even found a used Brother sewing machine and YouTube had instructions for it too.
I took measurements from the new downsized frame and ended up with a decent small wall tent for my solo travel. My tent is made from some pretty cheap canvas so the Brother sewing machine was able to do a good job sewing.
If I were to build a new wall tent today, I would first buy an angle kit from an online tent company (my 7’x 6’6” deep by 64” high uses 6 angles, anything deeper would probably require additional angles and rafters/legs in the middle).
I now use pine closet poles for the frame poles, it might sound flimsy but once the tent is guyed down it’s very solid and much lighter than conduit. For a heavy snow load temporary ridge supports could be cut on site.
To build a new tent, build the frame to the size of the tent you want. Take measurements and build the tent over the frame. I would contact Big Duck Canvas and pick their brain for the correct canvas that your machine could sew. They will send samples iirc. They have many widths so you could limit your seams. I wouldn’t worry about the canvas being waterproof, mine isn’t but I bought a nice white tarp from Cooke Custom Sewing. White lets in light for a bright interior. Sometimes the walls get wet in heavy windy rain, but it has never been a big issue with the tarp over the roof.
I set my stove Jack out the end of the tent and have zero burn holes in the canvas after 100 nights (I sleep with a cold stove) My stove Jack is velcroed in and I have a Velcro screen widow for warm weather, along with a custom screen door made by BeckelCanvas Products.
I don’t winter camp anymore but I do a lot of solo canoe in shoulder season camping, this size fits my comfort level. My cot fits in nicely, it doesn’t require a big stove (I cut that down too), and I can fit the tent, stove, tarp and angle kit in an old Woods canoe pack.
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I wanted a 4 season outfit, but most importantly I wanted to be able to get into the backcountry with my kit, no more car camping. I decided to downsize my tent and stove. I first cut down the poles for my interior frame to the size I wanted my new tent. I had never sewn before, but I soon learned with the help of YouTube. I even found a used Brother sewing machine and YouTube had instructions for it too.
I took measurements from the new downsized frame and ended up with a decent small wall tent for my solo travel. My tent is made from some pretty cheap canvas so the Brother sewing machine was able to do a good job sewing.
If I were to build a new wall tent today, I would first buy an angle kit from an online tent company (my 7’x 6’6” deep by 64” high uses 6 angles, anything deeper would probably require additional angles and rafters/legs in the middle).
I now use pine closet poles for the frame poles, it might sound flimsy but once the tent is guyed down it’s very solid and much lighter than conduit. For a heavy snow load temporary ridge supports could be cut on site.
To build a new tent, build the frame to the size of the tent you want. Take measurements and build the tent over the frame. I would contact Big Duck Canvas and pick their brain for the correct canvas that your machine could sew. They will send samples iirc. They have many widths so you could limit your seams. I wouldn’t worry about the canvas being waterproof, mine isn’t but I bought a nice white tarp from Cooke Custom Sewing. White lets in light for a bright interior. Sometimes the walls get wet in heavy windy rain, but it has never been a big issue with the tarp over the roof.
I set my stove Jack out the end of the tent and have zero burn holes in the canvas after 100 nights (I sleep with a cold stove) My stove Jack is velcroed in and I have a Velcro screen widow for warm weather, along with a custom screen door made by BeckelCanvas Products.
I don’t winter camp anymore but I do a lot of solo canoe in shoulder season camping, this size fits my comfort level. My cot fits in nicely, it doesn’t require a big stove (I cut that down too), and I can fit the tent, stove, tarp and angle kit in an old Woods canoe pack.
Tags: None
