How to Prep and Set Up a Wall Tent

This instructable is all about how to prep and set up a wall tent. A wall tent is different from a regular tent because you have enough room to stand in a wall tent. So, the set up is understandably a little different. You can watch the video right here.

We have divided the tutorial and the video into sections so that you can follow the instructions easily. Of course detailed instructions will follow. :)

Things you'll need:

1. Poles-10 foot long, 1 inch EMT poles- 15 in number

2. The tent- 10*12 we got ours from WallTentShop.com. We have the Wilderness Canvas Wall Tent

3. A wood stove (for warmth and cooking)

4. Spray paint and masking tape

5. Food and firewood supplies (If you are setting up a tent, you might as well camp out!)

6. Tools (saw, metal blade,measuring tape, angle grinder) to trim the poles

Get the poles and then prep them according to the size specifications. For our tent we picked up 15 ten foot pieces of 1 inch EMT and cut them to the specifications of our 10x12 tent-- but different tents will have different cut lengths.

We'll need:

5 Tent legs

5 Tent Rafters

5 Ridge Eaves

The poles need to be cut the right length. Measure the poles twice, cut once.

You could use a hacksaw, metal angle grinder or reciprocating saw. We found a reciprocating saw worked best BUT be sure to ream out the ends when done. We used a grinder to clean up the ends.

Please use safety glasses and work gloves.

We used some tools- measuring tape, a saw, a metal cutting blade to cut the poles and and an angle grinder to smoothen out the sharp edges.

The length of the rafters is 69 inches and that of the eaves and ridges is 69 and 7/8th inches. Since there is very little difference between the lengths, it's extremely easy to get confused between them. So, we color code the rafters. Quick job, using masking tape and spray paint.

You should have these things:

1. The Tent Canvas. We got ours from the www.WallTentShop.com. It's a heavy duty, super quality tent with a wonderful finish and an oversized bag. Definitely recommended and we review it in our video! (The bigger the tent canvas bag, the easier it is for you to fit the tent back into the bag. It's a hassle trying to stuff the tent into a small compact bag.)

2. The Fly Cover- It is used to give your tent some extra protection.

3. Guylines- These cords keep your tent anchored to the ground.

4. The Angle Kit- These parts help hold the poles in place.

Assemble the stove according to the directions on the user's manual. It is a good idea to get the stove going for a couple of hours. This will get rid of any paint smells that would otherwise get into your tent canvas and remain there. Not such a great idea to be stuck in a tent that permanently smells of paint!

A stove is extremely useful for keeping the tent warm during winters. This particular stove has enough space in it for bigger pieces of logs that will keep going for hours,so you can sleep without worrying about stoking the fire. Also, it has security features like a spark arrester and a latch to keep things under control. Additionally the pipes fit in easily, so assembling it is not hard.

First, clear the snow and spread out a tarp. Lay out the red poles for the rafters and then get the other poles into position so that you can simply lift up the entire structure.

Cover the structure with canvas.

Starting with one side of the tent, fix the other poles and get the tent pitched up. Cover the sides with the canvas. Since you already covered the rafters while the tent was still down, you don't have to struggle to cover the roof once it is set up.

If it gets too slippery to walk on the tarp, like it did with us, you can remove the tarp altogether.

The wall tent is very spacious. We have enough space for 2 cots, a couple of chairs, a table and our stove.

Make sure you have enough food and firewood at hand.

Happy Camping!

Check out our site HomesteadHow.com