Managing Snowfall on the Wall Tent to Extend its Lifespan
While most people tend to get out for camping and glamping trips in the warmer months, activities like hunting and ice fishing can still be in full swing in the winter. That does mean, though, that running into snowfall can be quite common.
When partaking in outdoor trips in the winter months, it’s essential to ensure that the accommodation we opt for is suited to, not just colder weather and winds, but also withstanding snow loads, should there be intense snowfall.
Wall tents tend to be one of the best options for shelter in colder months. Made with 100% army duck cotton canvas most of the time, they’re built to stand up to harsh weather conditions. The sturdy frame offers substantial strength, and when equipped with storm doors and windows, the inside stays warm as well.
All wall tents from White Duck Outdoors, for example, are built with heavy-duty aluminum frames and cotton canvas fabric, which makes them the most reliable 4-season tents for hunting, glamping, ice fishing or any other kind of winter expedition.
That being said, while wall tents can resist snow a lot better than other kinds of tents can, it’s still important to manage the amount of snow on the tent roof and fabric. Wall tents are designed to last a lifetime but without the proper care and maintenance, the structural integrity of the wall tent fabric and frame can be compromised. One major aspect of caring for the tent is snow load management.
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Preventing Snow From Falling On Your Tent
When setting up your tent on reaching your camping site, it’s important to consider a spot where it’s difficult for snow to fall on your tent in the first place. There are two primary ways you can do this.
The first is to be strategic about where you place your canvas wall tent.
The second is to set up a tarp or fly sheet over your tent to prevent snow from falling directly on the roof of the tent. Of course, you’ll need to take action to remove the snow from the tarp afterward as well, but at least it will fall over the tarp and not the tent.
It’s still possible, though, that you aren’t able to prevent snow from reaching your tent entirely, so it’s impossible to know how much snow your tent can hold, and also what to do in the event of heavy snowfall.
How Much Snow Can Your Wall Tent Hold?
Wall tents that come with heavy duty canvas are more effective than other kinds of tents (such as polyester or nylon) at holding up snow. Despite that, it is possible that your wall tent can damage or fray from excessive snow.
It’s difficult to be precise about exactly how much snow your wall tent can hold when it comes to the weight of the snowfall. Snow can vary greatly in weight due to things like it’s composition, outside temperature, and other factors.
With that in mind, a single cubic foot of snow can weigh anywhere from ten to thirty pounds depending on its composition, but wet snow will always weigh more than dry snow.
As a general rule, the larger the canvas of your tent is, the more snow it can hold. Even with a large tent 16’x24’ tent though, it isn’t impossible that your tent gets damaged. For this reason, it’s essential that you take some measures to protect your tent, the fabric and its frame.
Remove Snow From Your Tent Repeatedly
It’s critical that you keep snow off your tent throughout the duration of your camping trip. Make it a rule that each time you wake up in the morning, you will always use a snow removal brush to remove the snow from your tent’s walls and ceiling. Keeping snow off your tent is absolutely essential to taking care of it!
Even though the heavy duty canvas and the pole system can withstand a lot of weight from snow, it can’t hold it forever and eventually potentially hundreds or even thousands of pounds of snow will begin to cause it to sag.
Use a car scraper with a soft brush to brush the snow off of the exterior of the tent. For snow that is trickier to get off, you can gently beat the inside of the tent so the snow will fall off the tent fabric. Another way to reduce snow build-up is to invest in a tent stove that will heat the inside of the tent, so that fresh snow that falls on the exterior melts and runs off of the canvas. It usually isn’t possible to run the stove all of the time though, so the above measures will be necessary. Generally, there are 4 types of tent stoves you can go with, though not all are compatible with wall tents.
Be Strategic About The Tent You Choose
The tent you choose is extremely important in being able to camp out in snowy conditions. Be strategic about the wall tent that you choose. The Alpha Wall Tent series from White Duck Outdoors, for example, come with a steep angle to collect less snow. This makes them a much better option for winter conditions.
The galvanized aluminum frames offer sturdy support, even with some weight on the tent. Also, the fabric is double-stitched around the poles to reduce the build up of condensation inside the tent.
You can also invest in a fly sheet to go with the wall tent to protect the roof of the tent, and the wall tents also have a built-in stove jack for quick stove installation.
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