Breaking Down the Benefits of Wall Tents vs Traditional Camping Tents

The structure of a tent caters to specific solutions. Everything denotes a functional utility from the shape of the frame to the material it is crafted from. To choose the perfect tent for yourself, you need to educate yourself on the pros and cons of each type of tent. 

Size and Space

Wall tents are a winner when it comes to space and capacity. They are one of the few tent types that have adequate headspace and tents marketed towards single occupants come with extra space for storage. This has made them a popular choice amongst hunting parties who need to store their equipment indoors in a dry and secure environment. 

The extra space allows campers to be able to transform the interior of their tent into a luxury dwelling by installing furniture and modern appliances. A traditional tent is mostly only useful for sleeping inside. Without the proper headspace, occupants don’t even have room to change clothes inside. 

Weight

Traditional tents are made from nylon or other lightweight synthetic materials. A priority amongst these tents is that they should be easy to carry. Campers who want to backpack will find pop-up tents and nylon tents easy to store and travel with. 

A wall tent has denser canvas, which means it is heavier than other types of tents. The frame of a wall tent is composed of larger parts and therefore not something you can backpack with. That being said, the thick fabric is the reason why a canvas wall tent fares so well in the face of unprecedented weather wreaking havoc. 

Cost

Luxury wall tents are not the most expensive tents in the market but they are on the more pricier side compared to regular tents. This is because a wall tent depends on quality parts and materials to function as it promises. 

The price tag may be bigger but it is important to note that a typical wall tent lasts decades. Some people even use hand-me-down tents because of this. With frequent use of a one-time investment, you will find that the cost of a wall tent spreads out throughout the years, and with the utility they provide, it is a very cost-effective tent.

How Well They Fare Against Mother Nature 

A wall tent is a 4 season tent. This means they can be used to their full potential in summer heat as well as snowy winters. 

Canvas wall tents are made from army duck fabric. This is a blend of cotton that doesn’t wither away when exposed to heat and UV rays. A nylon tent on the other hand will trap the heat inside the tent, turning the interior into an oven, and the plastic fibers will disintegrate because of the intense and continuous heat rendering the shelter useless. Canvas tents have the proper ventilation needed to keep cool air circulating inside the tent thanks to the large windows and elevated ceiling. 

With a secure tether, you can rest assured that a wall tent won’t abandon you on a windy night. The frame and taught canvas of a wall tent have better wind resistance than most tents including a bell tent. You can secure the door and window flaps and find that the entire tent doesn’t shake as traditional tents do. 

During a rainy spell, a wall tent doesn’t let the water seep in. The fibers on the canvas swell when in contact with water. This means under heavy showers the weave of duck canvas becomes tighter and more secure as a barrier. When purchasing a large canvas tent you can opt for the canvas to arrive treated with waterproof sealant.

Setting Up 

Traditional tents are easier to set up. This is mostly because the structure doesn’t have much to it. You can get done in 8 to 12 steps and the canvas you drape over is sewn to the exact shape of the tent. 

Wall tents take up to 30 minutes to set up. But a wall tent has been in the same shape for a century now. Campers have never been confused about how to set it up or feared that they may have missed a step and not tethered it as securely. Traditional plastic tents are constantly being sold with new designs and shapes. For the first time, you have to have a manual, and when you replace the tent you need to learn how to pitch it all over again. Meanwhile, a wall tent is super simple to assemble with familiar parts that come together. 

Can You Add Luxury?

When you browse wall tents for camping you will discover there is no separate category for a luxury wall tent. This is because all canvas wall tents can double as luxury glamping tents. Traditional tents don’t even come close. 

You can add entire bed frames into your wall tent, and still have space to create a lounge area with an entertainment center, set a bed for your cat or dog, and allocate the remaining space to a makeshift kitchen. A traditional tent will house you, and your sleeping bag. 

Diverse Uses 

Traditional tents make an appearance in camping sites and outdoor music festivals. 

Camping wall tents will feature in an outdoor market as a storage booth, a makeshift yoga studio in the backyard of a house, an outdoor venue for a party, military encampments, medical stations for outreach programs, as semi-permanent homes in your neighborhood, and glamping sites.

How Often Would You Replace The Tent 

Wall tents are crafted from tough materials. They are famous for not damaging easily. But they are not a hundred percent invulnerable to damage. In case the canvas does sustain a tear, you wouldn’t have to buy a whole new tent kit to replace the tent. The tear in the canvas can be professionally stitched up. If one of the poles breaks you can fashion one yourself using the measurements of the old ones. A tear in a synthetic tent can’t be taped up and restored to its original quality. 

On average a wall tent is replaced every 20 to 30 years. Compared to this, a traditional tent contributes massively to the plastic landfills around the globe. Single-use tents are the worst. Even if you extend the life of your tent, when you retire it, it doesn’t decompose into the ground like canvas wall tents do. 

Things to Consider When Purchasing a Canvas Tent

The tent that will shine in your eyes and your reviews will always be the one that fulfills your specific needs. When narrowing down to the final choice of a tent that is for you, answer these questions. 

What Do You Need the Tent For?

Do you need a portable shelter for a festival, hunting expeditions, camping, or to set up a booth at an outdoor convention? You should focus on a tent that offers you the best features for that purpose solely.

How Often Will You Bring It Out?

Are you buying a tent just for that one camping trip that you got invited to, or do you want to start a brand new family ritual where you go camping every year? The more durable a tent is the more expensive it would be and wasted on a camper who uses it for a day or two. You can either get a single-use tent that can be discarded after use, or you can go for a tent that doesn’t withstand time as well as other types of tents. 

How Many People Will the Tent Accommodate?

If you plan on huddling close to each other and only using the tent for sleeping, you should buy a tent that has enough space for your sleeping bags. If you want a more luxurious experience where you want to divide your time inside and outside the tent then you need a large canvas tent. Think about negative floor space where you can walk and do things like cooking. 

Does It Fall Under Your Budget?

You may agree that a certain canvas tent is perfect for you, but if it falls outside of your budget, there is no logic in chasing that choice. You can’t forgo your needs when camping, so you will have to make a list of priorities and pick the tent that checks the boxes of the first 5 things on said list. This is the tent for you. If you could make the larger investment, you would have. There is nothing wrong with using what would have been your second-best choice in a portable shelter.