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I thought you fellas might get a kick out of this. This is where I spent this winter while building my cabin. I'm still living in it and still working on my cabin. My wife and I should be in the cabin next winter, however, we stayed warm and comfortable all winter, even when the temps dipped below zero. I always wondered what it would be like to stay in a wall tent all winter and now I know. I went through about 8 cords of wood. It snowed this morning, so Spring's not here yet.
Once a "Grunt" always a "Grunt"...I reckon. We watched movies on the laptop and read a lot of books. I kept five leverguns in the Wall Tent and did some shootin' too. The rest of my rifles I put in storage with the rest of my stuff.
Here's a pic of my 720sq. ft. cabin with 1/2 loft. Just about finished with the plumbing.
Last edited by Jarhead on Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
And drives a Dodge besides, your the man that`s pretty dern cool and what i`d like to do someday.
Because I Can, and Have
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USAF-72-76
God Bless America.
Disclaimer, not responsible for anyone copying or building anything i make.
Always consult an expert first.
thats inspiring. I was wondering about the braces, the higher ones on the canvas top pole supports. any other function other than as a brace? what was your floor? did you use pine needles or have a wood raised floor? how is rain run off handled? thanks
Mike Johnson,
"Only those who will risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Eliot
rjohns94 wrote:thats inspiring. I was wondering about the braces, the higher ones on the canvas top pole supports. any other function other than as a brace? what was your floor? did you use pine needles or have a wood raised floor? how is rain run off handled? thanks
Mike,
The upper horizontal poles help brace and support the tent for high winds and I attach the tarp to same.. More importantly, the 5ft vertical supports really make a difference in high winds. You'll notice that I have the ridgepole strapped to a large tree as well. We sustained 60-70mph winds without a problem. I built a raised 2X4 frame with a 5/8s plywood floor. Also, put a "french drain" around the tent for water run off. I caught 4 or 5 mice all winter. I put some 'Decon' poison under the floor too. A metal or aluminum frame is 4-500 bucks....this set up cost me about 30 bucks total and is a better set up for foul weather. I cut some trees that needed to be thinned out anyway, so no harm done to the forest.
This is set up "Alaska Style" That's how we set them up in the bush for hunting when I lived up there.
Glad to hear you like it. Check this site out for additional info. 13oz is the way to go and you will not find a better tent made anywhere in the world.
Mike longest Ive stayed in one stretch was 4 months, my own wall tents have the stove pipe coming out the gable end by the door keeps sparks and soot off the top. For packing I use a foldup stove its hard to keep them banked with wood all night. Staying in a tent thru the winter puts bark on you. danny
Off the grid....for now anyway. Might go solar...we'll see.
Danny,
As you know, ya need a good 'air tight' stove for winter. Mine stay's good for 12 hours when I shut her down. Packin' in horse back is a different story as we both know...This country is a lot like Montana. Good Elk and Muley country. Now we got Wolves a movin' in....Looks like the Feds took them off the list, so now the ranchers can deal with them as they should....We had a rough calving season this year. Lost more than normal due to the long winter in these parts.
Rusty wrote:When you get moved into the cabin you're going to be thinkin what are we going to do with all this room?
Rusty,
My wife is really lookin' forward to the Cabin... But it don't matter either way with me. It all takes time. The winter weather has held up my progress, and Spring's not here yet. I too am looking forward to a little more room, so I can set up my reloading bench, etc...
Mike winter has stayed long here finished calving the first of apr. havent lost any to wolves yet they have been around though have found the tracks at the back of the pasture and hear them howl at night. Ive been thinking about selling one of my canvas wall tents and getting a relite spike tent tired of packing a 70 lb canvas tent in the mtns. will make for more room on the pack horse. My wife & I stayed in a camp trailer for a year while I built my log cabin not as warm as your tent no wood stove in it. danny
Jarhead,
This post of yours really got me to thinkin'. I am impressed. And yes, only a "grunt" could do that all winter as an officer would be crying for his hand cream. You really do "look the part" as I would not want to be on your bad side. If that picture was in black and white, I would say "about 1850".
I have often fantasized about living like that for a period, but while elk hunting, I am ready to come home after a week.
Nice "cabin". How do you get your electric? Your livin' large---in a way I often think about! Good for 'ya!----------Sixgun
Wintering in a tent can be a bit brisk at times. Good for you for hanging in there! I lived a couple years off and on in a tipi many years ago. It felt pretty up town when I moved into a cabin with no running water, just hot and cold running mice. Also did a few months in my wall tent once, waiting for a rental in town to open up.
Would get mice in the tipi now and then. I kept my marlin 39 by the bed loaded with CB's. I'd wake up to the sound of a mouse running across the canvas floor, quietly grab the Marlin and flashlight, point both at the sound, light it up and make a quick shot (had about 2 or 3 seconds to make a shot after the light came on), toss the dead mouse out, and could be back alseep within minutes.
The old homestead,
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt-
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
Great to hear from you...you're welcome anytime on my 'homestead'...We think alike. "No balls...no blue chips." Thank's for the compliment. I never liked officers.
Danny,
I too have been considering a real-lite tent for packing and floating rivers. I've heard good things about them.
Malamute wrote:Wintering in a tent can be a bit brisk at times. Good for you for hanging in there! I lived a couple years off and on in a tipi many years ago. It felt pretty up town when I moved into a cabin with no running water, just hot and cold running mice. Also did a few months in my wall tent once, waiting for a rental in town to open up.
Would get mice in the tipi now and then. I kept my marlin 39 by the bed loaded with CB's. I'd wake up to the sound of a mouse running across the canvas floor, quietly grab the Marlin and flashlight, point both at the sound, light it up and make a quick shot (had about 2 or 3 seconds to make a shot after the light came on), toss the dead mouse out, and could be back alseep within minutes.
The old homestead,
Love it! You and I would get a long just fine. Nice set up, Malamute.
You have one heck of a wife! On that alone you should be congratulated. Lots of infantry guys don't do that well. Then you've gone and built a nice place besides. Congratulations.
Sincerely,
Hobie
"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
Good for you and it's good that you know that these are the best days. Building while living on site has strengthened and/or ruined some marriages. I would do it again tomorrow.
Gobbler
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Hobie wrote:You have one heck of a wife! On that alone you should be congratulated. Lots of infantry guys don't do that well. Then you've gone and built a nice place besides. Congratulations.
Thanks for the kind words, Hobie. Wife and I have been together since 1968. She's American Indian and has a heart of gold.
Gobblerforge wrote:Good for you and it's good that you know that these are the best days. Building while living on site has strengthened and/or ruined some marriages. I would do it again tomorrow.
Gobbler
Gobbler,
Nice pic of you and your wife working together towards a common goal. Looks like your building a log kit....good for you as well.
Because I Can, and Have
-------------------------------------------------------------
USAF-72-76
God Bless America.
Disclaimer, not responsible for anyone copying or building anything i make.
Always consult an expert first.
I got lucky finding one of those women who shares the dream with me too.
We built out little outpost 100% together. From design to the door knob, cabinets, roofing, foundation... She was the trooper and it ended up a lot fancier than if'n I was goin at it alone.
Life is good!
"There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves." -Will Rogers
that`s pretty dern cool and what i`d like to do someday. 
And yes, only a "grunt" could do that all winter as an officer would be crying for his hand cream. You really do "look the part" as I would not want to be on your bad side. If that picture was in black and white, I would say "about 1850".
