Opininions on Pyramid vs. Wedge

[greyhunter]

This argument has puzzled me for a long time. Last year I bought a 9x9 pyramid from tow. I camp by myself so it is all I need room wise. It is a snap to set up, I use two outside poles, and stands well in the weather. My friend bought a colonial? wedge and has a devil of a time setting it up. Why do some rondys prohibit pyramids when a baker tent didn't come along until the 1900's during the world wars? Diamond flys may be pc, but I'll take my pyramid during a driving rain/snowstorm. Go ahead ....let me have it!

 

[Coot]

Hi Greyhunter -

The big advantage of the pyramid tent is that it is so easy to set up. It is a very practical tent for 1 or 2 who are traveling light. The wedge has more standing room & lets in less water if you are going in & out in a good rain. Wedges are not hard to set up - if your buddy is having trouble, he should check out the Tentsmiths.com site for instructions or you might do him a favor and do a search on the forum here as it has been discussed in the past.

Re the acceptance of pyramid tents at events, the problem is that they appear to be a post-1840 design. You find references to pyramid tents in the gold rush era & even see them in original photos of mining camps from 1846 & up but there does not appear to be any documentation for their use prior to the 1840 cut off for most rondys.

 

[greyhunter]

Hello Coot, and thanks for the reply. I can understand the time frame on pyramid tents but that doesn't explain why Bakers are allowed. From what little I have read they are in the same boat as pyramid tents. Any way if someone don't want me at their rondy because of my tent I'll just slope on down the trail, it's their shindig. I am going to add a fly to the front of my tent this spring to take care of the rain problem. Will check and see if my buddie has figured tent setup yet, he said his wife has no problem setting it up.......... :rotf:

 

[Claude Mathis]

Hello Coot, and thanks for the reply. I can understand the time frame on pyramid tents but that doesn't explain why Bakers are allowed.

You'd have to ask the people making the rules for that event. Some events allow anything made from white canvas, so it varies based on the rules for a particular event.

 

[Rod Lassey]

Sometimes those rules don't make much sense, do they? Now A.J. Miller pretty clearly shows a pyramid tent in one of his paintings, so we could infer that they are around in 1837. On the other hand, Miller made his life's work of repainting the same scenes over and over again, he was still painting rendezvous scenes in the 1850s. That's why his field sketches are more useful for our purposes. Did Miller insert a later tent into one of his paintings? Could be.

Just to play devil's advocate, though, I'd hazard a guess that the pyramid tent didn't spring out of nowhere fully developed for the late 1840s gold rush. My opinion--and it's just that, an opinion not necessarily supported by documentation--is that the pyramid was in possible use by the mid 1830s.

That said, we can easily document the wedge tent, making it a much safer--and much more difficult to put up--fur trade era tent.

By the way, to really muddy the waters, I've learned that the baker tent was around in the pre-CW era as well. The baker part of it refers to its shape--like that of a baker oven, ie., a tin reflector oven. The reference is in Thoreau, as I recall.

Rod

 

[PaulN/KS]

We have an 8x10 wedge that the wife,daughter and I use for weekend events. We have an awning for a front porch and do just fine with the three of us.
A bell backed wedge will give you some extra storage room that is pretty handy.

 

[Doc Arroyo]

Hello,
I am planning to order my first canvas tent from Panther but cant decide which style I should choose, a 12x12 pyramid, or their Monster wedge which is about 10x11. I plan to use it during hunting camp, so period authenticity is not an issue. I eventually plan to put a small stove in it as well. My main concerns are...ease of set-up for 1 person, ability to withstand heavy rain and winds, and lastly, roominess for 2 or 3 plus gear. Any thoughts or suggestions for a rookie?

I have owned (in order) a large wedge, and mini-wall and a 12x12 pyramid. The wedge can be setup by one with a little pre-planning and a well placed rope. The mini-wall is more of a two person operation. Pyramid is a piece of cake.

Heavy wind rain has not yet been a problem in any of them. Rain flies work better on the wedge and the mini-wall. The fly that is usually sold for the pyramid is nearly worthless. I am SO glad that I didn't buy it!

As for room, the mini-wall has the most cubic feet, and was easier to put gear inside due to the straight sides. The wedge and the pyramid are about the same IMHO. My wife, my dog and I have no problem. Pallet beds for the wife and I, a 3'x3' pad for the dog, 2 boxes for our clothes, and my gun case all fit.

I am sold on the pyramid, although if I head back east for any length of time for reinactments, I would try a bell backed wedge (cut for a second door). Anything that you get though should have front and back doors. That way you can get a bit of fresh air blowing through on warm days, or to help dry things out after wet days.