Tents

[masterbass36]

Anyone know where a good place to find some used tents or lean-to's. Looking to start going to rondevous. I like the looks of the bakers lean-to Track of the Wolf has. Any sites or places for good equipment would be of great help.
Went to the NMRA National Rondevous this year and had a blast. Met so mant nice buckskinners and others that I just got to get involved. :front:

 

[bnail]

Anyone know where a good place to find some used tents or lean-to's. Looking to start going to rondevous.

Master Bass (great handle BTW), tentage is easy to come by. the two manufacturers I like are Panther Primitives and Peter Marques' Tentsmiths, but Peter doesn't answer Emails, so if you have a question, you might want to call. I believe Tentsmiths is the more authentic of the two.
If you can wait, I'd check out a Rendezvous or two as it seems like someone is always selling one there.
I should caution you about the baker leanto, it's a bear to set up, very pole extensive (it's basically a half a wall tent)and it's not very wind-proof, (due to the awning). Now, that said, you can't get, IMO, a more comodious lodge. I would get the privacy curtain; that way you won't need to drop the awning every evening. I can't say it enough, a great tent once it's set up.
Now for the caveat. if you're interested in historical authenticity or reenactments, Bakers do not have the pedigree that many historical sites and events require, but it is generally accepted at Rocky Mountain Fur trade Rendezvous.

Any sites or places for good equipment would be of great help.

You've already found Track, now try Townsend and Son; Bradley company of the Fox; Smoke and fire; and Log Cabin shop. there's many more, but these are all I can recall off the top of my head.

Went to the NMRA National Rondevous this year and had a blast. Met so many nice buckskinners and others that I just got to get involved

You couldn't pick a nicer bunch of folks. Buckskinners are salts of the earth, and they'll give you the shirts off their backs. I'm glad to see you getting into the sport! :thumbsup:

 

[big bore 75]

The backer is a nice tent but like the previous post suggests it is a pain to set up , unless you pin the poles this helps in set up and tear down, the only question I'd ask is what is your personea looking like 'cause it would look out of place if your a colonial soilder and coming out of a backer, and are you interested in ease and simplisity,
wall tents and wedges are real quick to set up and tear down , hope my pro's and con's have helped some , btw I've owned many tents and right now am thinking of getting rid of my panther mini for a wedge tent seems I'm the only one useng a tent in my family now. bb75

 

[donk]

Check with Don Strinz at Strinz Teepees. I know at Rendezvous he usually has a board with listings of used lodges available. He also makes a very nice lodge custom to order and I believe he still offers a lifetime warrantee. His toll free number is 1-800-525-8474 :front:

 

[masterbass36]

Hey thanks for all the input. I have heard that the baker was questionable as to authenticity. Glad I asked before I bought it. Set up sounds tough. What I want is something that would have been from the fur trade era. Being as that would be my persona. I am starting out small in this endever. Will probably only be me and maybe my son going. Cannot seem to talk the wife into it
All that being said what would be the best tent for the money. Considering authenticity and my persona? :front:

 

[djnye]

bassmaster,

if you are talking fur trade northwoods and late, the leanto or a simple tarp works great. traveling by canoe allows the luxury of canvas. in some senses none of the tents are "authentic" because travel by foot pretty much excludes them. the biggest need at gatherings is privacy and for that reason i take a standard wedge for my personal use, but use the lean-to for my shop while there. i think the lean-to is fairly easy to set up(not much harder than the wedge)by myself. i have set up the lean-to without any poles several times. in cold weather they are hard to beat--in my opinion that is the real reason they are called bakers.

listen to others--then make up your own mind. p.c.(by that i mean political correctness) is not all it is cracked up to be.

take care, daniel

 

[bnail]

If it's just you and your son, then basically, the sky's the limit. the complications come when you have to set up house every time you go to an event because the entire trib's along. Djnye Summed it up nicely. Take a look at the various lean-tos and tarp tents. they're nice bacause you can sit in relative compfort and enjoy your fire (that's my favorite thing about lean-tos).
A pyramid tent is supossedly documented back to the 1840s, that's debatable (oh is it debatable! :yakyak but it's one of the most versatile tents I've studied, and a 10x10 pyramid would stand you and your son in good stead in the worst weather.
the wedge is by far the most authentic, economical, and practical tents you could get, and they come in so many sizes you'll go crazy calculating the usable floor space of the different "models." but I digress, you asked about the leant-tos; I think that just for the two of ya, a medium baker would be fine. Not to confuse the situatin, but Have you seen a whelen lean-to? it's like a Baker, but without the little back wall. The Whelen has less usable space, but it's easier to set up than the Baker.

 

[hellbent]

I would also recommend Don Strinz. He has a life time warrenty. I bought the 1790's officers tent from Don With the awning at the College rend. Very very happy with it. Fifteen minute max to set up tent and Awning.

Wayne :m2c:

 

[CrackStock]

I like it, but I believe that the Baker dates back only to the Civil War era.

CS

 

[bnail]

I didn't think it even dated back that far; I think It's just way too impractical to carry on the frontier, but it is a dang comfy tent. However, if authenticity isn't an issue, it sure makes for a nice fire-side evening; that is, the smaller ones do. You should've seen the size of one I saw at a rendezvous one year. the dang thing was HUGE; it even had a stove in it! rediculous!

 

[masterbass36]

I am keeping an open mind on what tent to get. You guys have given me alot to think about here. :thanks: Anyone who knows me knows I do not do the PC thing very well. speak my mind and if it offends you well...
So I have alot of options to work with on this subject. Thanks every one for all the input. :front:

 

[djnye]

skagun,

i have an eight foot square wedge and a 10 foot square lean-to and the lean-to weighs a little less. i don't find it at all impractical to canoe camp with IN THE WOODS. when setting up in the open it takes me nine eight and ten foot poles. in the woods the poles are supplied. creative set-ups are fun with many options of rigging.

it is quite easy on the net to find historical references of lean-tos to the 15th century in europe, and observed in many forms throughout the world. i believe there is reference to them from henry david thoreau who observed them in his travels to maine in the eighteen forties. as you have mentioned, he noticed how fire-friendly they were compared to his wedge. he referred to it as a baker. by the way, i think col. whelan in the early twentieth century invented his own version of an ageless design.

i believe the use of lean-to's in one form or another are prehistoric in origin and ubiquitous. they are much more about living comfortably outside than hiding inside a container.

take care, daniel

 

[bnail]

Daniel, You do make a good point; I'm a lean-to man all the way. I was referring to the cumbersome nature of the Baker's pole requirements at an event. Myself, I'm more partial to the whelan, but I actually have neither right now. I gave away my whelen when I left Ca; now I just use a plain canvas tarp.
check out this website: tarp tents There's some neat ideas for folding canvas in this page, and under the "more tarp tents" link. To my mind, tarpage was the only shelter carried on the frontier. it's more utilitarian than tentage, and more compfortable when set up properly. besides, as I said before, I do enjoy sitting in my leat-to and enjoying the fire. :thumbsup:

Cheers.
Bruce

 

[chipper]

Alot of folks I know simply buy a painters tarp for a diamond fly and carve a 3-4 foot piece of wood to use as the pole. Just stake out 3 sides of the square, shove the pole in a foot or two from the edge, and tie down the last corner with a piece of rope. Very quick, very small very cheap. The painters tarps can be purchased at the local hardware store for about 20 bucks. Boiled linseed oil will make it rain proof for another 10 bucks.

I personally went all out and built my own teepee for $62.40 in materials. It took me 3 days to build after work in the evenings.

I hope that helps.

Loyd
"The Saxon Barbarian"

 

[Mad Irish Jack]

Just got my oilcloth trail tarp in 9.5'X 9.5'. I have a bell wedge, with extra room in the bell, for larger events and I'm using the tarp for reenactments. I've been staying with a friend in his tarp for the past couple years due to an injury to my shoulder. There's enough room for a couple guys and some gear. You can use a couple poles ,..or not. But, you will need a rope. :applause: Here's a pic: