Outfitter Tents: All-in-One Guide To Camp Like a Pro

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An outfitter tent is the best solution for your long-term adventure. It is a good choice for either backcountry camping, first time camping or a hunting trip. Fair enough, as outfitter tents offer robust durability and sufficient space. Typically produced from heavy-duty canvas, these tents come in various sizes and can be equipped with a range of extras, such as stoves, rainflys and footprints. In this post, we’ll explain what an outfitter tent is, why it is such a popular solution, and also walk you through the process of selecting a tent that will best meet your needs.

What Is an Outfitter Tent?

An outfitter tent, also known as a wall tent, a hunting tent, or a safari tent, is a tent with four straight vertical walls. In contrast to more common dome tents, outfitter tents offer more headroom. These tents are especially popular with hunters as they are able to accommodate several people and their belongings.

Due to their design, outfitter tents are usually bulky and heavy, so they are not suitable for a backpacking holiday. Instead, they are brought into the backcountry by a vehicle or a horse.

Benefits of Canvas Outfitter Tents

Why are outfitter tents such a popular choice? In fact, there are some convincing reasons for that.

Durability

The majority of outfitter tents come with thick, sturdy walls. In addition, the best tents of this type have aluminum poles. Aluminium poles have a great strength to weight ratio, are durable, and not easily broken. Thick tent walls coupled with robust poles make these tents durable enough to withstand strong winds and heavy precipitation.

Capacity

Outfitter tents are typically designed to accommodate large groups of people and come in different sizes. Not to mention, an outfitter wall tent is very likely to be equipped with an attachment or even a couple of them, for instance, a stove or a tent floor.

Interior Height

Each and every outfitter tent, no matter small or big, is high enough for a person to stand upright inside. Without any doubt, this means maximum comfort.

Heat

One of the most useful features of outfitter tents is the ability to use a stove inside. It makes outfitter tents a perfect solution for long-term cold weather camping.

How To Choose the Best Outfitter Wall Tent

The market is packed with a plethora of options, but your best tent is the one that will best meet your unique needs and requirements. In this section, we’ll walk you through the major considerations to take into account while you’re choosing an outfitter wall tent. 

Tent Capacity

It goes without saying that the first thing you need to consider while choosing your tent is how many people your backcountry shelter will have to house. An outfitter tent is commonly listed with a number of persons it is able to accommodate. Still, pay attention to its dimensions as well, as the number of persons listed might mean space to fit people in sleeping bags, and no inch more. Here’s a tip: count in 20-25 square feet per person unless you are going to use a stove or need storage space for large items. However, if your plan includes any extra features, go for additional 5 square feet per person.

Seasonality

Next, consider which weather you will use your outfitter wall tent in. Different regions and different times of the year call for different types of tents and add-ons: you won’t need an outfitter tent with stove for a summer adventure in the middle of a desert, but you won’t do without it in the cold season.

Still, one consideration remains universal: your perfect tent should be waterproof and mildew-resistant.

Tent Material

The most popular materials for an outfitter tent include cotton canvas and polyester canvas, each having its own pros and cons. To start with, the key advantage of cotton canvas outfitter tents is their breathability. Cotton fabric doesn't let air in, but allows moisture out. This way, you’ll stay comfortable and dry during any season in your cotton canvas tent. However, cotton canvas tents are way heavier than polyester shelters.

In contrast, polyester canvas wall tents are more durable and can better withstand the elements. Polyester is mildew-resistant and waterproof, with no need for regular treatments required by cotton canvas. Finally, polyester is lighter than cotton.

To enjoy the best of both worlds, it’s a reasonable solution to opt for a polyester/cotton canvas blend. This way, you’ll get both comfort of cotton and protection of polyester.

Consider Essential Accessories for Outfitter Tents

As we have already mentioned, wall tents can feature a range of extras for your most comfortable camping adventure. Let’s take a closer look at the most essential ones.

Stove

Wall tents are supposed to be used in the cold weather, so they are most typically designed to enable a safe use of a stove inside.

Rainfly

A rainfly is a cover that protects your tent from the elements. However, a good fly will shield your outfitter tent not only against rain or snow. It will serve your wildlife shelter as a reliable protection against UV rays, dirt, and even sparks. Plus, the fly helps retain heat and cut down on condensation, which means more comfortable and safer camping experience. All in all, a quality rainfly is able to extend the lifespan of your wall tent, and, as a result, save you money in the long run.

Roof Protector

A roof protector is an additional feature whose aim is to protect your wall tent roof against sparks from the wood burning in the stove. In other words, it is a barrier that prevents sparks from falling on the roof and burning out holes in it.

Footprint

The major function of a footprint is insulation: it helps keep the cold air out and the warm air in. This makes it a must-have for cold weather camping. Also, a footprint helps you keep the insects out.

Our Choice: Best Wall Tents

Finally, we are eager to share our reviews on a couple of wall tents that have proved to be robust and reliable wildlife shelters.

An All-Season Canvas Outfitter Tent "Cuboid 2.20"

This heavy-duty canvas hunting tent with a stove jack is the best option when you need to accommodate 1-3 campers. It has the length of 87'' and the width of 87", and the height of 75” which allows you to stand upright inside and bring bunk beds for more efficient space use.

Cuboid 2.20 has two windows and two entrances, which gives you more options of setting it up. This tent can be used in any season. It’s produced from robust water-resistant fabric for 

effective protection against rain and snow. The wood burning stove helps maintain a comfortable temperature in the cold season.

What is more, this tent features a durable frame made from aircraft aluminum alloy, which ensures better stability and protection against high winds. All entrances and windows have mosquito nets and are equipped with robust zippers.

Finally, apart from standard features, this wall tent allows you to open one of the side walls and use this area as a dining room or a terrace.

An All-Season Premium Outfitter Wall Tent "Cuboid 4.40"

With the length of 174", width of 87", and the height of 75”, this wall tent can accommodate up to 6 people. Without any doubt, it’s the best option for a hunting trip. Cuboid 4.40 has four windows and two doors. If you camp in a group of 2-3 people, this hunting tent is literally like the second home as it is quite spacious (104.41 square feet). Actually, the tent consists of two rooms separated by a wall, which can be easily removed.

This sturdy wall tent makes a perfect shelter no matter the weather due to its high-performance aluminium frame and heavy-duty fabric. Plus, it allows you to use a stove inside for your ultra comfortable camping experience. We’ve recorded a temperature of 85° F inside the tent when it was -22° F outside. Lastly, Cuboid 4.40 is quite easy to set up due to its all-metal umbrella-type fast installation frame.

Four Season Outfitter Tent With Stove Pipe Vent "Hexagon"

Hexagon is the largest of our canvas tents, 184" in diameter. Not to mention, its height of 83” allows even very tall people to stand upright inside as well as use bunk beds. Hexagon is the best solution when you camp in a group of 3-8 people. This wall tent has two windows and three entrances, all of which are equipped with mosquito nets and reinforced zippers. Although bulky and having the weight of 77,16 lbs, Hexagon is surprisingly easy to set up.

This reliable 4-season wall tent ensures protection from the summer heat and the winter frost. As most hunting tents, this tent is designed for safe stove use. It is made of innovative high quality material that can withstand heavy precipitation, and its robust aluminum frame ensures greater stability. 

All-Season Premium Outfitter Tent with Stove Jack "UP-5"

Finally, meet UP-5, one of the most popular canvas tents. It received the special love of campers due to its umbrella-type frame that enables you to pitch it on any type of terrain in only 2 minutes. 178" in diameter, 87” high and with the weight of 63.93 lbs, this roomy shelter is suitable for campers, hunters and fishermen. It can house up to 4 people on camp beds or up to 8 people in sleeping bags.

UP-5 has two windows and two entrances. It’s made of sturdy canvas for the best protection from the elements. In addition to standard features such as stove jack and removable mosquito nets, UP-5 has a wing door for more comfortable cold weather camping. Also, many hinges on the inner layer can be used for drying your wet gear.

The Bottom Line

All in all, a wall tent is a reliable and comfortable backcountry shelter, in any weather. Hunting tents come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs, and it’s up to you which one to choose for your unforgettable adventure.