How far back do Aframe tents go?I can pick one up for under 50$ a guy used for civil war camp,almost new.

Benny, A-frames or 'wedges', go back to like Roman times. They are fine for Fur trade period. If you don't want it, I'll give you a dollar for it! Stumpy

Check out the dimensions, and make sure he didn't get the wrong tent for CW (like a too short one from a more modern period or a supply tent that is too tall [like a so called monster wedge] for anything but a rondezvous) and is dumping it, eh? FYI the tents usually only had a front door in our period, BUT front and back doors make for better ventilation, though you have to make sure some tourist doesn't five-finger-discount you and takes your stuff via the back door.

LD

Interesting comments. I have a 9X12 wedge and never considered it as too big. I have to be able to stand up in a tent and that is my most important requirement. The 9X12 is tall enough to stand up in. I also have to have something large enough for my cook and I. This includes bedding for two, 2 coolers (kept in the tent and covered so nobody sees them, and a potty for the cook.

The bad part of wedges is dealing with available space. The closer the ground, the slope sides require boxes or coolers not be pushed out to that last foot or two.

Wedge tents sure go up fast. My wedge has doors at both ends so it doesn't matter which end is where. My cook often opens both doors on those super hot days so she can cool off.
Load fast and aim slow

Sorry, when I said wrong size I meant tall or short. You can work with many different wedge or A-frame tents with large "footprints", but ones that stick up in the formation draw unwanted attention. Some of the "monster" wedges are 7+ feet tall, and some of the tents sold for post CW (like Indian Wars, etc) are under 5 feet tall.

LD

A enthusiast found a wedge tent with a bell
in a museum in France. They called Tentsmiths
and asked them to build them one. Tentsmiths
went into multiple production. I bought one
and loved it. It had a 5-ft bell with a back
door. It measured 16-ft down the middle, by 8-ft tall, by 10 wide. With a 9-ft awning it did
have a big footprint. With wind lines it stayed
up in some fierce storms. Look at the museum
wedge it works.

Weathering a storm is one thing a good wedge can do. We, my wife, son of around 5 or 6 at that time, and myself weathered a thunder storm. The only thing that got wet was the tassles on a pillow that had somehow gotten under the door and was sticking outside.

My first primitive tent was a lean-to that was quite small. We weathered two rainy functions by huddling under the 6X7' awning. That was just too darn small for a wife, little boy, and myself. The lady of the camp ordered the bigger wedge and we've thouroghly enjoyed it ever since.
Load fast and aim slow.

I am mostly interested in the mountain man era and from some of the period art work it looks like most of the tents are about 7' tall at the ridge and maybe 7' wide. On the length I'm not sure, maybe 8' or 9'.
In any event what is and isn't PC? Are the ridge poles currently used correct? What about sewn in rings/grommets or leather squares? Front and back doors or only a front door? In one Miller painting in looks like a tent is striped, if I recall, I think sort of blue and orange- all the other tents were white.
And what about "Odd Ball" tents. William Drummond Stewart was supposed to have a very large military type tent and Prince Maximilian speaks of the big trade tent set up by the American Fur Co.
Any tent experts out there with info? Much appreciated.

I'd say no more than 7' tall. The one from the museum mentioned above was 8 x 8.5 x 7 with a 4' bell at the back, and tentsmiths still sell it. NO rear door if you can help it, as it's a pain to police your camp to keep tourists out of the back. I don't like mudflaps myself as it messes with air flow in hot weather, but if you're in a cooler climate with lots of rain...., mudflaps might be a good idea.

LD

I used a R.K.Lodges 10x11x7ft. tall,with doors front and back. Tied the back door shut inside and out,had no problems. Also,I was just wondering...Obviously,military tents would be pretty much standardized. But would there have been any particular civilian "standards" in a time of such separated economies? Food for thought. Vaya Con Dios! Stumpy

For fifty frogskins, I'd go for it in an eyeblink. Even if you decide later that it isn't quite what you had in mind, it is prime trading stock. You never know, it might just suit you to a "T". Not only that, but to the best of my knowlege, there's no standard Mountain Man tent anyway. Whatever keeps the rain off, furnishes a place to keep your plunder dry and doesn't stand out like a mashed thumb should meet the need.

Seems to me half the canvas I see at Rondy is A Frame tents of all sizes anyway.

Three Hawks.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Three Hawks,

Army officers wall tents had steep roofs.
A tent with 4-ft walls would have a
roof 9-ft high, always a 5' differential.
A typical officers tent might be 10-ft wide,
12-ft long, 4' sides and 9' roof. Perhaps
the steep roof shed water and snow better.
I see wall tents at modern rendezvous that
look like storage sheds, 5' walls and 7' roof.
Wall tents go back to Roman times. There is a
mural scene of Roman Army officers hunting lions in the desert, a wall tent nearby covered with what looks like carpets.

I think not only is a wedge tent period correct
for mountain man rendezvous it makes sense.
Giant wedges probably not.
With a little effort you could put together the frame for a quarter sphere. I made one 12'
wide by 9' deep by 7' high. The frame is vine
maple. One I made was a 12' diameter half sphere and I used a liner from a 12' tipi to wrap around. The door overlaped just like a tipi. If you pushed the roof canvas aside you
could build a small fire inside. From the frame you can hang loads of equipage. The frame
is strong enough to support a hammock.
I like quarter spheres and dought anyone here
will challenge it's PC.