Tent Living
 

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bass pro in springfield has canvas tents. I've not priced them but I've seen them there.

what are you looking for in a piece of land, how much would you like and whats your price range?

have you checked missouri multilist? google it if you haven't lots of good stuff there. douglas and ozark counties are a good spot for reasonable priced land.

I've been using a Panther Pavilion 10'x10' wall tent for two weeks a year, for ten years. It's built very well, and I highly recommend them. If you have any basic woodworking knowledge, you can make your own poles for it and just buy the canvas part. You can order online, or pick it up in WV. Also, with the wall tent, you'll have the option of getting a stove-pipe vent put in, in case you want a small potbelly for the winter!
http://www.pantherprimitives.com/medieval.html
Edited to add: this is the link to the wall tent: http://www.pantherprimitives.com/scouting.html

Size is definitly an issue - my DH and I fit in the 10x10, but I wouldn't want to put anyone else in there, especially for an extended period of time! They make them larger I think, or you could easily put two together with a breezeway. A larger, but different option, is getting a marquee type pavilion, but they don't do so well in bad weather.

Most nylon modern tents are useless for long-term living, they're hot, frighteningly easy to catch on fire, and have a shorter lifespan. I will always go for canvas! Although, I do have to admit that you will tend to have more of a bug problem without zippers. You're outdoors though, and a nylon tent isn't 100% bug proof either!

We lived in two wall tents for about six months while we built our home here in Alaska. Webought them from Alaska Tent and Tarp and built frames for them. The were the 8x10 10 oz canvas versions with small woodstoves in them. They are still in use six years later as guest housing. I have no idea what the shipping would cost from Alaska, but here is a link to the site.

http://www.alaskatent.com/products/tents/wall_tents.htm

Pilgrimmom, checkout Cabelas.com (put upa link on your post in countryfamilies)

also try the tent rental places around. and the military surplus.

Hmm....there is another option. a Yurt. REALLY stable. circular. used year round, even in sub zero snowy areasl. google yurt and you'll find some links. there is a thread on HT somewhere about yurts, too.

Find an army surplus and look into a gp medium.

We found one at a country auction a couple weeks ago - 11' x 8' canvas - for $45. Threw a little waterproofing on it and took it camping for a week in nearly non-stop rains. We plan on living in it for a couple months this summer while we re-do the roof and one wall on our house.

Keep a close eye on auctions. There are treasures to be had.

~Falcon

there a place right o0ff I44 near the south end of joplin that has canvas military tents

Military tents are definitely well-made and durable, but the one we had (a 10' X 20' command post) smelled from whatever they'd used to treat the canvas. Plus they are dark inside, and hotter than a white canvas tent would be. So a military tent would be okay if that's what you can find, but if you can get a white canvas tent you'll be better off, I think. Do get the jack for the stove-pipe built in, because if you are in the tent into the winter, you'll want a stove in there. And with seven of you, I would think that you might want to consider what someone suggested above, getting two tents and make a breezeway between them. That would give you some covered outdoor space for cooking and meals.

Kathleen

ETA: get a large silver tarp and put it over the tent(s) with an air space -- a foot of space would be good. This will help when it rains, to keep the tents from leaking anyplace something touches the canvas, and it will help when the sun is shining by providing shade.

For long term living you might want to consider a tipi. and add a kitchen fly.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...3/Tipicrop.jpg

The kitchen fly on the wall tent used to be on the tipi.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...eSweetHome.jpg

I have two wall tents. The "living' tent is a 14 X 16 with an internal frame. I also use the oil cloth floor in it.
The second is the cooking tent and it's an 8 X 10.
Between the two, we have plenty of room for our annual trips out west hunting. We can very comfortably accommodate 4 and have put 6 up in a pinch. If you do get one and use a wood stove in it, go with a straight up chimney.

We did a lot of research and ended up buying them from this place:
https://www.reliabletent.com/

I feel that they are as good as they get.

A pic
 

Here is a pic of the larger one set up on an elk hunting trip in Colorado. We ended up being snowed out on that trip and the internal frame held up to a big blizzard. The tarp on top is also a necessary item.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...c/DSC00273.jpg

Makes me wonder if a portable metal carport wouldnt make a better temp house .
an 18 x 20 costs about $700 but you can close in the walls and ends pretty easy .Only takes an hour to put one up with a cordless drill .
of course an old bus can be had pretty cheap as well

I'm with Wisconsin Ann. As soon as I read your post I thought yurt.

tents
 

If I were going to stay in it a while, I put it on a wood floor and do wood side walls.

heres a couple of links and I have coupon codes just pm me,paula
http://www.bargainoutfitters.com/browse/browse.asp?c=13

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/b...aspx?c=2&dc=74

Just for a peek-see, visit www.exclusivetents.com
They have some really unique setups for a wide range of prices. Pam and I are hoping to get one of the Safari ones to set up on our acres in San Simon...gotta sell the 10 acre Rocky Acre property first though...
These tents even offer sectioned rooms and bathrooms!

I lived in a wall tent in Southern Missouri one Spring and it was a rainy season. My advice would be to use a raised wooden floor in the tent if you don't like a wet sleeping bag. I would defiantly get a Cabala's catalog they have really nice wall tents. My 2 cents worth.

I am all for low cost, self sufficient housing.

Why not erect a shed, with a wood floor, and live in that?

I think it would be easier to maintain, keep clean, be more wind and water proof, as well as more fire proof. I would also think it would be safer for you and the family, and you could easily lock the door at night, or when you leave. There are alot of cooky people out there...why take a chance with your safety or valuables?

I would feel alot safer in a shed during a bad storm than a tent any day. I have weathered enough storms in tents to know its not alot of fun. At least you could touch the sidewalls in a shed while raining, LOL.

I think storage would be easier as well. Solid walls to hang your belongings. A simple shelf in the rafters would be a great place to store items, or build your bunks up top for more living area. You could also build other items on hinges that fold into the walls, like in alot of campers. Dining table and beds could fold up for more living area. It would also be easy to build shelves between the studs for storage. Not real deep, but would hold alot of items.

I also think it would be easier to run electric to a shed, if you have an electric T-Pole set up. Would be great for small electric items as a toaster oven, toaster, charging tools, curling irons, hot plates, space heaters, fans, TV, AC etc.

It is going to be HOT in a tent during the summer, as well as a shed, without AC or a fan.

Windows would be a great asset in a shed, versus a tent with no windows.

With a shed structure, you would have a permanent building when you are done.

I dont know what it would cost exactly, but with some very resourceful scavenging and bargain shopping, I would say you could build a good shed for way less than a $1000.

Last week, I saw two 100 year old windows for free, as well as eight cement blocks. At an auction today, I saw 14 boxes of nails sell for $2. Most Sherwin Williams stores sell mistinted paint for $4 a gallon. My neighbor gave me 15 2x4's last week, and I saw some plywood scraps out for the trash.

Living in a tent is romantic and cool, in my opinion, if you want to. But if you are forced to live in a tent, it could get real old, real fast.
Clove

working road construction for many years i lived year round in a couple of different tents but if you are looking for year round use i say teepee if only summer and mild weather try a pyramid tent very stable easy erection and roomy strintz out of nebraska has a very good tent line and i can personnelly vouch for thier quality they are on the internet just my opion but i have been there and done it. wall tents are okay also and can be set up with a stove and all also. also there are many small portable cabin and sheds that are manufactured in kansas and missouri that work well add insulation and a couple batteries and dc lights and you have all the comforts of home

I forgot to mention:

Some creative pumbing in a shed, provided you have water, could be done. If you can connect to your water source with a garden hose, run into the shed with hose bib or other fixtures, into a sink. Drain your gray water away from the shed using PVC or other means.

Would be great for washing dishes, clothes (by hand), washing hair, simple bathing, etc.

Now that I think about it, I can think of a thousand reasons a shed would be better than a tent.

Clove

Hope you like the heat>

Very, very lovely. Just out of curiosity, have you contacted for a ball-park quote?

I would build a shack out of scrap wood and tar paper, saving my $ for my permanant structure.

http://www.maharajatent.com/
http://www.exclusivetents.com/
http://www.nizamcanvas.com/
http://www.walltentshop.com/
http://www.nationaltenthouse.com/product.php
http://www.kenstents.com/
http://www.cowboycamp.net/custom_canvas.htm
http://www.eideindustries.com
http://www.canvasandtent.com.au/index.html
http://www.canvasandtent.co.za/luxury/index.php

I've done some research into this as well. I have wifey and the kids on board as long as we run electricity and plumbing to the tent. Here are some of the mfgrs I have found that produce a product I would consider living in for 2 years or more.

Just out of curiousity, I emailed this company about one of their tents. Granted, it's a monster (over 3000 square feet) but I was simply curious. Base price, not including import fees or shipping, was $111k. LOL

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

Think I'd rather have a smaller well-built cabin with all the comforts of home, including those that flush.

I've been watching this thread with a lot of interest. Lots of good ideas and some amazing tent. Since others have thrown in their 0.02, I'll toss mine in. I think your idea of tent living for the people involved and the time span is impractacle...not impossible, just impractical.

Since campers can be found for 3,000.00 to 4,000.00 every day of the week (I paid 4,000.00 for my 30 footer) and have all the comforts of home as well as being capable of going from place to place easily and is well suited as a temporary home while building and lastly, can be used as a guest cottage after you build.....why not go that route.

I don't know your financial situation but I am assuming that you have some money socked away or you wouldn't be looking for land. Buying a camper is an investment because if it is cared for and you don't have further need of it after you build... sell it. They go quickly at that price.

Anyway...my thoughts

Did someone mention a YURT? A Yurt can be quite comfortable.

are you looking to build or find something ready to move in?? How many acres?? i live just north of galena 5 miles and there is several pieces of land here that are around 5 to 6 acres. My wife works at cox south in springfield and my sister at st. johns. let me know what you are looking for and i will keep my eyes open.

I agree, this is the most economical/feasible route. Campers aren't expensive (used) and already come equipped with the many things you'd have to purchase for a tent or small cabin, like fridge, stove, toilet, shower, etc.

If there's no electric, a generator can run everything in one easily. Much runs on propane. If you could find an old Airstream and remodel it, the resale on those are excellent.

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

A yurt is a tent. It just has a different shape.

DW and I have been thinking about moving into a yurt. Below are some links for you to check out

http://www.yurtliving.com/
http://www.yurtinfo.org/
ttp://www.rainieryurts.com/
http://www.yurts.com/
http://www.yurts-r-us.com/?gclid=COX...FSZhIgodamxDWA
http://coloradoyurt1-px.rtrk.com/

Have you ever thought about staying in a fold down camper? That would get you up off the ground but still have the feel of a tent. Also it would give you much more room and a place to cook when it rains. You can look on Craigslist and sometime find one for about what a really good tent would cost you.

DH, DD and I lived in one through the winter one year in east Texas. It wasn't bad at all. You can get them with a furnace and they have a water holding tank. I believe you said you would be staying in parks while you looked for land. This way at least you would have a door to close when you leave.

Don't know your financial situation but United Country in Spokane,MO has a 10 acre fixer upper (house needs work for 90k)