Clam style tents

Redman333

Adventurer
I went to Overland expo east and saw a few of these style tents. Wanted to know what brands are out there and if there are any of you that have used one for camping in.
ClamCompetition-copy.jpg
 

ratled

Adventurer
Yep, the Clam 6 pack. Goes up and down as fast as they advertise. 11' x 11' with 7' of head room. Since it is designed for ice fishing there is no floor so I use a 12'x 12' tarp and cover that with a couple of moving blankets for comfort. I use led strips for lights but have switched to a pair of these in the video below. What is nice no light shines through the "tent" so no one knows if you are home. Also doesn't attract the bugs. Since it was designed for ice fishing on the Great Lakes it holds up to wind like nobody's business!

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

ratled
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Redman333

Adventurer
Anything other then clam brand? I know the clam brand is good but they are also expensive. Quility is there so I'm not saying its not worth the money just saying I don't think thats what I need. Also would prefer one with a floor not sure if all the clam style tents have no floor or not. I could have sworn I saw one at the expo that had a floor.
 

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
Anything other then clam brand? I know the clam brand is good but they are also expensive. Quility is there so I'm not saying its not worth the money just saying I don't think thats what I need. Also would prefer one with a floor not sure if all the clam style tents have no floor or not. I could have sworn I saw one at the expo that had a floor.

If you go onto Amazon you can see a few "other brand" clam style shelters, but AFAIK they may actually be made by Clam and just sold under another name.
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There are several people in our camping group who have Clam shelters of various sizes and they love them. Super quick to set up and very rugged.
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As far as cost, you get what you pay for. I don't know of any low-priced knockoffs of the Clam, even the non-Clam branded ones are going to be pricey.
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The Clam shelter without a floor is great for staying warm in cold weather. Back in July we went on a camping trip above Fairplay, CO. Our campsite was at about 10,800'. Unfortunately, that weekend we were in the middle of a 5-day monsoon rain. It was rainy and cold all weekend. We didn't have our Clam that weekend but one of the other people in our camping group did - they had the 11' x 11' 6 sided one. They set it up and then put the Propane campfire in the middle and it stayed nice and warm - made a great place for meals and gathering!
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We got the 12' x 12' Clam shelter with the attached side panels (on the 11 x 11 model, the side panels remove completely, the 11 x 11 model comes with 3 side panels and if you want to cover the other 3 sides you have to purchase those separately.) The only "complaint" I have about the Clam is that even folded up it takes up a lot of room! The case for our 12 x 12 Clam is probably almost 6 1/2' long! It is super easy to set up, but if there's any wind at all you will want to stake it down well.
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Speaking of wind, we have had people camp with us in heavy winds and the Clam resisted the wind quite well (and no broken poles!)
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Overall I would say the Clam is one of those things that if you really NEED it, then it's worth the money.
 

ratled

Adventurer
Red since they are designed for ice fishing they all will have some type of opening in the floor. I have a larger one for a family of 4 but there are small ones. With a cheap RTT costing over $1000 and good one a couple of thousand dollars, I feel $200 - $400 for this quality of a shelter is well worth it. Mine was only $369 to the door from a sale from Reeds out of MN and included shipping. Also check Craigslist or E Bay for pre owned ones.

These beat the heck out of a regular tent if you aren't back packing. Mine weighs less than my old tent too!

ratled
 

ratled

Adventurer
I found another picture from when I was setting up my floor system. It gives you an idea just how big this is as that is a 2 car garage it is in! Not bad when you consider it is less than 50 pounds and the size of a golf bag when folded up. Also note that the lights don't shine through.

ratled

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