Tent material?

candycane · 10-25-2011, 05:36 PM

What material is your tent made out of? What kinds of tent material do you recommend for different situations? I want to buy a white canvas tent that I saw in Cabela's, but I am concerned that it would not be a good option for summer. I hate to have to store 2 different tents. I don't plan to tent in winter, but late fall and early spring would be a possibility in addition to summer.

Refrigerator · 10-25-2011, 06:32 PM

Most of my 3 season tents are silnylon. Most of my 4 season expedition tents are coated nylon taffeta. I do have some new end tents with new fabric designs like cuban fiber and Spinn UL and a couple others. Basically what I am saying is I have every type tent fabric on the market. I have my favorites and reasons why.

wvbreamfisherman · 10-25-2011, 08:18 PM

Coated nylon here. I've had canvas, and it has its uses, but it's basically been superseded by newer, stronger, lighter and more durable fabrics.

briansnat · 10-26-2011, 07:25 AM

All of my tents are nylon. Canvas tents are so 1960's. Seriously, I can't think of many reasons for getting a canvas tent these days. Modern nylon and other synthetic tents are far superior in nearly every respect.

eyebp · 10-26-2011, 11:59 AM

Sil nylon (Why do I have to type 10 characters to post?)

ponderosa · 10-26-2011, 01:47 PM

On the other hand, today's best quality canvas is not the 1960s stuff either. I need most of my gear to do double-duty for backpacking, so my tents are all the treated nylon fabrics that everyone else has already mentioned. I don't know anything about the Cabellas canvas tent, but if I were exclusively car camping and wanted to buy one tent to last the rest of my life, I'd go with Springbar canvas for year round use. A summer camp I worked at when I was in college used these, and they are very impressive. They really are completely weather proof, and durable enough to stand up to continual use by rowdy teenagers all summer long, year after year. Since cotton is breathable, they are actually more comfortable in hot weather than a nylon tent.

Springbar® Tents — Best Materials

Grandpa · 10-26-2011, 10:55 PM

Kodiak also makes a tent comparable to Springbar. Both are very good.

Kodiak Canvas » Kodiak Canvas

Newanderthal · 11-04-2011, 04:47 PM

wow! those things are freaking heavy. my whole pack for a multi week trip doesn't weigh that much.

Judy Ann · 11-05-2011, 06:37 PM

I really enjoy my kodiak canvas tent that I got from Cabellas. It stays warmer in the winter and has great ventilation with all of the floor to ceiling windows in the summer. It is a good car camping tent, however my coated nylon halfdome tent from REI has withstood tropical storms, can be set up quickly and easily even in the rain, and can easily be carried anywhere I need to take it. Good luck!

ppine · 11-17-2011, 10:49 AM

One of the great things about camping is that everyone has their own ideas about what is best. For backpacking and short trips nylon tents are handy. I have one large enough to stand up in that is best for car camping and canoe trips. Tarps and lean-tos can be a creative way to build and shelter and very light. A nylon lean-to with a fire in front of it works great even in winter.

Everyone who loves the outdoors needs to experience a heavy canvas tent with the wood stove going on a cold and snowy day to understand their attraction. I lived in a wall tent once for a month at 7,200 feet running a tree planting crew. Every time it snowed I had a tent full of visitors.