Over the last few years technology has made its mark on the camping world as it has on so many other things, and this includes the type of material used for the various types of tent. However, despite more modern materials being used in the camping world, there are still many people who prefer canvas camping tents over their more modern counterparts. These are often spacious tents, with a very tall height, and one of the things that attracts people to this material is the fact that canvas is waterproof but also naturally breathable, which can cut down on condensation within the tent. Most canvas tents will either use the ground as the flooring, or they will have a vinyl floor, which is waterproof, so making the most of both traditional and modern tent covering materials.
Traditional canvas tents
Many traditional canvas tents carry a design not seen in most modern tent designs, and this includes the slope-roofed tent, which can give a head height of a 85 inches to 95 inches, enabling you to stand up easily in the middle of the tent. This will often be coupled with a wall height of 45 inches to 55 inches, which makes for a very spacious family tent indeed, and enables you to get a great deal of storage on the external walls. The vertical walls of a canvas tent also will add to the space available.
In order to make the canvas waterproof it will need to be treated with a waterproof film, which will need to be replenished every now and again, though it is a good idea to treat the canvas before any camping trip. As mentioned earlier, due to the fact that canvas is breathable, it can cut down on condensation, especially if the tent also includes ventilation flaps and windows with ventilation holes. The doors can also add ventilation, allowing air to flow through the tent, something essential for hot summer nights. When choosing the type of canvas it can be a good idea to make sure it is a heavy duty type, though you may find this will add to the weight of the tent overall. As far as the floor is concerned, a 16-ounce vinyl floor can be a good choice, since this will provide a durable floor covering.
Steel framed tent
One disadvantage of a canvas tent is that they do not usually fall under the description of a pop-up tent, or an easy-up tent, since they usually use traditional materials and means of support, including traditional tent poles and rods. This means the tent may be a little bit more difficult to erect, and you may need to spend some time working out how to put the tent up. The rods need to be highly durable, and a good material to choose is either steel or aluminum, both of which are lightweight but also strong enough to make sure the frame of the tent does not sag, especially when the tent covering becomes wet.
A few models worth looking at include the Kodiak canvas tent. Retailing at $500, it is a 6-person tent measuring 9 ft. x 12 ft with a 7.5 ft ceiling. The covering is Hydra-Shield cotton duck canvas with an awning measuring 8ft x 8.5 ft. It has large windows with no-see-um mesh, and roll-up sidewalls for ventilation. The color is natural white. It is an all-season tent, though not suitable for use in heavy snow. Another model is the Trek cotton canvas cabin tent. This retails at about $300, and has dimensions of 12 feet x 9 feet with a 90 inch center height. It is a 7-person tent with fire-retarded cotton walls and roof, and heavy duty vinyl floor. IT is a “no sag” tent with a center ridge, screened windows with storm flaps and screened door with zip rain flaps. Storage pockets are included as is a UV resistant rain fly of woven polyester.
Flame retardant tent
For those looking for a top-of-the-range canvas tent the Montana wall tent could be just right. It rest on an aluminum frame, has 2 windows, and a stove jack. Retailing at around $1,900.00, it is not a cheap tent, and is high-quality throughout. The canvas is double-stitched, flame retardant and water repellant, with a reinforced ridge pole. It is 5 ft high, giving a good amount of space, with a reinforced tent base with a weather-tight seal.
An advantage of using canvas as a tent material is that it can be repaired fairly easily, often using household materials, unlike some other tents which may need specialist attention to deal with any damage. You may need to do a bit of research before you find the correct canvas tent, mainly due to the fact that there are far fewer tents made from this material then there are the more modern versions. However by using the internet you should be able to do some good research and find a canvas tent that is just right for you.
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