Canvas Tent Guide

Letting you know everything about canvas tents


Kodiak Canvas Tents

Taking outdoor family holiday trips can be fun and exciting but it can become costly as well. There are a number of different gears you need, such as cooking equipment, sleeping bags for camping, and of course tents.

When you are going to spend a large chunk of your money on a canvas tent, you want one that is of superior quality. Amongst all the canvas camping tents available, the one brand I’ve heard a lot of people talking about is the Kodiak canvas tents. The intention of this post is to look at how this particular range address each of the essential areas expected in a canvas tent – ventilation, protection against outside weather conditions and, space.

Ventilation is obviously important since you would want to have a comfortable rest in your tent. The Kodiak canvas tent, being made from 100% cotton means that does breathe well. Not only is the level of condensation minimized, humidity would also be reduced. Another feature that contributes to greater ventilation, particularly during the hotter days is the funnel-flow vents. These vents are positioned near the top sections of the tent and since hot air rises, it can pass through the vents more easily and out of the tent. The vents have zips so you have the option to close them off when you don’t need them during the colder seasons.

A third feature that also helps with the ventilation is the windows. There are 4 large windows in the walls of the tent and each has no-see-um mesh made from 50D polyester. So you can breathe well and receive natural lighting without nasty bugs from coming through uninvited.

One of the downsides of using a tent made from natural material is that mildew can grow on the surface if left damp for too long. With a Kodiak canvas tent, it is treated with silicone, which resists against mildew growth. This particular treatment is more durable compared to oil-based and paraffin treatments. Additionally, it makes the tent more watertight without comprising on ventilation that the cotton provides. So you can stay dry during a rainstorm without worrying about leaks or feeling uncomfortable.

Kodiak Truck Bed Tent

Other important aspects of a canvas tent especially when used in group camping trips, are the accessibility and storage space. The Kodiak canvas tent has two large D-shaped doors on either side for convenient access. In terms of storage, a large gear loft, mesh bag with a nine-pocket organizer and sewn-in storage pockets (with mesh allowing you to see the items inside) are included. Quite a generous amount space indeed.

As a bonus feature, the instructions for setting up and taking down the tent are sewn into the tent’s storage bag. I thought that this was a very nifty idea.

Goods and Bads of a Canvas Tent

If you are currently planning for your next family camping trip or a hunting trip in the wilderness, then you will want to be looking for an appropriate tent to share. Have you ever considered a canvas tent? Well if you haven’t, then this particular post might prove to be of great source of information. I’ll highlight the main features of canvas camping tents allowing you to decide whether they would be the right fit for your next trip. Specifically, I’ll look at the space that it offers and the material that is used and how that affects your experience as a camper.

Firstly, a canvas tent (also referred to as canvas wall tent) is normally shaped like a basic house – there are four vertical walls with one side being the entrance opening and a pitched roof. Right off the bat, the space a canvas tent can provide is fantastic. Generally, you can get a good range in sizes – the floor space ranges from 8 feet by 10 feet to 20 feet by 24 feet; the corresponding height (measured at the ridge or the highest point) ranges from 7 feet to 10 feet. The height of the walls themselves (i.e. base to the beginning of the roof) can be about 5 feet. So as you can see, the space is very generous indeed. Not only can you fit a few people in one tent, but also you can store your equipment as well as having the height to stand upright.

The material used to construct a canvas tent is cotton. Being a natural material, it will breathe better than camping tents made from other types of materials such as nylon and polyester. The result of this is twofold – firstly, it means improved ventilation and hence a more comfortable experience for the camper; and secondly, there would be less condensation forming in the ceiling of the tent, so you won’t have water dripping over your head on account of breathing over a period time.

Another advantage to the fact that a canvas tent is made from cotton, is that it will do better against sunlight compared to nylon and polyester. Also it does well against rain. When the material comes in contact with water, the cotton fibers swell up, causing the natural holes around the threads to shrink. The effect of this property is that the tent becomes more resistant to penetration from water. However, it should still be recommend that rainflies be used to improve water resistance.

The canvas material is a heavy fabric, so if you’re moving often during your trip, it may not be suitable. The weight increases when it get wet.