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.