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  • Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

    Hello everyone,

    Just wanted to say "Hello" to all and introduce ourselves. We are a couple in our 50's and have run the gambit of camping in all forms. We started out tent camping when we first met back in 2001, I took her to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a week and we stayed at a primitive site(she didnt want to go back to Missouri). We got married and tied up with work and careers(didnt do much camping)then I finally got us back to Wilmington,NC(my hometown) from Tucson,AZ and we started back at camping(mostly renting cabins). then I picked up a 22-1/2ft 1997 Coachman TT and restored it completely and used it for about a year, then I managed to get my hands on a 1972 Avion 31ft imperial TT and in 4 months I had restored it from bottom to top.
    We sold the coachman and stuck with the Avion for a bit,we took it to Missouri to see the grandkids and on the way back we stopped at camping world to take a break...we left 4hours later trading the Avion for a 2013 Starcraft autumn ridge 26-1/2ft w/ slideout(I just about fainted when they told me how much the avion was worth) I knew they were valuable but never expected a dealer to offer that much for trade. We used it 3 times in a year(last time was 6 weeks while we closed on our house in Columbia,SC) and we decided to sell it and go back to the basics again!
    We are now looking to purchase another tent and have just about decided on the Coleman 8 person instant tent(14x10).we only camp in fall/winter and early spring,and we are so excited about tent camping again! I had a Eureka years ago that I loved to death but cant find anything like it now(of course). We are quite a bit curious about canvas tents...My father had one when I was little and it was quite nice(heavy but nice) does anyone have any views or opinions on canvas versus the newer traditional materials??

  • #2
    Re: Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

    Howdy! You thinking of something like a Springbar or what?

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    • #3
      Re: Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

      The canvas tents of today aren't like the ones from "back when". They're treated and, in some cases, blended with other materials to resist mildew better. They still require more care than nylon when storing them, but I love my Kodiak Flex Bow. Yeah - it's heavy, but I like that. The floor is thick enough that I almost get the feeling I could leave the ground tarp behind. The rest of the tent, with it's heavy canvas, also gives me more peace of mind than nylon. It just feels more substantial, if that makes sense.

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      • #4
        Re: Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

        Hello and welcome!
        You've come to the right site for passionate discussions about canvas tents. OK not as hardcore as say air mattress vs cot vs thermapad but give a lil time:he:.

        Never had a canvas tent but do know the main contenders are Kodiak and Springbar though Cabela's has a house brand as well. I'm currently boycotting Cabela's products (issues) but you'll see some nice setups on the forum that include them.

        Enjoy your stay.
        2017:

        July 3 to July 16- annual kiddo trip
        Aug 2 to Aug 14- adult trip to recover from kiddos' outing. Bring on the Campari!



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        • #5
          Re: Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

          Originally posted by howl View Post
          Howdy! You thinking of something like a Springbar or what?
          Havent looked up or researched springbar yet(will look now though)but we did look at a Kodiak ...just trying to decide how much funds we need to drop into one right now...spend the funds now and get a good one, or spend less and get the coleman instant tent and try it for a bit.
          We are going to try and get up to the mountains of NC every weekend to camp starting in Oct till the season ends the end of Oct...want to tent camp all year but trying to find a campground with facilities that we like that is open year round is tough

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          • #6
            Re: Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

            There's a lot of dependent factors. I would consider heating methods when deciding on types if you are going up high in late October.

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            • #7
              Re: Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

              Welcome Ole Coastie to the forum! You might consider something from a different vendor and a smaller size if possible. Tents larger than 10X10 have a lot of drawbacks, including fabric vs. # of poles, denier thickness for that big of a "sail", limitations at the campsite as to where you can set the thing up, ease to set up alone, etc. Companies like Coleman are working a first-timer price point and offer outdated designs, few modern features, bikini rainflies, etc. A quality tent like a SpringBar or Kodiak would not hurt, but canvas requires extra care and there are no deals on price. Today's polyester and nylon 4- and 6-man tents deliver a lot of modern features and sites like Ebay can deliver new-with-tags discounts that put $500 tents into the $200-$300 range and carry lifetime guarantees from companies like EMS, REI, Big Agnes, NorthFace, Sierra Designs, and Mountain HardWear. Eureka! still carries some quality in its lineup, but you have to be an expert to sort out their many low-ball models, and low production numbers keep their "good stuff" priced way, way up there. Again, welcome aboard!
              “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
              ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

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              • #8
                Re: Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

                Ha ha. Thanks for hijacking the post, NYCityGRL Now this is going to turn into a tent thread.

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                • #9
                  Re: Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

                  Originally posted by Mike View Post
                  Ha ha. Thanks for hijacking the post, NYCityGRL Now this is going to turn into a tent thread.
                  Well, this forum is kind of lacking in tent threads :he:
                  “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                  – E. B. White

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                  • #10
                    Re: Newbie to forum/saying hello & a bit about us

                    Welcome! I just finished my third summer with my Coleman 4 person Instant-tent. I resealed the seams a few weeks ago and it held up very well to a moderate rainstorm. I only camp down to about 50 degrees at night, so it does well for me. I like that it is easy to set up. I do some solo camping and felt the traditional canvas ones might be difficult for me to handle.

                    Last edited by actad; 09-30-2014, 10:29 PM.
                    - Laura
                    Coleman Dome/Instant Cabin Tents, Kamprite IPS, Shasta Oasis 18ft Travel Trailer

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