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First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

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  • First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

    Just got back from my first trip out with the new Kodiak. The first thing I learned was to make sure you take a tent out of the box before you actually go to use it. I did bring a backup nylon tent in case there was a problem, but what happened wasn't a mechanical issue. The plastic smell that came off the tent was a bit overwhelming but I just went ahead and set it up and hoped the smell would go away before it was time to go to bed. Fortunately, it did.



    There were a couple of surprises, however. On the larger Kodiaks, the side poles breakdown like every other shockcorded pole - one half is swaged to fit into the other half. On the 2-person poles, there's a thumbscrew to secure the extension. Not real thrilled with that as I can picture it failing at some point down the road. I'm going to contact Kodiak to see if they might consider making the poles breakdown like the larger poles. If not, I'll probably make some full-length poles from some EMT conduit.


    The other surprise was how the sides didn't stretch out completely, leaving a wrinkle just under the top. Not a real big deal, just surprised it appeared to be "not too well thought out" on the part of Kodiak.



    But, all in all, it's a great little tent for a solo trip. The canvas is typical Kodiak quality, the zippers heavy duty and almost oversized for a tent this size. The VX style, with the mesh on the sides as well as in the doors/windows, made for great ventilation in the 80+° heat. The floor isn't as heavy as the big brothers' floors, but plenty thick enough that you could go without a groundsheet if you found you'd left it home by mistake.

  • #2
    Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

    How did you do getting changed inside the tent? I believe it's only 48" tall correct?
    Nights camped in 2019: 24
    Nights camped in 2018: 24

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    • #3
      Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

      Yep - four foot ceiling. Just like with every other small tent, to change when there's people around, you "do the shimmy" to get your pants on. But this was a solo trip and the sites aren't anywhere close to the next one, so I stood in the door of the tent and changed.

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      • #4
        Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

        Originally posted by MacGyver View Post
        Yep - four foot ceiling. Just like with every other small tent, to change when there's people around, you "do the shimmy" to get your pants on. But this was a solo trip and the sites aren't anywhere close to the next one, so I stood in the door of the tent and changed.
        I don't know, reading this and seeing your current avatar just brought a vision to my mind that I'd really like to be rid of... :gasp:
        “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

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        • #5
          Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

          Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
          I don't know, reading this and seeing your current avatar just brought a vision to my mind that I'd really like to be rid of... :gasp:
          So I guess I shouldn't post the other pictures, right?

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          • #6
            Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

            Those thumbscrews are used on all our heavy duty tarp poles down here in Australia. They work really well. It looks like you could extend the side poles a little further,to tighten up the tent.

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            • #7
              Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

              Originally posted by spinyeel View Post
              Those thumbscrews are used on all our heavy duty tarp poles down here in Australia. They work really well. It looks like you could extend the side poles a little further,to tighten up the tent.
              I have no doubt the screws will last for a while, but I still feel like the simple swaged end poles would be better over the long haul. And you're right - it does look like I could have pulled the canvas tighter to eliminate the wrinkles. Not the case. The canvas on the front and rear walls wouldn't allow me to raise it any further.
              Last edited by MacGyver; 09-30-2016, 04:55 AM.

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              • #8
                Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

                Hi MacGyver,

                Please excuse this dumb question. Are canvas tents waterproof, or is that why you have it set up under the tarp?

                SW
                "Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later the man who wins is the one who thinks he can."

                http://www.stillnesswilderness.com






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                • #9
                  Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

                  The Kodiak Canvas Tents are waterproof. Some reasons are to help protect the tent. To make a share area, or what looks like in the picture, to make an awning area for shade.
                  Nights camped in 2019: 24
                  Nights camped in 2018: 24

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                  • #10
                    Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

                    Originally posted by Stillness Wilderness View Post
                    Please excuse this dumb question. Are canvas tents waterproof, or is that why you have it set up under the tarp?
                    Not a dumb question at all. King's right - the Kodiaks are waterproof. And I do put up tarps over my tents for protection - for shade, to protect the tent from UV light and from rain, and to keep tree sap and other things from staining the tent. I have tents that are 20 some years old, been out on dozens of trips with 'em and they still look new.

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                    • #11
                      Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

                      Originally posted by MacGyver View Post
                      Not a dumb question at all. King's right - the Kodiaks are waterproof. And I do put up tarps over my tents for protection - for shade, to protect the tent from UV light and from rain, and to keep tree sap and other things from staining the tent. I have tents that are 20 some years old, been out on dozens of trips with 'em and they still look new.
                      I know canvas is supposedly naturally waterproof and definitely waterproof with treatment. But I have never owned a canvas tent and don't know this, will canvas tents start to leak if you touch the walls while its raining?
                      “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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                      • #12
                        Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

                        Originally posted by James. View Post
                        I know canvas is supposedly naturally waterproof and definitely waterproof with treatment. But I have never owned a canvas tent and don't know this, will canvas tents start to leak if you touch the walls while its raining?
                        I can't speak for all canvas tents, but you can touch the sides of a Kodiak and the water won't seep through.
                        Nights camped in 2019: 24
                        Nights camped in 2018: 24

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                        • #13
                          Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

                          Originally posted by 05Kingquad700 View Post
                          I can't speak for all canvas tents, but you can touch the sides of a Kodiak and the water won't seep through.
                          That's after the initial very first wetting to shrink/set the canvas/stitching....yes? I just saw a vid where water was getting in when the owner was doing that first spray according to instructions. Both on touch and some drips---spouse was complaining in the vid, but I assumed canvas hadn't been tightened yet. I haven't seen hardly any owner reviews that talk about Kodiak and wetness/leaking.
                          2020: 7 nights 2019: 5 nights 2018: 20 nights 2017: 19 nights 2016: 20 nights
                          Spring->Fall: Marmots: Limestone 6P and 4P, Stormlight 3P, Tungsten 3P; SlumberJack Trail Tent 6P, BA Yahmonite 5P
                          Fall->Spring: Cabelas Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P, Field & Stream Cloudpeak 4P, Eastern Mountain Products Torrent 3P
                          Every season: Kelty Noah's Tarps- 20, 16, 12; REI Camp Tarp 16; BA Three Forks Shelter

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                          • #14
                            Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

                            Kodiak specifically states that their canvas won't leak, even if you touch it. Then again, it's not just plain canvas.

                            http://www.kodiakcanvas.com/what-we-are-made-of/

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                            • #15
                              Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

                              Maybe unbelievably, I don't think I'll be so quick to recommend Kodiaks now. I've been in a service based industry in one form or another for 30 some years and I consider good service as much a part of the product as the product itself. I'd sent an email to Kodiak, telling them about my concerns and pointing them to this thread to get their take on what I found. This was their reply:

                              "The tent did not look set up properly and looked like it sagged. The thumb nut adjustable poles are perfect on this little tent it allows you to have a compact set of poles that adjust fast and easy. We are very proud of this little tent and believe that it is the best of its class."
                              Well... along with what I said in my email, and if they'd bother to read all the comments here, they'd have known that the wrinkled sides couldn't be stretched enough because of the front canvas. And my concern about the poles was simply dismissed because, evidently, they know what I need more than I do. A set of swaged and shock corded poles, just like they have on the bigger tents would pack up just as small and, at least in my eyes, be even better because there'd be no protruding thumbscrew to possibly get damaged or lost. I offered what I thought was a constructive criticism on a new product that might have a couple of bugs to iron out and was pretty much told I don't know what I'm talking about. Yep - they've got some of my money. But they won't get anymore of mine - or the free advertising I've given through rave reviews.

                              Umm... Jon of Kodiak Canvas? Are you by any chance checking back here to see what else is being said about your "best of its class" product?


                              Edit: Cabela's was the lone outlet for the 2-person Kodiak so I just went to their website to leave a review and see that it's not even listed anymore. Now I'm wondering if maybe the sagging problem isn't actually a known issue and it's been pulled from production until it's fixed. I dunno... seems to me a "best of its class" product wouldn't go away so quickly.
                              Last edited by MacGyver; 10-12-2016, 10:33 PM.

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