Kodiak Canvas Tent

[gear_junkie]

Hi everyone,

Just bought a Kodiak Flex-Bow 10x10 tent. I have a few questions for anyone who owns a canvas tent:

Is it safe to operate a propane lantern inside the tent? I would keep the windows open, so ventilation should be decent.

What about a propane heater? Does anyone make a battery-operated heater?

Any experience camping on the beach? The Kodiak needs to be staked before set-up... is the sand solid enough to hold it up? Do I need special stakes for the sand?

Thanks

[renodesertfox]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

I have a Kodiak Canvas Cabin Wall Tent 9x12. Stakes for beach campin, at a hardware store, 48" re-bar. I use a 7 lb. sledge to drive 'em. For beach campin we carry empty sandbags and fill on site for added holding. Any other stake isn't worth a hoot for sand. For my tent, it's 12 stakes. My tent never moves. You asked a heap of questions, I'll answer more soon! Re-bar, cut a small notch in them with a hack-saw, if you want to. It's work, but the comfort of sleeping and living in canvas can't be beat! Some want to pitch their tent in seven minutes and leave when the weather gets rough. They leave, and I have the beach and campground to myself! That's how I camp!

[renodesertfox]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

When we go camping I take a variety of tent stakes with, I don't limit myself, never know what kind of terrain one will select. The Boy Scout motto of "always be prepared" is my mind set.

Concerning Propane Lanterns. It is a good official policy to never have an open flame of any sort in any kind of tent. Fire hazard, ya know.

As for a propane heater we use "Mr. Heater's Big Buddy" http://www.mrheater.com/. The heater has built in protection and shuts off if overturned or moved. The propane tank that we use sits outside the tent and a gas-line is run through a special small zipper and then connected to the heater. When I turn on the heater two windows are opened half way. We do not run it all the time, only to take the chill out of the air. When we are ready to crash for the night, Desert Rose gets in the sack first with Big Buddy running. Then I turn it off, zip up the windows completely and get in also. Our winter bags are rated to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. In the morning I get up first, open windows and crank on the heater. Sometimes, if it's really cold outside I'll bring Big Buddy out and use it at our table. Definitely makes winter camping bearable. Just make sure there is nothing near the heater at least 3'.

The heater will also run on one or two 1lb cans of propane(depending on the model). But for the most bang for the buck we carry fiberglxss propane tanks, one(10 lb) for our big gas grill and a 13lb tank for our heater. In short that is how we winter camp. I really like winter camping becuase very few people do it. We also wear wool pants, shirts, hats and gloves. I have seen other campers try winter camping in their flimsy 3 season tents, blue jeans and usually the next morning they've already packed and left! More solitude for us!

[renodesertfox]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

Here's a few more pics for entertainment:





This is our battery operated lantern for inside the tent.


This shows how I transport the propane tanks that we take with us camping:

[gear_junkie]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

Thanks for the expert info. I'm really looking forward to some beach and desert camping this winter. I've got a few more questions for you:

48" Re-bar: does the hardware store carry this stock or do they need to be cut to size? Where do I cut the small notch and what does this do?

Sandbags: where do you place them? Are they supposed to be used as guy-outs? I'm not sure the Kodiak has any guy loops.

-30 degree bag: I was going to order a 0-degree bag for camping in the Southern California desert/beaches during the winter. Do you think this is sufficient? I was worried that a -20 degree bag would be too warm for the Mojave in winter, but not sure. Also, the actual temp ratings for most bags I've tried are wildly inaccurate. Just seems to be a marketing gimmick.

Thanks

[renodesertfox]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

I've camped all over the Mojave Desert in the winter: Joshua Tree NP, Lake Mojave, Lake Mead, Mojave Desert National Preserve, around San Gorgonio and have never had a problem using 12" steel stakes and good tie downs. We prefer dispersed camping or primitive sites. The re-bar was purchased from Home Depot and I only use it for beach campin. The Notch-cut helps to grip the metal D ring where one would normally use a tent stake. On each piece of re-bar I have cut several small notches at varying distances because I never intend to drive that steel that far into sand. But I can if I need to!

Correct the Kodiak has no guy-outs. I use a double half-hitch or a clove-hitch over the poles that are pitched through the grommets and then use rope( not string) of various thickness for the guy-outs. The sandbags are used at the end of the guy-lines or if I want I'll use more stakes. Another person's tent that isn't staked down properly has a better chance of blowing away. Mine, even my 3 season tents are staked down in the manner I've described and I have never ever had a tent blown away. Camped many times in Death Valley during sand storms with no problem.

Our -30 bags are for winter camping in snow and the mountains. For desert camping your bags will be fine. Might want to take a wool blanket and throw over the top of the bag for added warmth. Another wool blanket is good between a ThermaRest Pad and the sleeping bags(s). Liners(hand-sewn) cloth or flannel are another great option. We have 0 degree bags as well as light-weight summer bags for summer. It's a good idea to have a wool hat, gloves and a set of wool pants and shirts too, I got mine at an Army Surplus Store. One day, could be hot the next might be frigid!

The only generator I take is my off-road tire pressure system. Depends the size of the tire too, as a larger footprint will carry more load at a lower PSI. Though if we're talking about getting through some sand, I'll air right down if I need to, even with a load in the truck(Jeep). It's amazing the difference even just getting down to 40psi will make if you're running stock size tires, even with no load. By the time you're at 30 empty, all signs of wheel-hop in soft terrain are gone. It's all about driving respectfully for the pressure you have in the tires. In my Jeep, depending on the tires/wheels I'm running I'll drop as low as 5PSI in the rocks.

Hey, gear_junkie(gj) it would be nice if you stuck around and posted some picks of your rig, your tent, you campouts. We can actually learn from one another. Campin is about gettin out there and camp the way you want to and what works for you. There are all sorts of questions being asked and I'm under the impression that you have already gone through a heap of 3 season tents and have moved on up! We still have about 9 different 3-season tents but even in summer we like canvas! Canvas breathes, nylon doesn't.

[gear_junkie]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

I'm under the impression that you have already gone through a heap of 3 season tents and have moved on up! We still have about 9 different 3-season tents but even in summer we like canvas! Canvas breathes, nylon doesn't.

That is absolutely correct. Can't wait to try out my new canvas tent. Thanks for all the excellent advice. I'm going to Zion soon... will post pics of my new Kodiac.

[renodesertfox]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

Did you make a reservation? I's just asking cause I know of a couple of places where you can camp and it's never crowded! Zion in the summer can be a zoo!

ps...I'm originally from Las Vegas and was born in Boulder City, NV.

[tplife]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

Gear Junkie, we use propane lanterns in our nylon/polyester tents all the time, just not in our 2-man sized models for safety reasons. We don't leave them on unattended, so the risks are negligible. We moved "up" from canvas tents decades ago to nylon and polyester for reasons to do with size and weight for transporting. Fortunately for us (and RDF too) in the last decade nylon and polyester tents have a lot of mesh used in their designs and breath quite well, even with full-length rain flys. Glad to hear you are happy with your new Kodiak. Quality is paramount no matter what the fabric!

[renodesertfox]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

Right you are TP! Thanks for the vote! I too use propane lanterns inside our canvas tent, I ain't stupid, what's an un-attended lantern anyway but trouble.

[gear_junkie]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

Thanks RDF - I booked my site a couple of months ago. Staying at Watchman Campground.

Hogsnapper - thanks for the PDF manual.

TP - I know what you mean about size and weight. I just received my tent yesterday, and I was stunned by the size and weight of the box, and I thought "what have I done?" Then, I unpacked it... and it's really only 2 pieces of gear: the pole bag and the tent. They are easy to carry separately, and they aren't too big. Now, I'm really happy I got it.

[renodesertfox]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

Have fun in Zion! You might want to pitch your tent at home a couple of times before you head out. The stakes that are supplied are good to go. It'll give some practice, you won't see many 4 season tents in Zion or anywhere for that matter. But for my buck I love mine! You'll hear people say: "Man, that's a nice tent." And it is!

[gear_junkie]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

I've camped all over the Mojave Desert in the winter: Joshua Tree NP, Lake Mojave, Lake Mead, Mojave Desert National Preserve, around San Gorgonio and have never had a problem using 12" steel stakes and good tie downs.

Correct the Kodiak has no guy-outs. I use a double half-hitch or a clove-hitch over the poles that are pitched through the grommets and then use rope (not string) of various thickness for the guy-outs. Camped many times in Death Valley during sand storms with no problem.

Would 2 guy lines be enough (one per side) or should I use 4 (two per side)?

I'm a little unclear about where I should attach the guy lines. Should I run the rope over the T-area where the vertical poles meet the flex-poles? The guy line are supposed to pull on the poles right?

[renodesertfox]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

4-one for each corner. The upright poles on each end have a grommet that the pole will be inserted through. Above each corner pole tie a clove-hitch and then extend guy-lines out. Over the canopy in the front you will have to secure guy-lines too. Poles won't stand up all by themselves. I was hoping for a real-life pic but a screen shot is okay. Good luck. Don't need to tie any lines to the center poles that will cause the ceiling to buckle.

But I'm basing it on the 9x12 Cabin Wall tent. Labman is more correct after I watched the video. Thanks Labman! That's a good to excellent post!

[Labman]

Re: Kodiak Canvas Tent

Would 2 guy lines be enough (one per side) or should I use 4 (two per side)?

I'm a little unclear about where I should attach the guy lines. Should I run the rope over the T-area where the vertical poles meet the flex-poles? The guy line are supposed to pull on the poles right?

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gear_junkie,

The flexbow style of tent is very study tent design. The only two guy lines needed are for the awning poles(one for each pole). I just purchased the 10 X 14 Kodiak Canvas tent and am really impressed. Our first outing with it will be in two weeks. We will be camping our way from Central Illinois to Northern Ontario.

Here is a video of a Springbar in high winds, the Kodiak is a copy of this design with better added features (in my opinion). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0bZ...el_video_title