Canvas or Nylon

[Mike Burke]

Hello, I'm new to this forum but not new to camping. I have had a Eureka Timberline 4 for 20 + yrs and still do. It has been a great tent.

But now I'm married and two kids ( 11 & 13 ) and am looking for a new tent.

We don't camp much (4 - 6) times a yr and in the spring and fall, and I have a wife thats cold all the time so we might be useing my buddy heater some in the fall.

We don't plan on going when it's to hot or if there is to much rain forcast. I guess we are fair weather campers. We only stay out 1 or 2 nights at a time and in camp grounds.

I would like a tent I can stand up in and move around (im 6') and have plenty of room for gear. So Im looking at a cabin style.

I think I have it narrowed down to two tents but thought I would ask before we buy.

Looking at the Eureka Titan
Or the Kodiak Canvas 9x12

So my question................would it fit us better to go Nylon or Canvas ?

Thanks for any insight and suggestions,

Mike

[tplife]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

A 9X12 is a bit large for many level tent pads, and you have to be very careful with Eureka as the will mix in poor tents with their good ones. A 6-man around 10X10 will fit the bill. If you don't mind lugging bulkier heavy tents that only require a single wall, canvas is your friend. If space and weight are a consideration and you like a double-walled structure, polyester or nylon will be fine. Look for continuous zippers, full vestibules, plenty of mesh for ventilation, double doors, and a lot of vertical room - avoid tents with no more than 2 supporting poles unless unless structural integrity and rustling fabric at night don't bother you. With canvas there aren'y many changes over the years, so brands like Kodiak won't steer you wrong. I moved on from canvas decades ago, so I'm not a good authority on brands and features.

[gear_junkie]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

Choose Kodiak. I have the 10x10 Flex-Bow and it's the best tent I've ever owned. No nylon flapping in the wind, no guylines to trip over, easy set up, sturdy in all types of weather, great design, quality canvas, strong zippers...

My quest to find the perfect tent ended with Kodiak.

[shawnbebout]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

X2 on the kodiak canvas and the mr buddy heater. I can set my 10X14 kodiak up in 15 minutes. As stated before, I think the Kodiak is the perfect tent for me and my family. I use a carbon monoxide detector when I run a heater just in case and I haven't ran it while I slept.
Buy a Kodiak tent, it will be the right tent and you will be done. I have seen canvas tents over 20+ years old.

[Mike Burke]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

Thanks for the suggestions...............I thought I had made up my mind on the Eureka because of the easy setup and the fact that we only stay a night or two and not an extended stay.

I also thought it was a no brainer between the Kodiak and Eureka ...........Looks like the Kodiak is twice the tent the Eureka is.....with the heavy floor , poles and walls....and at the same price.

So just a couple things I'm wondering about the canvas........if you have a minute

How long does it take to dry off after a rain or heavy dew ?

How does Hydra Shield perform ? ( water proof or water resistant ) Does it stay dry even if you touch it from the inside when its wet ?

Is there any extra maintenance with the canvas over the nylon ?


I am really looking hard at the Kodiak 6121 9 x 12 I like the vertical walls and classic cabin tent style

We don't have pads that we set up on......It's mostly just large grass areas

tplife............you said you moved on from canvas............may I ask what kind of tent you use now ??

Are there any of you here that have the Kodiak 9x12 ?

Thanks again for replies and suggestions.......Mike

[renodesertfox]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

I have the Kodiak 9x12 Cabin Tent. I'm a disabled vet(fused back) so it takes me and Desert Rose about an hour to pitch. Attaching the screen to the front takes another 30 minutes. We camp in comfort and unloading everything that we take for the inside of the tent(mats, chairs, table, porta-potty, Big Buddy Heater, either air-mattress or self-inflating pads(depending on the temp) and sleeping bags takes additional 1-2 hours more. For an extended stay(5-10 nights) it's the perfect tent. For a weekend get-away we use an Eureka Copper Canyon 10x10. Of course, I didn't include the time it takes to erect tarps over the tents. That just depends on what the forecast calls for. For what it's worth, this winter we are going to purchase the Kodiak Flex-bow to use for weekend jaunts and stop using nylon tents altogether.

The steel poles for the Kodiak 9x12 weigh about 50 lbs and the tent itself weigh another 50 lbs. If we have to carry it far distance then I'll unload my large deer cart and pull it in. I color coated the poles for easier pitching. And once it's up, nothing(wind, rain, snow or ice) bothers us! When it's hot outside, a nylon tent is hot inside but with canvas it a very nice experience.

BTW: Thanks for taking the time to become a campateer here at Camping Forums, it's a nice group to hang with!

[shawnbebout]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

I set my tent up in the yard after a camping trip to wash it off (and irritate a neighbor). There is not water that gets inside of it, unless you leave the doors open and the sprinklers go off. There is a reason that the outfitters use canvas tents over nylons.

I am going to post 2 youtube links that should sell you on the Kodiak brand over anything else.

Kodiak in high winds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0bZ...eature=related

Set up of a Kodiak Canvas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gprMzIoG4bU

[MikeB]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

The most important thing about canvas is that it cannot be stored damp. It will mildew and detoriate. If you come home with a damp tent, you have to spread it out or set it up and let it dry.

[surmisez]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

I set my tent up in the yard after a camping trip to wash it off (and irritate a neighbor). There is not water that gets inside of it, unless you leave the doors open and the sprinklers go off. There is a reason that the outfitters use canvas tents over nylons.

I am going to post 2 youtube links that should sell you on the Kodiak brand over anything else.

Kodiak in high winds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0bZ...eature=related

Set up of a Kodiak Canvas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gprMzIoG4bU

Thanks for sharing the videos! When we're able to afford one, I would like one of these!

[tplife]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

I set my tent up in the yard after a camping trip to wash it off (and irritate a neighbor). There is not water that gets inside of it, unless you leave the doors open and the sprinklers go off. There is a reason that the outfitters use canvas tents over nylons.

I am going to post 2 youtube links that should sell you on the Kodiak brand over anything else.

Kodiak in high winds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0bZ...eature=related

Set up of a Kodiak Canvas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gprMzIoG4bU

Those doors are exposed to driving rain and don't look to have vestibule coverings. The profile blocks wind and would be better off, flexing less if it had a more poles and a more aerodynamic shape. Outfitters also use polyester tents, for those reasons, although they don't have as much UV resistance over time as canvas. I do prefer canvas tents for seasonal setups where the tent isn't taken down until a few months later, then their UV resistance puts them ahead of polyester or nylon as long as there's a ton of ventilation as canvas tents appear to offer less mesh venting as a percentage of fabric. We camp from the mountain altitudes for deer to the desert floor for ATV riding in the dunes, and whether it's driving freezing rain or high winds that pop up in the desert, the canvas designs just won't work for my conditions, gave up on them decades ago. My most-often used nylon tent is a 1988 model that has had its screens replaced once and a small 6-inch section of pole replaced, so as far as longevity a good canvas tent should have the same lifespan as a nylon or polyester one. Maybe there are new designs out there other than the ones I see for sale that offer alternatives? Of course being the person who erects the tents is another factor, I prefer a 25-pound tent to a 50-pounder, but that's just me.

[Mike Burke]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

Thanks for the input

Mike

[muddydogs]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

Those doors are exposed to driving rain and don't look to have vestibule coverings. The profile blocks wind and would be better off, flexing less if it had a more poles and a more aerodynamic shape. Outfitters also use polyester tents, for those reasons, although they don't have as much UV resistance over time as canvas. I do prefer canvas tents for seasonal setups where the tent isn't taken down until a few months later, then their UV resistance puts them ahead of polyester or nylon as long as there's a ton of ventilation as canvas tents appear to offer less mesh venting as a percentage of fabric. We camp from the mountain altitudes for deer to the desert floor for ATV riding in the dunes, and whether it's driving freezing rain or high winds that pop up in the desert, the canvas designs just won't work for my conditions, gave up on them decades ago. My most-often used nylon tent is a 1988 model that has had its screens replaced once and a small 6-inch section of pole replaced, so as far as longevity a good canvas tent should have the same lifespan as a nylon or polyester one. Maybe there are new designs out there other than the ones I see for sale that offer alternatives? Of course being the person who erects the tents is another factor, I prefer a 25-pound tent to a 50-pounder, but that's just me.

Please do not use this information when deciding on a tent. Both the Springbar and Kodiak canvas tents are extremely durable and water proof. The zippers are covered and driving rain has no more chance of getting into these tents as they do a nylon tent. Check out the video of the Springbar design on you tube getting pounded by hurricane winds, these tents don't need a lot of poles to stand up to high winds as they hold there own just fine. A springbar or Kodiak tent will handle mountain weather as well as the desert just fine and when the weather gets bad you can set in your canvas tent and touch the sides all you want as they won't leak. There is a reason that outfitters pack in heaver canvas tents and frames when nylon tents would be so much easer on the horses backs. My Kodiak takes less time to set up the most nylon tents and since the tent and poles are in to different packages the weight is not much more then a big nylon tent. I can also set my Kodiak up by myself with easy in fact its almost easer to set up alone then with a helper. A Springbar design tent is defiantly worth the money and will outlast any nylon tent.

[ecichlid]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

the weight is not much more then a big nylon tent

Most of what you say rings true with me, but I find that particular statement hard to believe. Can you give an example? :-)

[muddydogs]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

My Kodiak weights 68 lbs total. 6.5 pounds in stakes, probably close to 40 pounds of tent and 20 pounds of poles. The last 2 weights are a guess as I am not sure of there exact weight. A quick look on the web shows that a 10 x 10 cabin or family type tent weights around 30 pounds. I found some cheaper tents and some 10 x 14 tents that weight close to 40 pounds. Of course this is with the poles which you could also break out of this package if you wanted. The point I was trying to make is people complain about the weight of the canvas tents but then carry around a 30 pound nylon tent. Well I would rather pack around my 68 pound canvas tent in two pieces then a nylon tent. I think my steel grill for my camp chef weights more then my tent.

[ecichlid]

Re: Canvas or Nylon

Ahh, ok. Makes perfect sense. Good point.