The saggy canvas tent

[Mike]

For most of us, the image of a good tent is a nice tight and tauntly stretched tent over a worthy skeleton of a frame.

I was reading Bill Reviere's The Camper's Bible from 1960.

Bill mentions that canvas tents should not be pulled tight when set up dry because when the tents get wet, the canvas shrinks and can pull up the tent stakes and pull/stress the seams of the tent.

His book also explained that some campers use springs to attach their tent footing and guy-lines to the pegs to have an automatic tenionsioning of sorts. I read this too late, unfortunately and tossed out the springs that were with the older canvas tent I bought - thinking them some odd parts from something else.

[ppine]

Re: The saggy canvas tent

Good one Mike. Many canvas tents come with manilla ropes with blocks of wood to act as sliders. They provide friction to keep the tent taut, but will slide if the canvas contracts when wet. In wet and windy conditions, there is always some sliding involved in keeping a tent in shape. It is part of the ritual of staying under that glorious material known as canvas.

[Old Time Camper]

Re: The saggy canvas tent

My dad always used springs on any canvas tent guy line or awning lines. I have used them on my canvas tents and they do keep the tension on the lines even in a strong wind without any ill effects to the tent.