First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

[MacGyver]

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.

[05Kingquad700]

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?

[MacGyver]

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.

[toedtoes]

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.

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:

[MacGyver]

Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

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?

[spinyeel]

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.

[MacGyver]

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.

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.

[Stillness Wilderness]

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

[05Kingquad700]

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.

[MacGyver]

Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

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.

[James.]

Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

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?

[05Kingquad700]

Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

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.

[a65hoosier]

Re: First trip with the 2-person Kodiak

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.

[MacGyver]

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/

[MacGyver]

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.