Canvas tents offer campers numerous benefits. However, the high price may limit the choices of using these tents. Why is canvas tent so expensive?
Camping tents made of canvas are pretty costly due to the material used in their manufacture. Canvas tents are waterproof, long-lasting, and UV-protected.
Moreover, their materials are of higher quality than regular nylon tents. This investment, on the other hand, is well worth the money.
There’s no need to worry about humidity, sun exposure, or items getting damaged by severe weather conditions.
The article will discuss in more detail why canvas tents are expensive and some related content. Let’s get right into the details!
What Is Canvas?
Canvas is a woven cloth consisting primarily of cotton and linen. Cotton canvas cloth is famous for its durability and longevity.
Canvas may be waterproof or even weather-resistant by mixing cotton and synthetic fabrics, making it an excellent outdoor material.
Canvas is a heavy-duty cloth. Many manufacturers use this material to create tough products, such as camping tents, sails, backpacks, and many more.
Canvas is also a favorite painting surface for painters, usually stretched over a wood frame. It’s also popular in making fashion items like shoes and handbags.
How Much Is A Canvas Tent?
Canvas is a popular material for making tents. Since the requirements of campers vary, canvas tents come at different prices. You may have tons of choices in terms of size, shape, and type of tent.
Buying a canvas tent is significantly more expensive than buying a nylon tent. Most popular canvas tents cost between $150 and $800.
Here are some options you may see:
- One person canvas tent: about $150 to $300.
- Canvas truck tent: $250 to $400.
- Canvas tent body: $300 to $500.
- Flex-bow canvas tent: $500 to $700.
- Canvas cabin tent with an awning: $650 to $800.
Why Canvas Tent Is So Expensive?
Generally, a canvas tent is more expensive than most nylon tents in the market.
However, if you have once used a tent made of this material, you won’t complain about the price. Let us explain the reason.
Sun protection
Canvas is thicker than the synthetic fabrics commonly employed in tents. As a result, the inner of the tent catches less sunlight.
A canvas tent will provide better sun protection than lightweight tents. However, it is still essential to choose a location with as much shadow as possible.
Canvas tents will not only defend you from the sunlight, but they can also last longer even in the sun than other tents since the canvas is more robust.
Sun exposure is one of the quickest ways to destroy a tent. When a synthetic tent suffers severe UV damage, it’s better to upgrade it.
On the other hand, canvas tents can resist the UV rays for extended periods.
Insulation
Insulation is one of the most remarkable features of modern homes. Thanks to the insulation, our houses may stay cooler than the outside temperature or warmer than the cold outside.
Canvas tents appear to be thicker than synthetic shelters. As a result, the inside of the tents may be much cooler.
In direct sunshine, any tent made of any fabric will finally reach the same temperature.
However, you may be able to enjoy the canvas tent in the early morning for longer than you would if you were in a synthetic shelter.
Even if the air from the inside of the canvas tent has warmed up, not getting the sun shining down on you’ll still make the interior cooler and more pleasant to be in.
Heat retain
The reason canvas tents may retain a cooler temperature than the outside on hot days is that they can be warmer in the winter.
Canvas tents are a cozier solution than synthetic ones under cold weather since the tent protects the heat from the interior from leaking outside of the tent.
Again, the thicker the material, the greater the insulation.
Longevity
Canvas tents can last for longer while camping. A light nylon tent is still good if you’re only sleeping in one spot for one or two nights.
On the other hand, a high-quality canvas tent is a decent solution if you’re looking for a tent for one to several weeks at the campsite.
The most outstanding feature of canvas tents is their durability. They can endure any weather conditions and wear and tear.
A well-maintained canvas tent can last for years. The lifetime of any tent, made of any tent material, is contingent on its care.
On the other hand, a canvas tent will outperform thinner synthetic tents simply due to their strong fabric.
Breathability and condensation
One of the main reasons campers choose nylon tents is because they are excellent at keeping heat for their size. This heat preservation, however, comes with a price. Nylon and polyester are not breathable materials.
Condensation is among the worst enemies of the interior of a tent when you have a non-breathable shelter.
If it’s wet outside, your synthetic tent might function as a condensation chamber, making your camping trip either a chilly and damp experience or a muggy and sweat camp.
Some canvas tents include cotton in their materials. Cotton canvas creates a big advantage for the breathability of your tent.
Tents with more breathable cotton canvas are much less prone to suffer condensation.
However, if you do not have enough ventilation, any tent material will condense.
Resistance to sharp objects
When it comes to tears, canvas has a significant edge over synthetic tents in terms of the ability to resist sharp objects.
When camping, there are many possibilities to tear your tent–pokes from pebbles, twigs, and branches, or tugs from shoes.
When you put up or take down your tent or even sleep and move around, there is also a chance that your tent may suffer from drips.
The thick canvas can help bear more pressure than polyester or nylon tents.
Sustainability
Cotton canvas is a natural tent material derived from the particles of the cotton plant. Cotton canvas tents are also biodegradable, which means that if they stay in the ground for a long time, they will dissolve back into their core elements.
On the other hand, polyester and nylon, and polyester are nonrenewable. Synthetic materials are not biodegradable either.
As a result, a cotton canvas tent offers more sustainability.
However, remember that not all the canvas tents in the market have cotton in their components. Some manufacturers mix it with some synthetic elements to strengthen the tent.
Repairability
Even with nylon or polyester tents, you can fix tears. Yet, synthetic materials can sometimes suffer significant damage that is not worth the time and effort to repair.
However, you can repair your canvas camping tent more fully. It can withstand several more repairs than nylon or polyester tents.
Even if you face severe damage, you may also repair or supplement the broken parts with other canvas pieces. After that, apply a waterproofing finish to all edges and seams.
Heat resistant
Tents made of canvas are really not fireproof. They can, however, sustain significantly greater heat. Many canvas tents can even accommodate stoves!
For nylon or polyester hiking tents, installing a stove is impossible. Because the fabric is thin, any contact with heating at this level would cause the fabric to shrink and distort, ultimately ruining the material.
The benefit of a canvas tent is that they are more resistant to heat.
Many of them can include stove jacks, which are simply small portholes for tiny chimneys.
Accessibility
Canvas tents often come with aluminum or steel frames to construct the walls. The walls have doors that extend to the bottom, which is one of the greatest features.
The zipper of a synthetic tent is generally in the form of a huge D, leaving a considerable margin of fabric between the tent entrance and the ground.
Many canvas tents feature similar doors. However, the tents with walls have floors that sit separately from the tent.
This wall characteristic makes it excellent for tents with a lot of foot circulation since there is no little ledge to slip over! Wall canvas tents get the sense of a little house and are simple to access and exit.
Customization
Another fantastic advantage of canvas tents is that you can customize them.
Custom tents may come with your preference of thickness, type, measurements, size, and door entry. Canvas camping tent manufacturers frequently provide you the option of tailoring your tent to fit your specific requirements.
Wind protection
If you’ve been in a light camping nylon tent throughout a windstorm, you’re aware of the sinking feeling of your tent fluttering.
Windscreens, site selection, and appropriate guying out the tent may all help shield your thin polyester tent from the storm. The tent’s stability also depends on the weight and strength of the fabric.
In high-wind situations, the canvas can give good security. They are strong enough to withstand the storm and keep your shelter in its place and condition.
Glamping
Canvas tents’ sturdiness and capacity make them perfect for storing furniture, mattresses, carpets, and other glamping essentials. This stuff would be impossible to keep in nylon or poly tents.
The tents can handle semi-permanent floors. A tent with a wooden floor is far more distinctive than one with a canvas bottom.
What Are The Disadvantages Of A Canvas Tent?
Canvas tents offer campers tons of benefits. However, everything has two sides, and the canvas tent is not an exception. Let’s see its drawbacks as listed below.
Cost
The price must be its most significant concern.
Everything has its own value. With the high-quality material, there is no doubt that a canvas tent is costly. Weight
As aforementioned, canvas is a thick material. When combined with cotton, the thickness will double.
Though campers may find the extra helpful thickness to protect their shelter, they may face the additional weight in their pack.
Often, campers put the tent in their car and take it out when they camp. Not many users choose to include the canvas tent in their backpacks.
Setup
The second difficulty is that building a canvas tent is more challenging than building a nylon tent. Thin poles and hydraulic arms can snap the light tents into position. In fact, you can set up some instant tents in just one minute.
Such a thing doesn’t happen to canvas tents. Assembling a canvas tent takes 10 to 15 minutes, even when you understand what you need to do.
To solve the problem, you need to test putting up your canvas tent in the garage or backyard. Then, the setup process outdoors will be faster.
Maintenance
Most canvas tents can last for years, or even decades if you know the caring methods. And here comes the difficulty of maintaining your tent.
Once you’re through with your nylon tent, just fold it up and store it in your cabinet.
On the other hand, a canvas tent requires a little more effort to maintain.
You shouldn’t store your tent in a wet place. Mold might form in the canvas due to perspiration. Ensure that your canvas tent has had enough sun exposure to dry thoroughly before folding and storing it.
If the tent is still damp, dry it over a fire or a stove, or keep it with a dryer to avoid damage.
How Many Types Of Canvas Tent?
Canvas tents are available in different sizes and forms. The two most popular types are the canvas wall tent and canvas bell tent.
The bell options are smaller and simpler to set up than regular tents. They’re perfect for small camping parties.
A canvas wall tent is heavy and challenging to build. They’re a great place to stay if you’re planning a long camping or hunting excursion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Campers have shown their concerns towards canvas tents. Here are some of their frequently asked questions. I hope that you can benefit from the answer.
1. Are tents made of canvas leaks?
Yes. Canvas is waterproof by virtue. However, we create the tents by sewing the canvas pieces together. Then, the stitching connects the multiple pieces to form the tent.
As a result, there are numerous small pin-holes at the joints where water might leak through and cause a leak in the tent.
2. When should you season a canvas tent?
You may season the canvas tent right after buying or before the rainy season begins.
In any case, you’ll need 3 to 5 days of sunny days to finish the seasoning step. The procedure is straightforward and free of cost.
3. Should you use waterproofing sprays on your tent fabric?
You don’t need waterproofing sprays on the new tent. Your tent should be adequately waterproof after just a complete seasoning.
Seasoning, on the other hand, does not always work on old tents.
In such instances, waterproofing sprays, seam fillers, and roll-on treatments can help seal your canvas tent from leakage.
All the tools mentioned have polymer and silicone that provide excellent waterproofing. They do, however, hinder airflow by blocking the holes of the tent fabric.
Furthermore, the waterproofing spray soon fades off. As a result, you’ll need to go through the repetitive procedure of spraying every rainy season.
4. Are polyester or nylon tents better?
The answer for which tent is better depends on the camper’s requirement. Nylon tents are excellent for backcountry hikers and single campers. A canvas tent is too big and heavy to carry to and set up in certain difficult-to-reach places.
Nylon tents, on the other hand, are less expensive and easier to pack. However, they are more vulnerable to pain and damage.
On the other hand, Canvas tents are excellent purchases for long-term, group camping, and any automobile camping trip.
Compared to nylon, Canvas is more durable, comfortable, and breathable. It is more costly and involves more time-consuming maintenance, though.
5. How to take care of a canvas tent?
Here are some helpful tips for keeping your canvas tent in good shape:
- Before wrapping up your tent, make sure it is completely dry.
- To keep metal parts from eroding, give them a good cleaning.
- If necessary, waterproof the tent with a good waterproofing spray after a few years.
- Keep your tent in a cool, dry place.
- Clean the tent every 3 to 6 months, depending on how much you use it.
For more details on how to take care of your tent, you can refer to the video below.
The Bottom Line
Why is canvas tent so expensive? Canvas is a strong material, waterproof, long-lasting, and UV-protected.
Tents made of this material are also usually expensive due to the materials used and the manufacturing process.
If you intend on keeping the canvas tent throughout four seasons, it is a fantastic choice. Their thick substance allows them to work well in the cold months, while their ventilation makes them ideal for the summertime.
Hopefully, you will find this article helpful. If you need any further information, please feel free to ask. Thank you for reading!
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