It’s wonderful having a lightweight nylon tent you can carry on your back and take with you anywhere you go, but sometimes you want something more—a home away from home, a warm inviting base camp from which you can launch a series of adventures over the course of several days—and that’s where canvas tents come in. Canvas tents are tough, livable, and can be enjoyed year-round.
Built to Last
Your nylon dome tent is going to rip and tear either naturally in a couple years of normal use or from a tragic poke from some of your gear, but a canvas tent can take a beating! The tear strength for the standard 10oz canvas is 210lbs warp and 140lbs fill. And if you’re looking for something more, you can splurge on the 12oz canvas to almost double those numbers to 382 and 241 respectively. These figures are for traditional cotton canvas, but there are even more advantages to synthetic canvas materials which benefit from advances in modern technology. For example, the canvas tents from Elk Mountain Tents are both lighter and stronger than your standard 12oz. There’s is an 11 oz canvas with a breaking strength of 449lbs warp and 282lbs fill boasting a tear strength double that of the popular Sunforger canvas all while being naturally waterproof. Modern technology for the win!
Built for Living
A canvas tent will be much more than just the place you sleep; they really are portable cabins! Open the door and walk right in! No need to crouch or duck when the absolute lowest point along the sides is still 5ft off the ground should you go with a wall tent. There’s so much space, go ahead and put your gear INSIDE your tent where it won’t be bothered by animals or ruined with rain. And while you’re at it, bring all your best friends, because these beasts are built for a small crowd AND their cots. Get a 13×20 footer and enjoy you 260 sq ft cabin! Oh, and while you’re at it, be sure to get one with 6 screened windows and ventilation ridge openings for maximum comfort!
Naturally, your tent will provide cover from the sun in the summer and respite from the rain in the spring, but canvas tents really shine in the fall and winter. This is primarily because of two reasons:
1) You can quite literally put a wood stove inside your tent. Yep, an actual stove – you know, that thing you use to heat a house or cook dinner on. At Elk Mountain Tents, a stove jack comes standard with every model regardless of size because being able to bring a wood stove inside is one of the main reasons people want a canvas tent.
2) Canvas tents can withstand adverse weather conditions. The break and tear strength of a quality canvas is further enhanced with a solid aluminum frame. No, these aren’t those bendy poles that seem to break even when there isn’t any kind of load whatsoever; we are talking about the kind of frames that let you build a home away from home. And of course, instead of flimsy “pegs,” you will use 18” steal stakes to secure your base.
Well, if we haven’t sold you on the merits of a canvas tent by now, we’re guessing you are more of a day-tripper, and that’s fine! Or you need to pack in all your gear on your back. But if you plan on using a horse or four-wheeler or car to carry your gear anyway, add a quality canvas base camp tent to your list because it will be worth the extra effort being able to come back each day and enjoy a home away from home!
Learn more at elkmountaintents.com.
