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Subject Topic: Polycotton or Canvas Tent Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonMark1992
02/6/2018 at 7:14pm
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HI Everyone :)

I currently am looking for another tent as the one I have at present (An Outwell Rockwell 3), is a little small and is soo hot because of the polyester so I want a Polycotton or Canvas tent. I have been looking at either the Robens Klondike Grande, Robens Kiowa or the Vango Rosewood all of which are Polycotton. I have also stumbled upon another manufacturer named 'The Vintage Tent Company' and there bell tents are Canvas. What is best Polycotton or Canvas and has anyone got any recommendations on what they think I should get? :)

Thanks in Advance :)


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PersonFrancais
02/6/2018 at 10:44pm
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I had a similar dilemma back in 2008, Polycotton or Cotton Canvas.

I learned that Cabanon tested many Polycotton fabrics, mostly from the Tencate stable, but non passed muster.

Cabanon was already known for there fine Cotton Canvas, and even there Rip Stop (Polyester) Canvas was in a different league to other Polyester offerings.

But what caught my eye was Cabanon's All Season Polyester, arguably longer lasting and stronger than both Polycotton and Cotton Canvas.

In fact Cabanon's All Season Polyester became the replacement canvas for Cabanon's commercial customers.

In the end I went for Cotton Canvas, as our camping is only in the South of France during July.

Had I been a UK camper, then All Season Polyester would have been the choice.

At the time the Cabanon tent that I went for was available in three Canvas types, and all could be had for £699.

Of course almost ten years on, I now know that I made the right choice in Canvas type.


Personseanfdh
02/6/2018 at 11:28pm
 Location: North Devon
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Polycotton will be lighter (for the same size tent), pack smaller and dry more easily if wet. I considered cotton canvas but decided to go with the Robens Fairbanks and I'm very happy with it.
I've no views on the specific tents you mention.

-------------
Sean


PersonCaligula
04/6/2018 at 5:43pm
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There's another thread recently on this...…...which may perhaps prevent a lot of repetition?


There are many bell tent makers/sellers, and if you like the idea of a polycotton, perhaps consider the Blacks Solace (reviews on site here)


The weight, as I'm sure seanfdh realises is not only dependent on composition but also the weave....for example the weave on the polycotton Solace is 320 gm/m whereas many (but no means all) canvas bell tents are 285 gm/m


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Personkirsty12
04/6/2018 at 6:46pm
 Location: Herts
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I can recommend the Robens Klondike, a lovely tent and very easy to put up and carry.


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Persontentinvader
09/6/2018 at 11:14am
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I am currently camping in a Bedouin 340 tent from Dutch company Esvo. This is a pure cotton tent made from ten cate canvas and I have to say I love it. We bought this after using a polyester outdoor revolution tent, which even in the cool weather of Bude was horribly sticky and hot, not to mention poorly designed for ventilation. In the Netherlands pure canvas tents are what people buy when buying for the future, there is a Dutch canvas appreciation society on this site somewhere. The classic Dutch pyramid tent I believe is superior to a Bell tent because it is more stable in bad weather and high winds, as well as being manufactured to a higher standard, this of course is reflected in the price. They hold their value well and a second hand De Waard albatross, 10 years old still regularly change hands for about £1000, sometimes more.
Pure canvas is closer to nature which is surely what Camping is all about.


PersonCaligula
09/6/2018 at 6:32pm
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Whilst I agree with tentinvaders remarks re cotton/canavas and the Esvo tent; by any stretch they are wonderful examples of their type.
They do indeed stand up well to winds etc, more so when pitched back to the weather, which then presents a similar shape to a bell tent back to the weather? A tipi wouldn't matter (re stability) whichever way pitched, a circle being the simplest and relatively most efficient shape in shedding wind water from multiple directions?

The are many bell style tents made to a comparable standard to Esvo pyramids, but are cheaper also because of the simpler shape and structure, and utilising less cloth/metalwork.
Possibly some, inch for inch, may come out pricier than the Esvo.I haven't done the costings. Price alone may not signify quality


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PersonJim1977
09/6/2018 at 6:58pm
 Location: Leicestershire
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Polycotton is pretty close to full canvas for tent environment. The breathability / lack of rustling etc are not too different. Definitely not a half way house between polyester and full canvas.

Canvas is heavier and bigger, imagine jeans fabric rather than t shirt fabric and you get the idea of the feel and weight difference.

I'd just go for which ever tent suits your desired layout, weight and budget between these fabrics. We have / have had 3 polycotton tents and 1 canvas tent and all were / are lovely places to spend time. Don't get me wrong, our current canvas tent oozes build quality but we got it because of the inflation system rather than because it was cotton over polycotton. Had the misfortune to spend 3 nights in a borrowed polyester tent at a festival a few years back and was hot, sweaty and noisy in the wind. Polycotton or canvas will feel amazing compared to that!!


PersonCaligula
09/6/2018 at 7:21pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Jim1977 on 09/6/2018
Polycotton is pretty close to full canvas for tent environment. The breathability / lack of rustling etc are not too different. Definitely not a half way house between polyester and full canvas.

Canvas is heavier and bigger, imagine jeans fabric rather than t shirt fabric and you get the idea of the feel and weight difference.

I'd just go for which ever tent suits your desired layout, weight and budget between these fabrics. We have / have had 3 polycotton tents and 1 canvas tent and all were / are lovely places to spend time. Don't get me wrong, our current canvas tent oozes build quality but we got it because of the inflation system rather than because it was cotton over polycotton. Had the misfortune to spend 3 nights in a borrowed polyester tent at a festival a few years back and was hot, sweaty and noisy in the wind. Polycotton or canvas will feel amazing compared to that!!


So true


PersonTupik
12/6/2018 at 7:38pm
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Yep, agree with that. Had several canvas tents and a few polycottons over the years and used the tents around the UK and France in all sorts of weather conditions. Very little difference between them environmentally. I prefer polycotton as it dries quickly and packs lighter and smaller, a real consideration as our vehicle doesn't have that large a load space and I don't want the encumbrance of a trailer.

One consideration when choosing, given that they perform so closely is on tent design. If I were choosing a taller tent like very large bell type tent, I'd probably look at canvass only because it has the edge on strength and would take more of a battering longer term. For the more modern air beam tunnel designs, polycotton every time for us.


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PersonMucker1884
12/6/2018 at 8:57pm
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I'd agree that the difference between polyester and polycotton is vast, compared to the difference between polycotton and cotton.

If you fancy a tall dome (225cm at centre point) in 100% tencate cotton and with not-so-modern (but far superior) air beams... all in a choice of colours... I could probably find you a link!

-------------
2024: 38 nights thus far...
2023: 47 nights
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2021: 30 nights
2020: Just 24 nights
2019: A personal best 50 nights
2018: Just the 30 nights
2017: 34 nights
2016: 32 nights
2015: 38 nights
2014: 34 nights
2013: 36 nights
From July 2012: 23 nights


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PersonCaligula
13/6/2018 at 8:24am
 Location: Suffolk
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Whilst I agree with most sentiments gone, as I admit to being a cotton/polycotton/canvas fan.....weight is weight, irrespective of material.
A 320 gm/metre tent is that whether made of feathers or bricks🤔


Personfoggers
15/6/2018 at 11:04pm
 Location: Sheffield
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Both fabrics are breathable, unlike polyester. Polycotton is lighter so more compact, and it dries faster. I have a cotton canvas Cabanon Guadeloupe, and it is simply the most lovely climate; warm in the cold, airy in the heat. I have two polycotton bell tents. (3m Soulpad and a huge Gelert Navajo 6). I would say that they are slightly less breathable and get a little condensation in the morning, but nowhere near as bad as a polyester tent. The big advantage is that they are lighter and dry faster, so I use them when the weather could mean a wet pack-up. So it would depend on which factors are most vital for you.

Or you can end up with one of each, like I did!!



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