Should You Choose A Canvas Camping Tent or Nylon One? Find Out Here!

Posted by James Cooper on November 30th, 2020

The tents that are made from cotton canvas are breathable and waterproof. Besides, they are also environmentally friendly and insulating. Most camping tents are made from nylon or plastic which are cheap to manufacture but don’t have the durability and water-resistant quality like that of the canvas. Here is why canvas makes the best tent and how they are better than plastic ones.

Breathable

Humidity is an essential factor as it affects sweat evaporation and the way body regulates the temperature. Unlike the plastic tents, canvas allows small moisture particles from breath or sweat or cooking to escape through the tent fabric. It keeps the inside dry and comfortable in any environment. However, the plastic tent is non-breathable, and vapour can’t permeate through the plastic fabric. It prevents the moisture from sweat and breath from escaping the tent. When humidity is high, the sweat will not evaporate, and it would make it feel even hotter (or colder) inside than outside. Plastic tents are not breathable, and there should be vents to circulate the moist air out and also let the fresh air inside on the tent. These vents need to be covered by rain-fly so that water keeps outside. When you find canvas camping tents for sale, consider this benefit and others too.

Heat Absorbent

A canvas tent can be used safely with stoves and keep you comfortable for camping in all the four seasons. Cotton is a poor conductor that makes it a better insulator than plastic. However, plastic melts and burns quickly. It makes them incompatible with stoves and unsafe to heat. To overcome the lack of breathability that is inherent to plastic, the nylon tents are geared better for staying cool than staying warm.

Waterproofing

The surface tension of raindrop doesn’t hold all the water from passing through the tight weave of the high-quality canvas. The water droplet runs off the steep slope of the canvas canopy and keep you dry naturally. Heavy rains cause the cotton canvas fibres to swell. It tightens the weaves in the wet conditions. Plastic tents don’t absorb the water well. Initially, the rain will shed, but once the fabric saturates, it can’t hold the moisture and limits the breathability, thereby increasing the humidity, making the plastic tents feel damp from inside. When the window opens, it creates vents required for humidity regulation which may leak.

Finally,

When you are selecting canvas camping tents for sale, keep these benefits in mind. A plastic or nylon tent may not be so practical and useful.