canvas tent

[ben_460]

im in need of a tent upgrade to suit wife and 2 small kids, i've had a couple of cheap dome tents but after serveral windy/rainy trips it's clear they aren't up to it.

I'm thinking a small canvas cabin tent could be the go with the optional 3 walls to close in the front to store gear or to get out of the elements if it goes shitty.

seems to be a few people making the similar design single room canvas cabin with optional sunroom, has anyone had/got one? what are they like to put up/down?

http://www.greatoutdoorsdirect.com.a...252d-10x8.html

[Benben86]

G'day mate, even though its not exactly what you're after, I have the oztrail tourer 9 plus and its great. It's the only tent I have been able to set up and pull down, with the missus without arguing. They're not too expensive either.

[goat boy]

Invest in some good tarps, poles and guy ropes. This will make your life so much more comfortable in the long run and while may seem cumbersome to put up at first, will just get easier and quicker with time/practice. You may not even need to get rid of the current tents. The tarps over the top will not only help with the rain, but with the overall stability, you can even add them as side walls and such for win/rain breaks or just shade during the day. Here is a setup I used for years when I lived on the east coast, I quite often went by myself too if nobody else was available, and could set it all up by myself, in a short time no worries. That tent is an oztrail cheapy and I have had it for years, still going strong. The Oztrail cheapy I had before that for years as well and I only got rid of it cos the damn thing was too big.
Attachment 95565

[troy11]

I would agree on the oztrailtents are great I have a oztrail tourer 10 plus, and i set it up by myself in no time at all while the missus looks after the young one. It has been through rain and wind and also some hot trips and it handles everything. We looked at the cabins but you needed more then one person to set them up and they were a pain to set up.

Troy

[PixieAU]

If I was looking for a small canvas tent these days I'd look at the 30 second Oz Tent for sure. I've seen tour operators set them up for 'luxury-camping' clients in such a short time. And I understand there's add-ons for them (tropical roof and annexe?). The only problem with them is you need to carry them on roof racks or trailer beacuse of their packed dimensions being so long.

[Floating Rib]

I have a black wolf turbo lite extended version(10 min setup, tent/fly/pegs/awning), it packs up long also but will fit cross ways on my Challenger, very happy with it so far, also like the Tourer range mentioned above, not too dear but seem reasonable quality.

[Kero]

If I was looking for a small canvas tent these days I'd look at the 30 second Oz Tent for sure. I've seen tour operators set them up for 'luxury-camping' clients in such a short time. And I understand there's add-ons for them (tropical roof and annexe?). The only problem with them is you need to carry them on roof racks or trailer beacuse of their packed dimensions being so long.

I've got an Oztent and love it!
GOOD: Fast to set up, strong, roomy, water proof.
NOT SO GOOD: Large (long) when packed. This doesn't bother me, I carry it on roof racks, but may be a pain for others.

[ben_460]

so should you go for the heaviest grade canvas when comparing different brands making the same style tent?

[Kero]

Here's a pic of mine!

20130811_071943.jpg

[ben_460]

Here's a pic of mine!

20130811_071943.jpg

what did that setup cost you?

[hainsofast]

Mate I have the exact canvas tent you are looking for and love it, the downside of this tent is it is bulky and heavy and can take a bit of time to put up, I also put a full silver tarp that overhangs the tent like eves to keep it cool and provide extra rain protection.

[ch1ppy]

I feel for ya Ben, choosing a tent set up can do your head in, its a real can of worms as no one tent (system) is the perfect tent for everybody.

if budget weighs heavily then some of the big name brands and 30-60 second tents systems might be more than you could afford..those things ,say the OZtent as many have mentioned and pictured here, for the same size as the one you have linked to (2.4m x 2.4m with awning flap) cost about $950, i dont count Oztrail as a big name brand, there your more economical name brand, all be it very well known and available in the big box stores


fwiw i used a canvas tent set up like that OZ trail for years when i was young and when my kids were small, they do the job, they wont stand up to hurricanes but if tied down very well they will put up with some very strong gales, enough to scare you any way lol...they can get very hot in summer, all tents do(though that particular tent you found has stacks of window/ventilation), the more windows/vents the better and a fly/cover is worth its weight in both summer and winter.

in summer it keeps the tent cooler, in the rain it keeps your tent drier, new tents stay water proof for a while without a fly, they are usually sprayed with something to begin with that helps (it wears off after time), a canvas tent you can have sprayed again for just a few dollars (10-20), otherwise some will start letting water in unless its the old type heavy canvas, more particularly if you touch it while wet, again a fly is worth having...is heavy canvas better than light weight, well it has its advantages if its heavy, its more durable but so long as its reinforced or stitched very well then its doesnt have to be overkill. 10oz i consider light but works, 12oz good all round, 14 and 16 oz heavy, the latter two are better in some parts (roof) of camper trailers (as seen often in 4x4 campers) because of sheer size and you want it to last because they are more exy to replace. heavy canvas in a tent takes up more space in the boot and makes overall weight a bit too heavy for the misses to get out of the car and carry over whilst your having a beer though

a light weight tent may last until your ready for an upgrade, even many years perhaps, if looked after its possible to last forever, many of the rip stop canvas are light weight, which is the main reason for them i believe, they cost less per Kg (lbs) to produce. the ripstop design in them seems to offset the light weight disadvantage although with old tents if they used light weight canvas they reinforced it significantly in corners or along stitching to make up for it (more labour), now with ripstop they dont have as much work to do,

its not usually the light weight that lets the tents down, its usually mould or rot that does em in, unless its el cheapo poor quality stitching but mostly mould and rot...obviously your not meant to pack a tent away wet but everybody does, they have to! because they are on a schedule, they dont wait until the sun comes out and dries the tent out properly before they leave...the only thing you can do is put the tent up again at the next opportunity to dry out is the best you can do

[ch1ppy]

so that kit , i think it was Kero, that had it, as a guideline, assuming they are a 2.4x2.0m (bit smaller than your OZtrail that also has more standing space) probably costs (according to this link) about 2x $880, plus one fly $140, plus side panels $254, total $2154) assuming no floor or ground covers

OZtents are very good tents for some people if it fits in with their situation...obviously everyone knows they are quick to set up, although no-one ever mentions it takes 60 seconds or so to peg down the ground sheet first, always put the ground sheet down, helps protect the tent (your investment) but mostly its makes packing up so much easier, cleaner and not so unpleasant ;prickles in dry country, mud and clay in wet or just moist ground you never even noticed when you pitched your tent or perhaps it rained after..

i much rather be able to pack tent up clean quick and easy, and then just fuss about with cleaning a single ground cover sheet to get mud etc off it, much easier


nor do they mention you have to peg the tent down (one could assume all tents need peging down but there are some new types that for the most part can get away without being peged down), if you want the extra side fill in on them that takes time as well of course, a disadvantage is those OZtents dont like being pitched on uneven ground, the frame doesnt like it, it will just cope in many situations but worse case scenario is the frame can be bent, its built pretty light weight, the other disadvantage is they can , particularly without a fly produce condensation and be wet inside from that. the old (original) OZtents were made from good ol fashioned canvas and breathed, as canvas does, but the new ones are made with ripstop much like many other tents which appears to have a least some nylon element to it, how much they dont say but its not the same as they used to be, so in the ripstop tents they have added extra vents along the top to try and deal with the condensation. the new OZtents are a little worse off for using the ripstop material imo but the floors are done a little better than they used to be and the walls zip on instead of toggles which may be an advantage


great tents, if your touring and need to set up camp in the dark or with limited time, i used a pair of them for years with added on walls etc but the packed up size is huge, carrying on the car roof isnt ideal in this day and age with most ppl wanting better fuel economy and noise reduction, i carried mine in a trailer with lots of other equipment (tinny/bike etc), basically they were a step away from being traded in for a camper tent on top of the trailer, not much difference in set up time (or cost for that matter).

other quick set up touring/tents are the ones with a pole in the middle (30-60 sec set up) and take up about 1m square by 4inch high packing space or the black hawk or other spider type tents that unfold, they take up a huge amount of room to but if you have the space to spare they are ok, some are too flimsy/ fiddly for me though


some others quick tents are pop up tents, i still have an old dome pop up tent from maybe 15 years ago (coleman i think) that is nylon but has superb ventilation and all sorts of features they still dont put in new tents today, it stands up to any wind and more any of the other can…its about a 3mx3m tent with large vestibule , they dont make one like this nowadays , only some little 2 or 3 man tents that dont fold up as small as this old one...maybe soon they will again.

fwiw to anyone looking at purchasing the little pop ups make sure it has ample ventilation and a fly or put your own fly over them, the ones in Kmart and some of the cheap camping chain stores are hopeless and cause too much condensation, some of the overseas products are much better for about the same price (however if you are going to buy one then the camping chain store charge about $180 for a tent that is only slightly better than Kmarts $29 job.


cheers
chippy

[Kero]

what did that setup cost you?

As ch1ppy has said, the cost is not cheap. I managed to get mine for about $1500.
We were very close to buying a camper trailer, but, the extra cost and the fact that I couldn't then take a boat camping, is what swayed us to the OzTent. I have found that having it on the roof racks works quite well for me without too much sacrifice on fuel consumption. All tents have their pros and cons, you just have to find which one suits your needs the best. We visited a camping store (on Pickering Street) that has a huge range of tents set up for viewing (including the OzTent). It helps when you can touch, see and get inside them.
Good luck with the search!

[thelump]

Ahh tents. I don't think there is ever one that suits all applications. Some may find this insane but over the years my family of 4 has managed to accumulate the following tents
1 x 8 person Dome
1 x 6 person dome
1 x 4 person dome
2 x 2 person domes
1 x touring tent
2 x hiking tents
2 x swags
and last but not least a camper trailer for the big jobs. Good luck with your search