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Canvas Tents

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Selecting a canvas tent

Canvas tents offer durability and breathability that appeal to many campers. The canvas material keeps the tent from getting too stuffy and humid, while still being waterproof to keep the weather outside of your tent. At Sportsman's Warehouse, we offer canvas tents from leading manufacturers including Kodiak Canvas, Montana Canvas, and Teton Sports. Order online or shop in-store for canvas tents today.

The two most common types of canvas are cotton and polyester.

Cotton canvas Polyester canvas
  • More airflow
  • Natural materials (better for sensitive skin)
  • More durable long-term
  • Softer fabric
  • Less wrinkling
  • Lighter weight
  • Less susceptible to mold and mildew
  • Less expensive

You may also see Army duck canvas, which is a particular type of cotton canvas used by the US Army that doubles up the thread for increased durability (and weight). You may also find treated/blended fabric, which can offer features like UV protection, but sometimes at the cost of quality and the natural features of canvas.

A heavier canvas will be more durable and better insulating, but may be more than you need based on the conditions you’ll need your tent for. Here’s a basic breakdown of the weights most common for specific uses, in ounces per square yard (oz/sq yd).

Very occasional use <10.1 oz/sq yd
Recreational summertime use 10.1 oz/sq yd
Winter or long-term use >10.1 oz/sq yd

Canvas tents come in two main shapes: wall tents and bell tents. Wall tents have vertical walls, which makes them more spacious, but they’re also less portable and have longer setup times because of their many poles. Because of this, wall tents are often chosen for longer-term use.

Wall Tent Dimensions Square Footage
10’ x 12’ 120 sq ft
12’ x 14’ 168 sq ft
12’ x 17’ 204 sq ft
14’ x 17’ 238 sq ft
16’ x 20’ 320 sq ft

Bell tents are more portable, usually fitting in a duffle bag. They take about 20 minutes to set up, and have better wind resistance because of their shape. However, bell tents have a smaller interior because their walls don’t go straight up.

Bell Tent diameter Square footage
9.8 ft 76 sq ft
13.1 ft 135 sq ft
16.4 ft 211 sq ft
19.5 ft 304 sq ft
23.0 ft 414 sq ft

These charts share the basic square footage you can expect from different sizes of wall and bell tents. You’ll also want to check out your tent’s frame, and opt for frames with increased weight capacity if you’re expecting the tent to bear snow.