-Brian, my post was not intended as a slap at you. I quoted you to illustrate the misconceptions that some people have about canvas wall tents. I intended the post as a helpful tool for Arkansaslongbow because he wanted advice on wall tents...why would I, as a fellow outdoorsmen, traditional hunter, and hard-working American, withhold any information that can be useful to him? This in part means correcting incorrect information that others have given him, and pointing him in the direction of correct information. I would not want to make a decision with my hard earned money without complete and accurate information, and assume he would not want to do the same...you may choose to fualt me for that, but the man asked for advice. Yes, for the record, I am a part of the team that composes one of the previously mentioned wall tent manufacturers.
-Arkansaslongbow, Sunforger (formerly Vivatex, until Vivatex lost the patent many years ago) is a treatment that is reffered to as a "dry finish". What this means to you is that the treatment is within the canvas itself, as opposed to being layered on top of the canvas. This process allows the microscopic pores between the fibers to remain open so that moisture within the tent i.e. your persperation, steam from a pot of coffee, the vapor from your breath, etc. will escape. This means no condensation problems...it also means that if you were to have a Sunforger treated tent, you will never have to do anything with it other than store it bone dry. When you hear that people have treated their tent on thier own, typically they mean that they have used a paraffin based treatment such as Canvak. Using a product like that ends up filling in the pores and then condensation issues arise. If you were to talk to a manufacturer who uses the Sunforger canvas they will tell you just as I have.
There are different types of canvas typically used on tents; single fill and double fill. Canvas is basically a woven grid pattern (like a piece of graph paper) of cotton threads. Single fill canvas designates a canvas that is composed of a single twisted thread running one way, and then two threads twisted together running perpindicular. A double fill canvas, something that you will see refered to as "Army Duck", is two threads twisted together running both ways. This means that an army duck canvas has a higher thread count per square inch than a single fill canvas and a tighter weave pattern. Thus an army duck canvas offers extreme protection from wind, rain, snow, etc. The tight weave pattern itself of an army duck canvas is what protects the occupants from the elements, whereas a looser weave pattern of a single fill canvas needs the added help of a paraffin based treatment that must be re-applied by the tent owner in order to come close to the performance of an army duck canvas. A single fill also has less tear strength than an army duck canvas. As I mentioned before, this additional treatment is very likely to cause condensation problems.
So why would someone buy a single fill canvas tent in the first place? Beats me! I think it is likely due to false myths and misconceptions that have been passed on by those who are un-educated to the fact that they do not have to accept condensation or leaking. When people say that you cannot touch the inside of a canvas tent without it "leaking", they are mis-informed. This happens when condensation collects on the interior of the tent (due to the reasons I stated above) and their contact with the canvas gives the condensation a point in which to follow the direction taht gravity is pulling it. Typically this condensation issue is magnified when it is raining because of the higher humidity and lower due point ( I think? I am no weather expert) that occurs in a rain storm and then people assume the tent is leaking. The simplest solution? Use a tent that will not have condensation issues and one made using Sunforger canvas is exactly that. I have used both untreated army duck tents and Sunforger process treated tents and have never had any issues with "leaking" or condensation. An untreated tent will perform great, but is not preshrunk which can cause issues for setup fit.
A great idea would be to call any tent manufacturers you are looking at and have them send you a sample of their canvas. Take the samples and put them over the top of a glass and create a little "bowl" with them by securing them around the glass with a rubber band and then put some water on the top of the canvas. I will bet that a sample of Sunforger will keep any water from the bottom of the glass for over a week. This is with standing water. When you are talking about a tent, which is designed with a sloped roof to shed water, snow, etc. it makes sense that it not need to be an absolutely waterproof material (which would not breath) such as vinyl or polypropelene or sil-nylon.
There are a lot more things that go into a wall tent that I have not covered, but I would be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have. I hope all of this made sense, and please ask if something needs clarified. My intention here is to share with my knowledge and help to educate. Here are some reputable wall tent manufacturers that will make you a great camp from army duck Sunforger canvas:
Canvas Cabins
Cylinder Stoves
Bekel Canvas
Springbar/Kirkhams
Davis Tent
Bravo Tent
Rainier Tent
Kwik kamp
Dave Ellis Tents
Cactus Jack
Reliable Tent
Topic: Wanting advice on canvas wall tents..please (Read 1872 times)
