Best Canvas Tent Review and Tent Tips

Every fall, when the rain and snow starts to fall and the temperatures start to dip it usually means it’s about time to break out our old trusted canvas tent.  We have used our tent every fall on our annual elk hunting trip for many years.  Although these tents might be best know in the hunting community, they are just as well know with many Boy Scout of America Troops.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has a long and decorated history, and a fond place in the hearts of anyone who was a Boy Scout as a child. Among the fond memories you gained being a member; like character building tasks, outdoors trips and educational games, and learning life skills – is sleeping in a BSA canvas tent while on outdoors trips.

The BSA canvas tent was fairly basic, easy to pitch up, affordable, yet incredibly effective. They are not as readily available or easy to come by today, but if you are looking for one here are some of the companies that will be able to help.

 

3 Great Canvas Tent Brands

 

Diamond Brand Canvas Tents

As a company, Diamond Brand have a deep rooted history with the Boy Scouts. They proudly announce they made the first ever backpack used by the Boy Scouts back in 1931, and are currently the sole supplier of canvas wall tents to the BSA.

Diamond Brand have been producing BSA licenced tents for decades. They still manufacture tents to the classic design, giving a nostalgic feel to their products. Tested under virtually every environment and weather condition you can think of, these tents stand proud and protect whatever is inside against the elements.

You can request a quote by visiting their website and filling out a request form, or by giving their sales team a call.

Panther Primitives Canvas Tents

Based in West Virginia, Panther Primitives manufacture a range of historical reproduction tents, medieval pavilions, Native American tipis, and much more – including BSA replica tents.

They manufacture their tents form 110 oz. poly/cotton, they are flame retardant, and water resistant. If you are after a BSA canvas tent you should contact them via their website with any questions you have about the specifications. They also have downloadable catalogues and price listings for easy browsing.

Pinnacle Canvas Tents

Pinnacle Tents have experience with manufacturing and providing tents to the BSA, among many other organizations and industries. In addition to this, they have over 30 years of experience manufacturing custom tents to meet the requirements of their customers.

You can request a quote via their site after listing all the details to meet your specifications. If you are after a BSA style canvas tent you will be able to discuss this with them.

Canvas Tent Care Information

 

Protecting Your Tent from Mildew

Mildew is a common and persistent problem that affects canvas tents. Even tents that are advertised as being ‘mildew resistant’, will develop mildew if left damp. Mildew often forms on tents when they are left in storage while damp, it can be damaging to canvas and stubborn to remove.

If you have spotted mildew starting to grow on the canvas you can halt, or slow down its growth by drying out the canvas fully. Then you’ll need to clean the area affected by the mildew with a strong anti-mildew cleaning product, IOSSO mould and mildew canvas cleaner is the best product for the job.

When putting your tent back into storage, ensure the tent is completely dry with any mildew treated.

General Cleaning

Your canvas tent is being used outside so it is going to get dirty. While they are designed to be easy to clean and stain resistant, cleaning it will increase its lifespan and make it look a lot smarter.

For any dried dirt and debris use a brush to remove any of the loose dirt. Then you can use a cleaning product followed by warm water to clean the canvas. You should always use a specially formulated tent cleaning product, never use domestic cleaning products designed for uses in the house.

Check The Poles For Damage

Depending on the age and style of tent you will have either metal, or wooden poles to construct the tent with. Each time you dismantle the tent and pack it up for storage you should have a quick look over the poles for any damage or corrosion.

The wet, winter months are a lot more damaging on the steel poles. Giving your steel poles a light spray with a silicone grease will help against corrosion over the colder months. Just remember to clean off any grease when it’s time to use the tent again.

Looking After The Ground Sheet

The groundsheet is usually the first piece of a tent to be assembled, it is the sheet that forms the ‘floor’ of the tent. Obviously the groundsheet is going to get most of the dirt as people walk in and out of the tent. A lot of campers tend to bring a second sheet with them. Usually a sheet of plastic or tarpaulin that they can place on top of the groundsheet.

You can easily pull this off and shake off any dirt each day, and if it gets ripped or damaged it’s a lot cheaper to replace than a groundsheet. Make sure you separate the groundsheet any any other sheets when putting your tent in storage.

Fold And Store Your Tent Carefully

Seeing as tents are used to protect us from the elements, it’s easy to treat them like they are indestructible sometimes. But if you want your tent to stay in good condition and have a long life accompanying you on camping trips for years to come, you need to be careful when assembling and packing it away.

Try to roll the canvas sections with zips or windows attached, don’t fold across them. Most tents come with a carry bag to pack the tent up into, it can be quite a challenge getting the tent to ft back into it, but worth it when done properly.

Conclusion

You should feel better about your options if you are in the market for a canvas tent.  Although canvas tents are heavy and bulky they provide warmth in the winter and a cool place in the summer for campers.  They have been used for years by the Boy Scouts of America, and although some troops are moving away, there are still some people in the market.

Use the links above and the tips in this article to get the most out of your next tent.  If you follow the tips outlined in this article and take care with your tent, there is a good chance it will last you for many years. If you have any questions about the information you have read here, or if there is something related to BSA and canvas tents that has not been covered – please leave a message below.