Canvas tent versus nylon, 20 years of camping says one is better

I used a nylon dome tent for over a decade and thought the weight savings mattered more than anything. Last summer I borrowed a friends 10x10 canvas wall tent for a week in the Smokies and it was a complete game changer. Sure it took an extra 20 minutes to set up and the thing weighs close to 60 pounds, but the condensation was gone and the morning inside felt dry and warm instead of damp and cold. The nylon tent always had that clammy feeling even with the vents open, and a heavy dew would leave everything soaked. Now I am slowly saving up for my own canvas setup, but I keep wondering if I am just romanticizing the old ways. Has anyone else switched materials and stayed with the heavier option even on short trips?

1 comments

1 Comment

ryan71915d ago

Man, the part about waking up dry and warm instead of damp and cold really hit home for me. I spent years in nylon domes just accepting that clammy morning feeling as normal. It was like I forgot a tent could actually feel cozy, you know? That first time in a canvas tent felt less like camping and more like sleeping in a real room that just happens to be in the woods. I get why people say it's heavy and a pain to set up, but honestly, the sleep quality alone makes up for it. I switched my main tent last fall and haven't looked back. You aren't romanticizing it, that dry air is just straight up better.