What’s the finest tent materials to purchase?
The reply is straightforward…All of it comes all the way down to the type of tenting journeys you’ll be occurring.
Planning a backpacking journey? Weight can be on the prime of your listing of priorities.
Automobile tenting? You is perhaps extra involved about breathability and UV resistance.
Going tenting in tough terrain? You’ll need to ensure your tent is product of a extremely sturdy materials.
Widespread tenting tent supplies you’re prone to come throughout in your search embrace:
- Nylon
- Polyester
- Canvas
- Polycotton
- Cuben Fiber
On this article, I’m going to let you know what you have to know concerning the traits of every of those tent materials.
As soon as you recognize the professionals and cons of every cloth, you need to have a greater thought of which one is finest for you, primarily based on your priorities.
Prepared?
Let’s go!
Fundamental Data About Generally Used Tent Materials
With all of the totally different supplies on the market, it’s simple to get confused.
Once you search for particular supplies, you’ll typically get a bunch of technical data that may as nicely be written in Swahili.
Let me simplify it for you.
Listed below are all of the necessary issues you need to take note about varied supplies when shopping for a tent, minus the technical jargon.
Nylon
The most typical materials you’ll encounter when tents is nylon.
It’s an artificial materials, with a denier ranking that signifies how thick it’s. The thickness of the material will have an effect on each the sturdiness and UV resistance of your tent.
Nylon is mostly the fabric of selection for backpackers, as a result of the truth that it’s so light-weight.
It’s additionally extremely breathable. That is necessary as a result of airflow prevents condensation from gathering inside your tent.
One factor that isn’t nice about nylon cloth is that it’s extremely absorbent. That signifies that it doesn’t supply nice water resistance. Should you anticipate wet climate, it’s a good suggestion to apply waterproofing spray to your tent earlier than you head off in your tenting journey.
Ripstop Nylon
Ripstop nylon is a sort of nylon that has ripstop threads woven into it, for added sturdiness.
The benefit to getting a tent product of a ripstop materials is that any small holes and tears gained’t flip into large gaping holes over time. Because of the ripstop, the harm gained’t get any worse, which means your tent will in the end last more.
On the draw back, ripstop nylon isn’t as light-weight as common nylon.
Professionals & Cons Of Nylon
Professionals:
- Lighter than polyester and far lighter than canvas
- Stretchier than polyester
- Good breathability
- Dries faster than canvas, making it much less susceptible to mildew
Cons:
- Absorbs water
- Much less sturdy than polyester
- Not as UV resistant as polyester
Polyester
Polyester is one other artificial materials that’s typically used to make tents.
Like nylon, polyester materials even have a denier ranking, relying on how thick they’re.
Typically, a nylon tent will include a polyester rain fly. It is because polyester doesn’t take up as a lot water as nylon does, making it a better option for moist climate.
Polyester cloth can also be extra sturdy than nylon.
Why use nylon in any respect, then?
Properly, regardless that nylon is much less sturdy, it nonetheless has a much better strength-to-weight ratio than polyester. It’s additionally stretchier, which implies it gained’t rip as simply when underneath stress.
Plus, the truth that it’s lighter than polyester makes it a a lot better selection for backpackers.
That being mentioned, it’s price noting that lately the strength-to-weight ratio of polyester has improved lots.
Sturdiness was as soon as reserved for thicker polyester materials. Now, there are an increasing number of light-weight polyester materials accessible which are impressively robust. Because of this, polyester tents are positively on the rise.
Ripstop Polyester
Like nylon, polyester can even have ripstop cloth woven into it, for a stronger materials.
This may also sluggish put on and tear, as any insignificant harm gained’t worsen over time.
It does, nevertheless, additionally add to the general weight of the tent.
Professionals & Cons Of Polyester
Professionals:
- Higher UV and water resistance than nylon
- Extra sturdy than nylon
- Additionally dries faster than canvas, making it much less susceptible to mildew
Cons:
- Heavier than nylon
- Not as breathable as nylon
- Not as stretchy as nylon, making it extra inclined to ripping
Canvas
Canvas is product of cotton, which is a pure materials, not like nylon and polyester.
One of many benefits of a canvas tent is that cotton is extra breathable than artificial supplies.
It additionally performs higher in terms of UV resistance.
That every one makes it nice at regulating the temperature inside your tent. A canvas tent will hold you cool in the summertime and heat within the winter, so you’ll all the time get a great night time’s sleep.
Alternatively, it’s additionally heavier and much slower to dry. Sadly, this will result in issues with mildew forming contained in the tent.
The water resistance of a cotton canvas tent will be improved dramatically by weathering it. The method of weathering (or seasoning) your tent entails drenching it fully and letting it dry out. This may be finished as soon as, or a number of occasions, relying on the tent in query.
Notice that in case you get a canvas tent that has a PVC coating, you gained’t must climate it earlier than you employ it.
Lastly, canvas tents are dearer than most nylon and polyester tents.
Professionals & Cons Of Canvas
Professionals:
- Nice breathability
- Higher UV resistance than polyester or nylon
- Stable water resistance when weathered or coated
Cons:
- Heavier than polyester and nylon
- Slower to dry than polyester and nylon, making it extra prone to mildew
- Dearer than polyester or nylon, generally
Polycotton
Should you’re leaning in direction of canvas, take into account polycotton canvas. Polycotton is a fabric that’s a mix of each polyester and cotton.
By combining the 2, you find yourself with a material that has all of the qualities of cotton, with higher sturdiness and mildew resistance.
Sadly, together with all of the qualities, a polycotton tent additionally has all of the disadvantages of cotton. It’s heavier than polyester or nylon, and can also be dearer.
Professionals & Cons Of Polycotton
Professionals:
- Very breathable
- Extra sturdy than canvas
Cons:
- Nonetheless heavier than polyester or nylon
- Tends to be dearer than polyester or nylon
Cuben Fiber
Cuben Fiber, also called Dyneema Composite Material or DCF, is the latest addition to the tent supplies household.
It’s extremely light-weight with an unbelievable strength-to-weight ratio. And, get this: it’s waterproof. That’s proper – it doesn’t take up any water.
That makes it the perfect materials for a backpacking tent.
What’s the catch? Properly, it’s a reasonably large one sadly. Cuben Fiber is much much less immune to put on and tear than any of the opposite supplies we’ve talked about.
Tents product of this materials can’t be anticipated to final almost so long as tents product of nylon, polyester, canvas or polycotton.
That, and the truth that they aren’t by any means low cost, make Cuben Fiber tents the least economical possibility you may go for.
Professionals & Cons Of Cuben Fiber
Professionals:
- Doesn’t take up water, making it waterproof
- Higher strength-to-weight ratio than some other materials
- Glorious UV resistance
Cons:
- Inferior sturdiness
- Seams inclined to break
- Dearer than different supplies
Nylon Vs. Polyester
Nylon and polyester are each artificial supplies. Nonetheless, there are a number of key variations between them.
For starters, nylon has a greater strength-to-weight ratio. Nevertheless, polyester has a a lot better strength-to-weight ratio at the moment than it did prior to now.
Nylon can also be extra breathable, and it’s stretchier. Whereas some may argue that it’s stretchiness is a con, because it causes wrinkles within the cloth, that is only a minor aesthetic element. The stretchiness of the material means it’s much less prone to tear when it’s pulled out tightly.
A few issues polyester has over nylon is that it absorbs much less water and it’s barely more durable.
Final however not least, it offers higher UV resistance. Remember, nevertheless, that in the long term this can have much more to do with the colour and denier of the material than the kind of cloth itself.
Canvas Vs. Nylon / Polyester
In case your intention is to pack mild, you’d be higher off going for a tent product of an artificial materials resembling nylon or polyester. Pure supplies resembling canvas are usually considerably heavier.
Should you’re automobile tenting, this gained’t be a difficulty. However, in case you’re backpacking, you positively need to keep away from canvas.
Artificial supplies are additionally usually extra resistant to ripping and mildew development. Nevertheless, canvas performs higher in terms of resisting UV ray harm and fading.
Canvas can also be extra breathable, which means you’re much less prone to have an issue with condensation inside your tent.
Regardless of being extra breathable, it’s truly nonetheless a greater insulator than nylon or polyester. This implies it’ll hold you hotter when it’s chilly and cooler when it’s scorching.
A canvas tent will often be pricier than a tent that’s product of nylon or polyester.
There are, nevertheless, additionally tents on the upper finish of the worth scale which are product of artificial supplies. These are 4 season and 5 season tents which are made to face up to excessive climate situations.
The Ultimate Verdict
Which cloth is the perfect? Properly, as you may see, there isn’t one proper reply. All of it will depend on what your prime priorities are.
Should you’re a backpacker on the lookout for a light-weight tent that gained’t weigh you down, nylon is certainly the way in which to go.
Excessive adventurers tenting in tough terrain would most likely be higher off going for polyester.
Automobile campers can go for something actually, together with canvas, which is a superb selection in case you don’t thoughts the additional weight.
Hopefully you’ve now acquired a clearer image of what sort of tent goes to give you the results you want.
Now, all that’s left to do is discover a mannequin you want. Take a look at our tent critiques (like this one on 4-person tents) to see a few of the finest tents available on the market at the moment.
