Types of Tent Fabrics
Selecting the proper material to form the fabric of
your tent, which is essentially the entirety of the tent without the frame,
is ultimately an exercise in compromise.
Ideally you’d want a tough but flexible material that is resistant to
all forms of weather and temperature changes, keeps out both the raging sun
and the driving rain but still highly breathable, and compressible and light
for easy transport. You might as
well throw in bulletproof and capable of repelling large animals, as well,
since no one tent material will be able to provide most or all of these
qualities in equal amounts. The
choice of what material to use depends on what aspect you decide to
prioritize, and the trade-offs that you are willing to make to achieve those
priorities.
The materials discussed below do not take into account
special coating or treatment for various concerns except as otherwise
discussed, such as with waterproofing, which is standard for many artificial
tent fabrics.
Nylon
Advocates of nylon tent fabrics praise the material’s
strength and durability, as nylon is capable of enduring the punishment that
rugged terrain, or clumsy handling, can dish out.
The toughness of nylon translates into the tent sheets being thinner,
and thus lighter and simpler to carry around.
The downsides of nylon, however, according to tentmakers, are that
they are normally UV-transparent unless specially treated, which can lead to
a bad sunburn even from inside the tent on a clear day; nylon is sensitive
to and expands or contracts when the temperature changes significantly,
which can warp an otherwise stable design; and lastly, nylon is not
particularly breathable, due to a urethane coating that is typically used on
nylon pack cloth to make it moisture-proof.
Polyester
Polyester is also a popular choice of tent fabric that
shares many of the same qualities as nylon, but it is even more resistant to
wear and tear, not being susceptible to stretching, and can last for many
years without any dips in performance.
It may need to be specially coated to be water repellent if used for
tent roofing.
Canvas
On a hot day, it’s hard to beat a cotton canvas tent
for keeping you cool. The
material breathes very well, and the natural color of the canvas fabric
reflects sunlight effectively.
Canvas is also easy to fix, being crafted with sturdy weaves that can be
patched up without much hassle.
This material’s main disadvantage is its bulk and weight, particularly if
the tent gets wet, as the fabric is more susceptible to moisture retention.
Also, while a weathered canvas tent can keep out low levels of
precipitation, it won’t be very effective against extreme rain and snow, and
is bound to get much heavier due to the moisture that has seeped in.
Kevlar
Generally not recommended unless you plan to camp in
the middle of a war zone or in an area known for dangerous wildlife, if such
tents are even in mainstream circulation.
Supposedly, some tents do come with a Kevlar outer layer to protect
against aggressive wildlife, but the heaviness of the material makes it
ill-suited for tent construction.
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