The Best Glamping Tents

White Duck Alpha Canvas Wall Tent

The Alpha Wall Tent from White Duck Outdoors is an excellent choice for a canvas wall tent.  The tent is offered in 2 sizes:  10′ x 12′ and a large 16′ x 20′.  The Alpha Wall tent uses Grade-A premium Double Fill “Army Duck Canvas” using weightless WR (Water + Mildew) treatment and maintaining the natural breathability of 100% cotton using their proprietary brand of Canvas DYNAGUARD!  Side walls are 5’ high and Center Peak height at 8’.5” (9’ in size 16’x20’) to make a spacious unobstructed space inside the tent.  Using a Silicone based chemical allows White Duck canvas to achieve much higher water repellency as opposed to the traditional wax treatment which adds extra weight and inconsistent water repellency.

This canvas tent is tough, weatherproof, heavy duty, warm and a great value – it’s manufactured by a company with a great reputation that stands behind their products in White Duck Outdoors.

Other Key Features Include:

• Tent includes the complete tent with Aluminum Frame, Rafter Angle Kit/Couplers and Free Floating PVC floor.
• Wall Skirting – Each tent features a mud flap that is sewn onto the tent ground seam at the bottom of the tent and extends beyond the tent floor. Tent Wall skirting is made from weatherproof, high UV resistant, heavy duty 16 oz. Polyvinyl for a weather tight seal and to soil it down from all the elements.
• Ground Sheet – Heavy duty Poly Vinyl High Density Coated 16 oz. Groundsheet to fit tent and keep the elements out.
• Stove Compatibility – The tent includes 5” oval heat resistant silicon coated Stove Jack opening with a weather flap allowing for a 5” round pipe to fit perfectly with the pitch of the roof.
• Integrated Mesh Door & Windows – Our tents have standard bug mesh door and windows made from high quality PVC Dipped UV Resistant No-See-Um Mesh to protect you from bugs and critters.
• Windows – Tent has durable 3-layer storm, large triangular distinctive windows for letting in natural light without losing the heat from your stove, better ventilation and clear views.
• Pro Guy Lines & Tensioners – Complete with Polyester UV resistant 8 mm Dura rope, proprietary elasticated shock absorber 5 mm bungee cord system and triangular metal rope tension adjusters that keeps the tent guy points (highest stress point) with extra play in heavy winds.
• Frame – The tent comes with Frame Modular Poles which are constructed of a 1.181” (30 mm) diameter anodized aluminum. The aluminum is extruded to be of a consistent .079″ (2 mm) thickness.
• Pegs & Pins – The tent comes with 14” long solid steel V-shaped pegs of 3 mm (1/8”) thickness, 11” long pins of 6 mm (15/64”) thickness to secure your tent to the ground.

White Duck Outdoors Regatta 16′ Canvas Bell Tent

The Regatta Bell Tent from White Duck Outdoors is an excellent choice for a canvas bell tent.  This specific size is extra large and can sleep at least 8 people with a floor size of over 211 square feet.  The Regatta Bell tent uses 8.5 oz. Grade-A premium Double Fill “Army Duck Canvas” using weightless WR (Water + Mildew) treatment and maintaining the natural breathability of 100% cotton using their proprietary brand of Canvas DYNAGUARD!  Side walls are 2’ 7″ high and Center Peak height is 9’10”, making a spacious unobstructed space inside the tent.  Using a Silicone based chemical allows White Duck canvas to achieve much higher water repellency as opposed to the traditional wax treatment which adds extra weight and inconsistent water repellency.

This canvas tent is tough, weatherproof, heavy duty, warm and a great value – it’s manufactured by a company with a great reputation that stands behind their products in White Duck Outdoors.

Other Key Features Include:

• Seams are double stitched, corners are reinforced for added strength
• 5” stove jack with shield flap
• High quality bug mesh door & windows
• Top Quality Zippers on 3-way zipper door and windows
• Sewn-in PE groundsheet
• Electric cable outlet
• Proprietary shock absorber grounding system at the bottom
• Roof vents to ensure maximum ventilation
• Galvanized steel poles
• Stakes, Reflective ropes, Metal tension adjusters, Rain cap and Tool Kit
• Waterproof tent storage bag

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Dream House Cotton Canvas 13′ x 19′ Twin Emperor Bell Tent

If you are looking for a massive Canvas Bell Tent, look no further than the Twin Emperor Bell Tent.  At 19′ long x 13′ wide, you won’t find a larger canvas bell tent for sale.

The tent comes with 3 A-frame doors. There are 2 windows on the front and 4 windows on the back of the tent. All windows and doors are equipped with mesh screens.

We’re not clear on the thickness of the canvas or any fire safety ratings with this tent.  We’re recommending this tent strictly for buyers looking for a very large bell tent.  If you are concerned about fire ratings and waterproofing, we advise to look at some of other other options that provide more specific details about fabrics.

We do know the following from the description about the tent covering:  Tent cover: 10 oz. cotton canvas with Polyurethane coating, and a waterproof 3000mm.  3000mm would be waterproof rated for Light to Average Rain.  The floor is a 19 oz. heavy-duty PVC groundsheet with waterproof 5000mm, which would be very waterproof and standard for a bell tent.

Other Key Features Include:

• Accessories: 1 x tent cover, 1 x twin center pole, 3 x a-frame pole, 16 x guy ropes, 16 x large stakes, 16 x small stakes, 3 x little plastic caps, 1 x user manual
• Packing: the tent is packed in two packages. One package includes tent cover, the other one includes poles, stakes and guy lines.
• Four-season Tent: An integrated, heavy-duty zippable groundsheet allowing you to roll the side wall up on a hot summer’s day and to let the wind pass underneath.  Without a stove jack – we’d rate this tent more for 3 season use.  It’s a large area to heat with a standard heater.
• Tent zippers: please use the canvas skirt to cover the zipper closely, especially in rainy day, so the rain won’t leak in from zipper around the ground.
• Windproof grade: Rated for wind 30miles/hour. We recommend not to use the tent in higher winds.
• Leaking: when new, cotton canvas can sometimes leak around the seams. This is normal and once the tent has had its first light shower the weave of the canvas will shrink slightly, and stop this from occurring.
• Maintenance: Keep the tent clean and in bone-dry conditions when not using it.

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Important Considerations for Canvas Bell Tents

Canvas tents perform throughout all seasons. Canvas is not only breathable, but it takes more time to heat up than synthetics. In the winter, canvas tents can be heated within and maintain temperatures better than thinner synthetic materials. Of course, with their larger size and heavier material, canvas tents take up much more room and are heavier to transport. In addition, they require more maintenance, but if maintained well, they last for years and can even be repaired with a standard thread and needle.

Material – The tents listed above are manufactured from either Cotton Canvas or Army Duck Canvas.  Both are a woven cotton fabric.  However, Army Duck Canvas has a much higher thread count, making it smoother to the touch.  Army Duck Canvas has a much tighter weave as well, lending to it’s better water repellent characteristics.

Treatments – You will see many canvas tents listed as flame or fire resistant.  In addition, some might be listed as flame or fire retardant.  Many will be labelled FR.  FR and Fire Water Repellent Canvas fabrics meet CPAI 84 requirements for tents.  The difference is how the material melts when exposed to fire and at what point the material will self-extinguish.  Many states have rules and regulations so it’s important to understand what your local laws require.  Do not try and apply treatment to a canvas tent after manufacture, it will clog the thread spaces and make the tent much less breathable.

• Fire-resistant and flame-resistant products are designed to be nonflammable at a chemical level, and to self-extinguish without melting or dripping when directly exposed to extreme heat.
• Fire-retardant and flame-retardant materials have been chemically treated to slow ignition, burning, or actually self-extinguish when exposed to an open flame. The original material must be chemically treated to retard the spread of flames.

White Duck explains the Treatment as the following:

FR finish must comply with the code; CPAI 84.
We strongly recommend to purchase Fire Retardant tents as wall tents are used for extended period of time where stoves for cooking and heaters/AC units are used inside the tent. In order to prevent the tent catching fire, always opt for Fire Water Repellent fabric option. Please keep in mind that the tent is not fireproof and may burn if it is exposed to the flame source for long. Fire resistant canvas will burn as long as flame touches the canvas, but will not burn if external flame is removed. Fire retardant does not prevent sparks from smoke stack from burning “pin holes” in the canvas.

Comfort – If you are looking at canvas tents, you are most likely considering large, long use tents. Your comfort is going to be important at the end of a long day of hunting or hiking especially in bad weather conditions. Most tents are sized to how many standard adults the tent will fit, not including gear and certainly not taking into account extra space for taller or larger-bodied campers. If you want extra space, choose a tent with an extra 1 person capacity. Also consider the number of vestibules and their size to store all your gear outside of the tent while still being protected from the elements.

Durability – Durability goes hand in hand with value and quality. All of our top canvas tents are manufactured by companies who stand behind their products. They provide quality canvas tents built to last. Choosing the right tent to match camping conditions and where you camp are extremely important to the life of the tent. In addition, using proper footprints and understanding that basic tears and holes are easier than ever to repair, will go a long way to extend tent lifespans.

Airflow and Ventilation – You’ll know it when you wake up inside a poorly ventilated tent. Condensation will collect overnight and you’ll wake up to damp and soggy sleeping bags and clothing. Not a nice way to begin the day. When you exhale while sleeping, your breath is giving off about 1 liter of water. For every other person you are dealing with extra liters of water each night. That water vapor needs to go somewhere otherwise it stays trapped inside the tent and can soak gear. Ventilation is an important aspect of a good quality tent so all of the canvas tents on our list provide excellent ventilation. Airflow is more important when facing hot and humid temperatures. Again, we have only picked canvas tents with good quality materials to provide maximum airflow so the tents can be used in a variety of temperature conditions.

Weather Performance – All of the canvas tents on our list were designed to perform well in most weather conditions, keeping you safe, dry and warm. They provide protection against rain, wind and blowing dust, provide airflow in hot weather, and will do quite well when night time temperatures get colder. If you are considering a canvas tent for winter camping, choose a tent with a stove jack from our list so you can camp with a stove to warm the tent.

Heating – We offer an article on the best tent heater. We also have an article on the best tent stoves.

Canvas Tent Maintenance and Waterproofing

Standard Maintenance – We recommend the following when caring for your canvas tent:

• Keep a Canvas Tent Repair Kit on Hand.
• Try to clean and dry your canvas tent as much as possible at the campsite before packing it up.
• If you can, wash the canvas as much as possible at the campsite with water and let dry.
• Never pack a wet canvas tent away. Mold will destroy the natural fabrics in canvas.
• If you see mold or mildew, wash it completely and let dry. Avoid using any detergents or harsh cleaners as they can damage the fabric.
• If you cannot let it dry completely, hang it or set it up completely when you return home to let it dry.
• If it is still raining when you return home, setup the canvas tent in the rain and leave it up until it has a chance to fully dry.
• Avoid setting it up on asphalt or concrete, as these can cause mold and insect infestations.

Canvas Tent Waterproofing – All of the canvas tents on our list are prepared immediately to be used in the rain. In addition to the natural water resistance that canvas offers, they all have been treated with waterproofing processes. If you keep your tent for years, you will need to re-waterproof. We have written a tent waterproofing article for standard tents but most techniques and products in the article will also work for canvas tent waterproofing.