6 Best Canvas Wall Tents for Camping 2024

Best Canvas Wall Tents

What is the Best Canvas Wall Tent?

In this guide to the best canvas wall tent, we share our recommendations for straight-walled tents made from canvas material. You will learn the benefits of canvas tents as well as the advantages of having straight walls on your tent. Finally, we give you the reasons why canvas wall tents are so good and how long you can expect them to last.

Canvas wall tents have been used for close to 500 years at least, and some early references include paintings from 1544 that show open-faced wall tents. Military sketches from the 1700s and 1800s also show wall tents being used in an army setting across many different campaigns. Just like canvas bell tents, there is a reason why they are still around.

The shape remains essentially unchanged, but the design features have been perfected over the years. As a result, things like ventilation, breathability, waterproofing, strength, weight, and frame have been optimized and improved, and the price is slowly decreasing. These are all good reasons why now is the time to upgrade.

6 Best Canvas Wall Tents


WHITEDUCK Alpha Canvas Wall Tent 16 x 20

WHITEDUCK Alpha Canvas Wall Tent Waterproof 4 Season Outdoor Camping & Hunting Tent w/Heavy Duty Aluminum Frame, Best for Large Groups, Families & Outfitters (14'x16', Water Repellent)shop outdoor gear

  • MATERIAL: 100% Cotton Canvas, Aluminum frame, Polyvinyl floor
  • WEIGHT: 357 lbs / 161 kg 
  • PACKED SIZE: 45 x 15 x 15 in / 114 x 38 x 38 cm
  • FLOOR SIZE: 16 x 20 ft / 4.9 x 6 meters
  • MAX HEIGHT: 10 ft / 3 meters
  • CAPACITY: 14 People
  • SEASON RATING: 4 Season
  • BUG NETTING: Yes
  • STOVE JACK: Yes

The WHITEDUCK Alpha Canvas Wall Tent is our number one recommendation for anyone looking to buy this style of tent. It comes with everything you need and is made to a slightly higher standard than other canvas wall tents. In terms of comfort and quality, it is unmatched and is one of the most popular options for glamping, hunting, and base camps.

On a recent trip, we tested a friend’s 16 x 20 ft Alpha wall tent, and it slept eight people with a stove, loads of gear, and two dogs. This was actually when we decided to write this article. The tent will easily sleep 14 or more people on camping cots without a stove and maybe around 12 people with a stove. You can get this same tent in 6 different sizes to suit your needs.

The material is made from 100% army DYNADUCK cotton that has a high-density weave that is highly resistant to mildew and has a treatment that swells when wet so that it remains waterproof for many years. One unique feature we learned about was that its tie-down lines have suspension elastic at the top, significantly reducing the chance of ripped fabric.

One thing we did find a little strange was the lack of ventilation other than the main entrance. There are no ventilation holes, and the windows have a fixed transparent polyvinyl layer that lets light in but doesn’t open up to improve airflow. However, after spending 20 hours researching this guide, we discovered that this is relatively normal for canvas wall tents.

The door does feature some lovely bug netting that has been dipped for increased durability. This means that on a hot night, you can leave the main entrance open with the bug netting closed to let air in and out. This tent seems to be built with winter in mind and has excellent insulative properties for a single-layer tent.

VERDICT: The Alpha Canvas Wall Tent from WHITEDUCK is the tent we recommend to our loved ones, and it’s the one we recommend for you if you plan to camp and sleep in it. Even if you plan to use it as the base camp hut, it is better to get something well made and pay a little extra than to save a hundred bucks and have it crumple or tear in the wind. If you want the best canvas wall tent for camping, then this sets the benchmark for us.

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Ozark Trail North Fork 12′ x 10′ Outdoor Wall Tent

Ozark Trail North Fork 12' x 10' Outdoor Wall Tent with Stove Jack, Sleeping Capacity 6, One Large Room, Tan

  • MATERIAL: 100% Polyester Canvas, Galvanized steel frame, Polyvinyl floor
  • WEIGHT: 95 lbs / 43 kg 
  • FLOOR SIZE: 10 x 12 ft / 3 x 3.65 meters
  • CAPACITY: 6 People
  • SEASON RATING: 4 Season
  • BUG NETTING: Yes
  • STOVE JACK: Yes, with a zip-off cover

The Ozark Trail North Fork 12′ x 10′ Outdoor Wall Tent is designed for camping all year round in almost any environment on the planet. It features more ventilation than the Alpha Tent above, and the windows can allow a breeze in. This is one of the best waterproof canvas wall tents for small groups and is very affordable.

The tent is extremely comfortable inside with a thick rubberized PVC floor that you can walk on with your boots and not worry too much. You get a nice high door so you can walk right in, and there is bug netting so that you can leave the door open without becoming a victim to mosquitos and gnats. You can easily fit five camping cots with a big stove in the corner or even more people on sleeping pads.

In summer, you can open all the windows, which also have bug netting, as well as leave the canvas door tied back and fully open the two ridge vents for maximum breathability and airflow. It gets hot inside with everything closed, but it stays reasonably cool with everything open. In winter, however, you can seal everything up to trap all the heat in and even bury the outer skirts in dirt or snow to ensure an excellent thermal seal around the bottom.

Set up can be done independently but is much easier with two or more people. You build the roof frame first, then drape the canvas over the top, then build up the legs one section at a time. The most challenging part on your own is getting the ground sheet pins into the frame, as it needs some tension and is a fair distance from corner to corner.

There is a zip-out section on the floor right beneath the stove jack, which is a really neat feature as it will save you from getting any tiny holes from sparks and ash that fall out occasionally.

VERDICT: The North Fork 12′ x 10′ Outdoor Wall Tent from Ozark Trail offers exceptional waterproofing and breathability; however, the polyester fabric may suffer slightly more condensation than a cotton canvas tent. That said, if you leave all the ventilation open in summer and run a stove in winter, you will never have an issue with condensation. Overall, this straight-wall canvas tent is a great buy and will last a very long time so long as you stake it out properly in high wind.

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Guide Gear 10 x 12′ Canvas Wall Tent

Guide Gear 10x12' Canvas Wall Tent for Hunting, Outdoor Camping, Waterproof 4 Season Tents (Frame Not Included)

  • MATERIAL: Canvas, Aluminum frame, Polyvinyl floor
  • WEIGHT: 106 lbs / 48 kg (including 38 lbs frame + 15 lbs floor sold sepertaely)
  • PACKED SIZE: 33.5 x 16.5 x 15.5 in / 85 x 42 x 39 cm
  • FLOOR SIZE: 10 x 12 ft / 3 x 3.65 meters
  • MAX HEIGHT: 10 ft / 3 meters
  • CAPACITY: 6 People
  • SEASON RATING: 4 Season
  • STOVE JACK: Yes

The Guide Gear 10 x 12′ Canvas Wall Tent is one of the best canvas tents with straight walls. You need to be aware that when you buy this tent, you will need to purchase the poles and floor separately from here and here. This isn’t a problem so long as you know about it.

The door is slightly different from others in that it has an oversized storm flap so that it can be used with the attached clips as well as the central zip. It is nice to have this as a failsafe backup in case the zip ever breaks; however, this flap is best for keeping the rain out as you come in and out. They can get in the way a little when it isn’t raining, so it is best to tie them back when needed.

The inside is nice and cozy with the thick floor attached, and a stove is going when it is cold. You get a front and rear roof vent that sits just below the ridge and allows heat and moisture to escape when needed. There is no bug netting on the door, so you can use a pyramid-style bug net over where you sleep or try to craft one yourself to sit behind the canvas doors.

There is an 11.5-inch sod cloth running around the bottom of the entire tent to ensure the inside of the tent always stays dry, even when rainwater starts to build up around you. The frame (sold separately) is all color-coded for fast and easy setup and is well worth getting at the time of purchase along with the floor.

VERDICT: The 10 x 12′ Canvas Wall Tent, along with the floor and frame from Guide Gear, are all well made and what we call heavy-duty material. There is ample ventilation, and the tent is ideal for use with a stove and can be sealed up to keep the heat in. The door system is an excellent way to keep the rain out, although we wish it had some bug netting already sewn in.

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Elk Mountain Tents Large Canvas Waterproof Wall Tent 13 x 20

Elk Mountain Tents Outdoor Large Canvas Waterproof Wall Tent And Angle Kit With Screened Windows And Stove Pip Jack for 8 person tent, Best for Family Camping and Hunting Trip - 13x16

  • MATERIAL: 100% Polyester Canvas, No tent poles included, Polyvinyl floor
  • WEIGHT: 95 lbs / 43 kg 
  • PACKED SIZE: 30 x 20 x 20 in / 76 x 51 x 51 cm
  • FLOOR SIZE: 16 x 20 ft / 4.9 x 6 meters
  • CAPACITY: 10 People
  • SEASON RATING: 4 Season
  • STOVE JACK: Yes

The Elk Mountain Tents Large Canvas Waterproof Wall Tent would be further up the list if it weren’t for one thing – they don’t include the poles, you have to make them yourself. To me, this is crazy and such an unnecessary hassle for the person buying the tent. How hard could it be to source and supply 3/4″ EMTs themselves? After all, they expect you to go and do it.

The canvas is synthetic polyester and doesn’t contain any cotton, which makes it lightweight and waterproof but less breathable and insulative. It is unlike the thin synthetic fabric you get on backpacking tents; this is much thicker. A fantastic vent at the top on the front opens and closes almost like a drawbridge, with a pulley handle on the outside to open it and one on the inside to close it. Even with this, we feel that a cotton canvas is still more breathable.

This tent is incredibly comfortable, and with a log stove burning in winter, it keeps you nice and warm and allows you to dry out your clothes daily. The tent comes in 3 different sizes and has options like the bug netting front screen and an additional awning that attaches to the front. We would definitely recommend the bug screen, although the awning is more of a luxury.

VERDICT: This canvas wall tent made by Elk Mountain is high quality and reinforced in all the right places. You should avoid this tent if you don’t feel comfortable sourcing and cutting your own EMT frame to length. Everything else is solid.

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WHITEDUCK PROTA Canvas Cabin Tent 10 x 14 ft

WHITEDUCK PROTA Canvas Cabin Tent Waterproof, 4 Season Outdoor Camping Tent Made from Premium 100% Cotton Canvas w/Reflective Sunblock Roof, Mesh & Extra-Wide Doors (10' x 14', Olive)shop outdoor gear

  • MATERIAL: 100% Cotton Canvas, Galvanized steel frame, Polyvinyl floor
  • WEIGHT: 92.5 lbs / 42 kg 
  • PACKED SIZE: 50 x 15 x 10 in / 127 x 38 x 25 cm
  • FLOOR SIZE: 10 x 14 ft / 3 x 4.2 meters
  • MAX HEIGHT: 6 ft 6 in / 2 meters
  • CAPACITY: 6 – 8 People
  • SEASON RATING: 4 Season

The WHITEDUCK PROTA Canvas Cabin Tent is a delightful place to sleep when camping and is really easy to put up on your own. The walls aren’t vertical but close enough to still get a lot of space inside. The 10 x 14 ft option above is the largest of the three sizes and will sleep up to 8 people on sleeping mats but maybe only four on cots with space for gear.

The WHITEDUCK PROTA tent is comfortable in so many ways. It blocks out the sunlight so you can sleep in, keeps cool in the heat, stays warmer inside the tent in winter, and is waterproof and wind resistant. A valuable feature to improve comfort is the awning at the front, which creates more shade outdoors and provides rain cover before you enter your tent.

The bug protection is top-of-the-range, no-see-em mesh which will stop even the smallest gnats, midges, sandflies, or whatever else they are called around the world. On the roof is a reflective finish that helps to block UV rays and prevent it from getting too hot on a sunny day. The canvas is made from a 10.10 oz army duck 100% cotton canvas and treated for heavy rainfall, UV rays, and mildew.

There is loads of space inside for 6 – 8 people to spread out, or if you are looking for more of a glamping experience, then 4 of you can set up your own quarters. Families with young children will appreciate the extra space and comfort as well as small groups on a camping trip.

VERDICT: The PROTA Canvas Cabin Tent made by WHITEDUCK is an excellent family tent made from cotton canvas that is easier to put up than the much larger straight wall tents above. The awning is convenient when it’s hot and raining, and on an evening when the dew is settling – you can sit under your canopy and still enjoy the campfire and the stars.

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Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Canvas Tent Deluxe 10 x 10 ft

Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Canvas Tent Deluxe 10 ft x 10 ft (6-person)

  • MATERIAL: Hydra-Shield 100% cotton duck canvas, Galvanized steel frame, Polyvinyl floor
  • WEIGHT: 68 lbs / 30.8 kg 
  • PACKED SIZE: 49 x 12.5 x 11.5 in / 124 x 32 x 29 cm
  • FLOOR SIZE: 10 x 10 ft / 3 x 3 meters
  • MAX HEIGHT: 6 ft 1 in / 1.85 meters
  • CAPACITY: 6 People
  • SEASON RATING: 4 Season

The Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Canvas Tent Deluxe is very similar to the WHITEDUCK PROTA tent above and is an excellent choice for longer camping trips where you can leave your tent set up. It is made from a thick and durable cotton canvas that will last for decades if stored properly and is well worth the money, in our opinion.

This tent is a comfortable place to camp in with lots of headroom and floor space so that you have a place to stand or put a chair, camping cots, and your gear. It feels cool inside the tent when the sun is out, and the canvas helps insulate the tent when it is cold, much more than a regular full rainfly tent would. In addition, it is exceptionally waterproof, and the strong frame fabric is designed to withstand wind and four seasons of weather.

The ventilation is reasonable if you leave the front window panels open with the bug screen still up. Then in winter, when you need less ventilation, you can just use the two at the top, which can be sealed with a zip internally and are protected from wind, rain, and bugs externally. The front door panels can be opened fully and tied back, or just open the inner section, which is lined with bug netting so that you can sleep in peace.

Setting up is only tricky the first time. Then, it will take around 10 – 15 minutes on your own or less than 10 minutes with two people. Inside, one thing that really stands out against other canvas wall tents is the organizational features, including a multi-pocket organizer you can hang as well as a gear loft and lower pockets you can access while lying down.

VERDICT: The Canvas Flex-Bow Canvas Tent Deluxe from Kodiak doesn’t deserve to be at the bottom of the list, but we were extra brutal with our picks for this article and cut out many others. It is pretty heavy, so don’t buy this with the intention of hiking very far with it, but it makes the best canvas wall tent for 2 – 4 people to use as a basecamp. We really like this tent and would absolutely recommend this alongside any of the others above.

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canvas wall tent camping with ocean view

What is a Wall Tent?

A wall tent is shaped like a rectangle or square box with a pitched roof. The side walls are usually around four to five feet tall and at a vertical or near-vertical angle for maximum space and durability. They are called wall tents because the straight sides they have to provide a flat wall as opposed to bell tents or dome tents, which are either curved or don’t have vertical walls.

Why Are Wall Tents Made from Canvas?

Wall tents are designed to be used more long-term, so they need to be extra durable and provide above-average comfort. They have traditionally been made from cotton canvas, and many still are, but the woven polyester canvas is becoming more popular due to its price, weight, and lower maintenance. Designed as 4 season shelters, they often feature a special panel on the roof with heat-resistant fabric to run a log-burning stove exhaust through.

Benefits of Cotton Canvas Tents

As polyester canvas wall tents become more abundant, it is easy to forget all the benefits of cotton canvas. Here are just a few of the benefits of cotton canvas for wall tents:

Maintainable

Cotton can be maintained relatively easily with some water-repellent treatment. It is not something you have to do every year but instead can just be applied when you notice any spots where water doesn’t bead off like it used to. Also, any repairs can easily be made with a needle and thread without special glues or siliconized patches.

Cool in the Sun

Cotton canvas is usually treated to be UV resistant, and it is naturally sun blocking, so when you are inside a cotton canvas wall tent during the midday sun, it never gets too hot inside. Yes, it can feel more humid, but if you can get some kind of a breeze blowing through, you can regulate the temperature without any AC. Don’t think it won’t be hot, though; all tents get hot in the sun, but the cotton canvas is just better than synthetic materials, in our opinion.

Insulating When it’s Cold

Cotton canvas is generally thicker than synthetic canvas, which provides more insulation when it’s cold. This means that any heat generated inside will be kept in more efficiently. So if you want to run a log-burning stove in winter, the temperature soon rises so that you can wear shorts and a t-shirt inside the wall tent while it snows.

Durable

Cotton canvas is notoriously durable and easy to treat with chemicals that make it resistant to things like flames, rain, or mildew. It is perfect for tents as they are hard to damage and can be repaired quickly, which means they last a very long time. I wouldn’t say cotton is any more durable than other types of canvas, but it will compete head-to-head with modern fabrics regarding toughness.

Quiet

This is a minor benefit and maybe something you’ve never thought of before, but cotton canvas wall tents are much quiet than polyester tents, especially in the wind or rain. Wind can cause the material to flap about a bit, even if it is tightly secured, which can disturb you at night if you’re a light sleeper. Rain pattering can be relaxing and peaceful, but heavy rain can make a real racket on lightweight tent fabrics, whereas cotton dulls the sound better than other types of canvas.

military canvas wall tent with log burner smoke

Why Flame Resistant Canvas is Important

Flame-resistant canvas is super important if you plan to use a wood-burning stove inside your tent. If you don’t own a wood-burning stove but still plan to have a campfire on an evening, the flame-resistant canvas is still essential. Without some resistance to flames, a single spark could burn down your entire shelter and everything inside – it’s not worth considering if this happens at night while you sleep.

Guide to the Best Wall Tents Made From Canvas

In this part of the guide, we share some of the features and specifications we highly recommend you seek to ensure you get the best canvas wall tent for your needs. As you read through them, try and imagine how each one would affect your camping experience, and close your eyes if you have to.

Shape

The shape of your canvas wall tent will impact things like headroom, floor space, how you can position your camping cot, and how it performs in extreme weather. Wall tents are naturally very boxy because of their straight sides and vertical walls, which are great for making the most of your space. However, this boxy shape means they aren’t the most aerodynamic and need a strong frame.

Wall tents offer much more headroom than a dome tent because the vertical side walls mean you can get much taller structures. In addition, the center line, where the pitched roof is at its highest provides more than enough movement to stand up and walk around. 

Size and Capacity

Choosing the right size wall tent is best done by estimating how many people will be sleeping in it and then matching that to the suggested capacity of each tent. So if you have a family of five and a dog that goes everywhere with you, then a 6-person wall tent should be about right. On the other hand, if you want to use your tent in winter with a stove, you may look closer to an 8-person capacity.

As a rough guide, we recommend you allow around 2.5 feet or 75 cm in width for each person and 6 feet or 182 cm when trying to estimate how many people can fit inside a wall tent. So if it is 10 feet wide and 12 feet long, you can expect to sleep eight people in two rows of 4, or adjust this depending on how much space you want per person.

Check out the WHITEDUCK guide taken from their Amazon page; click the image for more details:

WHITEDUCK Alpha Canvas Wall Tent Waterproof 4 Season Outdoor Camping & Hunting Tent w/Heavy Duty Aluminum Frame, Best for Large Groups, Families & Outfitters (16'x20', Water Repellent)

Weight and Pack Size

Weight and pack size are among the most essential factors if you plan to hike or backpack with your tent, but that’s not what canvas wall tents are for. Any tent with a heavy-duty metal frame and heavy canvas fabric is designed to be used as a basecamp, left up for a while, or pitched reasonably close to where you park your car.

The point is that no canvas tents are particularly lightweight, and even smaller wall tents for camping weigh 70 – 90 pounds and wouldn’t even fit in a standard duffel bag. So if you want a tent you can easily haul around on your back, then a canvas wall tent is not for you, but if you want a tent you can set up once and leave up, you’re in the right place.

Material

You can find wall tents in around three different types of canvas, and they all have their benefits, just like everybody has their personal preference. So here is a quick rundown of the different types of canvas used in the best wall tents:

Cotton Canvas

Cotton is possibly the heaviest and most durable type of canvas used for wall tents and is desirable for its comfort, durability, and maintainable properties. It is not naturally weatherproof but absorbs treatments incredibly well to become 100% waterproof with a single treatment. It requires you to ensure it is completely dry before storing, but if cared for properly, it will last a lifetime.

Poly-Cotton Canvas

Poly-cotton canvas is a blend of polyester and cotton, which is kind of like a hybrid that aims to take the best of both worlds. However, after testing multiple types of canvas, we found that this performed worse than 100% cotton or 100% polyester canvas. There aren’t actually too many poly-cotton canvas camping tents out there, so you don’t have to worry and, as always, test them for yourself.

Polyester Canvas

At first, I was resistant to polyester canvas as I always grew up with military cotton canvas tents. However, having slept in many of them and seen them perform over many years, I have realized that they are not very far from cotton canvas tents. The main difference is that polyester canvas is less susceptible to mildew and so easier to store; it requires less maintenance, is cheaper, and is perhaps more lightweight. The downsides are that it is less breathable and may not be as maintainable in the long term as a cotton canvas is.

Weatherproofing

When shopping for a canvas wall tent, waterproofing is not really something you should have to think about; they will all be waterproof for the most part. Instead, you need to consider how the seams are sealed, whether it requires waterproofing, and if so, how often and with what product. In addition, you should imagine how snow settles on the roof and understand whether the groundsheet is floating (not attached to the walls) or sewn in with bathtub edges.

Windproofing may be just as big a concern as waterproofing, and you need to ensure your tent can handle strong gusts of wind when camping in exposed locations. Having some heavy-duty tent stakes certainly helps keep the structure taut, but ultimately it is the frame that you depend on. How do the poles feel? If they feel flimsy, then they probably are.

Protection from the sun is another thing you don’t have to worry about in a canvas wall tent, as the thick woven fabric provides total UV protection and some cooling shade below. The main concern with sun exposure is that over time this can weather any canvas by stretching when it is wet and shrinking as it gets hot. Most canvas tents have a UV treatment to help your tent last longer and not suffer from UV stress.

Frame

Wall tents usually have an internal metal frame but occasionally have the frame on the outside, like the Kodiak or PROTA. The frame needs to be solid to support a heavy canvas’s weight and sustain strong winds without bending. The straight walls help with this so that most of the joints around the framework have 90-degree angles.

Galvanized steel or hardened aluminum are the most common types of frame material, but of course, these are not the most lightweight materials. Heavyweight fabrics require heavyweight frames, so instead of trying to save weight, try picking the wall tent frame that is the strongest.

You will rarely see a fiberglass frame on a wall tent because fiberglass tent frames require some tension for them to provide support, whereas wall tent frames provide the support to create tension from the shell fabric.

wall tent with canvas fabric used for glamping

What Are Canvas Wall Tents Used For?

Wall tents come in handy for so many different occasions, but for the most part, they are used for things like camping, hunting, glamping, celebrations, trade stalls, and even winter storage. Here is a summary of why wall tents are the tent of choice for many outdoors people:

Camping

Camping is by far the most common and obvious application for walled tents made from canvas. However, they serve a very specific purpose for people who need a tent they can leave for weeks or even months. Especially in winter., wall tents are perfect and typically accommodate a wood stove so that you can stay warm without wearing oversized puffy jackets.

Hunting

Because they work well as a basecamp tents, they make excellent hunting shelters. You set them up once and then head off each day to hunt, knowing you always have somewhere warm and dry to return to. In addition, if you hunt with a buddy or two, wall tents provide more than enough space for everyone to spread out and store all their gear.

Glamping

Canvas wall tents are perfect for glamping because they provide the ultimate comfort as well as have lots of space to walk around and fit furniture. You will often see wood-burning stoves in one corner, a double bed at the end, and everything else you would expect in a hotel room in Southeast Asia or somewhere.

Glamping is luxurious camping or glamourous camping, which means you have all the home comforts like a double bed with bedding, a nice rug and maybe a sofa or two, a small kitchen with amenities, etc… It doesn’t really appeal to me as someone who likes to camp in the wild on my own terms. Still, for many, it provides a similar experience.

Celebrations

Wall tents are used alongside tepees and bell tents for special occasions like weddings and parties. They arguably provide the most headspace of all tents, so for events where people are standing up and chatting or dancing, there is nothing better. They also fit most tables and chairs; if it is more of an outdoor seating area, you need to keep it under cover.

canvas wall tent durability in the sun

How Long Do Canvas Wall Tents Last?

You can expect a brand-new canvas wall tent to last anywhere from 10 to 50 years, depending on how much it gets used, how well it is maintained, and what kind of environment it is used in. So a canvas wall tent used twice a month for eight months of the year in moderate temperatures is maintained whenever needed and stored in a dry place may last over 50 years. But a tent that is left up all year round in extreme heat and weather and is only maintained once every few years may only last ten years before it starts to degrade beyond repair.

How Practical Are Wall Tents?

Wall tents may be the most practical tent style in some regards and not so much in others. What we mean by this is the shape, size, and design of a wall tent are extremely practical for dozens of reasons, but the fact that they are so heavy and bulky to carry means they are not the most practical for wild camping. They are practical shelters in almost every way but not so practical to transport on foot.

Can I Leave My Canvas Wall Tent up All Year?

You can leave a canvas wall tent up all year long if you want to, but this is not advised unless you use it at least once per week. To maintain a solid structure all year round, you must be acutely aware of sun damage, wind damage, and snow damage. You also need to maintain the waterproofing; however, this is not as serious.

UV damage is your most significant risk in locations with high summer temperatures. In exposed areas susceptible to gale-force winds, you must ensure that your tent stakes are securely pounded into the ground, as the tension they provide will enhance the structure’s overall strength. If you get a lot of snow in winter, you need to ensure it doesn’t get too heavy on the roof, which could eventually crush the frame under the weight.

You can leave a wall tent made from canvas up all year if you are willing to accept it will have a reduced life span and be willing to maintain it as and when needed. Chemical washes and sprays are straightforward to apply and will ensure your tent remains resistant and functional for many years. However, it is good practice to inspect your tent at least once a week and ensure there is no damage, all the pegs are securely in the ground, and the fabric is as taut as it should be.

Are Wall Tents Good in Wind?

Wall tents are good in the wind; however, this is because the frames are so sturdy and not because they are designed exceptionally dynamically. Dome tents and most other tent shapes often perform better in the wind than wall tents do because they are lower to the ground and more aerodynamic, but when windy, they still flex and flap around a bit.

Wall tents, on the other hand, have barely any flex and instead just stand strong, and so don’t flap about as much and don’t bend inwards under the pressure of the wind. This does put them at more risk of bending in the most extreme conditions, but it would take a lot to do that, and until then, they perform very well. 

We hope you have enjoyed this guide to the best canvas wall tents and can see why we recommended the tents that we did. Please leave your comments and feedback below.

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