Drying your tent?

[Omahkapi'si]

How do you guys dry your canvas tents before storing them? Specifically if you camp in winter or spring with snow or wet conditions? I’m thinking of camping next week and tent will be in the snow while I set up and take down. Thanks!

 

[necchi]

Been there,, wet canvas, is different than, cold canvas with snow on it
In-side drying. Ya gotta hang it. Even while I was in an apt, I rented a garage.
Knowing the value of my canvas and needed care, I hung hooks from the rafters so I could suspend the wet canvas.
It didn't need to be in that exact position of the tent, just held open long enough to dry before packed.
My 08 purchase RK 9x12 wall and my awning, are still good.(skirt is a little dirty)
Anyways, that's how I do it, hang it,, let it dry, cold don't matter,, just dry.

 

[Calum]

'morning,

Similar to what necchi said. If I can't set it up to dry, I have hooks in the basement rafters that correspond to the ridge holes. Used bungies to various things to hold it open. I also have a dehumidifier that was under it, and I set up a stand fan across the basement just to keep air moving.

Especially if you're doing it yourself, keep in mind that wet canvas is heavy canvas. Which becomes very awkward to move - at least for the initial hanging part. Spreading it out isn't so bad.

Good luck!
Mike

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Ok thanks. I have a shed I could maybe hang it in. Or even hang outside it’s always windy here.

 

[LT Joe]

While Civil War reenacting I have had to dry up to 10 tents after rainy weather. I have a deck and hang all the tents open over the railing. I can tell you it can be a lot of work. Let them dry for at least a day in the sun.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Railing is a good idea too. I have a long deck railing.

 

[Gtrubicon]

I hang my canvas tent in the garage for several days, I set up a couple of fans to circulate air.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

You can definitely hang it in a shed, if the sun is out you could move it outside. I have a wall tent that I'm particular about. If it is damp outside when I get home, I suspend it in my shed. I wait for a dry sunny day (if late spring through early fall) and then lay it out on the blacktop of the driveway to heat it up. Then I roll it up and put it away.
Canvas can be stored hanging in the dry as well.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Thanks, if it's frosty I let the sun/wind hit it for awhile before I take my camp down. I might just be overthinking it, but I am very wary of any moisture that might cause an issue.

 

[smo]

I always wait for the canvas too dry as much as possible before taking my tent down, then I always hang it when I return home.

My shop has roll up garage doors and I hang mine from those railings..
Put a fan under it overnight & the next day fold and put away..

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Been there,, wet canvas, is different than, cold canvas with snow on it
In-side drying. Ya gotta hang it. Even while I was in an apt, I rented a garage.

Yep, Yep, Yep,...
I have to hang mine in my basement if the canvas gets wet between Halloween and Easter.

LD

 

[Rifleman1776]

I left mine outside sometime erected, sometimes just laying on ground. It stayed there until enough dry weather dried it. I would often turn over so sun could get to it all. Must have worked. I kept the same lodge for over 20 years with no mold.

 

[nessmuk]

Out here in Tucson, AZ in the summer I lay it out flat in the driveway, go get a coffee and fold it up when the cup is empty.

 

[Fatboyz]

Winter I set mine up in my driveway and put the stove for a day.

 

[Steve Wagner]

Got our tent from the Wall Tent Shop and it came with a mildewcide option. That doesn't mean we pack it up wet, but it does help. We keep the h20 proof fly on and have a good fire the morning we are packing up. We keep the fire going through the night in cold weather anyway. The stove is the last thing to come out before takedown. So far we have been able to exit on clear days and the stove dries the tent out pretty well. It gets rolled up and stored in a rubbermaid trash bin with locking lid. It also helps that the floor flaps are also made of an h20 proof material and don't soak up any moisture from the ground. No problems yet after 5 or 6 trips. Dreading the inevitable downpour exit though.
We also buy a couple bails of compressed straw to set the tent up on and make sure we have a good layer around the perimeter, tucking the flaps into it and not in the dirt. Covering the few inches of straw with a h20 proof tarp and then a canvas one keeps the mud and water at bay and makes for a dry, well insulated and comfy interior. Extra straw thrown around the entry helps and keeps the takedown area clean and dry when breaking camp.

 

[SOLANCO]

Canvas may be PC, but it is not the tent material I would choose today. Modern fabrics are lighter, stronger, quicker to dry and easier to store.

 

[Steve Wagner]

Canvas may be PC, but it is not the tent material I would choose today. Modern fabrics are lighter, stronger, quicker to dry and easier to store.

Agreed mostly, but really only "stronger" by weight. A well made, heavy canvas wall tent is pretty bullet proof and it does hold heat better than its modern counterparts. And a wall tent with a wood stove is downright luxurious in freezing weather/hunting season. The right wood stove can keep you toasty well below zero with a light sleeping bag. Especially on a cot.
Canvas wall tents are not pc in MT. Pretty much the norm for hunting tent camps.
When in doubt, order the next bigger stove above the recommended size for the tent you order. Less loading and more heat.
Not really worth the effort, though, unless you have at least a few nights to base camp. Takes about an hour plus for 2 to set up completely. Also sturdy enough to hang up and dry wet clothing etc. A soaked coat etc. hung by the stove will be dry in the morning.
I am with you, though, for warmer weather. We use modern tents in the summer and when moving around to different campsites. Modern tents have come miles.
We camp in the wilderness and never in campgrounds. Using straw, like I mentioned, requires certified, weed free straw which is fine to leave behind in MT. Not sure about leaving it in campgrounds because we avoid them like the plague. SW

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Good info guys thanks. I’m actually going to try a diamond shelter this year too so I can be near the campfire. If it works I may even do a winter one with it too. Daring for a guy in his late 60’s.
Provided there’s no grizz tracks near camp…

 

[Steve Wagner]

Good info guys thanks. I’m actually going to try a diamond shelter this year too so I can be near the campfire. If it works I may even do a winter one with it too. Daring for a guy in his late 60’s.
Provided there’s no grizz tracks near camp…

You can do it. I'm 66. Cots are big for us old guys because you wake up with something to sit on. Grandkids get the floor.
SW

 

[Polecat_Tom]

I hung my tipi from the floor joist in my basement. The only problem was, the next day the whole house smelled of smoke but the tipi was dry.