Canvas Tents

Heavy Duty Canvas Tents For Camping

HEFTY CANVAS | RAINPROOF | WOOD STOVE COMPATIBLE  | FIRE RETARDANT | MOLD RESISTANT

View our Canvas TENT SELECTOR GUIDE

Our Life inTents rugged canvas tents are built to last. From the hefty 11.5 oz. canvas to the fully enclosed floor. Our fire retardant and waterproof tents are spacious, easy to carry, set-up and transport. Both our Stella stargazer model or the Fernweh are tall walled tents. All include a built-in stove jack, poles, pegs, and guy line ropes to head out on your camping adventure. The best canvas tents for glamping, hunting, picnics, family camping, group road trips or your backyard parties. 

30-month warranty and FREE SHIPPING from Portland, Oregon USA. 

Luxury Tents Made Of Canvas

We didn't cut any corners while creating our LiT canvas tents. Our thick cotton canvas weighs in at a 11.5 ounces per square yard (390 gsm). This fabric makes our tents more durable and insulated than any other tent on the market. 

Our canvas is also treated to be waterproof, mildew resistant and fire retardant. You'll also notice that our tents even features a unique outer wall post system that helps to maintain the form and function of our tall walls.

In addition to the quality canvas, each tent comes with durable hardware. All of the poles are made of galvanized steel, the guy line ropes are thick and reflective, our ground stakes are sharp and strong and all of the zippers are sourced from SBS.

Benefits of Canvas Tent

Advantages with using a canvas tent:

1. 100% Cotton canvas tents are breathable - meaning that they won't get as stuffy as nylon or a polycotton tent. The cotton fabric is tightly woven, but the fibers allow moisture from sweat, humidity and cooking to escape so your tent won't turn into a sauna.
2. These tents are tougher. Canvas has a higher breaking point and is harder to rip. These tents also will perform much better in strong winds.
3. These tents can be easily repaired with needle and thread, giving them a longer lifespan.
4. Our tent provides better insulation to help keep you cooler in the sun of summer and warmer in the winter.
5. You can put a stove in it to keep you warm - assuming the canvas is fire retardant. Canvas also makes for installing a stove jacks more possible.

CANVAS Tents Size Comparison 

Why Choose Canvas for tents?

The durability and beauty of canvas are the primary reasons that those spending longer periods of time sleeping outdoors choose them. But there are many other benefits of selecting canvas as your tent fabric of choice:

• Water Resistance: Water actually causes the cotton fibers to expand, seal and lock together with one another.

• Durability: Cotton fabric is tough, making it more difficult to rip and tear.

• Heat & Humidity Control: Tiny particulates between the cotton weaves allow condensation, and summer heat, to escape from the tent.

• Sustainability: Cotton canvas can easily be repaired with simple patchwork avoiding a fate in taking up costly space in the county dump.

• Winter friendly: When properly equipped with a stove jack exit, you can add a wood burning stove to tents to heat these puppies up. Just make sure that your tent is certified as being fire retardant.

• Elegance: Natural canvas tents just look dang great. 

Are the canvas wall tents easy to setup?

Due to their simple design of 2 poles and multiple pegs, a 16' or smaller camping tent can be set-up by in under 20 minutes - the second time (faster with a friend). Check out the article on our resource page that illustrates this setup process. 

How do you heat a canvas bell tent?

Our canvas tent fabric is fire retardant to add peace of mind when heating up our canvas bell tents during all 4-seasons. These camping tents include a ceiling stove jack to help easily install a various sizes of wood burning stoves. Propane or radiant heaters are also other good options. Remember to use a fireproof mat and monitor the CO2 levels while you sleep.

How well do these tents perform in the wind?

These durable tents can withstand gusts of 50 mph, thanks to their unique shape and structural supports. Just make sure that the guy lines, poles and tent stakes are all properly in place.

How to choose the right canvas wall tent for your needs?

You should consider how often you will be personally using the tent. If you’ll be using the tent on a regular basis, a canvas wall tent or a bell tent are both your best bet. If you’ll only be using occasionally, a bell tent might be a better option because they are much easier to take down and setup. Also consider how many people will need to sleep inside and how much gear or furniture you may require. A smaller canvas pup/a-frame tent could be an option for shorter road trips. Finally you will need to consider the cost, canvas tents are more expensive, the larger the size.

How do you clean these tents?

1st try to dry-scrub the stain with brush. Next you can try mild soap. Our go-to product for this is using Iosso Stain Remover to clean tough stains on a tent. After cleaning, you may need to apply canvas treatment to add back a protective barrier to your tent.

How long will a canvas wall tent last in the wild?

Tents that are set-up for a several weekend uses a year can easily last 15-20 years (if you take great care). The life of canvas tents that are kept up for 3+ months at in a row per year will significantly differ. Humidity, location & maintenance all will factor in. To give your tent the longest lifespan for long-term use we suggest a fly cover and setting it up on a platform or a bed of crushed rock.

How do your canvas tents perform in the snow?

The canvas bell tents can be used throughout the year. Our canvas is waterproof and durable. Using a bell tent in snow requires extra care. Just a couple of inches of heavy snow on it can add 2000 lbs. of weight to the center pole - causing excess stress. Keeping a heater in the camping tent during snowfall will help snow to melt. Brushing off the snow also helps. If the tent is not monitored when it snows, it could cause the center pole to bend - or worse.

Do you have these used tents for sale?

Sometimes we do, just ask! You can find our inventory of used and clearance canvas tents to buy in our shop. Feel free to ask us for more details anytime.

Do you sell Canvas Wall Tents?

Yes, we sell Eena safari tents. These canvas wall tents are hand made in the USA by Beckel Canvas. 

Are canvas tents good in the rain?

These canvas tents are beautiful, comfortable, and durable even in tough weather conditions. However, without proper treatment, canvas material is not 100% waterproof — many find this out the hard way once the water has already damaged their tent, which can be a costly and unpleasant discovery. Our tents are certainly waterproof!

Do you need a rain fly for a tent?

If your canvas tent is treated to be waterproof, then you do not technically need a rain fly. However a rain fly is always recommended to reduce canvas maintenance and extend the life of your camping tent. The fly cover will prevent sap, bird dropping, leaves, and caterpillars from coming in contact with the canvas. Plus the fly will help keep slow down damage from continuous UV rains and rain wear at tear. Oh, and a fly cover will reduce the internal temperature of your tent on hot picnic days.

Do canvas tents get condensation inside?

When the internal warm air of a canvas circulates and comes in contact with cooler tent fabric, condensation will occur. This fortunately canvas is breathable to help minimize this, however in humid climates you'll want to encourage air circulation or even consider running a dehumidifier.

Do you sell other types of tents?

There are many different types of canvas tents to consider when looking for more durable camping tent. Popular styles include wall tents, safari tents, teepees, cabin tents, spring bar tents, yurt tents, a-frame tents, military tents and of course bell tents. We currently sell 2 styles of canvas tents: bell tents and smaller A-frame tents. Choosing the right tent for you depends on the style, usage, number of campers and budget.

What is Canvas?

Let’s start here. Canvas is a heavily woven material made out of cotton or hemp. Because of its durability and sturdiness, it is widely used for making sails, backpacks, art displays, shoes, and of course canvas tents. It is made by performing a “plain weaving” pattern that tightly connects cotton threads together. If you are looking for the strongest weave of canvas, then reach for duck canvas (duck comes from the Dutch word doek, meaning cloth), as it will provide the greatest durability.

ABOUT LIFE INTENTS

We believe in Camplete Campassion. This serves as a compass for our mission, which is to share JOY, COMFORT, and CONNECTION. This exists in our business through the mindful design and supply of canvas tents that are comfortable, functional, and durable. Our canvas bell tents are created to connect people with the outdoors and to each other, to spark joy, and to provide peaceful, comfortable shelter. We believe that intention + action makes a difference.