I have been researching tents and I keep coming back to the Kodiak tents. It just appears to be a life long tent. My only concern is maintaining the canvas. My fellow southeastern folks will know what I mean when I talk about our fickle weather, especially our humidity during the summer. Have any of you had any trouble keeping the canvas in good shape? Anyone want to give a run down on what steps they take after a trip to store their tent? Thanks
First, congrats on a good choice for a long term tent. I don't have a Kodiak but do have canvas tents. The beauty of a canvas tent is when the cotton gets damp, it swells, sealing the moisture off even more. Obviously getting the tent completely dry before storage is critical. I use the canvas tents for early and late season outings such as fall hunting trips. These invariably incur a little snow so drying is always an issue. Hence, I have a storage room in my basement for the gear, complete with ceiling hanging hooks so I can suspend the tent and let it get completely dry. I also add a space heater so I can get the temp up for a fast thorough dry. I still have an old WWII pup tent and a 40 year old cabin tent and both are still near new.
Care/Instructions » Kodiak Canvas Nice tent selection! The Kodiak is an awesome tent for car campers. You will really appreciate the noseeum mesh on the floor to ceiling windows during those buggy days in the South. Like Grandpa mentioned get that tent dry before storing it. I never plan to leave a site before the sun has had a few hours to dry it out in the morning. Mine gets wiped down inside and out and floor washed and allowed to dry before dismantling it. I also wipe down the bottom as I fold and roll it up. I might let it air out more once I get home if necessary, but my system of letting the sun dry it usually works. I store mine in a dedicated closet along with the rest of my gear inside my home.
Thanks for the information. It makes me comfortable knowing setting up in a basement with heaters/fans is suitable. I try to let things get sun dried but I was concerned about those times when you race home in the rain and it lasts a couple days. This will be my first canvas tent as I am tired of "disposable tents" that keep you cold in the winter and wet in the rain. :tinysmile_fatgrin_t I store stuff in my unfinished basement in lidded plastic tubs. It is nice and dry but it can get a touch humid in the summer. I might toss in some moisture absorbers to counteract any humidity.
I live in the Lowcountry of SC and have had my Kodiak for only 1 year, but so far it has been great. I too had the same worries regarding use and storage afterwards in these humid conditions. Aftter each campout, I set it up on my lawn and wash the exterior down and clean inside and leave it up in the sun for several hours, then I bring it in my garage and put it up with flag pole holders connected to a stable "U shaped" board construction for each tent pole and bungee the corners down. i allow it to dry over a couple of days, sometimes with fans blowing on it. Afterwards I fold it up and put it inside a closet in my house. (BTW re durability- I have had 3 small puncture holes repaired - and the canvas repair has held up well)
Also, I got the kodiak vestibule and a springbar screen accessory and doormat. I like both, but still not sure how practical the screen will be.
I own a Kodiak canvas and just this weekend i went camping for 2 nights. I think people get the idea this is some real thick canvas that will take days to dry but in fact its so well made now its even made light . After the sun comes up with a heavy dew on the tent it only takes a few hours to dry, After a good rain at night it will be dry by noon when the sun is out. I have taken mine home very damp cause in wanted to leave early, i will bring it home a lay it out in my living room with a fan and it will be dry by the next evening. I have camped in mine now 5 trips with a total of 15 days and its still clean as i got it . Dry as a bone inside as well, never have i seen a drop of water in this tent and ive been through some heavy rain storms Enjoy your Kodiak..
I was thinking about that screen of yours a couple of weeks ago. How is it working out? I was surprised at how the view is blocked in your picture here. Is the screen up in that picture? Have you used that set-up in a downpour? My awning needs to be rigged to allow for the rain to run off on the front side or it splashes up quite badly. Back to the beach in a couple of days with the Kodiak to try to figure out how to modify the runoff so any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome. Secondly, my Thermacell works great for Carolina skeeters but nothing works on those noseeums. I was contemplating purchasing some noseeum fabric and using clips to attach it to the awning with strategically placed magnets on the bottom to hold the fabric down. What do you and the others think about this idea?
Judy i had an idea i was going to try to keep the rain from collecting on top of the awning.. Take a adjustable paint roller pole or a shower curtian rod to put between the ground and the awning to make a peak, also put a tennis ball on the top of the pole to not wear thru the canvas. I just dont know if the shower curtian rod would be long enough. When i see if it works i will let you know..
For the humid SE I would consider a nylon version of the same tent. Many of the canvas tent makers now have lighter, more mildew resistant versions of the same tent designs.
The previous pic is of the wing vestibule. I think it would work well in the rain to give some more dry space to use. Yes it blocks the views from the front. I camp with other scout families so thats not a bad thing. The vestibule came with a cross bar that adjusts beteween the awning poles to keep it taut. (this pic is of the springbar screen) I have not tried the screen on a campout in the rain yet. I had to use adjustable tent poles for the awning poles to fit the height of the screen, since kodiak awning poles height is about 1 inch taller than the spring bar screen(there is a pocket the poles fit into to keep the end down). There were mayflies where I camped swarming and they got under and into the netting. I will be camping in march where I expect a lot of no see ums, so I will report back.
Thank you for posting this pic. It is similar to what I was thinking about making myself. How did the bugs get through? I despise biting bugs and coastal camping is full of them! I talked with the Kodiak rep yesterday and he said that those screws that you can place the supporting poles over are a new addition and are not necessary. He said folks are removing them just in case that is how the holes in your canvas were caused. I asked because there have been times when I could not stretch the canvas myself to lift the poles onto them and someone here posted issues with those screws. I have always been careful with sharp points.
The springbar netting zips up in the front and I left it up in the daytime some and the mayflies got between the net and the top of the awning and got trapped. (with a seven year old running in and out it was hard to keep closed) I am interested how it may work with no seeums at dawn and dusk, and mosquitoes. There is a little space at the ground they can enter but overal it may work well, sure worth a try with those midges. Yes the holes i got were from the metal piece for the support poles poking through when I folded the tent last year wrong, once, wont do that again. I have left the pole off the metal guide before and the pole just sinks in the ground slightly. Yes I think I would consider removing them if I was letting someone else, like my son when he is old enough, use my tent in the future. I have made a little foam and duct tape pocket to put them in and I make sure the are external to the folded tent when I pack it up.
I, too, have the Kodiak 10x14. My expected solution (expected, because I haven't tried it yet) to avoid water settling on the awning and flowing back towards the tent and collecting there, is to simply use shorter adjustable awning poles on the awning ends away from the tent. I have already purchased the poles and will have to drill a hole or two to enable me to adjust the height down to where I need it to be, but that is just a formality.
No need for that. Just tilt one of your poles down so that water flows off the side. The water doesn't run back towards the tent. There are some great YouTube videos made about the Kodiak tent (canvas spring-bar type). I roll up the awning if I don't need to be sitting out under it or to keep the windows unzipped.
