Flysheet

The flysheet

The outer fabric of a tent is the largest and heaviest part of the tent. It largely determines the weight of a tent. Tent designers therefore consciously choose different types of materials for on the one hand large family tents and on the other hand lightweight trekking tents.

The most commonly used materials for flysheets are:

• Cotton
• Cotton-polyester (a mixed fiber of cotton with polyester)
• Polyester
• Nylon

Cotton and cotton-polyester

Tent fabric made of cotton or cotton-polyester has one very unique property: a high level of breathability. Warm air and moisture in the tent can escape through the canvas. This is pleasant for the climate in the tent and it prevents condensation. Cotton is a relatively heavy material.

Polyester and nylon

Polyester and nylon outer tents are lightweight. Nylon is used as a very lightweight tent cloth in the upper segment of trekking tents. Nylon is stronger than polyester and can make the flysheet even thinner. For the other lightweight tents, polyester is the material that is chosen when a tent should be as lightweight as possible.

These flysheets have a coating on them to make a polyester or nylon flysheet waterproof. This coating keeps water out, but also retains condensation and warmth. This makes the flysheet less breathable.