Tent canvas

Tent canvas

Types of tent fabric

When you are looking to buy a new tent, you quickly notice that there are different types of tent fabric, each with their own specific advantages and disadvantages. We will explain the most common types of fabric and the advantages and disadvantages of these different types of tent fabric.

Cotton tent fabric

Cotton is a material that is particularly suitable for making tents, especially if the living environment inside the tent and its durability are important. Pure cotton is a very durable material which has a high level of breathability. Cotton is also very resistant to the UV radiation from sunlight, which is actually the main cause of the deterioration of canvas in general. A cotton tent can last a very long time. More thickness of the canvas relates to a longer lifespan. Due to its breathability, this fabric is ideal for use in warmer conditions.

A tent made from a cotton fabric does not need a coating to make the tent waterproof (the fabric closes automatically when it rains). This absence of a coating gives a high level of breathability, warm air can simply escape through the canvas. This is very nice to feel when you walk into of your tent on a hot summers day. This breathability also ensures that there is very little condensation inside the tent. The moisture in the air escapes through the fabric and does not cause condensation as is the case with coated tents. Furthermore, cotton has a high level of shade, which is nice when it gets light early on summer days. Cotton absorbs more water than  other types of cloth and therefore stays wet a little longer than other types of fabric. Because cotton is a natural product that has to be grown and picked, it is a more expensive material to use than most synthetic materials.

Polyester-cotton tent fabric (Technical Cotton, TC)

Polyester cotton is a mix of cotton and polyester. Usually, it is a ratio of 35% cotton and 65% polyester. The cotton in the fabric provides breathability, the polyester makes the fabric light and quick to dry. Polyester-cotton (TC) has a coating which makes it waterproof. To distinguish between coated TC and uncoated TC, the term Breathable Technical Cotton (BTC) is used. TC is less breathable, BTC has a higher level of breathability. Nowadays TC tents are no longer coated, so you can assume that every TC tent is breathable. The abbreviation BTC is still used, but is actually superfluous. Uncoated TC is of course also waterproof.

Polyester tent fabric

Polyester is a plastic fiber which is mainly used in lightweight tents. Polyester does not absorb moisture, so the tent dries quickly. To make the tent waterproof, a coating is required. This coating ensures that rainwater remains outside, but it also works the other way around: the condensation water inside the tent cannot get out. The tent fabric does not breathe, and will certainly be sensitive to condensation during colder nights. Good ventilation is therefore recommended. Polyester stretches less than nylon when wet, so it will need to be stretched less often.

Nylon tent fabric

Nylon is even lighter than polyester. This material is therefore widely used for real lightweight tents by cyclists and hikers. It is also stronger than polyester, and very flexible. The fibers want to stretch in wet weather, which can cause the tent to sag. It is more sensitive to UV radiation than polyester. Usually, more expensive nylon tents have a silicone layer on the outside. This silicone reflects the UV radiation, making the tent last longer.

The choice of the tent fabric is therefore largely determined by what you will do with the tent and under what conditions you will be camping.

The water column

Polyester and nylon tents have references to the water column (hydrostatic head or HH in English). The water column gives an indication of the waterproofness of a tent, and thus about the thickness of the coating used. Originally, the water column was determined by clamping a new piece of tent fabric underneath a tube, and then filling this tube with water. It was then checked how many mm of water there was in the tube before the tent fabric started leaking. Fabric can be waterproof from 1500 mm. Still, with a strong European downpour you need more than a water column of 1500 mm. Usually, the water column of a tent is 3000 to 4000 mm, but there are brands that use a thicker coating, and therefore have a water column of 5000 to 6000 mm.

Although the water column is actually the only way to compare the watertightness of different tents, there is a slight problem to consider. One brand gives up the water column of the fabric of a new tent (when the coating is new, the water column will be high), other brands indicate a slightly lower water column, but guarantee this for the lifespan of the tent. After several years of use, packing and unpacking a few dozen times, the coating will be somewhat worn and the water column will decrease.

In general, the groundsheet of a tent has a thicker coating and the water column will often be 10,000 mm. This is because much more pressure is exerted on the groundsheet. When you're standing on wet ground, you don't want the water to be squeezed through when you lean on the groundsheet with your knee or elbow. For a groundsheet, 5000 mm water column is the absolute minimum.