How do you care for a canvas bell tent?
Just like anything worth owning, it's a good idea to invest some time into maintaining your canvas tent. Canvas has many upsides and we believe, the ultimate tent material for car camping but it does require some extra care to keep it in the best condition.
The first thing you should do on receiving your tent is season the canvas...
Seasoning or weathering your tent
Why do I need to season my tent?
Seasoning (aka ‘weathering’) a canvas tent is an important process for getting your tent water-tight and ready for a long life of camping. Canvas tents are made from cotton or a cotton-poly blend which is cut into panels and these panels are sewn together using thread. The thicker the canvas the harder it is for the sewing machine needles to penetrate the canvas (especially at the seams where there is a double layer). With thick canvas, factories need to use high pressure, high tension settings for their machines to sew the seams. This process leaves hundreds of tiny holes which are larger than the thread that it contains which means when the seams are initially exposed to water there can be some leakage.
Do not despair. This is completely normal and in almost all cases will diminish with seasoning.
Cotton and thread expand and shrink after being wet and then dried, so seasoning canvas is simply a way of speeding up this natural process of making your tent watertight. We recommend setting your tent up and then hosing it down, or even better using a sprinkler to wet it continuously for long periods (you may need to move the sprinkler around the tent). This is a good way to emulate rainfall. Run your sprinkler as long as it takes to saturate the canvas thoroughly and then using the hose pay particular attention to the seams. After drying the tent out, you should repeat the process at least two more times. If you have a Homecamp Bell Tent or similar, then we advise zipping off the floor turning the tent inside out and seasoning it again. If your tent is a manageable size, you could potentially soak it in a bath for a few hours. Once this has been done, your canvas tent is now seasoned and will be watertight and ready for camp!
Warning: make sure your tent is 100% dry inside and out before packing away - if it's wet inside then turn the tent inside out to dry out.
Final notes: There may be slight ongoing issues with leaky seams, if the problem persists and you have seasoned your tent correctly then we suggest using a seam sealer. Outdoor stores will usually have a range, from wax sticks (the old school way) to more modern seam sealants such as Iosso brands.
Prevent Mould and Mildew
The number one rule for caring for canvas is to never put the tent away wet or damp as this will attract the growth of mould or mildew which is difficult to remove once it has set in. Our canvas is quick-drying and even just a little sun and a breeze will dry out the tent. If it's pouring with rain and you need to leave your campsite we recommend loosely folding the tent for transport and once you have returned to a dry space, then unfold the tent and leave it in sunlight (or dry, warm environment) to air out (there is no need to pitch the tent). Once the tent is thoroughly dry you can pack it away in its storage bag.
Cleaning your tent
Once you are ready to pack down your tent then we recommend sweeping out the tent prior to pack down. Clean off any dirt or vegetation on the outside of the tent as this could encourage mould. As you fold the tent into a roll for storage clean off any dirt or debris as you go with a towel. Use a soft brush to remove any dry dirt or vegetation. If your tent is particularly dirty, then hose down the tent and spot clean with a mild detergent such as castile soap or a mix of water and vinegar (4 part water 1 part vinegar). Invest in decent canvas cleaning products such as IOSSO in case your tent attracts mould.
Storage
Tents should be stored in a dry, non-humid, environment well away from any potential vermin. If you live in a particularly humid climate then it might best to store your tent indoors or invest in a dehumidifier for your storage area. There are anti-mould gel packs available from companies such as All State that can be stashed in your tent bag to discourage mould from developing.