Types of Canvas.

Today we are going to go discus Canvas. Canvas generically refers to any item (mainly tents) made out of, you guessed it, canvas. Canvas is a firm closely woven cloth usually of linen, hemp or cotton. In my opinion, the best tents are Canvas tents. They are strong, durable and down right rugged. Now of course if you are trying to back pack go nylon. My wall tent weighs 49 pounds dry and that’s not counting the poles and irons. The problem with canvas tents is when it gets wet you have to hang it to dry, (Like all tents) but it takes forever to dry (Unlike nylon). (ex Last year at Fort Koshkonong it rained the entire weekend. I had three pieces of canvas hanging in my basement and stairwell for a week.)

There are different types of canvas tents.

Baker: This tent is like a lean-to except that it has a back wall. These are often mistaken for lean-tos. On a historical note, there is much debate over the historical accuracy of these tents prior to the 1880’s. Many events no longer allow them on site. On a personal note, these things are a pain in the butt to set up. I refuse to assist in setting one up anymore due to the labor-intensive style in which they need to be set up.

Diamond Shelter: Also known as a plow point. This is nothing more then a square piece of canvas that has two conjoined sides staked to the ground while the corner on the open section is suspended in the air by a pole or tree. A single pole in the middle holds up the center. These are very basic tents and the owner is exposed to the elements, as there are no sidewalls on the suspended side. Usually only ducks and the mentally ill use these tents at events.

Fly: A flap of canvas that can be hung in front of a tent in order to provide shade or shelter from rain. (In this case it isn't the front of someone's pants!) Flies don’t have walls and usually don’t go all the way to the ground. Most tents can be equipped with a fly.

Lean-to: A tent with a roof that slopes in one direction all the way to the ground. It usually has a flap that hangs off the front that works as a door, fly or front wall.

Marquee: A very large tent with walls that detach. Merchants and vendors, to sell their wares out of, generally use these tents. These come in sizes up to 20feet by 30 feet with up to a 13-foot peek. Marquees also generally have between 8 to 30 side poles along the edge to hold up the walls.

Wall Tent: These are a canvas tent with four vertical walls. The front and back walls usually extend up to the peak. The sidewalls extend up to the edge of the “roof” These come in different shapes and sizes. The one I own is approx 12ft long, 10 feet wide with an 8-foot peak and 4-foot sidewalls. I’ve seen them up to 14 feet wide and 18 feet long with an 11-foot peek and 5-foot walls.

Wedge: These are your basic tents, also referred to as an A-frame tent due to the shape. A wedge tent is nothing more then a tent that has two roofs that run from the ground to the peak. Wedges are one of the oldest known tents in history. There are different types of wedge tents. A Typical wedge has a vertical back wall and two door flaps in the front. Some have curved back wall (known as a bell back wedge) that creates extra storage space. Grau’s engineering marvel is a double bell wedge. It has a bell on both ends with doors in the “roof”.

There are many other tents made of canvas; however, these are the most common. For a pictorial sample of them, please see the Fur Trade section of Panther Primitives.