What is the best tent fabric?

I What Are Tent Fabrics Made Of?

1Polyester Tents 

Polyester is probably the most common material for tent fabrics. It can be found in almost all affordable car camping tents but also in some backpacking tents. 

It is much more lightweight than cotton or canvas. This makes polyester tents much easier to transport but also flimsier and noisier in windy conditions. They are also easier to maintain than cotton or canvas. But you’ll likely see more condensation build up in your tent since the material is not really breathable. You can pick tents with good ventilation to mitigate this issue.

Another downside of polyester is that it provides minimal insulation, so don’t expect a 3-season polyester tent to keep you warm and cozy on a 30-degree night. You’ll need a heater in that case. During the summer, don’t be surprised if you feel warmer inside the tent since the small space traps heat and the fabric won’t help block the heat.

While polyester is generally durable, fabric strength varies at different deniers. Denier is essentially a measure of how thick or dense the fabric is. A higher denier usually translates into stronger fabrics. Most tents will be in the range of 75D to 150D.

Polyester also doesn’t absorb water, so it won’t shrink or expand in heavy rain. But that doesn’t mean it’s waterproof by itself. In fact, rainwater can still seep through the gaps between those fibers, which leads me to…

Polyurethane (PU) coating is usually applied to polyester tents to make them more water-resistant. It is the cheapest coating and therefore the most common in budget-friendly tents. Many brands have cool names for their coated polyester, like Coleman WeatherTec and Outwell Outtex Select.

But this water-resistant coating can deteriorate over time due to exposure to the sunlight. To make it last longer, you can collapse your tent every day after you get up in the morning and set it up again when you get back to your campsite. But I know we all get lazy sometimes, and even I myself haven’t been doing this every time. 

2 Nylon Tents

Nylon tents are also very common. As a man-made fabric, Nylon has a lot in common with polyester and has similar advantages over cotton or canvas. It’s lightweight, easy to pack, and easy to maintain but not insulated or breathable.  

But nylon is more lightweight than polyester and thus more common among backpacking tents. Nylon is generally stronger and stands up better to wear and tears. This means a nylon tent can have the same durability and strength as a polyester tent but with less material, making it lighter. Take these Naturehike tents for example. The 3-person nylon tent weighs about half a pound less than the polyester ones.

Nylon is also not waterproof by itself, but it can be mixed with silicone (the technical word here is “impregnate” but who knows what that means) to create something called SilNylon. The silicone makes the fabric highly waterproof and stronger. This treatment is not available on polyester fabrics. 

Due to these differences, nylon tents are usually more expensive than polyester tents. Again in this Naturehike ultra-light series, the price difference is about $50. 

3 Cotton or Canvas Tents

To make things clear, cotton and canvas tents are essentially the same since the canvas is mostly made from cotton. After reading about nylon and polyester, you can probably guess what the pros and cons of the canvas are. Canvas tents are mostly used for glamping or “luxury” camping nowadays due to their great comfort but heavyweight. 

Canvas offers much better insulation than synthetic fibers. It actually keeps you warm on a cold and windy day but cool on a very hot day. It’s significantly more comfortable than most tents for this reason alone. 

The bulk and weight of canvas tents make them harder to carry around and practically useless for backpackers. But you can’t deny that they will be more sturdy on a windy day — no more bent poles or annoying noises from flapping tent fabrics.

4 Poly-cotton Tents

As the name suggests, poly-cotton combines polyester and cotton. The Roben HydroTex Polycotton fabric is an example of this, with 65% polyester and 35% cotton. It’s marketed as something that has the best of both worlds, but I think it’s more of a compromise in the “middle”. It’s more insulated and breathable than a regular polyester tent, but it would also be bulkier. 

II Which Tent Fabric is the Most Waterproof? 

This was the first question that came to my mind when I started looking into what tents are made of. After all, being soaked during my sleep doesn’t sound like a pleasant experience. 

The answer is that the fabric itself doesn’t determine how waterproof it is — the coating and seams do. Let me explain. 

There’s a waterproof rating measured in millimeters universal across all tents. Here’s an idea of what you can expect at each rating:

1 1000mm, lowest level to be considered waterproof, best used only in rain showers

2 1500mm – 3000mm, most appropriate for summer camping, can handle most wind and rain

3 3000mm+, usually on 3- or 4-season tents that can withstand substantial snow and heavy rain. This Coleman tent is right at 6000 mm.

While one layer of PU coating is 100% waterproof, tents with higher waterproof ratings have at least 2 – 3 layers to account for potential wear and tear. They are also more reinforced at the seams so that there’ll be fewer leaks.

III Main Tent Fabrics: Nylon Vs. Polyester

You will find tents made of various fabrics. They can be natural or human-made. However, two synthetic materials are the most common in tents, and they are Nylon and Polyester.

1 Nylon Fabric

Nylon is the most common material that is used in making tents. It is a standard fabric for the production of outdoor products, be it tents or even parachutes. Nylon is famous because of its strength, abrasion resistance, and because of its low price.

 A Nylon Fabric is highly flexible. Its ability to stretch is what makes this fabric so strong. The flexibility offered makes it less likely to tear while the camp is being set up. However, this flexibility can also result in the wrinkling of the fabric in the future, thus limiting the lifespan of the tent. To overcome this limitation, we also offer ripstop nylon, which is a great choice for backpacking. It is the lightest and the most convenient material available. It’s the best hiking tent in Australia. You can check out the model we offer, Illumina X -1.35kg Ultralight Hiking Tent. It is lightweight and made of ripstop fabric. It is available in Amber and Forest Green colors and is a waterproof nylon tent fabric. The fabric has multiple advantages and will be a great choice for you as it is suitable for sun, mild snow, and rain. 

B Nylon is the most abrasion material that one can find. Therefore, it does not wear out as other fabrics do; it is very useful for places where the pole meets the tent floor. In most fabrics, under such circumstances, these areas begin to weaken and tear. However, nylon fabric manages to stay strong throughout this. 

C Nylon fabric is the lightest material one can find. This advantage makes it popular amongst minimalist campers and backpackers. In addition, nylon is very easy to maintain and doesn’t require much preparation for setting up camp. 

2 Polyester

A Even though polyester has less strength than nylon, the newer textiles have lately improved their strength and are even getting more lightweight than before. 

B Polyester has less stretch than nylon which acts as an advantage because it manages to have higher stability. 

C Polyester will retain its shape even after getting wet. It is more aesthetically appealing as compared to nylon tents.

D As it is thicker and heavier than nylon, it becomes more durable. It is a better choice as hiking tents in Australia when the weather is rough. So if you’re an all 4 season camper, then this might be a great choice for you. 

E Unlike nylon, polyester is more resistant to UV rays. Because of its thickness, polyester can manage harmful rays better.

IV Nylon vs. Polyester tent - Where to use this product?

As it is a 4 season tent, it can be used under all weather conditions. The fabric. It has amazing waterproof that makes it fit during summers. Cycling, overnight hiking, base camping, all can be done with this tent.

Overall, we can say that nylon is an excellent choice because of the flexibility it offers and its strength-to-weight ratio. And polyester is best known for its waterproof ability and its resistance to rough weather. 

Both these fabrics are cost-effective and should definitely be considered when looking for camping tents. Some nylon tents might even be stronger than Polyester and vice versa. It all comes down to personal taste and customized needs to help you decide which one suits you best. Hence, it is recommended to look at their specifications and reviews to learn about the reliability of those tents. Many might consider nylon to be better because of its lightweight and convenience, while others prefer polyester for group camping and colder months. 

Both these fabrics are true of high quality. You can decide which one you want based on the pros and cons, and once you do, you can happily look forward to exciting camping adventures.

V Conclusion

Both these fabrics are cost-effective and should definitely be considered when looking for camping tents. Some nylon tents might even be stronger than Polyester and vice versa. It all comes down to personal taste and customized needs that will help you decide which one suits you best. Hence, we recommend you to look at their specifications and reviews to learn about the reliability of those tents. Many might consider nylon to be better because of its lightweight and convenience, while others prefer polyester for group camping and colder months. 

Both these fabrics are genuine of high quality. You can decide which one you want based on the pros and cons, and once you do, you can happily look forward to exciting camping adventures! 

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