Outdoor Blog
Tent Fabrics 101: Which Material is the Best?

You might think that tents are all the same, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
All of the materials used to make tents are extremely different, which means that they have different advantages and disadvantages. The type of tent you pick depends on what you personally need. Also, there are tents made for single people or families, so you should decide which is the best tent for you!

A quality tent can be all the difference between a good and bad camping trip.
What Materials Are There?
There are many different kinds of tent materials, but some work the best. Many companies now only use certain fabrics to make tents because these fabrics have been proven to work very well.
- Polyester
- Nylon
- Cotton canvas
- Polycotton
- Cuben fiber
As stated previously, all of these fabrics have pros and cons, and learning more about them will help you decide which camping tent is best for you and your lifestyle.
Polyester Tents
Polyester is a synthetic material that has ranging denier ratings. Polyester is better for wet conditions because it doesn’t absorb water like some of the other fabrics. However, polyester doesn’t have good breathability at all. It can be quite a heavy fabric too, so it’s not the best tent for backpacking.
Polyester is a good tent material for cold, wet conditions. You want to be able to keep warm from the outside, and polyester is good at keeping your body heat inside the tent. It’s a very good insulator.
Pros:
- Great UV resistance
- Good durability
- Water-resistant
- Less prone to mildew than canvas
Cons:
- Heavy
- Bad breathability
- Prone to tears
Nylon Tents
Nylon fabric is the most common material that you’ll see when tent shopping. It’s a synthetic material that has a denier rating to tell you its thickness. This material makes a very lightweight tent, which is why it’s typically a backpacking tent.
It’s also very breathable, so you’ll definitely want this type of tent in the hotter months. On the other hand, nylon absorbs water like crazy. If you think it’s going to rain and all you have is a nylon tent, you might want to consider waterproofing it. You could do this with a waterproof fabric coating or some kind of tarp tossed across the tent.
Pros:
- Lighter than canvas and polyester
- Super stretchy
- Dries quickly
- Very breathable
Cons:
- Not very durable
- Absorbs water quickly
- Not great protection from UV rays
Cotton Canvas Tents
This is a natural material tent, and it’s a lot more breathable than synthetic fabrics. Also, it has better UV resistance than the different fabrics. All of this is to say that a canvas tent is the best tent for hot summer days. It’s also a great insulator, so you really can’t go wrong with a canvas tent any time of year.
However, if this tent gets wet, it will start to mildew quickly because it’s very slow to dry. You can try to weather your tent by getting it soaking wet and letting it dry out, and you can actually do this a few times. These tents can also be more expensive than nylon and polyester tents.
Pros:
- Very breathable
- Good water resistance when coated
- Great UV resistance
Cons:
- Very heavy
- Expensive
- Susceptible to mildew
Polycotton Tents
Polycotton is another kind of canvas tent that has the best qualities of cotton and polyester. It’s got the breathability of cotton, which is always very important. It’s mildew resistant because it has that quality from polyester.
However, it got all of the bad qualities from cotton and polyester too. It’s very heavy, so it’s not the best for backpackers. You shouldn’t get this if you’re looking for a lightweight tent. It also is very expensive, so it’s probably not the best for people who are trying to save money.
Pros:
- Very breathable
- Durable
Cons:
- Slightly expensive
- Heavy
Cuben Fiber Tents
Also called Dyneema Composite Fabric, cuben fiber is a new tent material. It’s 100% waterproof, and it has a great strength-to-weight ratio. It’s incredibly lightweight because of this, and that makes it a great backpacking tent. On the other hand, this fabric is outrageously expensive.
And, it is very prone to wear and tear more than the other fabrics. You definitely won’t have a cuben fiber tent as long as you’d have a different kind of tent. If you need a tent with a long lifespan, you probably shouldn’t get a cuben fiber tent.
Pros:
- Completely waterproof
- Strong material
- UV resistant
Cons:
- Damages easily
- Very expensive
- Not as durable as other fabrics
Ripstop Fabrics
Ripstop is a type of fabric that is woven into other materials to make it less susceptible to rips and tears. It makes a kind of square pattern on the different fabrics that it gets woven into. There are only ripstop nylon and ripstop polyester tents.
When it comes to ripstop nylon, it does make your tent stronger. If you get a hole in the tent, it won’t continue to grow bigger and bigger. The ripstop will help the material stay together. However, the fabric is heavier than regular nylon.
Polyester ripstop is virtually the same as nylon ripstop because it has the same material woven into it. The only real difference is that it’s polyester. It’ll prevent tears and big holes, but it’s very heavy. It’s not the best material for backpackers because of how heavy it is.
Fabric Coating
Some tents can have different chemical coatings that add to their performance level. Most coatings will add to UV resistance and water resistance. Some of the coatings can’t be used on all the different fabrics that tents are made of, but it makes the tents better.
The coatings can also add to the cons of the fabrics, so you should choose the best tent coating for you. The coatings are polyurethane, silicon, UPF, and SPF.
Polyurethane Coating
Polyurethane adds to how waterproof the tent is, and it can only be applied to nylon and polyester fabrics. Also, being added to the fabric won’t break the bank because it doesn’t change much about the price. It also doesn’t permeate the fabric; it just sits on top of the fabric.
Because of this, you can put tape on the seams if you need to! This coating does add some disadvantages to the tent too. You need to clean and dry a tent with polyurethane coating very well before putting it up for storage. Also, if a tent with polyurethane coating is exposed to the sun for prolonged periods of time, the chemical bonds will begin to break down.
This will cause the lifespan of your tent to decrease, as well as the water-resistance of the tent.
Silicone Coating
A silicone coating is very popular on nylon tents, and it’s called silnylon. Silicone goes into the nylon fabric of the tent, so it doesn’t allow the seams to be taped because the fabric is very slick. You’ll have to seal the seams by hand with a liquid seam sealant.

The sun can ruin a tent if it doesn’t have the proper coating.
This coating makes the nylon waterproof, and it actually makes water slide right off the fabric. It will also cause the fabric to dry very quickly. While the coating makes the fabric very heavy-duty, it also makes the fabric incredibly thick. It doesn’t have good breathability because of this. It can get very muggy inside the tent.
UPF and SPF Coatings
Two of the other coatings for tent fabrics are UPF and SPF. You might have heard of SPF from sunscreen bottles, and it’s exactly the same thing. It stands for Sun Protection Factor, and UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. They are basically the same thing, but they have a few differences.
The same difference is that SPF is mostly used for sunscreens, and UPF is used for fabrics. UPF coatings will increase the UV resistance of the tent fabric, as well as make it fire retardant. If your tent has a UPF rating of 30 or higher, it will have the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation.
If a tent only has an SPF rating, it isn’t protecting you from the different kinds of UV rays the sun gives off.
What is a Denier Rating?
A Denier rating uses the measurement D to show how thick, durable, and heavy the fabric is. A high Denier number means that the material used to make your tent is high-quality material. Nylon fabric has a low Denier rating, but that’s because of how lightweight it is.
It’s actually very durable. Family tents have very high Denier ratings because of how large they are. They usually have a Denier rating of about 200D to 300D. They can be as low as 150D though. Rooftop tents have a rating between 320D to 400D.
What is Thread Count?
You might recognize the term thread count from buying bedsheets, and you might not really know what it means. It means the number of threads per square inch of fabric, both vertically and horizontally. The higher the thread count (T) is, the lower the Denier rating is.
A higher thread count on bedsheets usually means really soft and high-quality sheets, but that’s not always the case with a thread count in tents. The thread being used matters more than the thread count in tents. A better quality fabric that has a lower thread count might feel softer and higher quality than a low-quality fabric that has a higher thread count.
The fabric that is used matters more than the thread count.
What is Hydrostatic Head?
Hydrostatic Head is a type of measurement that exhibits how waterproof a fabric is. The measurement is HH, and it measures the amount of water in millimeters that can be placed on the fabric before it penetrates the fabric. A rating of about 1000 mm HH means that the fabric is showerproof.
It is considered waterproof if it has a rating of 1500 mm HH to 2000 mm HH. Groundsheets need to have around a 3000 mm HH or higher rating. However, cotton canvas tents don’t have a Hydrostatic Head rating because they use different techniques to keep out water.
The HH rating is meant to rate the fabric used to make the tent, not the tent itself. Most outdoor companies will give Hydrostatic Head ratings on their tents, and they should. If you don’t see a rating on the description of the tent, you might want to get a different tent.
How To Tell How Heavy a Tent Is
The term GSM, grams per square meter, is used to measure the weight of a cotton canvas tent. However, it’s a very complicating thing to understand. Fabric weight typically means how thick the fabric is, and it doesn’t always mean that a higher GSM is a heavy, thick tent.
Most of the time, the higher the GSM, the stronger and heavier the tent is. Many tents range from 300 GSM to 400 GSM.
Final Verdict
The five main tent fabrics all have their advantages and disadvantages. You just have to decide which type of tent is best for your style of camping. If you’re a backpacker, you might want a cuben fiber tent or a nylon tent. If you want to go on a family camping trip, you might want to get a cotton canvas tent so that it’s very breathable with everyone inside of the tent. It all just depends on what kind of camper you are.
If you’re a backcountry hiker and camper, you should really consider getting a tent that has a ripstop fabric sewn into it. It’ll help you not ruin your tent if you accidentally snag it on a branch or tree root that’s sticking out of the ground.
You can find any kind of these tents on Amazon, but you should find a well-known outdoor company like Patagonia, REI, or Columbia because they make quality products. You can get whatever kind of tent you want, and use these points as a guide to help you pick out the perfect tent for you.
Outdoor Blog
Living Life on the Edge: Embracing Adrenaline-Fueled Moments

Life is an adventure, a journey filled with countless opportunities for thrill and excitement. For some, the idea of living life on the edge, embracing adrenaline-fueled moments, is an exhilarating concept that fuels their passion for adventure. This article delves into the world of adrenaline-chasing, highlighting the benefits and experiences of such a lifestyle.
Kitesurfing: Riding the waves of excitement
The first step to living on the edge is stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new. Kitesurfing, a water sport combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, and paragliding elements, is an excellent example of an adrenaline-fueled activity. The activity entails utilizing a sizable maneuverable kite to capture the force of the wind, enabling the rider to traverse the water on a board specifically designed for kiteboarding. There is nothing quite like the exhilaration of soaring through the air, feeling the breeze caress your cheeks, and mastering the art of maneuvering a kite. Kitesurfing is a remarkable adventure that captures the spirit of embracing excitement and pushing boundaries.
The psychological thrill
In addition to the excitement of the tangible experience, embracing a daring lifestyle offers a mental rush that is just as stimulating. Engaging in these activities provides an exhilarating experience that stimulates the production of endorphins, the body’s innate pain relievers. This results in a profound sense of joy and an overwhelming feeling of invulnerability. The thrill of this frenzy can become habit-forming, compelling thrill-seekers to pursue fresh and increasingly demanding adventures consistently.
The benefits of embracing the edge
Embracing a daring lifestyle goes beyond pursuing excitement; it presents many advantages. Participating in thrilling adventures can enhance physical well-being, as numerous pursuits demand robustness, stamina, and skill. Furthermore, they have the potential to enhance one’s emotional well-being by offering a means to alleviate tension and unease. Engaging in these activities demands concentration, which can effectively alleviate mental clutter, resulting in a serene state once the surge of excitement diminishes.
The balance of risk and reward
While living life on the edge can be exhilarating, it’s important to remember the balance of risk and reward. Adrenaline-fueled activities often involve a certain level of risk, and it’s essential to approach them with a healthy respect for safety. Proper training, equipment, and precautions can help mitigate these risks, allowing you to enjoy the thrill without unnecessary danger.
Always research your activities and location. This understanding can help you decide if the risk is acceptable and if you have the skills and equipment. Check and maintain your gear, and never sacrifice safety. Finally, embracing adventure with a responsible and safety-conscious mentality lets you enjoy high-risk activities without risking injury.
Living life on the edge embracing adrenaline-fueled moments, is a lifestyle choice that offers a unique blend of thrill, excitement, and personal growth. Whether kitesurfing across the waves, scaling a mountain, or skydiving from a plane, these activities provide an escape from the mundane, a chance to challenge oneself, and an opportunity to experience life at its most vibrant. So, step out of your comfort zone, embrace the adrenaline, and start living on the edge. After all, life is not meant to be lived in the slow lane; rather, it’s about experiencing every thrilling moment it offers.
Outdoor Blog
Renewable Energy Farms That Make Beautiful Hiking Trails

Wind farms and solar panels are not just alternative means to get our natural resources. They have now combined with another industry and are making some unexpected news.
The tourism industry has marked renewable energy farms as hiking trails, and hikers are here for it. You can read more about renewable energy sites. Although you might not think of hiking on a wind farm as beautiful as hiking along a famous mountain trail, you might just be in for a surprise.
Let’s discuss the benefits that renewable energy farms have as hiking trails.
Why are Renewable Energy Farms Important?
Renewable energy farms are important for the future of civilization. These farms provide an alternative to our natural resources, such as wind and energy.
The most important benefit of renewable energy is that it doesn’t produce any greenhouse emissions and reduces the air pollution other traditional processes create when providing natural resources.
These farms also allow for the creation of the country’s own resources without having to import natural resources from another country and save their limited natural resources.
Here are some of the reasons why energy farms are important:
- Allows for sustainable rural development
This will allow landowners to make an extra income by generating energy.
- Test new technologies
Providing the opportunity to test technologies to find new ways to create renewable energy.
- Improving the effect of climate change
Climate change has left the environment filled with toxic pollutants, which has led people to become sick and breathe in harmful air.
Renewable energy can change this by lessening the number of pollutants that are released into the atmosphere and providing much safer, cleaner, breathable air.
- This leads to job creation
Job creation within the renewable energy farms industry is plentiful as there is a need for skilled workers such as construction, maintenance and manufacturing to build the necessary infrastructure that is needed to generate these wind and solar farms.
The Benefits of Renewable Energy Farms As Hiking Trails
Renewable energy farms have many benefits for both the environment and people who love spending their time outdoors.
Embracing the Use of Green Technology
Since wind farms and solar plants are located in areas that are unpopulated, they make for great hiking trails.
By visiting these sites, people get to experience green technology, and by integrating them into recreational spaces, people can visit these sites and embrace green technology by seeing how they work and the positive effects that it has on the environment.
The more people embrace the shift to green technology, the easier it will be to use it.
Energy Farms Offer A Unique Experience For Visitors
Visiting energy farms means you will have a unique experience while there. You will get to see how these large devices work and how they replace the basic resources needed to survive.
Tours can give visitors more information on the background of the construction of devices, their environmental impact and why it is important for us to switch to sustainable energy resources.
Visitors Get to Enjoy Natural Beauty
The sites for these renewable energy farms are often located in areas that are surrounded by natural beauty, such as large landscapes.
Natural pathways can be used as hiking trails without the need for carving out new roads and damaging the ecosystem.
Visitors can even discover native plant life and explore the natural wonders that are located at these energy farms, as they are often placed where no infrastructure has been built on the property before.
Providing Health and Wellness Benefits
Hiking has many health benefits, such as reducing stress, improving fitness, and helping aid mental well-being.
Energy Farms have Community Benefits and Increase the Economy
These hiking trails can help boost economic sales, bringing tourists to the community. This will give the local people the opportunity to expand their businesses.
This can also help increase employment within the community as these sites will be visited frequently and lead to new business openings to cater to tourists.
Conclusion
Renewable energy farms greatly benefit both the economy and the people who want to spend their time on them. These farms are especially important for transitioning from natural resources to newer energy resource power plants.
From learning how to embrace green technology to getting health and wellness benefits to enjoying nature’s natural beauty and finding job opportunities within the market.
Spending time on these renewable energy farms can be educational and recreational for anyone who visits them. To find more renewable energy farm hiking trails, you can visit https://outsidebozeman.com.
Outdoor Blog
Top Recommendations for RV Window Maintenance

Much like other sections of your RV, the windows sometimes need a bit of maintenance. It is essential to clean off dirt and insect smudges and also make sure they are adequately sealed to avoid leaks and water harm.
If you have a broken RV window, then you may want to consult Van Isle Glass. However, if you wish to know more about simple measures to ensure your RV windows stay spotless and secure, you are in the right spot! Continue reading below.
Polish Your Windshield Using Ultra-Fine #0000 Steel Wool
Numerous RV enthusiasts have praised the use of the finest grade of steel wool #0000 for removing stubborn bugs and water marks from their windshields. Before proceeding, first test the #0000 steel wool on a small portion of your windshield. Apply it with light, circular motions. Sweep away any remaining steel wool bits with a microfiber towel. Next, spritz the surface with a residue-free glass cleaner and wipe it down with a separate cloth.
Steel wool is also great when used with a spray lubricant for cleaning tires, maintaining grills, starting campfires, and repelling mice. A gentler alternative is cleansing dish pads. These pads are versatile, suitable for cleaning various materials such as wood, porcelain, stainless steel, chrome, painted areas, and glass.
Apply a Sealant to Avoid Leaks
Silicone sealant is effective in stopping leaks in areas like your windshield, RV windows, sunroof, and vents. It penetrates tiny gaps, creating a robust waterproof barrier. Ensure the surfaces are clean before application and do not have old caulk, dirt, oil, and other residues.
Furthermore, clear away any standing water on windows to prevent hard water stains. Make sure the inside of your windows stay dry to avoid condensation and mold build-up. If there is significant condensation on your windows, consider getting a small dehumidifier.
Use Tools to Access Difficult Regions
Using cleaners with long handles can prevent you from straining to clean those distant parts of your windshield. Windshield cleaning tools often feature a lengthy, swiveling triangular head that is ideal for getting into corners and spots difficult to access manually.
Opt for a Residue-Free Glass Cleaner
A high-quality glass cleaner will maintain the clarity of your windows and windshield. A great glass cleaner performs well on both standard and tinted windows, making sure to remove streaks or leftover residue. Another option is a natural concoction of half vinegar and half water, with a touch of lemon essential oil.
Steer Clear of Cleaning RV Windows in Bright Sunlight
A sunny afternoon may feel perfect for washing your RV windows, but the warmth can speed up the drying of the cleaner, resulting in streaks or spots. It is advisable to tackle your RV window cleaning during early morning, late evening, or when stationed in a shaded area for the best outcome.
Endnote
Keeping your RV windows clean and clear is not only about aesthetics, but is also vital for safety. The subtleties in cleaning, like steering clear of the sun and using the appropriate products, play a key role. Adhering to these guidelines will help you maintain a pristine view during your various journeys.
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