Classic vintage CANVAS TENTS

[Nighthawk]

http://www.snowtrekkertents.com/

P.S. Be sure to check out http://www.wintertrekking.com/

NH

 

[DesertDan]

When I was involved in medieval re-creation I knew many people that had Pather Pavillions tents and all of them were well made and very durable.

http://www.pantherprimitives.com/

 

[shortbow]

Yep, Panthers have a great reputation. Saw lots on the Rondyvoos circuit and later in cowboy action shooting. Real nice stuff.

 

[kampkatz]

Our local scout camp has utilized Panther tents.

 

[nobodyspecial]

try these guys
http://www.tentsmiths.com/

 

[Edward]

Hi Paddy,

I would look for an original of I were you. I have a couple of wartime bell tents, bought for a donation to a scout troop funds. Granted, they will not last as long as a modern reproduction, but, most military tents had a rot proofing applied to the canvas, and in the 14 years of continual use of mine the only problem I have found is the guy lines rotting, so, for the price of new ones, they have been very cheap tents!

Where to get them though is difficult, scout troops do still have them, although be warned bell tents are not small tents when folded, and would need something s little bigger than the MX 5, I certainly can not fit mine in the Riley.

They also take two people to put up, a lot of troops are now getting rid of the canvas patrol tents. These are the ones in the light green canvas. These are good tents, much lighter than the earlier canvas, and much easier to put up.

I have a period tent catologue that I will scan when I have time.

Kindest Regards

Ben

Ben... light green... I wonder are you referring to the same style of tents as we used in Scouts - we called them 'Icelandics'? Maybe 12 feet long by seven wide, if memory serves, slept about six? Separate ground sheet, single thickness canvas, no flysheet (though I *think* I can remember seeing a kitchen shelter of the same stuff used as a flysheet once). Awkward things to transport purely down to size - you'd need a car, and not something you could carry hiking - but great tents once up. You just had to be sure not to touch the walls in the wet, and to avoid (and here I speak from bitter experience) inadvertently sticking your legs out under the sidewall on a wet night, or you'd wake up soaked.... lol

 

[FRASER_NASH]

Shhh the old canvas scout tents. Happy and soggy memories. Maybe not the best first intro to camping but I stuck with it for the freedom feeling and escape from modern stresses.

 

[PADDY]

Here it is folks. Very little to do to it, but I'll do a few cosmetic things over the winter, such as wooden pegs and a few little patches. Dated 1943!!

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[PADDY]

And another shot of the stamps.

[/IMG]

 

[chanteuseCarey]

here it is folks. Very little to do to it, but i'll do a few cosmetic things over the winter, such as wooden pegs and a few little patches. Dated 1943!!

EXCELLENT, Paddy!!!!

 

[shortbow]

Thanks for the look back, Paddy, my four brothers and I had one each. MANY nights spent camping in those. They are great tents, wish I still had mine. We bought them from El Paso Army Surplus in the Sixties.

 

[PADDY]

Over this winter I'll be reproofing it. Getting a matching groundsheet cut from old proofed canvas, and also souring some nice wooden pegs, all looking towards spring/summer camping.
Also got to collect a Brit Officer's campbed. Full of character eh!!

 

[DanielJones]

Back when I was doing the American Mountain Man thing I had made my own two pole tent or lean-to. It involved of course, two poles and one cloth, maybe two if you want a ground cloth inside. You had a few pegs and some lengths of rope to hold it all together. I used that thing in the winter with another canvas & blankets as a sleeping bag. Super warm. The canvas was bought at a hardware store and was fairly large. The water proofing was a 50/50 mix of Coast to Coast water seal and linseed oil. pumped it through a paint gun and voila, a water tight and mildew resistant tent. Of course you had to apply the mixture every season but it worked very well and once it dried had no odor at all. The Coast to Coast brand of water seal I had found was way better than Thompson's and lasted far longer. Unfortunately I don't think that stuff is around any more.

I knew plenty of guys that also had the Panther Primitives tents as well as tents from Tentsmiths. Very well made products for sure. For those that had the wall tents they kept them warm with the Four Dog stoves in the winter and you can cook on them too.

Anyway, I know you got what you were looking for but I thought I'd input for others that might want to try something different.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[PADDY]

Thanks Dan, I'm always 'open' to ways/suggestions of increasing that outdoor experience, and I appreciate there are fellows out there with different experiences they can share on kit..etc.

 

[Austerityaudio]

I have been using a mix of original and Repro tents for 15 years or so now, I dont own a modern tent and would say a good canvas one is much better, We have this year been using 2 repro Bell tents from http://www.canvastentshop.co.uk/ we had a slight issue with the main pole of one but they sorted it very quick, Vintage camping is so much fun and with the right bits can be very comfy! (Not my tent, this is the officers, im normally on the floor of the Bell tent :0

 

[Jish1969]

Occasionally the Sportsman's Guide gets some vintage Russian military tents in but I haven't seen any lately. Here is a modern one sold by them, but it costs a pretty penny and looks far too white for my liking...

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/guide-gear-10x12-canvas-walls-and-roof.aspx?a=686904

 

[PADDY]

Gents (UK Based) - where can you recommend I source some heavy duty canvas that will blend in with the vintage canvas of my 1943 tent? I'll be using it as a ground sheet, so I'll be after a 2m x 2m piece. Places in the UK that fit the bill and are reasonably priced would be welcome.
I need some tenting therapy this spring!

 

[MPicciotto]

I don't know about your side of the pond. But over here the big box home improvement stores regularly have tarpaulins that are a close match in color and weave to Commonwealth yellow/khaki tentage of WW2.

Matt

 

[Doc Smith]

I'll join in with those recommending Panther Primitives. The 14'x16' wall tent I bought from them in 1991 is still in service for a yearly SCA event, as is the 10'x10' wall tent I bought from them in 1997. (I also had a 7'x8' wedge tent from them, but sold it off in 1996 to someone who was still single.) Knock the mud off and let it dry before you store it--preferably off the cement in a reasonably dry location--and a canvas tent can last well over a decade.

 

[Renault]

I have purchased canvas from both Panther Primitives and Tentsmiths. They both offer top quality. I have a Tentsmiths 9 x 9 wall tent that is 25 years old! Bought from them before they were tentsmiths. Two years ago I painted it a khaki color, with a water based exterior latex cut with more water. Worked our fine. Still in the field. (Pic posted in the "New Safari Party" thread). Saving now for one of their 12 x 15 wall tents, to upgrade my safari kit. . If you live in warmer climates I heartedly recommend a door on both ends to catch a much appreciated breeze!

Renault Sahib