Affordable TENT Living: White Duck Canvas Bell Tent PROS AND CONS OF CANVAS TENTS
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- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2024
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Today we are taking a look at the White Duck Canvas Bell Tent! I love canvas tents! Some of the benefits of canvas tents include: simple proven design, warmth, quiet in the wind, very durable, long lasting and repairable.
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Thanks for watching!
A good tent is huge advantage. Just to be able to stand up is definitely an upgrade
Agreed!
Hi Bob! I think it's great that you continue to review tents. A tent can be a gap-stop for someone in crisis. It could save lives. Everyone who needs one, needs the highest quality tent they can possibly get. The only way to know which tents are high quality and which tents are not, is to turn to a trustworthy source who tests and reports on them. I for one appreciate that you do this. Thank you. Good health and happiness to you and yours.
Bob, looking thin young man! ❤
I love this tent! Next time let’s see the inside! 🥰
Probably too dark to film
I am very interested in tent living. I did it many times during my deployments in the Army. We would often live in them for 2-6 months at a time. Is it just me or is Bob's retirement looking good on him? He looks thinner and he is still spitting out good information!
Hope yu R correct and he isn't having health issues. He is a national treasure
Back in the day, we started out with a 2-person canvas tent (pup tent). It and all our gear fit in the trunk of our car. After a couple of, we bought a larger canvas tent. We could stand up in it and we could sleep on cots. Next step was a camper to go on our pickup truck. After a while, that combo was often used to haul our tent and cots! If we were going to spend several days in one spot. In summer, the tent was often far more comfortable. Truck/camper combo was used mostly when staying in a different place every night on a trip.
BTW, I don't have the truck or the camper. I still have that tent, and the canvas 10'x10' "dining canopy" (tarp) we used with it. A 3-season setup that worked well for many years.
My husband and I used to camp in his boy scout pup tent too. 45 years and a bunch of tents later we're ready to go full time. Thinking we'll probably want hard sides and wheels.
I think that would be the perfect combination.
@@debs7411I also had a pup tent. Just hearing that phrase takes me back 45 years, to a life much simpler. I can still hear the wonderful sound of the zipper opening and closing.
One “pro” you didn’t mention about canvas tents is that they have a distinctive canvas cloth smell that will forever say, ”camping with Dad” to me. I always loved that smell. When it’s mixed with campfire smoke it’s even better. I can close my eyes and imagine the smell so clearly - and I’m instantly a little kid again. Yeah, canvas tents are a little more work, but taken care of properly, they will last forever and they definitely feel like, “Home”.
Aww… sweet memories.
Also, the military and law enforcement uses canvas tents, not nylon.
Canvas tents are 4- season, most nylon/polyester tents are 3-season. A 4-season nylon/polyester tent costs as much as a canvas tent.
If you are living out of a car I recommend an Australian canvas swag as a way of making a comfortable bed. It takes from 30s-60s to set up. The sleeping system remains in the swag, they generally don’t require tent pegs. They can also be set up within a van on a stretcher reducing the area that requires heating during a winters night. Great job on the white duck bell tent, they are an excellent choice
We have several nylon tents and one vintage canvas tent, and I love them all. My dad bought the canvas tent around 1960 or 62 or thereabouts, and it's in great shape, aside from one broken pole that holds the door flap open for a canopy. No tears, no mildew, zippers are good. Not bad for a 60ish yo budget purchase.
Canvas tents are good if you are a long term camper- Set it and forget it. - Nylon are good if you are going to packing it up frequently and moving.
My wife and i bought a kodiak canvas spring bow several years ago. I'm 6'4" and can stand up with Room to spare. We've camped in mid winter throughout snow storms and high winds, the tent stood up well. With buddy heater, it was 60f inside, 15f outside. We can set it up in 10 min. Love it, worth every penny.
I have a canvas cabin tent I purchased in 1986, my kids grew up camping in that tent. They insist i bring it for family camping so the grand kids have that experience and when it's raining it becomes the game tent before bedtime. I take great care of it, giving it a good scrubbing and silicone water proofing and seam sealing every few years. It has served us well and made memories for 3 generations and probably more.
It changed my life Bob thanks to you. It gave me time to save and get back on my feet.
Hi Bob, you're the best. Thank you for sharing so much valuable information with the world. I am currently homeless, traveling to stay with family and friends on my Social Security. I travel in a 2006 Dodge Durango and I use a tent that connects to the back of my SUV. It is a 10 X 10 in side with 3 screened openings when connected to my car. It works well for me.
Thumbs up on the canvas! I graduated to a canopy tent, threw away the nylon and use heavy waterproof canvas tarps to cover the sides and top. I tie the frame to my minivan on one side and guy straps on the other, and drive stakes through the feet of the frame into the ground. Ive been in 40mph gusts, no worries. To prevent billowing on the wind side, I put the minivan on that side or use cross straps on the frame in an X. It adds 100 square feet to the 32 square foot minivan and I can stand up. The canopy tent is 7 feet minimum height so I drilled new holes in the legs to drop the height to 6 feet for less wind area.
Wish I could see a picture of your setup
I lucked upon a $200 Decathlon tent on clearance for $30 and it will be home for my dogs at the campground while I work the beet harvest this year 👍. Got it set up now for them To get familiar with it and they love it! They have a pretty cool set up in there!
I love the fact Bob is so happy with the quality. Money well spent.
That tent looks wonderful
Everything Bob says about the Bell Tent is true. I own one.
Just a couple of comments from a almost 69 year old that still camps in a tent. I much prefer canvas to nylon so long as weight is not an issue. Currently I only have a nylon tent as I use it for motorcycle camping and weight is THE most important consideration. As for floors get a sewn in floor if at all possible, especially where there a small critters around, it keep them out of the tent. I also highly recommend an air mattress both for comfort and to keep you dry if it rains. The floor of any tent will get wet if it rains enough I don't care what you do with ground cloths etc. Canvas also is much less susceptible to burn holes from fire embers that may get airborne. It's not that they won't get a hole it just takes longer for the ember to burn through and many times they don't. I can't say the same thing for nylon. Keep the good stuff coming Bob.
Thanks Bob & yes on my way
I love my canvas tent, I don't live in it , just use it for camping but it is very comfortable and the canvass dampens noise from outside, they just have a nice feel to them all around. Mine is made by Kodiak , it is one of their spring bow type tents, very easy to set up! I beleive I paid $650 for it which is not too bad for what it is.
thanks for another tent video!! please keep them coming!!
I like a canvas bivy tent with 2 inch mattress on an xl cot (bed is seriously comfortable) + a tarp with two poles and magnets to a car roof to make an awning for cooking and one of those potty tents for porta potty. Works pretty good. If in desert not in winter get shade cloth that breathes cause tarps are ovens in the desert when it is hot. Also, not that bulky.
I have done this for a few months in desert .
Felix, that's genius. An inexpensive way for a car owner to go nomad. The tip using shade cloth instead of a tarp is a game changer. Please consider posting a photo of your camp😊
Bob I love that color on you!
I added ARB awning/awning room to my SUV. It completely changed my life. The cons? Holds heat. Scary in wind. Need to go anywhere? It’s attached, so it all needs to be put away first. Working now so I can buy Springbar Hot tent with stove. Winter will be much better!
This is one of your best videos, and I think I have watched them all, lol. The information is so valuable to so many people!
I owned a similar tent. A ten man arctic Army tent. I was able to take showers in it. I hung a solar hot water shower bag from the top of the pole, hung a circular shower rod made of PVC pipe, hung a curtain from that and used a black plastic tub made for mixing concrete as the shower basin. I would not recommend that tent, it was a tad too big to be able to set up easily by one person. It sure was comfortable with a wood stove!
I really like the idea of using a tent. Either for all of your living or still sleeping in your vehicle and using a tent for everything else.
Nice and durable!! A few years back I helped set up about 150 of these in 2 days for a bunch of "Glampers" at an Arcosanti event....full package was $2500 for the weekend! HA!
Thanks for this review and explanation of tents. An option I hadn’t spent much time thinking of before. ❤
Love tents, please do more on hot tents too and how to put them up thank you Bob
Thanks Bob for another great video. I think you covered the major points but I really want to add that bigger is not necessarily better ! I bought a second hand 5m canvas Bell tent with two doors. It was stunningly beautiful and was insanely lovely to live in when I had a permanent camp set up on a friend's property. However it began to get mouldy after a lot of rain and when I tried to clean it , it was impossibly heavy to do on my own and sadly the tent has now been left behind. I would recommend a double door design as it gives extra head room but I wouldn't buy one that big again unless it was for two people. Sometimes it's hard to find a flat, clear space big enough to pitch a large tent and many places I've been to it simply wouldn't fit in the camp sites. It was so heavy I had to move the tent in 4 parts , the floor, the top , the poles and the ground tarp. It wasn't impossible but I wasn't able to manage the tent on my own. If I buy another one it will be much smaller, probably like the one you have shown here.
Thanks for what you guy do Bob!!
Good on you Bob, from an Australian van dweller...
Thank you. I love tents. I do hope people know to leave no trace. That means raking the rocks back to where they were cleared from after breaking down one's tent! XO
That is an awesome tent. I like the springbar tents too. A lady you interviewed was using one of the springbars to stay in. I agree canvas is the way to go. Great tip on using a diesel heater.
I saw that one! it was the deciding factor in that being my set up as well. I saved my pennies after watching it and I bought one. I absolutely love the spring bar; I only wish I had gotten the next size in order to have a stove jack.
A good tent is definitely on my list❤
Didn’t they invent travel trailers so you wouldn’t have to set up a tent anymore?.🤣🤣 When I was little we had an old army-surplus canvas tent my broth and I slept in, and a little wooden cargo trailer just big enough for a full size mattress. My dad built up the sides with metal pipes and made a frame to throw another canvas over for the parents to sleep in. I will never get over the smell of that canvas tent when the sun heated it up. Those were the days! Thanks Bob👍😎
Yess!!! Youre my favorite channel. I love these videos because I can't drive unfortunately, but I love camping and its always nice to see these first-hand reviews from you :)
I love Springbar and Kodiak tents. I met a gentleman who lived in his tent and it blew my mind a man 2 tent he had everything he needed and then some. Thank you again for sharing this video
Ever since I was 8 when my parents bought me my first pup tent I have been a tent camper ever since then. Even tho I have a small teardrop camper I still love to tent camp. Also the springbar has a limited lifetime warranty. That’s why I chose it.
Starting from where you are at, is sometime the best place to start. It doesn't have to be easy, to be valuable. Usually it's not. Often if it's hard, it's what makes the journey worth while. Easy is nice, but hard is valuable.
Great video Bob, I appreciate your coverage and enthusiasm over all of these years, you are a pioneer!!!
Those bell tents are very cool.
Good to have a quality mallet! Nice tent
A good canvas tent can actually be an heirloom, if you take care of it. We had a “smallish “ canvas mess tent, growing up. It was huge, but smallish when you think about what it had done in a previous life. I don’t know if it was 10 or 12 Ft long but there were 8 of us. When the kids were grown and gone and we and our children came with our own tents, that tent returned to its original job. One of us has it, I don’t know who, but it doesn’t matter. If you take care of a canvas tent, open the flap and light a fire to dry out the inside, or take it home and put it back up to dry, never store it behind your shed and out of its bag (sand, wind and sun on folds for long periods are death to canvas) it will last a long time. Waterproofing is easy, but if you resist using aerosol inside it is an every other decade job. I could go on but I did enough of that. Love bell tents, especially the 6+ foot ones but a 4ft will still allow a bed on legs and shelves.
I remember my first camping was done in an army green canvas tent, as a kid. Now, I'm in a hub-style nylon tent (3rd one in 3 yrs). First 2 replaced under warranty. Not extremely impressed with durability, but cost was a factor. I think even if I had a fancy metal box to sleep in (van or truck), I'd still miss having a tent.
I have a van also a shiftpod (12 layers of heat resistance material and a blast blanket that provides additional protection and pops up). I also have a tent with huge windows with screens. A great place to hide from mosquitoes and enjoy a breeze.
Teepees are also a good option
Kodiak canvas makes really good tents as well! Great video bob!!!
Very interesting information of a tent , thanks Bob,
Love my Onetigris canvas tipi hot tent!
The smell is so, inviting. Love it!
I had a 16ft canvas bell tent in Hawaii. Beautiful quality and it completely rotted in 6 months. So environment is something to consider. There are nylon tents with the stove pipe capability. If the vehicle is an suv then there are also tents that fit right off the back ... would probably work with a hatchback. There's a rooftop tent that can be accessed via a sunroof. .... If a solo female the weight of the canvas is very heavy and would be a huge workaround in a car when not planning to camp.
good point about environment and hawaii. might happen in louisiana as well....not sure. just thinking of how humid it gets.
You can get a tarp that gives you an air gap for humid environments. We had canvas wall tents at camps near Houston, Texas. We stored them in the winter, but they held up to years of use. Not as long as in less humidity, but good enough.
You can get tents that are treated for water and also treated to be fire proof, they last longer than a untreated 🎪 tent 😊
Thank you. This would be the Tent type I like.
Yes I love ❤️ the tent videos do more!!! Tent 🏕 videos
I use a 10x10 Cabelas cabin tent. It's my condo. I use a cot and a table and have had great times.
The tent looks very nice. But I think it would be a better strategy to make your car your 'bedroom', and then use a gazebo canopy tent as your 'kitchen and living room'.
I winter camp in a wall tent with a wood stove. Perfect for one or two people. Waaaaay better than sleeping in a car. In a tent that you can stand up in you can cook, wash yourself, get dressed etc. That is priceless. I have “car camped too. The difference between wall tent camping and sleeping in your car is equal to sleeping on the ground or sleeping in a bed. Incomparable.
I like the minivan for sleeping as it is quiet (no wind flapping and rain noise is more calming on a minivan). I also feel more secure in a minivan than in a tent as animals etc cannot sneak up on you while you are sleeping. I know such fears are irrational as animals etc fear being shot and so avoid you even when you are asleep, but I sleep better. Thirdly I hate wet bedding. having your bed in a vehicle means it is set up off the ground and cars don't generally leak. I don't cook or entertain in my minivan which is where a tent is useful. A tent also can reserve your campsite when you drive into town for supplies. I guess a thousand dollar tent might get stolen but an old canvas tent is not light and easy to pack up and steal or attractive for resale like a trailer etc. Used gear is sometimes better than new in that way. When you come back to base your old half full portapotti is still there everytime and the smell acted like a guard dog protecting your chairs and table etc 🙄.
@@CraigSNZ
Good point, a used tent with a port a potty would thwart thieves when you’re gone.
@@wallytuescher2175 good morning, what tent do you use.? Thx
There is no "best" strategy. Everyone has different needs and ideas, which is why educating to the range of options and concepts is so important.
Thanks.
Thanks Bob great video
Thank you! Sold my vehicle to help. a family member in an emergency a year ago and have been stuck in the rental trap much longer than expected when I made that choice. Finally ready to get back on the road as I decided the tent was the step I needed to take. As someone who gets everything wrong when I try new things I really appreciate you reviewing them.
Hey Bob! We really enjoy your tent videos as we love tent camping. We will soon be traveling and living in a bell tent and just can't wait to hit the road. We will retain our home base but hope to spend most of our time on the road, sharing our adventures! We also tried the car thing but it absolutely did not work for us. Thanks so much for all your informative videos! 💙Terry and Terri
I'm very much a nomadic person. But due to life changes,like many people, I'm stuck in an expensive apartment for another year. But I'm coming up on my 62nd Birthday. Time to completely retire and collect SS. So, a good quality tent is in my future. I drive a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee, that's in great shape (AZ and rust free). Canvas sounds great but pretty heavy.
do you have land to put it on?
Wow I like this tent
As usual, great information! Thank you
A good idea. Thank you
Thanks for doing tent videos, Bob. I ‘m sure i’m not alone but i appreciate it as an alternative to a trailer. Not everybody can pull a 30’ trailer. And canvas tents were so much more waterproof than some of the lighter nylon ones that seem to leak if anything is against the walls.,etc
This is a very nice tent. Great job putting it up. I wouldn't use a tent in bear country however.
A friend left a tent up. A bear clawed it and tore it open.
Excellent video. Would have been beneficial for all to see the Inside of the bell tent so others could have an idea of space, standing height etc. Maybe next time. Thank you friend.🙏
Thank you
This is an awesome opption
Thanks Bob. Good video.
Hi Bob, Thanks so much for this review. There are so many people that need to learn how to go about picking out a tent, the supplies you would need and how to find a location that you can set up your tent. I would love to learn these things because i'm currently looking for housing and if I can't find something in time, I'm going to have to go this route. I'm just clueless on where I'm supposed to set up my tent long term. I'm in Virginia and there are alot of camp sites for seasonal campers but nothing that I see for people like me who need a place to set up 6 mo or more. Thank you so much for such great videos, I really enjoy watching them, God Bless You!
I have used this tent and it is great. The only drawback is no awning
Thanks for sharing. I was musing that, like you said, it is an immediate upgrade in life style for some people and could allow them to afford the next stage quicker. I have been noticing that in a homeless community nearby where we live that the tents are getting better and better. Often it is a nylon tent supplemented by a tarp or two artfully placed above it, sometimes with an air gap between the tarp and the tent for insulation (convection barrier). I saw one tent having a solar panel on it. They are necessary where we live, because Oregon has sometimes very rainy and cold weather for one or two seasons. The ability to put them up and take them down is helpful. We are wishing to set up an Evac mobile and find that we do not want to have to pay to rent a space for a tear drop or RV and just let it sit there. A tent is something that can be put in a closet until it is needed. I am liking the Shiftpod and the original that it is based on, because it pops up into a full set up in 5 minutes and in milder weather does not need tent stakes to hold it up.
Where did you see the solar panel on a tent?
I just spent a year in a Kodiak Flexbow 10x10 and a Tacoma pickup, and now I'm back indoors. Tents are great, but in the desert, which is where most of the BLM land is, you'll wind up sleeping in the vehicle, anyway, because the wind is tremendous.
Nice tent. Great ideas. I'm just really curious what the inside looks like.
I agree so much. ❤
I own the white duck Regatta 10ft bell tent. It only weights 51#, so its easy for an older person (age 69)to set up.
I paid $687 for mine about 1 month ago.
I own a M1941, tent stove. Multi fuel, so i have many options.(diesel, gas, coal, or wood)
I also have a Dometic RC3000 3 way fridge. 120volt, 12volt and propane. Compact 35 liters and works!
I bought this as a prepper, if things should happen here in the USA.
Otherwise I have a small weatherking cabin and I did the insides myself for a tiny house in 2012. My land and cabin are paid for. Taxes are very cheap. Like well under $100.00 a year. And I'm out in the middle of nowhere. 100% off grid.
Thanks for that info. Weight is probably the #1 drawback for us 60-somethings. 51 lbs is MUCH lighter than most others.
Excellent imformation ~ thank you Sir .
Definitely very helpful if someone bought $1,000 piece of land that's unrestricted in the South and one in the North. That way they're not having to save for a van $15,000. Then they can turn around and either build a cheap little one-room cabin or convert a shed. But if you're going to do the shed thing do not do the rent-to-own you will pay so much more money for it, save your thousand a month that you weren't paying in rent and then get the building.
i have the 13ft version and its amazing, really heavy but great for car camping
I have an Intech teardrop camper and currently use a nylon instant-up Coleman tent as a hangout room. But a major upgrade might be to have a Springbar tent as living room/dining room and teardrop as bedroom. Best of both worlds.
If someone can't put together the $1000 to buy a canvas tent, and their rent is $1000/mo, they could buy a cheap nylon tent for $30 and buy the canvas tent in a month or two. And then they either have a back-up, guest-tent, or can give it away. Then in a year they could buy a minivan and still have an emergency fund.
Good thinking!
Thrift stores are always getting tents... usually nylon. I bought a great tent(6 Person), two cheap bags, for $20. It's very nice. I set it up waterproof a couple times and it is great
And used camping stores
I was thinking the same thing.
Step by step
Living in a truck isn't bad in the winter. I love my Ram 1500. But I'm thinking about just buying a trailer, and putting a tent on it, and hooking up a window AC unit using a solar generator.
I hunt out of a old m1950 artic tent. I hang it up by ropes under my carport after hunting season. Never had any mold or issues doing this but you have to make sure its dry before you store it.
Back in my climber backpacker days I was a gearaholic, even a tentaholic. I must've had 5 tents. Fancy tents. Also sleeping bags, kayaks, and skiis. OMG, the money I wasted! Nowadays it's RV gadgets (Xi-nese, Grr!) Motorbikes, and E-bikes (Xi-nese junk, Grr!) I've often thought to use a wall tent to overwinter somewhere wayy off-grid. Not.
I stayed in a tent last week. A 12 man tent in 95° weather. I had an RV sight with no sewer, but electrical hookups. Don't let anyone tell you you can't cool a tent with a regular portable AC! I vented it out of a door and it was fine.
I prefer my nomad neighbors in a tent, car, van, since they don't usually run a generator!! I hate generators!!
Bob you are losing weight, I hope it is intentional and all is well with you. All of the years in Alaska, did you ever considered living on a boat ? Take care, thanks. 👍😎✌️
Love yah Bob 👍
I just bought me a springbar classic jack 100 that I plan on bringing it out next September when I come out there. The springbar classic jack 100 is a 10 foot by 10 foot with a lot of ventilation was only $649 plus tax. I believe I will have plenty of room for me.
Have one love it. But advice if you get one. Do not put anything against inside walls Like a chair or table. I had a chair against inside wall and winds were very strong and rubbed a hole in it. My fault But-a great tent it is
The great thing about canvas is it can be patched, easily.
I feel like I read your review this week when I bought mine, I distinctly remember a review stating this lol
Cheaper nylon tent fabrics if used constantly every day in the sun probably won't last a year. I have tested this on a few cheaper dome tents. Not saying you can't use them but you need to be able to count on replacing them fairly quickly. Canvas will last longer.
Hi Bob. About getting the center pole straight. Can you give us some tips about how to measure plumb on that pole? Clearly, doing it by eye is not accurate enough. I'd hate for anyone to spend so much money on a good tent, and have something bad happen to it because the center pole isn't in the straight up position. Thank you!
Incredible tent,but too heavy for me. I could live full time in one of these, it's the moving every 2 weeks that would kick my butt. And I wouldn't always be staying that long. Are there good lighter weight tents of good quality that you would recommend?
Look into Springbar or Kodiac spring bar type tent. There is a 9' x 7' model lightweight.
thank you.
Need some cots in that tent to be really comfortable for older folks.
👍👍👍👍👍👍
BOB you lost weight looking 👍 great......
get on a waitlist with HUD for section 8. once you have that you can move anywhere in the country and pay a quarter to a third of your income and have a home base
I dont think it's true that Section 8 will follow wherever you move. My late sister was disabled and getting on Section 8 was an ordeal that had to be endured every time she moved. And, some places have difficult limits on how many people will be allowed access to S8. So I'm sceptical and would encourage anyone considering this idea to research very carefully before making any moves.
@@victoriabaker4400they did used to let you move away with it. In fact people in my area were leaving because it was taking too long (7 years or more) to get a place so they left to other states.
Have you rated any rooftop tents? They seem easy to deploy and no ground clearing needed