Cotton or canvas is the original, the one, the tent fabric your grandad probably used. A long time ago canvas was made from hemp, but nowadays tent canvas is made from cotton. Manufacturers tend to use both which can be confusing, but the two – cotton and canvas – are the same thing. Polyester fabric is a synthetic fabric found in numerous objects including clothing items, furniture, and tents! Lately it has become something we have seen before with personal computers, RAM memories, mobile phones, cameras or TVs: a lot of technical staff, NUMBERS most of all, thrown at you and OBVIOUSLY the bigger the better, right?

Also important to bear in mind that the weight of a material does not always determine its quality. Different fabric weaves will be different weights which is essential for its end use. While most tents range from around 280gsm to 380gsm, you will find the ‘high-end’ modern polycotton tents on the lower end of this range.Fabrics: 68D Polyester Taffeta, 1200mm flysheet; 15D Nylon inner, 68D Polyester Taffeta, 1200mm floor | Poles: Fiberglass | Doors: 1 | Porches: 1 | Dimensions: 213 137 x 112cm. Fabrics : 68D 190T Polyester honeycomb ripstop PU flysheet, 190T breathable polyester inner, 70D 190T polyester PU groundsheet | Poles: 7001-T6 alloy | Doors: 1 | Porches: 1 | Inner width: 95cm | Inner height: 110cm | Inner length: 214cm. polyester refers to a fabric woven with a polyester thread that weighs 190 grams per kilometer. The actual weight of the fabric depends on the method used to make it, coatings, rip-stop, etc. Well, that’s a pretty fair question. Firstly, I’ll walk you through the two fabrics we use in our tents, polyurethane coated polyester, and silicon infused nylon. In short, the polyurethane impregnated polyester is the cheaper alternative. It’s relatively lightweight, but not as durable as nylon. It'll keep you dry for a while, be light, and it will serve its purpose (basic construction being to a decent standard obviously). The other thing to consider with polyester based tents is that the PU or polyurethane coating has the potential to breakdown over time and with exposure to humidity and UV, reducing the waterproof quality of the fabric. Polyester is a man-made fabric that was first introduced in the early 1950s. It is made from polyethylene terephthalate, which is a type of plastic. Polyester is often used to make clothing, upholstery, and carpeting.

Do you know the difference between nylon and polyester and that polyester is widely used for rain gear, sleeping bags, tents, and sleeping pads? And do you know how it impacts the functionality? I wrote an article about the fabric type and its impact on rain gear and a post on sleeping pads here. polyester was originally developed for use in the automotive industry. It was later discovered that this fabric had excellent properties for outdoor gear and clothing.At first, nylon was used to create toothbrushes, fishing line, surgical thread, and women's hosiery. During World War II, it was also used to make parachutes which were then repurposed for clothing after the war. This sparked the original idea to use nylon in clothing! You probably have heard of many different types of tent fabric from polyester to poly-cotton, not to mention the different brand names like OutTex or Protex or Sentinel, just to mention a few. Of course, they all claim they are better than the others, but the fact that you don’t even know what’s behind the catchy brand names, does not help. However, today it is commonly used for clothing, ropes, tents, sleeping bags, and also for parachutes and hot air balloons due to its lightweight and high strength! Designed with a durable water-resistant 190T polyester shell to repel moisture. It also has a breathable polycotton liner which feels soft against the skin for a comfortable night’s sleep.