Drying Canvas Tent

[Midwest Firecraft]

How does everyone dry their canvas tents before storing during the year? I'm planning on several short one or two night trips coming up. I know my wife won't want a smokey canvas tent hanging in the basement. Can you just hang it by the D-rings on a line for half a day? I don't have any experience with canvas. I just hang my nylon tarp for an hour in the sun and they are good to go, grant it that has never been later than November so I don't know if the canvas will dry when there is little sun and cold temps.

[Minnesotian]

Yeah, drying a canvas tent is incredibly important. If packed away with any bit of moisture still on it, the potential for mold and rot increases. Any bit of mold that can get on there will negate any waterproofing and fireproofing as well as weaken the structure. So, you got two options. One, find a cold storage, like an unheated garage, and store it there below freezing until the weather warms up enough you can set it up for about a week to fully dry it out.

Or two, (and this is what I do), screw in some hooks to the exposed joists in my basement and hang up the tent for about a week there. If you go this way, make sure you either put a tarp down to catch water, or that water has a path to a drain, or towel it up on a daily basis. Most of the ice/snow will fall off in the first day or two if you are in a heated basement, but it seriously takes about a week for that wetted out canvas to fully dry, especially the snow flaps on the bottom if you have canvas for those. Check it daily by actually feeling if the canvas is still damp. On the day that you think the canvas is dry, wait another day before taking it down just to make sure. I will say there is an odor of smoke from the tent, but I don't mind it and since my wife doesn't go to the basement much, she doesn't mind either, but your mileage may vary of course.

Bottom line, after a trip, you gotta make sure that canvas fully dries out. I've had my Snowtrekker for about a dozen years now and I am still paranoid about making sure that happens. Just a unique thing about owning a canvas tent.

[Midwest Firecraft]

One, find a cold storage, like an unheated garage, and store it there below freezing until the weather warms up enough you can set it up for about a week to fully dry it out.

Thank you for the detailed reply. Ideally I would like to dry it in the basement, but we use our basement and I don't really have the room, so will keeping it cold prevent any damage? I anticipate going a couple weekends in a row and don't want it hanging in the basement for a week in between trips.

[Minnesotian]

Thank you for the detailed reply. Ideally I would like to dry it in the basement, but we use our basement and I don't really have the room, so will keeping it cold prevent any damage? I anticipate going a couple weekends in a row and don't want it hanging in the basement for a week in between trips.

As long as you keep it cold enough that the ice and snow that is on the canvas doesn't get a chance to melt and get trapped in the fold of the fabric, you should be fine. Do you have a spot in the garage you can hang it, even if it is cold? That way when it does warm up enough it can dry out.

At the very least, don't put it in any plastic bin or tote that traps moisture.

And I should say, that if you are going out every weekend, you'll be just fine. It is at the end of the season that you want to really let it dry out before summer storage.

[Midwest Firecraft]

As long as you keep it cold enough that the ice and snow that is on the canvas doesn't get a chance to melt and get trapped in the fold of the fabric, you should be fine. Do you have a spot in the garage you can hang it, even if it is cold? That way when it does warm up enough it can dry out.

At the very least, don't put it in any plastic bin or tote that traps moisture.

And I should say, that if you are going out every weekend, you'll be just fine. It is at the end of the season that you want to really let it dry out before summer storage.

I have a spot in the garage it could hang by the D-rings, but not spread out with the car parked in there. With the kind of investment that comes with purchasing a Snowtrekker canvas tent, I want it to last decades. Thank you for your experience, I was pretty nervous about it, and even hesitating going out for just the weekend because of the clean up, but I'm now confident it will be fine hanging in the garage.

[Minnesotian]

You bet. Glad I can help.

[Scoutergriz]

I feel your pain...
I have the same problem- finished basement and a small 1 car garage, what I did was install a bunch of hooks in the garage ceiling to hang it from and use one of those big industrial fans to blow air through it, if you do it right you may be able to dry the front in a day, then tie it open and park inside the tent, inside the garage. not the best solution, but workable...

[Midwest Firecraft]

I feel your pain...
I have the same problem- finished basement and a small 1 car garage, what I did was install a bunch of hooks in the garage ceiling to hang it from and use one of those big industrial fans to blow air through it, if you do it right you may be able to dry the front in a day, then tie it open and park inside the tent, inside the garage. not the best solution, but workable...

I knew I couldn't be the only one. My wife won't be cool with parking inside the tent, but I do have an industrial fan. If I can get it mostly dried in a day with the car parked on the driveway I think it would be good to cold store until the next trip. Thanks for the tip!

[Model94]

I went to the laundromat to wash and dry a luxurious and huge cotton canvas sleeping bag.. The oversized dryers are big enough for a tent. Probably would need to get most of the ice & slush off first but for a few dollars I think it could be an option. Curious if anyone has done this.