We make our tents in two materials and two materials only. Both are exceptional. Both are breathable. Both carry our lifetime warranty. The right choice depends entirely on how you use your tent — and we have been helping customers make this decision for 135 years.
10.10 oz Sunforger® Canvas
Choose canvas if: you want the traditional material, you plan to use the tent for decades, you value field repairability, or you hunt in cold weather with a wood stove.
Shop Canvas Tents →WeatherMax® 80
Choose WeatherMax if: weight matters for pack-in hunts, you need easy cleaning for commercial hospitality, or you are operating in extreme weather conditions.
Shop WeatherMax Tents →Side-by-side comparison
| Specification | 10.10 oz Canvas | WeatherMax® 80 |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 100% cotton duck | Solution-dyed polyester |
| Weight | 10.10 oz per sq. yd. | 8 oz per sq. yd. — 36% lighter |
| Seam construction | Sewn seams | Welded & taped — no needle holes |
| Breathability | Excellent — natural fiber | Excellent — HydroMAX+ finish |
| Water repellency | Swells when wet — self-sealing | HydroMAX+ — highly water repellent without coating |
| Abrasion resistance | Good | 6× more abrasion resistant |
| UV resistance | Good with proper care | 2× longer color retention |
| Field repair | Needle and thread — anywhere | Requires heat-weld repair kit |
| Cleaning | Cold water, soft brush — no detergents | Easy clean — commercial hospitality friendly |
| Environmental | Natural cotton fiber | 100% recyclable — no PVC, no coatings |
| Aging / patina | Develops character over decades | Holds color and shape consistently |
| Proven for | 135 years of field use | Armed forces, marine industry, NOAA |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
Which is right for your use case?
Backcountry hunting camp
If you are packing in by horse or on foot, WeatherMax saves meaningful weight. If you are driving in or using horses as pack animals, canvas weight is a non-issue — and canvas performs better with a wood stove in sustained cold.
Glamping operation
WeatherMax cleans faster between guest stays, holds its appearance through continuous use, and is easier to maintain commercially. Canvas is the better choice if your brand story leans heavily on heritage aesthetics.
Scout camp or youth program
Canvas is the traditional choice and teaches scouts about real materials and maintenance. For high-use programs where easy cleaning and durability under rough handling matter most, WeatherMax is worth considering.
Extreme weather / NOAA-grade
WeatherMax was specifically developed for extreme-weather government deployments. If you are operating in conditions that push the limits of any shelter material, WeatherMax's welded seams and higher abrasion resistance are the right choice.
One important note about canvas care
We do not recommend waterproofing treatments on canvas tents. Canvas breathes — when you apply a waterproofing coating, you seal the fabric and prevent that breathability. The result is condensation buildup inside the tent, particularly when using a stove. New canvas seams may weep slightly on the first few exposures to rain — this is normal and resolves as the fibers swell and tighten. See our full Tent Care Guide for detailed maintenance instructions.
Still not sure which material is right?
Call us. We have been having this exact conversation with customers for 135 years. Tell us how you use your tent and we will tell you which material makes sense — no sales pressure, just the right answer.