The Best Tent Fabrics

Since the very first portable tent was erected there have been many tent fabrics used to ensure that the cover it provides is both wind and waterproof. But which fabric best suits this purpose? This article sets out to answer this question and list some of the not only most popular, but also best tent fabrics.

The 4 Most Popular Tent Fabrics Used in Modern Tents

Modern tent manufacturers use a range of different fabrics when manufacturing a tent. In fact, many tents are made up of more than one fabric. Each individual fabric has its merits based on its physical structure. We go into a little more detail below to give you an idea of what we mean:

Cotton Fabrics

Cotton is a soft and fluffy natural fiber that grows in a protective capsule called a bole. The natural cotton fiber is almost pure cellulose and extremely hardy. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber in nature is to aid in seed dispersal. This makes it extremely water absorbent, which is not a good quality for tent fabric unless treated.

Nylon Fabrics

Nylon is a generic designation for an entire family of man-made sybthetic polymers known as polyamides. They were first produced in a DuPont laboratory on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers. Nylon is one of the most commonly used polymers in the world and is particularly popular as a tent cotton wool tassel blanket . However, it is extremely flammable unless treated with flame retardant chemicals.

Felt Fabrics

Felt is an extremely popular tent fabric as it is made up of non-woven matted and condensed woolen cloth. Most types of felt are very soft, but some are manufactured to be durable enough to be used as construction material.