Weather and Environment

Rain

CanvasCamp canvas is treated for water resistance. Additionally, the weave of the cotton fibers naturally creates waterproofing through swelling and the surface tension of water, leading to droplet formation and runoff.
To maintain your tent's sealing properties, follow our cleaning, storage, and re-treatment instructions and keep these tips in mind:

Avoid touching the canvas with greasy hands. Lotions, oils, and food residues can affect the canvas negatively.
Pitch your tent properly to ensure rain and snow drain off quickly.
Do not use harsh detergents or cleaning agents on the tent.
Ensure furniture or other equipment does not come into contact with the inner canvas.
Use the provided rain caps.

Lightning

Lightning strikes are not entirely random in their targets, but rest assured, your tent poles do not increase the likelihood of a lightning strike. Simply put, small ground objects like tents would only attract lightning if it strikes nearby. For instance, a 2-meter tent would only attract lightning striking within a 2-meter radius.
To minimize risks in lightning-prone areas:

Camp in low-lying areas, away from high geographical points.
Avoid flood-prone sites as floods cause more accidents than lightning.
If you are the tallest object in the area, take shelter in your car.
Setting Up a Tent on Different Ground Types
The proper tent setup requires suitable stakes:

• Rocky or frozen ground: Use steel stakes or tarzan pegs, which are essentially large nails with wide heads. A claw hammer is ideal for placement and removal.
• Sand, snow, or loose soil: Wooden stakes are a must. Consult our blog and YouTube video for a detailed guide.
• Hard or clay soil: Use our Pro stakes for guy lines and D50 nails for ground sheets with a rubber mallet.
• Desert or mud: Opt for 45 cm long bent rebar stakes, driven in with a sledgehammer.

Drive stakes deeply for secure placement and to avoid injuries.

Wind

CanvasCamp tents are well-suited for harsh conditions, such as the windstorms at Nevada's Burning Man Festival. Properly pitched Sibley tents have withstood winds:

Sibley 400: up to 120 km/h
Sibley 500: up to 95 km/h
Sibley 600: up to 80 km/h
In extreme winds, the Sibley tent's central pole is designed to break before the fabric tears. Ensure:

Proper placement of stakes
Centered poles and taut guy lines Non-conical tents, like shelters or canopies, are less resistant to high winds and require careful setup. In high winds, consider using 45 cm long bent rebar stakes.
Note: Wind resistance levels are general guidelines and weather predictions are not guarantees. Variability in wind and weather conditions may affect outcomes. Contact us with questions or feedback for further assistance.

Snow

Snow varies in weight and composition. For example:

25 liters of dry snow weighs ~5 kg, but wet snow can weigh >15 kg. A 40-square-meter canvas with just 5 cm of average snow (0.4 kg/l) could add 800 kg of weight. While Sibley tents handle wind and rain well, they are not built to support heavy snow loads.
To reduce accumulation:
Use a tent stove to melt snow.
Brush snow off periodically with a soft-bristled scraper.
Tipis, with their conical design, are better suited for snowy conditions.

Mold

Mold poses the greatest risk to canvas tents.
CanvasCamp tents are treated for resistance against rain, UV rays, and mold, but natural degradation of treatments can increase susceptibility. To prevent mold:

• Always store your tent completely dry.
• Regularly check for mold formation, especially while tightening guy lines.
• Clean and retreat your tent as needed, following our care instructions.
• Ensure proper ventilation to minimize humidity.

To Clean Mold:

• Identify it: Mold appears as small black, blue, or green specks.
• Kill it: Apply a vinegar solution and let it dry.
• Clean it: Gently scrub with a soft brush and a mixture of salt, lemon, and hot water. Let it dry.
• Retreat it: Apply a canvas treatment product evenly and generously.
• Caution: Avoid using pressure washers, washing machines, bleach, all-purpose cleaners, dish soap, or detergents, as they can permanently damage the canvas.