Best Canvas Tent for Hunting

Canvas Hunting Tent

The Sibley Bell Tent – Not a Wall Tent

Hunter's choice for canvas tents

CanvasCamp has been manufacturing Sibley Bell Tents for 20 years – improving on the geometry of the original and incorporating modern materials and thoughtfully designed features for four season performance in a wide variety of environments. The Sibley ProTech Series has been designed specifically with hunters in mind – burlier canvas, 360 degrees of ventilation, heavy duty flooring, even the poles, stakes, and guy ropes are beefier.  In this review we’ll dive deep into the specifics of what hunters love about the Sibley Tent:

Timeless design, modern materials, and quality craftmanship has made CanvasCamp the tent maker of choice for serious hunters.  In anticipation of big game season sportsmen are invited to take 10% off select Sibley Tents while supplies last - see more details at the bottom of this page.  Scroll down learn more about what makes the Sibley Bell Tent the best canvas tent for hunting in 2019.


The Problem with Wall Tents

Canvas tents have long been the shelter of choice for hunters, soldiers, guides, and mountain men.  High quality canvas is durable, breathable, and naturally waterproof – a few of the many reasons why canvas tents rule. Serious outdoorsmen agree that canvas is the best tent material for basecamps, but dad’s old wall tent misses the mark when it comes to performance and usability. Modern hunters are upgrading to the Sibley Bell Tent– CanvasCamp’s reboot of a teepee inspired US military design with a long history of proven performance in the field.

The shed-like shape of wall tents make them relatively easy to manufacture – and therefore widely available.  The structural integrity of the tent rests solely on the pole frame.  Wall tents of old relied on long straight timber poles – which were generally cut from (and left in) the immediate area surrounding camp - the canvas was the only portion that needed to be transported. 

In a misguided attempt to improve portability, modern wall tents now rely on modular pole systems that are both heavy, complicated, and time consuming to set up.  More poles, ropes, stakes, and joints are added to the structure as the tents scale up to compensate for the forces of wind and weather that catch the large flat sails that form the walls and the roof.  If you’ve ever used a wall tent for your hunt camp you know how much time making and breaking camp takes away from scouting, glassing, and hunting.


"I purchased the Pro Tech 500 about a year ago and was supposed to go on a weekend long deer hunting trip along with several other friends. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to go but luckily this year we were able to go. There were 4 of us in the Pro Tech along with cots and all our gear and there was so much room in the tent still left over. This is a roomy tent and we didn't feel crowded. We even got some rain and wind that weekend and the tent performed perfectly. Everyone else was so impressed with the tent and I absolutely love it. When you're in deer base camp and the performance of your equipment is critical, it's comforting to know that your tent can pass any test thrown at it. The Sibley Bell tent by CanvasCamp is worth every penny and then some. Kudos for a great, quality made product." - Alvin


The Benefits of Sibley Tents

Hunters are now rediscovering the Sibley Tent – a tent design that has been around since 1856 when Colonel Henry Hopkins Sibley patented his version of the native American teepee.  The cone shaped canvas and single center pole make the Sibley easy to pitch and pack, and extremely wind and weather resistant.  Unlike the wall tent – Sibley Tents rely on tensile strength and thus require the precision craftsmanship of an experienced tentmaker. Accept no substitues! Scroll down to learn more about what makes the Sibley Tent the tent of choice for hunters.

Ease of Use

One of the most important factors in ensuring a successful hunt is location. Setting yourself up with a solid basecamp to launch from gives you the ability to hunt longer and harder. Making and breaking camp quickly is crucial for hunters. The Sibley Tent is easy to use - giving you the ability to get in, get on the animals, and get out.

Easy to Pitch

Sibley Tents can be pitched in roughly 10 minutes by just one person. Simply stake out the floor, push up the poles, then stake and tension the guy lines.

 
 

Easy to Pack

Striking a Sibley is even faster than set up. Pull the stakes, fold the tent canvas to canvas, and roll it up into its own zipper top carry bag. The complete tent, floor, poles, and stakes conveniently pack down to fit in a standard car trunk – the smaller sizes can even be saddled on pack animals.

Easy to Tension

A taut tent is a strong tent – quickly and easily add or remove tension with secure no-slip plastic tensioners that won’t wear out our guylines.

 

Four Season - All Weather Performance

Adapting to changing weather conditions is essential for any sportsman. A seasoned outdoorsman will tell you “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing” – the same holds true for tents. Any quality canvas tent should keep you dry, but the Sibley Tent has been designed for more than just waterproofing. Sibley Tents are packed with features to keep you and your gear camping comfy in sun, wind, rain, snow, mud, sticks, and mosquitos.

Bug Proof

Hunters are particularly susceptible to the bite of a mosquito and a sting of the hornet which are attracted to blood and sweat. No-see-um mesh windows, doors, and removeable mesh walls keep the petulance of flying insects out while letting the breeze in. Note: Zip in/out mesh walls are only available on the ProTech series - the Pro Series is the same tent without the mesh wall option.

Bug Proof Canvas Tent
Quality Canvas Tent

Quality Canvas

Often imitated but never duplicated, CanvasCamp is the only canvas tent manufacturer earned the right to bare the Seal of Cotton for our propriety 100% cotton long staple canvas. Sustainable, repairable, and retreatable – hunters throughout history agree on the many reasons why canvas tents rule.

Waterproof & Breathable

The weave of quality canvas allows moisture to escape directly through the fabric while remaining waterproof from the outside. By regulating humidity our Sibley Pro Canvas keeps you dry when it's raining, cool when it's hot, and warm when it's cold.

Waterproof Canvas
Sibley Tent Floor

Bullet Proof Floor

The Sibley signature bathtub style floor rises 4" up the side wall - keeping you dry even in standing water. Gussets on either side of the door allow you to fold the entry way flat to prevent tripping and facilitate easy cleaning. Ultra heavy duty rip stop technology stands up to abrasion from rocks, sticks, and boots.

Wind Resistant

The conical shape of the Sibley and steep slope of the canopy deflects gusts and driving rain – allowing the storm to pass around the tent rather than push against it. A wall tent fights the forces of nature with poles and ropes to hold a large flat sail up against an unstoppable force. When the wind gets wild – the Sibley is in a class of its own.

Wind Resistant canvas Tent

Custom Sibley Tent Accessories

The Sibley ProTech comes with everything you need to set up camp right out of the box. It’s also compatible with a range of purpose-built Sibley accessories that enable you to dial in your set up for specific environment. From wood burning tent stoves for freezing temperatures chasing elk in Colorado, to Sibley Flys for prolific rain in the Pacific North West: Sibley Tents can be geared up with everything you need and nothing you don’t.

Tent Stove Compatible

Wood burning tent stoves are a game changer for cold weather camping whether you’re cooking, heating, drying out gear, or boiling water for drinking. Tent stoves are more efficient, safe, and discrete than campfires – reducing your impact on the landscape significantly. All Sibley Tents are tent stove compatible.

Learn more about hot tenting with the Tent Stove Buyers Guide.

Tent Stove Compatible Tent
 

Stove Jack Compatible

Tent stove placement is not one size fits all. Pre-installed stove jacks are improperly placed for 80% of users. CanvasCamp recommends easy to install modular stove jacks, which allow you to choose the correct size and placement for your specific stove and environment. If you do choose to hot tent you should know how to install a tent stove jack.

Side Exit Stove Compatible

Venting a tent stove flue pipe out the side of your tent is a great option for hunters that only hot tent occasionally or are in moderately cold environments where the heat output of the firebox alone is enough to get the job done. Side exiting a tent stove is easy in a Sibley Tent without installing a stove jack.

 
 

Fly Compatible

The Sibley Bell Tent Fly is a lightweight nylon shade that can be used as a double roof for the Sibley Tent or as a stand alone shelter for gear, cooking, or base camp hang out areas. When pitched on top of a Sibley tent the small dead air space creates additional insulation to keep you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s not.

Sibley Connector Compatible

Add an optional Sibley Connector as an awning to any size Sibley tent to give you some extra protection from sun and rain. Connectors can also be used to join two or more Sibley tents together for a multi-room tent set up.

 

Winter Camping Compatible

Some of the best hunting takes place when there’s snow on the ground – animals are easy to track in snow and hunter density drops considerably in areas far from the nearest hunting cabin. Sibley Tents are designed for use in winter conditions – extending your season and increasing your odds of filling the freezer.

Winterproof Canvas

Quality canvas wicks moisture – even when frozen. The storm doors and breathable canvas on the Sibley Tent mean you can pitch it and forget it in the worst of conditions so you can keep your focus on the task at hand.

 
 

Pitching in Deep Snow

Sibley Bell Tents can be pitched directly on snow using a deadman anchor technique – so you can set up your winter hunting tent even when the snow is bottomless.

Snow Removal

When the sticky stuff falls faster than your tent stove can melt it away, the steep angles of the Sibley Tent canopy make it easy to brush off the extra weight so you can sure up your guylines for the next storm cycle. Quick and easy tent maintenance makes winter camp up-keep a breeze.

 

Variety of Sizes

So you want to buy a Sibley canvas tent for hunting… Start with choosing the right size tent for your intended use. Compare size, capacity, footprint, height clearance and more. Browse the Sibley Bell Tent Size Comparison Chart below to dive into the numbers and click through to the detailed product pages for a complete description of each tent.

Sibley Bell Tent Size Comparison

  300 400 450 500 600 600 Twin
Vertical view bell tent 300 size bell tent 400 size bell tent 450 size bell tent 500 size bell tent 600 size bell tent 600 twin size
Horizontal view bell tent 300 size bell tent 400 size bell tent 450 size bell tent 500 size bell tent 600 size bell tent 600 twin size
Diameter 3m (9ft 10in) 4m (13ft 1in) 4.5m (14ft 9in) 5m (16ft 5in) 6m (19ft 8in) 4x6m (19'8x13'1)
Height 190cm (6'3) 250cm (8'2) 275cm (9') 300cm (9'10) 355cm (11'8) 300cm (9'8)
Area 7m2(75ft2) 12.5m2(134ft2) 16m2(172ft2) 19.6m2(210ft2) 28.2m2(306ft2) 20.5m2(220ft2)
Weight 52lbs 68lbs 80lbs 90lbs 112lbs 134lbs
Capacity 3 4 6 8 12 10
  Shop 300 Shop 400 Shop 450 Shop 500 Shop 600 DD Shop 600 Twin

canvascamp swipe

Sibley 300

The Sibley 300 is the smallest Sibley tent but it's still plenty of space for 2 hunters. The 300 is the only bell tent without a center pole. This cozy camping tent relies on a tri-pod pole system to maximize usable space.

Shop Sibley 300

Sibley 300 Size Infographic
Sibley 400 Size Infographic

Sibley 400

The Sibley 400 is the perfect canvas tent for 2 to 4 hunters with gear. The 400 is small enough for quick weekend adventures and large enough for week-long expeditions.

Shop Sibley 400

Sibley 450

Not too big, not too small, the Sibley 450 is just the right size. If you're having a hard time choosing the right size tent - look no further!

Shop Sibley 450

Sibley 450 Size Infographic
Sibley 500 Size Infographic

Sibley 500

The Siley 500 is the most popular canvas tent size - the same square footage as an average bedroom! The 500 is the ideal size for hunters that want tons of space. Although the 500 is heavy duty, it's still small enough to fit in a standard car trunk and takes just one person 10 minutes to set up.

Shop Sibley 500

Sibley 600 Double Door

The Sibley 600 is the largest canvas tent on the market and is equipped two doors on opposite sides for easy access. The 600 is a hotel room sized tent that takes 1 person less then 15 minutes to set up. A favorite tent for basecamps, the Sibley 600 can easily accommodate an entire hunting party.

Shop Sibley 600

Sibley 600 Size Infographic
Sibley 600 Twin Size Infographic

Sibley 600 Twin Tent

The Twin's two center poles double the 'walkaround room' inside the tent - giving it the most spacious interior feel of all of the Sibley tents. The Twin requires 2 people to set it up in under 15 minutes. Mesh walls are not available in the Twin version

Shop Sibley Twin


Exclusive Pre-season Sale

In anticipation of the upcoming season hunters are invited to take 5% off any Sibley ProTech by using the discount code HuntCamp2020 at checkout. Supplies are limited and Sibley's are selling out fast - this coupon code is only good for the next 25 purchasers - gear up before we run out!