Are you confused as to what kind of tent is best for your situation?
Do salesmen confuse you when they talk about the different materials for tents?
I don’t blame you. There are hundreds of options out there; it’s tricky to learn about them in a fair and unbiased way.
We’re here to help by answering the question:
What materials are tents made of?
Tents are usually made of poles, cords, and tent fabrics. The most common tent fabric by far is polyester of some variety because it’s durable and affordable. However, other materials known to be used are cotton, PVC, polycotton, and nylon.
Check out the rest of the article for more information and examples of the tents with each tent fabric.
Table of Contents
What Materials Are Tents Made Out Of?
This section will briefly cover each of the materials tents are usually made from. Look to the next section for a direct comparison of the tent materials.
Cotton Canvas
Cotton was the original tent fabric material. It used to be the one every single was made out of.
In today’s camping world, cotton is still a great choice, but it tends to be much more expensive.
When compared to the affordable polyester, most people don’t want to use cotton for the price reason alone.
The 100% cotton tent fabric of yore breathes well during the day to keep you cool without being stuffy, and it holds the heat in better at night.
As a result of its airy nature, cotton tents are much less likely to gather water droplets through condensation. This is why most cotton tents are made of a single layer of material while polyester usually has two.
One of the big downsides of cotton as a tent material is how heavy it is. When backpacking or hiking with the tent on your back, the cotton will definitely be a noticeable burden.
In the long run, cotton works well and is resistant to weather. Many cotton sides have additional weather-proofing on the outer side as well.
However, at first, almost all cotton tents will leak.
Cotton needs to go through a weathering process where the cotton fibers expand and close up. This happens over time and may initially make new owners think they have a faulty product, but this isn’t the case.
Pros For Cotton Tent Fabric:
- Smells good
- Durable and good for all weather
- Classic choice
Cons For Cotton Tent Fabric:
- More expensive
- Heavy
Example of Cotton Tent:
PVC
PVC stands for Poly Vinyl Chloride which is actually a special treatment on the cotton or polyester tent fabric. However, when the material’s been treated it’s called PVC.
You may also find it called acrylic.
This material is basically a heavy-duty waterproof coating of any other tent fabric.
The process makes the tent almost impervious to any amount of rainfall.
However, the process adds considerable weight to the material. It also prevents the air from travelling through the sides as well.
This often results in stuffy-feeling air and condensation. The condensation may seem like leaking, but it’s actually not.
Good ventilation can offset the water condensing.
PVC is a little more expensive on top of the material’s normal cost. It isn’t unusual to find a rainfly or only the top and floor of the tent to be treated with this coating.
Pros For PVC-Coating Tent Fabric:
- Extra waterproofing
- More resistant to mold
Cons For PVC-Coating Tent Fabric:
- Adds to the weight
- May result in more condensation
Example of PVC-Coating Tent Fabric:
Polyester
Polyester is the new standard for tent material. Most new tents are made from some kind of polyester.
Polyester is essentially a thin type of plastic.
It’s come onto the camping scene and taken over for a variety of reasons.
Durability
These tent sides and tops are just durable. They handle wind, sticks, rocks, and ground well when designed correctly.
If it does rip somewhere, it doesn’t take much to repair them.
This durability also makes it one of the best tents for family and dogs.
Weight
Polyester tents are incredibly light. When backpacking or hiking, it’s all about how light the camping items are.
Even outside this, the polyester is easier to manage.
Affordability
Polyester is cheap to produce and assemble into tents. If you spend time looking at tents, you’ll notice a huge price gap between polyester and the older cotton style tents.
Even top-notch poly tents with many extras will usually be more affordable than a simple cotton tent of similar size without any extra accessories.
The only usual complaint is a distinct polyester smell, but this goes away over time.
It also handles sun well without getting damaged by the heat and UV radiation.
Pros For Polyester Tents:
- Affordable
- Light
- Durable
Cons For Polyester Tents:
- Polyester smell at first
Example of Polyester Tent:
Polycotton
Polycotton is a less common tent fabric, but it’s still seen today.
As the name suggests, it’s a form of polyester but designed to simulate the feel and quality of cotton.
As such, it’ll be a little more breathable and substantial to feel than the standard polyester but not to the same degree as cotton canvas.
It’s also heavier and pricier than plain poly but, again, not to the same degree as cotton.
In general, consider this an in between compromise between the two.
You’ll find this material more and more popular with serious campers, but not hikers and backpackers.
Pros For Polycotton Tent Fabric:
- Good middle ground for breathability and weight
- Lighter and cheaper than true cotton
Cons For Polycotton Tent Fabric:
- Medium price
- Not as common
Nylon
Nylon tents are rare except in two circumstances:
- People looking for the cheapest tents
- People looking for expensive hiking tents
How can it be both ways?
Nylon is cheap to produce and assemble. As such, there are some ridiculous cheap tents out there made of nylon.
However, the material is prone to rip and stretch easily, and unless treated well, it won’t handle rain and water at all.
Why are the backpacking ones more expensive than?
Well, nylon is light. It’s the lightest tent material in common use now.
As such, it’s perfect for small tents carried on long backpacking trips.
But without some durability and waterproofing, it isn’t practical.
This is where the treatments come in. With good treatments, the nylon tent gains in waterproofing and toughness where the material itself didn’t provide.
However, the treatment is quite expensive at this level.
In general, we never recommend nylon for budget tents (just pay the tiniest bit more for a poly tent; it’s worth it).
However, nylon is a good choice for serious backpackers.
Pros For Nylon Tent Fabrics:
- Super light
- Easy to make and use
Cons For Nylon Tent Fabrics:
- Not naturally waterproofed or durable
- Expensive to make good enough for use
Example of Nylon Backpacking Tent:
Direct Comparison Of Tent Fabrics
Use this pros and cons table to help you decide which tent fabric material is right for your needs. Note: These are general pros and cons and differ with each specific product and company.
Related reading: Best Tent Stakes For Backpacking
| Material | Pros | Cons |
| Cotton | Smells good Durable and good for all weather Classic choice | More expensive Heavy |
| PVC | Extra waterproofing More resistant to mold | Adds to the weight May result in more condensation |
| Polyester | Affordable Light Durable | Polyester smell at first |
| Polycotton | Good middle ground for breathability and weight Lighter and cheaper than true cotton | Medium price Not as common |
| Nylon | Super light Easy to make and use | Not naturally waterproofed or durable Expensive to make good enough for use |
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed learning about what materials tents are made of.
Polyester is king in modern-day tents for good reason. They’re durable and affordable.
If you’re interested in checking out a different tent fabric type, now you know a little more about them.
You may also enjoy learning how to put tent stakes into hard ground.