FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions.

Is there a showroom for viewing purposes:
Yes, all products can be seen, inspected and collected in our warehouse/showroom: CanvasCamp - Industriepark 16 - 9031 Drongen.

Regular VS Deluxe VS Ultimate:
The difference between our standard tents and our Deluxe tents is that our Deluxe range comes with a very heavy duty ground sheet being permanently connected to your tent. The Deluxe ground sheet is a lot thicker (PVC 540 g/m² = 0,995 pounds per square yard), more comfortable and durable than any other you have probably seen. Water, insects and  bugs stand no chance as the ground sheet comes 4 inches up the side. Very luxurious and soft to the touch ground sheet, you don't need to put any other carpets down. Due to this you lose the ability to roll the sides up. For: People using their tent 90% of the time as bedroom

The standard has a unique and very popular selling feature: You can roll up the Sibley tent wall in order to see everything around your tent and find some shade while enjoying a summer breeze. The 'standard' ground sheet is similar to the type of ground sheet attached to a regular iglo- or tunnel tent. There is no way to permanently attach the 'regular' ground sheet to your tent but our regular tents have been provided with a 1 feet wide pvc strip/flap to stop water and insects from coming in. For: People using their tent as bedroom, children's play pad, shade structure, festival tent, ....

Ultimate: we've taken our Deluxe Sibley tent and added a zip that goes all the way around the top of the groundsheet. Now you get the best of both worlds. A heavy-duty groundsheet that comes up 4 inches all the way round to stop all but the worst floods but still the option of rolling up the walls on a sunny afternoon, and it also takes our Inner Tent.

• New: Inner tents specially designed to fit all our Sibley tents so that you are able to create a totally safe and bug free environment . Enjoying best of both worlds.
   

How much space do I have: Sibley 400 vs 500 vs 600

Sibley 400:
- 1 double bed + room for lugage, table, chairs, ...
- 2 comfortably fits two double air mattresses
- 7 young people on self inflatable mattresses

Sibley 500: twice a much space compared to our 400
- 1 double bed + ... extremely comfortable and luxurious Glamping
- 2 double beds + ideal family solution
- 4 comfortably fits four double air mattresses + luggage...
- 11 young people on self inflatable mattresses

Sibley 600:
- 2 double beds + ... extremely comfortable and luxurious Glamping
- 3 double beds + lugage, table, chairs, ....
- 12+ young people on self inflatable mattresses
- You can ad a 500 to the side creating a separte room.

Sibley 400

500

600

Pitching your tent:

Wind resistance:
Our Sibley tents have been extensively tested, also at the Burning Man festival. The Nevada desert based festival well known for its wind gusts and dust storms. The strong winds and dust storms did not do anything to our Sibley tents while regular igloo tents where literally flying by. Beside being durably build they are extremely aerodynamic.

Leaving your tent out in very windy conditions without taking care for it, not adjusting guy ropes and properly pegging down your tent, can after a while cause uneven strain on the central pole. Therefore we advise when using your tent as a long term shelter in a place with frequent winds over 75mph to find a substitute central pole made out of one piece.

A very popular tent for these warm and windy conditions is our regular Sibley tent. As you can roll up the walls to enjoy the cool air while being in the shade of your tent. In full desert sun this is the only place left to hide and enjoy the environment.

Original versus fake:
Genuine CanvasCamp products are made only by us and are covered by our warranty.
We hope that this action will ensure the protection of our customers and the CanvasCamp brand. This is a high quality European spec Sibley tent and is very different (style, finish, weight, cotton, parts, lifespan) to the bright white imports from China and India. Take this into consideration when ordering.

Please contact us when coming across look a like products. Ask us for a list of our official resellers when unsure.

Original CanvasCamp products can be purchased via:

• our website: www.canvascamp.com
• eBay: username TentWizard
• several official reseller thoughout Europe, contact us for a list

Spare parts:
CanvasCamp always stocks a large amount of spare parts to be able to insure a perfect after-sales Service. Don't hesitate to contact us, we will find a solution.

Your project:
CanvasCamp likes to get involved and attain all kinds of events and projects. Are you getting married, organizing a company camp or street animation,… whatever you've got planned for your CanvasCamp tent, contact us and our experience employees will gladly assist in discussing the possibilities and options. We particularly like to assist projects geared towards conservation, green living, alternative therapies and children's activities as these areas fit particularly well with our own company values and interests

Discounts:
Dependant upon quantities and the intended use, CanvasCamp tents can be purchased at a discount. Each project is considered in isolation and awarded a discount based on its own merits. We're a generous and trusting team, but in some instances we will need to see proof of your plans/organization. Contact us for more information, an offer or with a proposition.

Lifespan:
CanvasCamp tents are intended for regular, light, leisure use and it is our opinion that they are not suitable as a permanent housing/shelter. However, if taken care of properly, CanvasCamp tents can last up to 15 years. In short: it all depends.

There are many factors that influence how long your tent will last, just like with any other tent:

• Natural dirt: tree resin, bird droppings, sand, salt, ...
• Domestic dirt: cooking stains, wine, sun cream...
• Terrain in which it is used
• Conditions (air pollution, ultra violet radiation, weather)
• How well it is pitched
• How frequent is it used
• How well it is taken down, dried and stored
• ...

The advantages of cotton:
The beauty of this type of tent, is that it can be maintained to a very high standard and its lifespan is a lot longer than its nylon or polyester counterparts. The cotton canvas itself can be re-treated for water repellence, anti-fungal treatments and ultra violet radiation. There are plenty of easy to apply products on the market today. Furthermore it never feels damp or moist Inside your tent due to its breathing quality

By comparison, a lot of the nylon tents we see today are practically disposable and totally un-enjoyable and comfortless.

At CanvasCamp we don't want to sell you the latest model each year. Our tents are based on tried and tested designs which are here to stay. We want your CanvasCamp tent to last year after year.

Cotton:
Cotton tent canvas can be divided into three different kinds: lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight canvas.

• Lightweight canvas weighs between 130 and 180 gr/m² and is suited for lightweight expeditions on foot.
• Middleweight canvas weighs between 180 and 220 gr/m² and is used for tents designed to remain for longer periods in one place.
• Heavyweight canvas weighs 220 to 320 gr/m². Bungalow tents, group tents and army tents are being made out of this.

All our tents are made out of Heavy Weight Canvas.

Cotton shrinks when wet, making itself waterproof when it rains. The canvas has been impregnated to protect it from dirt, ultraviolet radiation and fungus.

Advantages Cotton / Canvas:
- strong / lifespan
- breathing and humidity regulating

Disadvantages cotton:
- dries slowly
- sensitive for dirt and fungus (impregnated!)

Maintenance:
The cotton must be dry before storing it. Never keep your tent stored away wet for longer than two days. Otherwise fungus can affect the canvas which will create little black irremovable dots. The canvas has been impregnated with anti-fungi but when using the tent often or in a harsh environment this process should be repeated on a regular basis.

• Maintenance starts when pitching your tent. When the tent has not been erected properly uneven forces will pull on the canvas. This could eventually lead to damage. It is in your interest to keep the canvas as clean as possible and remove stains when created. Dust can best be wiped away with a soft brush, soft!

Impregate:
Solar radiation affects the waterproofness of your tent. Applying a new coating with care demands time and effort but extends the life span of your tent considerably.The canvas has been impregnated with anti-fungi but when using the tent often or in a harsh environment this process should be repeated on a regular basis. Before EU rules and regulations applied very chemical products were used to impregnate tents. These products lasted longer but were harmful to the environment. The products we use are 100% bio- degradable and can be applied by you without protective clothing.
The easiest way to impregnate is:

• Pitch your tent and make sure tent is 100% dry.
• Remove dust and dirty with a hard brush.
• Apply the impregnating agent with a gentle brush. Cotton needs to be soaked properly.
• You can also apply the fluid with a pressurized a garden hose if you rub it in well after wise with a brush.
• Let you tent dry in the wind, preferably not in the sun.

A perfect impregnating agent to make cotton tents waterproof is ANCHOR EXTRA®. It is an environment-friendly product, non-toxic and biologically degradable. Tent rental places and army tents have used it with excellent result since 1943. The product is water based, without solvents or hydrocarbons. The usage varies between approx. 8 m2 and 12 m2 a liter. It is possible a gray shine appearce on dark-coloured cotton after treatment; after a few downpours this will however disappear.

There are a few companies industrially impregnating cotton in case you don't want to do it yourself. Cotton is cleaned firstly and then impregnated under high pressure. This process is not cheap.

Zippers:
Zippers sometimes have to endure extreme tension caused by wind, badly erected, pressures caused by people or object leaning into the tent.

• Close all zippers before pitching your tent. 
• Handle the zippers with care.
• To protect the zippers treat them with silicones once in a while.
• Verify zippers before using, no insurance on zippers once used.

Fungus and stains:
Due to insufficient ventilations fungus can affect the canvas. It is important to store your tent dry so no fungus or other stains can appear. When you have to temporarily store your tent wet be sure to remove any mud and dirt from the groundsheet and bottom strip and be sure to pitch your tent again withing 2days for it to dry out, ASAP.

• Store your tent 100% dry.
• When dealing with fungus use a soft brush or sponge and a lot of fresh water. Only use specialised tent cleaning product to remove difficult stains. Other chemical products can cause the cotton to leak. We suggest you have your tent re-impregnated after washing it.

Leaking:
Cotton can, when brand new, let some air trough and leak around the seams. After the canvas has been wet once this will no longer happen because of the cotton expanding. Your tent is now 100% waterproof. Very light stains can appear on a wet tent, this causes no problems.Rain fall and ultraviolet radiation will wear down the protective layer no longer making the tent waterproof.

• To preserve your tents water resistance and prolong its lifespan, the outside should be regularly treated with a sealant.

Sibley tents, some history:
The Sibley tent, aka Bell tent, was invented by Henry Hopkins Sibley, who had studied the tipi during the expeditions he carried out in the Old West. He patented his tent design in 1858. In accordance in an agreement with the Department of War, he would have received five dollars for every tent they made. However, Sibley joined the Confederate States Army after the outbreak of the American Civil War and did not receive the royalty. The Federal Army had used almost 44,000 Sibley tents during the war. After Sibley's death, his relatives attempted unsuccessfully to collect the royalties.