Recommendation? Proofing Canvas

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BushMasta

Joined
Aug 21, 2019
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Hey guys,

Recently purchased a military style canvas tent and was looking into possibly proofing it for maximum performance and protection. I had a bunch of questions.

Is fireproofing the same as waterproofing? I know if you Google it, there are clearly different products with different names, etc, but are they actually different? A lot of these products are near identical with different packaging. It's hard for me to tell. But is fireproofing and waterproofing mutually exclusive? How are those brand new wall tents sold as "waterproof and fire retardant"?

I have experience using Nilkwax on my synthetic bags and down items. It works great. I know Nikwax has a cotton proof spray, as well as a "TX Direct" spray. What's the difference? I see more people (online) use the TX Direct than the Cotton Proof spray. Are they the same thing?

I'm also looking at Kiwi Camp Dry, as well as Star Brite waterproofing. So many options. No idea what works best.

Some form of spray is what I want. Not wash-in or rub-on. Not beeswax or anything that would add weight to it. I think those are my only parameters.

Any ideas? Thoughts? Recommendations? Thanks!
 
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I've only dabbled a bit with this stuff as I use some oilskin and canvas gear but not tarps. That said, I've had quite a few discussions with a buddy who bought a cabin tent and I followed his research. Fireproofing and waterproofing are defiantly different products. Depending on the products used, some will be incompatible, or the fireproofing will just be enough to minimize damage, because some waterproofers do burn. My buddy wanted to treat his tent himself, so he would be able to restore it, but after talking extensively to most (I think three) of the remaining north american tent makers, he realized how big of a project that would be, and just why they offered it. Its not just for liability, one guy was willing to sell him a raw tent, but explained that unless my buddy had a really compelling reason to use some special sauce, the treatments they were using were going to do more for less. Also that a raw tent would likely be dead in a season if the rot prevention didn't get set in correctly.

Spray-ons, never got one to work yet, apart from restoring older oilskin, might have made raw canvas act a little like it had a DWR coating so water beaded off, but only by the most minor amount. TX direct and cotton proof are not the same thing. I've used both Nicwax products in spray, and TX as a wash-in on both membrane and cordura, also used a canvas proofer product from a company here in Australia (aussies still use lots of canvas for camping gear, swag rolls are great!) But all they do is just get the canvas "water resistant" its enough that you will be damp, not soaked as the canvas stuff is more effective out in the desert-like areas. Its ambitious here in the sub tropics that give even modern membranes a run for their money.

All coatings and treatments will have compromises. What you need to look at is what it was originally treated with, and see if that will work for you. Depending on the age of the tent, some of the old treatments were very toxic to apply, and are really more of a rot reducer than actual waterproofing. Some just keep the canvas from stretching as much. Again, waterproofing the canvas so it doesn't absorb water, but not so much worrying about drips.

From my knowledge and limited use of canvas tents, all the weather proofing comes from the pitching, rather than the canvas itself. Any coating will change the feel of the cloth and add weight.

I know there are a couple canvas guys here (and gents, no ego here if I got something wrong, I don't mind learning) but I'd say a more dedicated forum like bushcraft might lead you in a better direction. One of the big things you will have to reconcile is that you are dealing with old tech that has compromises, even the most modern canvas stuff is "old" but just how old you go is up to you. The youtube channel Townsends has some info on making oilcloth, and there will be other channels that deal with differing uses, and timeframes, even from the 50s to now there have been some changes, and so its worth knowing what you actually want. A hot tent in the snow is going to need different care and feeding than a tropical tent where the fire is for cooking outside and bug management.
 
The only thing I think canvas is good at is being rugged and somewhat fire resistant. For everything else, new materials are lighter, more resistant and pack smaller.

Usually military-anything is going to be bombproof... at the expense of being way to heavy and overbuilt. It goes for garments, tents, BACKPACKS (which is a big recurrent issue here in BF), etc.

I recall my parents owning what is called here "canadian tent" made of canvas. Double walled. The only way the damn thing was weatherproof is to pitch it being extra carefull with the two walls not touching. The outher shell (canvas) could be totally saturated that as long as the inner tent (cotton) was not touching, you would be fine. Otherwise, leaks were guaranteed.

My suggestion? Unless you are going to use a wood stove inside for heating and/or cooking, sell that tent and look into 100% synthetic camping of climbing tent.

Mikel
 
The only thing I can add here would be to go to a fabric store, buy several yards of canvas, and try the treatment on each. Then take it to a safe area such as a parking lot, with a fire extinguisher, and test away...
 
You are right, it is only through checking it is possible to know what is useful and what is just advertisement.
 
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