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Why aren't cotton tents more popular?

Why tunnel tents for the poles, Geodesic for the mountains?Dome tents vs popup tents, are there any inherent pros or cons besides price and ease?When are cotton socks actually better?Does a cotton lined sleeping bag make sense?Does cotton really kill?Roof-top tents vs conventional tents?Inflatable pole less tentsWhy not use a cotton base layer?Why do most tents have black floors?Why do people lock their tents at Everest Base Camp?

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3

Tents with (the outer tent) made of cotton or "technical cotton" (cotton blends) are heavier, more expensive, and take some more time to dry but they also have benefits such as better climate, less noise, durability etc. Sure the weight is an argument against for backpacking but in other travel scenarios the benefits are more relevant.

Nevertheless my impression is a decline in selection of cotton tents. What's the reason for cotton tents not being more popular? Several people I spoke with mentioned a fear that cotton tends to leak but experiences of people that actually use cotton tents tell the contrary, so may it just be bad marketing?

tents cotton

share|improve this question

edited 9 hours ago

Charlie Brumbaugh

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asked 9 hours ago

JakobJakob

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• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Can you provide sources for "more durable"? And what would be "etc." for the benefits?
  
  – Jasper
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Cotton tents do leak – when you touch the inside. You don't usually touch the inside of the flysheet (outer tent) but it is possible if a careless person presses the inner tent out towards it.
  
  – Weather Vane
  6 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I remember cotton tents from my childhood. There is no way I would use one ever for anything except perhaps the long-term fixed base camp concept.
  
  – Jon Custer
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

3

Tents with (the outer tent) made of cotton or "technical cotton" (cotton blends) are heavier, more expensive, and take some more time to dry but they also have benefits such as better climate, less noise, durability etc. Sure the weight is an argument against for backpacking but in other travel scenarios the benefits are more relevant.

Nevertheless my impression is a decline in selection of cotton tents. What's the reason for cotton tents not being more popular? Several people I spoke with mentioned a fear that cotton tends to leak but experiences of people that actually use cotton tents tell the contrary, so may it just be bad marketing?

tents cotton

share|improve this question

edited 9 hours ago

Charlie Brumbaugh

52.7k1717 gold badges149149 silver badges309309 bronze badges

asked 9 hours ago

JakobJakob

11622 bronze badges

New contributor

Jakob is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Can you provide sources for "more durable"? And what would be "etc." for the benefits?
  
  – Jasper
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Cotton tents do leak – when you touch the inside. You don't usually touch the inside of the flysheet (outer tent) but it is possible if a careless person presses the inner tent out towards it.
  
  – Weather Vane
  6 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I remember cotton tents from my childhood. There is no way I would use one ever for anything except perhaps the long-term fixed base camp concept.
  
  – Jon Custer
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Tents with (the outer tent) made of cotton or "technical cotton" (cotton blends) are heavier, more expensive, and take some more time to dry but they also have benefits such as better climate, less noise, durability etc. Sure the weight is an argument against for backpacking but in other travel scenarios the benefits are more relevant.

Nevertheless my impression is a decline in selection of cotton tents. What's the reason for cotton tents not being more popular? Several people I spoke with mentioned a fear that cotton tends to leak but experiences of people that actually use cotton tents tell the contrary, so may it just be bad marketing?

tents cotton

share|improve this question

edited 9 hours ago

Charlie Brumbaugh

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asked 9 hours ago

JakobJakob

11622 bronze badges

New contributor

Jakob is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 9 hours ago

Charlie Brumbaugh

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asked 9 hours ago

JakobJakob

11622 bronze badges

New contributor

Jakob is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 9 hours ago

Charlie Brumbaugh

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asked 9 hours ago

JakobJakob

11622 bronze badges

New contributor

Jakob is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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edited 9 hours ago

Charlie Brumbaugh

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edited 9 hours ago

Charlie Brumbaugh

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asked 9 hours ago

JakobJakob

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New contributor

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asked 9 hours ago

JakobJakob

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2 Answers
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5

I grew up car-camping in a frame tent (slept 4 in about 1/4 of the floor area). Those things are heavy. Seriously heavy. Lifting the fabric onto the central pole with that half-extended was hard work for someone strong. The poles had to be pretty robust too, as the pitching process involved one or two poles taking most of the weight at various times. The whole thing took well over an hour to put up.

Some of the downsides of such designs could be solved with more modern constructions, but trying to lift that canvas by pushing on dome tent poles would get nowhere and/or snap the poles.

The bulk and weight made storage difficult. The fabric and pole set each weighed more than an entire similar sized nylon flexible-pole tent. At least here in the UK tents are often stored in lofts (attics) and getting a frame tent up a ladder was hard work if it even fitted through the hatch.

Even packing a car was harder due to the bulk. And they're too heavy for roof boxes.

If you did ever get home with a wet tent, that's a lot of fabric to get dry - and you have to get it dry thoroughly and quickly to avoid mould.

For scouts use, the needs are different. You need robust and large, but they're normally stored somewhere easily accessible, and you have a team of people to erect them (the ones I used were put up rather like raising a barn, in that several people pulled one end up, rather than ever having to lift the fabric high.

share|improve this answer

answered 6 hours ago

Chris HChris H

12.4k22 gold badges2929 silver badges5858 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Scouts also tend to make use of the fact that a cotton tent is much better compatible with a fire inside.
  
  – cbeleites
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

3

I think your question spells out pretty well why people prefer other materials (cost,weight) and they really aren't used for backpacking where weight matters.

The times I have ever seen them in use it was an outfitters camp where the tents are setup for an extended period of time and they had had mules/horses to pack the tent in. The other use case is car camping where the weight is less of an issue.

Beyond that there really isn't a use case for them.

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

Charlie BrumbaughCharlie Brumbaugh

52.7k1717 gold badges149149 silver badges309309 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Oh nice, I did not know about mule camping! The scouts also use cotton tents for large groups, so why isn't cotton the norm at family campgrounds where people come by car?
  
  – Jakob
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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5

I grew up car-camping in a frame tent (slept 4 in about 1/4 of the floor area). Those things are heavy. Seriously heavy. Lifting the fabric onto the central pole with that half-extended was hard work for someone strong. The poles had to be pretty robust too, as the pitching process involved one or two poles taking most of the weight at various times. The whole thing took well over an hour to put up.

Some of the downsides of such designs could be solved with more modern constructions, but trying to lift that canvas by pushing on dome tent poles would get nowhere and/or snap the poles.

The bulk and weight made storage difficult. The fabric and pole set each weighed more than an entire similar sized nylon flexible-pole tent. At least here in the UK tents are often stored in lofts (attics) and getting a frame tent up a ladder was hard work if it even fitted through the hatch.

Even packing a car was harder due to the bulk. And they're too heavy for roof boxes.

If you did ever get home with a wet tent, that's a lot of fabric to get dry - and you have to get it dry thoroughly and quickly to avoid mould.

For scouts use, the needs are different. You need robust and large, but they're normally stored somewhere easily accessible, and you have a team of people to erect them (the ones I used were put up rather like raising a barn, in that several people pulled one end up, rather than ever having to lift the fabric high.

share|improve this answer

answered 6 hours ago

Chris HChris H

12.4k22 gold badges2929 silver badges5858 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Scouts also tend to make use of the fact that a cotton tent is much better compatible with a fire inside.
  
  – cbeleites
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

5

I grew up car-camping in a frame tent (slept 4 in about 1/4 of the floor area). Those things are heavy. Seriously heavy. Lifting the fabric onto the central pole with that half-extended was hard work for someone strong. The poles had to be pretty robust too, as the pitching process involved one or two poles taking most of the weight at various times. The whole thing took well over an hour to put up.

Some of the downsides of such designs could be solved with more modern constructions, but trying to lift that canvas by pushing on dome tent poles would get nowhere and/or snap the poles.

The bulk and weight made storage difficult. The fabric and pole set each weighed more than an entire similar sized nylon flexible-pole tent. At least here in the UK tents are often stored in lofts (attics) and getting a frame tent up a ladder was hard work if it even fitted through the hatch.

Even packing a car was harder due to the bulk. And they're too heavy for roof boxes.

If you did ever get home with a wet tent, that's a lot of fabric to get dry - and you have to get it dry thoroughly and quickly to avoid mould.

For scouts use, the needs are different. You need robust and large, but they're normally stored somewhere easily accessible, and you have a team of people to erect them (the ones I used were put up rather like raising a barn, in that several people pulled one end up, rather than ever having to lift the fabric high.

share|improve this answer

answered 6 hours ago

Chris HChris H

12.4k22 gold badges2929 silver badges5858 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Scouts also tend to make use of the fact that a cotton tent is much better compatible with a fire inside.
  
  – cbeleites
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I grew up car-camping in a frame tent (slept 4 in about 1/4 of the floor area). Those things are heavy. Seriously heavy. Lifting the fabric onto the central pole with that half-extended was hard work for someone strong. The poles had to be pretty robust too, as the pitching process involved one or two poles taking most of the weight at various times. The whole thing took well over an hour to put up.

Some of the downsides of such designs could be solved with more modern constructions, but trying to lift that canvas by pushing on dome tent poles would get nowhere and/or snap the poles.

The bulk and weight made storage difficult. The fabric and pole set each weighed more than an entire similar sized nylon flexible-pole tent. At least here in the UK tents are often stored in lofts (attics) and getting a frame tent up a ladder was hard work if it even fitted through the hatch.

Even packing a car was harder due to the bulk. And they're too heavy for roof boxes.

If you did ever get home with a wet tent, that's a lot of fabric to get dry - and you have to get it dry thoroughly and quickly to avoid mould.

For scouts use, the needs are different. You need robust and large, but they're normally stored somewhere easily accessible, and you have a team of people to erect them (the ones I used were put up rather like raising a barn, in that several people pulled one end up, rather than ever having to lift the fabric high.

share|improve this answer

answered 6 hours ago

Chris HChris H

12.4k22 gold badges2929 silver badges5858 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered 6 hours ago

Chris HChris H

12.4k22 gold badges2929 silver badges5858 bronze badges

answered 6 hours ago

Chris HChris H

12.4k22 gold badges2929 silver badges5858 bronze badges

answered 6 hours ago

Chris HChris H

12.4k22 gold badges2929 silver badges5858 bronze badges

3

I think your question spells out pretty well why people prefer other materials (cost,weight) and they really aren't used for backpacking where weight matters.

The times I have ever seen them in use it was an outfitters camp where the tents are setup for an extended period of time and they had had mules/horses to pack the tent in. The other use case is car camping where the weight is less of an issue.

Beyond that there really isn't a use case for them.

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

Charlie BrumbaughCharlie Brumbaugh

52.7k1717 gold badges149149 silver badges309309 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Oh nice, I did not know about mule camping! The scouts also use cotton tents for large groups, so why isn't cotton the norm at family campgrounds where people come by car?
  
  – Jakob
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

3

I think your question spells out pretty well why people prefer other materials (cost,weight) and they really aren't used for backpacking where weight matters.

The times I have ever seen them in use it was an outfitters camp where the tents are setup for an extended period of time and they had had mules/horses to pack the tent in. The other use case is car camping where the weight is less of an issue.

Beyond that there really isn't a use case for them.

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

Charlie BrumbaughCharlie Brumbaugh

52.7k1717 gold badges149149 silver badges309309 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Oh nice, I did not know about mule camping! The scouts also use cotton tents for large groups, so why isn't cotton the norm at family campgrounds where people come by car?
  
  – Jakob
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I think your question spells out pretty well why people prefer other materials (cost,weight) and they really aren't used for backpacking where weight matters.

The times I have ever seen them in use it was an outfitters camp where the tents are setup for an extended period of time and they had had mules/horses to pack the tent in. The other use case is car camping where the weight is less of an issue.

Beyond that there really isn't a use case for them.

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

Charlie BrumbaughCharlie Brumbaugh

52.7k1717 gold badges149149 silver badges309309 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

Charlie BrumbaughCharlie Brumbaugh

52.7k1717 gold badges149149 silver badges309309 bronze badges

answered 9 hours ago

Charlie BrumbaughCharlie Brumbaugh

52.7k1717 gold badges149149 silver badges309309 bronze badges

answered 9 hours ago

Charlie BrumbaughCharlie Brumbaugh

52.7k1717 gold badges149149 silver badges309309 bronze badges