Wondering if the Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Canvas Tent Deluxe is right for you?
In this Kodiak Canvas tent review, we’ll be looking at the pros and cons of a traditional-style tent that’s growing in popularity. This is a premium tent with some high end features, but is it worth the price?
Let’s find out.
Product Details & Specs
- Rating: 4-season
- Weight: 68-79 lbs.
- Fabric: Duck Canvas
- Floor: Reinforced vinyl
Who Is the Kodiak Canvas for?
In short, this cabin tent is ideal for people who want a durable family camping tent for long-term camping trips.
As a 4-season tent, the Kodiak will keep you comfortable throughout the year. Which brings us onto our next point – this tent is ideal for those who want a year-round tent that will provide a lifetime of use. The tent isn’t the most affordable, and there are certainly more budget options on the market. But few are built to the same quality and will last such a long time.
With such durable and heavy-duty construction, it will come as no surprise that this tent is heavy and hard to carry. As such, it’s definitely not a mountaineering or backpacking tent. It’s more suited to those who will be camping from a car or driving most of the way to the pitch.
It’s also best for those who aren’t in a rush to get set-up, and who don’t mind taking a bit of time to build the perfect fortress their stay.
Size
The Kodiak Canvas Flex Bow Deluxe comes in two sizes: a 10×10 6-person tent and a 10×14 8-person tent.
No matter which size you decide to use, you will be rewarded with plenty of room. The tent’s vertical walls a 6.5′ of headroom help you make the most of that space as well. There’s also a large awning (72″x78″ on the smaller tent and 84″x78″ on the larger) that provides additional covered space at the front of the tent.
Pitching
The large size and heavy materials of this tent make it more difficult to put this tent up compared to the average tent. It’s a good idea to practice before the first time you take it on a trip. It’s best to have two adults plan to put the tent up together, but it can be assembled by just one person.
With that set, the setup process is straightforward and easy to understand, so a couple adults shouldn’t have any problem figuring it out, especially with the instructions. Once you’ve got some practice, it should only take about 10 minutes to put the tent up.
When you’re ready to pack up, this great family tent roles up and easily stows in the included strap-and-cinch storage bag.
Materials & Weather Protection
This tent has a sturdy Flex-Bow frame, which is made of 3/8-inch thick solid spring steel Flex-Bow Rods. This keeps the tent taut and helps it stand up to heavy winds.
The walls and ceiling of this high-quality tent are made from Hydra-shield canvas, a cotton duck canvas with a watertight yet breathable silicone coating for waterproofing. This protects from not just rain and moisture, but also sand and dust that blows against the tent walls. Basically, it will keep out the nastiness and allow for a comfortable living space inside.
The 16 oz vinyl floor is seamless and resistant to water, and will not break under a heavy load. Kodiak Canvas sells additional ground tarps and floor liners to provide campers with additional protection for the floor of the tent.
In regards to wind, the tent will hold up well if it is properly staked down and well tensioned. If not, high winds will treat this freestanding tent like a kite and blow it over. It’s therefore essential that you make sure that the steel tubing frame is properly secured to the ground. Fortunately, it comes with 12-inch long heavy duty steel rods to use as stakes, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
It also comes with a lifetime limited warranty just in case you do experience any problems.
Storage & Other Features
With a large awning, there is an area outside the tent that can store gear or provide a living area. It doesn’t provide protection from the elements, since things can blow under from the sides. However, Kodiak Canvas sells a wing vestibule to go with each size of the Kodiak Canvas Flex Bow Deluxe to provide additional protection for the area under the awning.
With that said, the Kodiak is very spacious. If you’re planning to bring a lot of gear, then we recommend sizing up and going for the larger size. On the inside of the tent you’ll find a customizable gear loft that can store clothing and bags. You can also make use of the built-in mesh pockets for your essentials.
The tent also comes with a range of features that adds small touches of luxury to your camping trip. The two large d-shaped doors have #10 YKK zippers that are solid and near-impossible to snag or break. We also appreciated the reinforced seams that prevent damages in rough weather, such as sandstorms.
There are four large windows that have no-see-um mesh to allow you to take in your surroundings without letting bugs in the tent. They, along with the two funnel-flow vents, also provide airflow inside the tent.
Verdict
Let’s look at some pros and cons to summarize what we just discussed before going into our final verdict.
Pros
- Durability and quality
- Protects against sand and dust
- Good headroom
Cons
- Heavy
This Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe review should have helped you to gain a better perspective of this durable tent. Although it has a traditional style, this is a luxury tent that won’t let you down. To sum up, if you want a canvas tent that provides excellent living conditions, the Kodiak is the one to beat.
The only thing we aren’t crazy about is the weight of the tent, which does limit the situations it can be used in. For example, this is a great festival tent, but it will be hard to use for groups who want to travel light.
Think the Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe Tent is the best tent for you?
