Kodiak Kanvas Cabin Tent

macro1

New member
Just picked one up the other day and I haven't seen a whole lot out there on this tent so I thought I would post a few thoughts on it.

First of all its really heavy as many know already. Its a lot more manageable when you separate the poles from the tent otherwise I don't know how I would manage to get it on top of the roof rack.

Set up time is 'OK' for a tent this size. It took my wife and I a good 45min getting it set up for the first time. I think we could easily do it around 30 min since we don't have to figure out what goes where. Tear down was very simple and easy and only took just under 20 min to have it bagged up and in the house. The only complaint I have is where the front angle poles go through the awning. You have to take the set screw out to get the pole to fit through the hole. A bit of a pain because its heavy and awkward. If it wasn't for these "sleeves" I would have to say this is a very simple tent to erect.

Very well built and impressive. Its 7.5 ft at the center and 5.5ft at the sides. We are a family of 4 and I would be more than comfortable having a family of 6 in this tent.

The wall enclosure for the awning is definitely worth the extra $100 and was pretty much why I bought it in the first place. Call me a prissy baby but I hate waking up in the morning to cook breakfast with a wet butt from the morning dew and the sun pounding on my face. I didn't want to have a campsite village (shower enclosure, eating enclosure, tent, etc), so this seemed for my situation to be the best solution.

Im looking forward to taking the family out!

kodiaktent_zps9f50c5a1.jpg

kodiaktent2_zpsfa0e7b10.jpg
 

Honu

lost on the mainland
looks great :) I had looked at those the only downside for me was pack size and weight :)
what camp table and benches are those ? :)
 

macro1

New member
Its a Coleman table and chairs I bought 10+ years ago. The table folds up into the benches and backs up light and neat and I have not seen anything like it.
 

xplrn42

Adventurer
That looks great.....I bet it IS heavy though, especially wet.
We've got Kodiak Flex-Bow model and absolutely love it.
 

Crom

Expo this, expo that, exp
That's one heck of an impressive setup, it would make an excellent base camp. We have a Flex-Bow VX series tent and we're very happy with it. :) Good stuff! Thanks for sharing pics.
 

macro1

New member
The flex bow model is a GREAT TENT. I like the VX a lot. The main reason I went with this tent is I found a new for sale locally for nearly half the price. dollar to dollar I would probably get the flex-bow VX as its Only 68lbs compared to 112!! Plus it's got the YKK zippers and a smaller footprint.
 

macro1

New member
Thanks. The base camp is what we are going for. When it was just the wife and I we did a new site every night. It's a lot harder with kids so when we get out I'd prefer to do a couple couple nights at a time.

Either way, the setup isn't that bad at all and would even consider it for a single night-er.
 

macro1

New member
Just wanted to update my opinion on the tent. This certainly isnt a product review done by a bunch of single guys with Canon EOS 1DX's running around the desert. I bought a tent for camping and used it and will continue to use it for quite some time.

We took it down to Zion's National Park for a last minute family outing. I didn't really plan on camping inside the park so we found a great spot just south of the small town of Rockwell across the river. It was only less than 15-20 min from the park entrance and it was perfect!

For those who have families I would highly recommend this tent. Its well worth the extra 10-15 min of setup time. We spent two nights in this tent and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Yes its heavy. Yes its bulky and Yes takes up a lot of room. But when you have little ones and "stuff" everywhere the awning area this tent has is ideal because it keeps a lot of the dirt and sand out of the sleeping portion of the tent.

There are plenty of 9x12 tarps that will fit the floor of the tent itself and they can be found at most hardware stores. The 8x8 flooring in the enclosed awning is going to be ordered online. If you plan on getting this tent I would recommended getting a very durable tarp for the enclosure.

It is possible to set this up by yourself. I did nearly half of it while my wife was taking care of the kids. It took us nearly 45 minutes to get it up this time (a little longer than the backyard test). THE MOST DIFFICULT PART WAS INSTALLING THE STAKES. As you can see not all the stakes were installed because of the rocky cliff (it was right near the edge) of the plateau we camped on. I knew this would be an issue prior to getting the tent but if you can pitch it here you can pitch it most anywhere suitable for a base camp.

I really enjoyed sleeping in this tent. The walls block out a lot of the light and the white canvas on top lets quite a bit of light in. It wasn't quite a full moon but the tent was quite bright during the night. I also enjoyed not having the hot sun beat through the walls of this tent.

On the second evening it did get pretty windy so we brought the stove into the awning portion, tied the entrance back and cooked dinner inside. I know some woudnt recommend this, but it was really nice! I was very surprised on how much wind the screens block.

Overall both the wife and I LOVE this tent. Its easy to setup, great to camp in and simple to pack away. If your looking for a good base camp tent for a family this really is a great way to go.











 
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Honu

lost on the mainland
Snow peak stakes :) pound them into asphalt if ya want :) worth having for rocky ground

Nice to see the review :)
 

Colonal Angus

Adventurer
What a fantastic view...glad you like the tent. I have a Kodiak Flexbow and couldn't be happier. The only thing I wish it had is locks on the doors...I can't keep my kids from going in and out. Do they still make Dustbusters?
 

macro1

New member
Got a chance to look at those snow peak stakes at Cabela's. Very nice. I will be ordering some shortly as this is the only complaint I have regarding the tent.

Colonal Angus- I hear you about the kids. I swear every 2-3 minutes they are in and out, in and out. I don't know what the fascination it is with kids wanting to go in and out all the time and it really doesn't bother me as long as they are enjoying the time together and making good memories as a family.
 

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