You don’t have to know how to use a sewing machine to know that a good quality canvas fabric can make the difference between an okay time away and a great escape!

With modern material science making developments daily, it’s easy to get lost in the descriptions of these materials and what are the pros and cons of each.

We’re going to run over all the different canvas fabrics you will find in the Adventure Kings Range and what all the ratings and other mumbo jumbo means when looking at all the awesome gear we have on offer!

A few facts about Canvas

Starting with ordinary canvas, this is an age-old fabric that dates back hundreds (possibly thousands) of years and traditionally was made by hand with organic plant fibers like hemp.

Modern canvas is made from spun cotton fibers woven tightly to produce a durable and breathable fabric that can absorb a small amount of water, this absorption swells the fibers making an impenetrable barrier for water, keeping you safe warm and dry inside! (more on this later)

The problem with pure cotton canvas is that it is prone to rotting, mildew and mold if not stored in perfect conditions.

What is the solution to rotting and mold?

This is where Adventure Kings poly cotton canvas comes in, by integrating synthetic fibers into the canvas we get a composite, where the naturally rot resistant and high tensile strength of polyester fibers enhance the tough, durable and breathable cotton of the canvas resulting in a durable, breathable, tough and sturdy fabric that will last for many years in tough conditions.

You can find Adventure Kings poly cotton canvas in products like the Adventure Kings Premium Winter sleeping bags and many of the storage sacks included with Adventure Kings products.

An added performance benefit given to much of the Adventure Kings canvas poly cotton range is the introduction of ripstop mesh woven into the fabric.

Adventure Kings rip stop poly cotton canvas fabric uses a clever grid of core spun fibers. These core spun fibers are a single synthetic filament with cotton fibers spun all around it. This core spun fiber is integrated into the canvas when it is being woven and takes full advantage of the excellent tensile strength of the synthetic fiber to arrest any rips or tears where they are. This ripstop grid also prevents stretching sagging fabric and often makes repairs easier and the overall strength of the canvas greater without adding too much weight.

You can find this tough weatherproof fabric, in the Adventure Kings Swag Range and in the Adventure Kings Roof Top Tent Range.

On the subject of weight, what is GSM?

When you are looking at all the different canvases available on the market, you’ll see them described in different weights. The weight of a canvas refers to its thickness per area eg ounces per yard or Grams per square meter.

Because canvas is a more traditional fabric many people may still use imperial measurements and often refer to the thickness in ounces, this is the weight of 1 square yard (36” x 36”) of canvas fabric in ounces with no stitching or eyelets included.

Seeing as we are dealing with space age technology, all Adventure Kings products use metric to offer a similar measurement of Grams per Square Meter (GSM) which is how many grams there are per square meter of a single layer of fabric with no stitching or eyelets. We find this to be more consistent across our range and easier to understand.

For an example of GSM in the real world the Adventure Kings entire swag range uses 400gsm poly cotton ripstop canvas, and the Adventure Kings Roof Top Tent range uses 320GSM canvas fabric.

Seasoning

We aren’t talking about the little packet that comes in your 2-minute noodles. Seasoning is the method of preparing a new canvas product before you take it out for the first time.

To season a canvas product, you have to get it wet.

Not just a little bit wet like the refresher napkins from the chicken place, we mean soaked all the way through. Sometimes even letting it dry and then getting it wet again a few times is required to fully season a canvas product.

The reason we soak canvas is to swell all the cotton fibers, this allows them to lock in and engage the fibers surrounding them. It will also allow the fibers to swell into any of the needle holes around the stitching and close up any gaps in the fibers that may leak water through.

Many people ignore this step and end up having a bad time in the outdoors. Trust us, you don’t want to season your swag in the bush with rain water, you’re going to have a bad time!

In conclusion

With all of these tips and information about what makes a good trip great, its hard to look past the quality and performance of the Adventure Kings canvas products and exactly what you are getting for your money.

We hope this has clarified any confusion you may have had with what exactly is the deal with canvas!