KODIAK CANVAS Flex-Bow Canvas Tent Deluxe 10 ft x 10 ft (6-person)

I normally don't write reviews but for this tent I will. It has met all my expectations. The size is perfect for my wife and myself even with the large cots that we have. We've used a Kelty dome tent in the past that was just too crowded but we are not only able to fit the cots but there is room to spare with the Kodiak. It is not really hard to set up at all. I've owned about a dozen or better tents in the past, from one person A frames and pole/sleeve tents to the large dome tent and this one is simple and easy to set up and take down. I especially like the strap bag that it comes with. The poles are heavy duty and should last for years. It is heavy and bulky but that's what I would expect from a canvas tent of this size. A lot of the weight comes from the poles but the floor of this tent is heavy duty and adds a great deal of weight itself. I would not want it any way but the way it is. We did encounter some winds on our first outing and there was no problem with the stability or strength of the tent. Staking the tent takes the most time but once down it is secure. The amazing thing we found is that when it was hot during the day as long as the tent was shaded it seemed cooler inside than out. Then as the nights grew colder it was warmer! We were in West Yellowstone for the duration of this vacation with the days being in the mid 80's and one night it got down to 34 (F) degrees. Our 20 degree bags were fine although we did add a small blanket inside for added a little additional warmth. I had planned to purchase a Spring Bow tent made in the US but they just did not have one in stock that met our schedule even though we we planned for more than a month in advance. I will say I am not displeased with the Kodiak tent in the least. I'm somewhat picky about my gear and spent some time going over every seam and the entire tent and found nothing I did not like. I believe this tent will be with us for a long time. It is just like anything else, if cared for correctly there should be no problem. I'm definitely pleased with my purchase so far. We are planning an extended trip this fall so if there is anything else to report I'll post it here.

I purchased this tent from Amazon in Feb of 2016. My Son and I used this tent for our vacation to three national parks this summer. We camped a total of 9 nights in this tent through all kinds of weather. We encountered temps as high as 90F and as low as 35F. We were in blistering sun and two nights of rain, with one of the nights including thunderstorms and camp ground flooding. Below are my opinions on the pro's and cons of this tent. Pro's 1. Completely waterproof: We had no problems with water leakage. The treatment on the canvas keeps water out period. I will say that we did have the slightest amount of very fine mist/condensation in our tent during the night that we had thunderstorms and multiple inches of rain at our campground. But nothing inside the tent became saturated with rain water. 2. Setup: Once you get your routine down setup of the tent takes about 10 min from start to finish. I'm not including organizing items inside your tent, I'm only speaking to the actual tent set up. All you need to do to get this tent up is stake the four corners, get the roof/flex bow installed, and then raise each side. My Son is 11 and so he was able to help by laying out stakes and pounding them in, but he isn't quite strong enough to help raise the tent. I was able to do this myself, but I'm a 6'2" male in decent physical shape. 3. No rain fly to attach and guy line. This saves a ton of time! 4. Space: I can stand up easily in this tent. On our trip there was only two of us, but our gear included two camping cots (mine is an oversized Cabelas guide cot) and luggage. We had tons of room. I think the fact that you don't have to crawl in on your hands and knees is a huge plus for those of us who are over the height of 6 ft. If I was a 5' 7" person, I would see how a 4 man dome would have been a great option for my son and I for our vacation. Cons 1. Heavy: This tent and poles do weigh a lot. I bought this tent specifically for car camping. My son and I do not backpack. The poles for this tent are very strong, but they also add considerably to the weight of the tent. And the stakes are also quite heavy, but they won't bend!!! 2. Transport: The bag that the poles are stored in is quite long. I was able to lay the pole bag across the floor of our SUV in front of the back seat (normally where back seat passengers would put their feet. I would estimate that the pole bag is about 3.5 - 4.0 feet long. If you have a small car, you may have problems fitting the poles into your trunk and you may have to resort to a roof topper or something. I'm sure the poles would fit nicely into those long aerodynamic Yakima roof toppers. 3. Strength needed to erect the side poles. Like I stated above, the side poles do take some strength to get into position. Two adults working together shouldn't have a problem, but it can be a bit of a chore. Overall, I love this tent!! The quality and durability are top notch!! The tent holds up well to weather and I think that everything will last a long time if taken care of properly. The tent is heavy, but it IS a car camping tent. The stakes in particular impressed me very much! Of the three tent pads that we encountered on our trip, two of them were very packed down and rocky. The tent stakes included with this tent didn't bend. In fact I broke a mallet while pounding stakes at the first campground, and had to go to a hardware store where I purchased a 4lb sledge to pound in stakes at the future camping sites. I'd like to address that I do have some mold on the roof of my tent. That mold came from storing the tent wet between initial set up in my back yard and the camping trip described above. I plan to clean the tent with mild soap, some peroxide and then buy water proofing agents to treat the roof as needed. While mold and mildew is gross to look at, I don't get as worried about it as some folks. The fact is that you are around all sorts of mold spores everyday! Lastly, seems to be a few bad reviews based on the fact that the tent is made in China. There are lots of products made all over this world and quality control vastly depends more on the company than it does the country of origin. I didn't really look at the American made option/ spring bar tents before buying this tent. I did look at multiple reviews for Kodiak tents from multiple sources. I would estimate that I watched about 20 videos on youtube showing set up and tear down. As well as discussing the pros and cons of each individual buyer. I bought this tent with my own money and I have no relationship with the producer of this product.

Summary: I purchased and used this tent in summer of 2013. Before it degraded, it was my favorite tent. It was never stored wet. However, it still failed in multiple places after three months use. This tent was used in the rainy southern US ...mainly in Florida. Customer support was slow to respond and gave questionable tent care advice. Details: While it lasted, this tent was my favorite. It's spacious. Standing at just a smidge under 6'3", I could still stand fully in areas. The walls are relatively vertical which adds to the spaciousness. Once staked down, it's pretty quick and simple to setup. It's very wind resistant. And best of all the canvas is so much quieter than synthetic tents. You don't get that flapping in the wind and the thicker materials also insulate you from outside sounds and light better. It's hard to fully explain but canvas just gives you more a feeling of safety and security than the more modern tent materials. The Kodiak's zippers are fantastic. Glitchy tent zippers are a pet peeve of mine. But these worked smoothly. So why only three stars? This tent failed in multiple places after 90 days of use. It came with minor leaks in the roof. Yes, I did first follow direction and sprayed it with water before taking in the field. However, it still leaked on the first rain. As per Kodiak's instructions, I solved the problem by spraying with Kiwi Camp Dry spray. This tent was never stored wet. In fact, it was not stored at all. It was moved from location to location every two weeks or so. However, within a few weeks it started mildewing under the roof tent sleeves. It then start mildewing in more locations. I was in contact with Kodiak support and was told to use hydrogen peroxide to fight the mildew. All along I tried to make sure the tent got a couple hours of direct sunlight per day too. It didn't help. In desperation, I started putting a tarp over the tent. This actually not only helped slow the mold. It also made the tent cooler and quieter in the rain. However, the mold continued to worsen on the side of the tents where the rain would still hit. There was also mold along the inner bottom of the tent. This area was hard to treat because there is small canvas flap that hangs into the tent along the floor. Eventually, the canvas developed a hole near where the side pole rests on the ground. I was told this was due to canvas rot. At this time the ropes for the zippers and awning where starting to fray and fail. The mold growth slowly continued. I tried to keep in contact with Kodiak as I battled the leaking and mildew. Sometimes my emails and voice mail would go unanswered for up to two weeks. A man named Mike was my contact. He seemed to be unsure about the product and his advice sometimes contradicted the owner's manual. When I called the final time, I spoke with one of the owners who mentioned that Mike had been let go. He was polite, but was still trying to get me to have the tent repaired at a canvas shop etc. The tent was failing in so many ways that I was fed up. Amazon was awesome though and allowed for a return and refund. Pros -------- Tall and spacious Sturdy in wind. Great zippers One man setup After staking down, easy setup Great beefy ground stakes Pockets and gear loft are useful Awning is useful Canvas is quieter and gives a more secure feeling than modern materials windows will allow no bugs through Initial quality was good awesome roomy carry bag with adjustable straps and handles Cons ---------- Will grow mold and mildew in humid, rainy environments Zipper rope and awning ropes frayed after a few months use Because the stakes are so big, it takes more effort to pound them in. And there are 18 of them! Can be hard to get the side poles into position. Especially at first. Very bulky, heavy and hard to fold up. Window mesh is so thick that it is hard to see through. Also, breezes don't flow through. Very loud if you use a metal hammer to pound in the beefy stakes Rain hitting the roof can be loud Floor is so thick it makes the tent a real bear to handle (I'd prefer a little thinner since I use ground tarps) Not free standing. So you won't be able to use this tent in areas where it cannot be staked down. You also cannot move it when it is setup. The vinyl floor odor is initially very strong and takes a while to dissipate Customer support was slow to respond and gave questionable advice Tips ---------------- Consider using a different tent for rainy, humid climates. Using a sturdy rubber mallet to hammer stakes is so much quieter than a metal hammer Consider tying a tarp over the roof. This will keep the tent cooler; keep it quitter during rain; and also give you extra rain protection. I just threw a 10 X 8 over the roof and used rope and stakes at each corner. Never saw any extra wear on the roof or other problems due to the tarp.

If you're looking at tents you know this one is pretty expensive compared to most. Is it worth the price difference? I really don't know how to answer that as this is the first tent we've ever bought. I did my research and decided to buy the best I could possibly afford, even at twice the price of much bigger and "feature rich" tents. I can tell you this much: Kodiak delivers a high quality, well designed product - and compared with the Wally World and Big Sports Store tents, well there is no comparison. This is a "real" canvas tent, with steel poles and spikes, and heavy duty stitching and zippers. It weighs a lot and having the Prime membership EASILY paid for itself by getting this bad boy delivered in two days! When it arrive it sat in the garage for a few weeks until my 17 year old son decided to put it up, which he figured on his own in about 15 minutes. We are not what you'd call a "camping family" but he promptly lived in the tent for a week straight through rain and cold - and loved it. In fact, he just put it up again yesterday which prompted me to come write a review. The only concern I have about the tent are the metal "flex-bow" rods which are the entire "secret" to this tend. If they break, as apparently has happened to a few reviewers in the distant past, you are completely out of luck with this tent. We've had no problem with our rods, but I plan to purchase a few replacement rods to have on hand. ("Be prepared!" Right?!!?) Anyway I do recommend this tent. EDIT: My aforementioned son decided this tent is SO awesome, he has literally lived in it, out in our backyard, for weeks on end. I yes, I mean for WEEKS continuously, through rain and cold and wind and storm. The tent has performed wonderfully. He did notice a small hole in one wall that looked like a manufacturing defect, but of course it's impossible to say. I dabbed it with clear silicone inside and out and have had no problems with it. The only 'problem' he had was one night when the front 'porch' flap string retainers snapped in the wind and the flap blew up over the tent. This caused some water to puddle oddly and run down inside the tent door which was open slightly at the top. Those plastic quick-tighten string retainers were the only "cheap" part on the tent and have been the only thing to break. Other than that, this tent is a winner. Our family of four is planning to use it for Sukkot* this year (*basically a week long camping trip with friends found in the bible.) Last year we were in a RV for Sukkot so this year should be a lot different. :-) Again, this tent is highly recommended.

awesome.though not quite as easy up as they show. It's super hard to get that last pole in. I had to call someone stronger than me to get that extra umph. But it is simple and 1ish person can do it. I'm living in it full time so i will update this review as time goes by to let you know how it does this winter and fall. UPDATE - So it's been 2 1/2 mo. and I love this tent! No problems at all with rain and we've had a bit of wind but nothing over 30 mph yet. We have had some good down pours and not a drop inside. Funny when it's raining really hard, if you stand up you can feel the tiniest bit of mist coming through the roof canvas. I love listening to the rain and it really helps you get a good nights sleep. Tent living is calming. Of course I have everything from my bedroom in it, Bed, dresser, desk, computer, etc.The wind will never pick it up, but maybe rip it apart?? I don't know and I will build a protection around it before winter. We'll see just how much I still like when it's cold out. :) Bet the dogs don't stay with me. then. Update - 11-26-2016 - I've been living in this tent since May. (6 mo). Impressive tent! I did tarp the tent for the coastal winter storms. twice the wind has pulled the tarp off but the tent has withstood gusts up to 60 mph so far. Yesterday had fierce winds pulled foot long pegs up and tore off the tarp. It was a deluge of rain pouring all day. the tent was soaked through, but no water inside! you can feel the tent wall on the inside is just soaked but no dripping, no leaking! Kodiak you have done well. And yes I still like living in it. it's getting in the upper 40's (farenheight). The best solution is a heating blanket (and heated mattress pad too for when it really dips into 20's and 30's). Update - it's April 7th 2017. I've been living in this tent 11 months now. Still love it, The tarp over it is toast as it was just trashed for good with some 65 mph wind storm today. The tent has never leaked once. I do see 3 tears in at the base of the tent. One in the corner, 2 on the side in the middle. all 3 at the stake points. Thinking maybe from taking a beating from high winds(?). Looking at replacement tents today. It will be a Kodiak. And yes my dog stayed the whole winter and cat too. :) The heated blankets are the best answer to staying warm yet keeping the electric bill down.