Debate: Heavy canvas tent vs modern ultralight for car camping

I had to pick between a heavy canvas tent (like a Kodiak) that costs $600 and a $200 modern ultralight dome tent for my family trips. The canvas tent handles wind and rain way better but weighs like 80 pounds, while the ultralight packs small but felt flimsy in a storm last summer near the Smokies. I went with the canvas one and it's been solid for 2 years, but my back hates me for hauling it out of the truck. What's your take - do you sacrifice weight for durability in your camping setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_brown231mo agoMost Upvoted

Canvas tents are like owning a truck bed, you hate it until you actually need it.

elizabethwhite1mo ago

You bring up a good point @kai_brown23 - that canvas tent love/hate thing is real. Is it more about the weight and setup time that makes people hate them, or the fact they dont pack down small like a modern tent? Because Ive seen folks spend hundreds on a canvas tent and then complain they never use it.