When you buy a tent your first thought is about the use to which you are going to put it. Hopefully you will also spare a thought about its green credentials. You’ll therefore be very pleased to know that all the fabric used in The Cotton Tent Company's tents is produced with stringent concern and regard for the environment at every step of the manufacturing process. All our fabrics are manufactured to ensure that their production meets the highest standards of environmental safety.
Cotton
Cotton is one of the best fabrics for tent manufacture. It is light, strong, breathable and can regulate moisture. The fabrics we have selected are water and dirt repellent, are treated to resist rot and mildew and range in weight from 280g/m2 to 400g/m2 giving us a lot of flexibility in how our tents are designed. We also use a cotton-polyester mix which is even more durable than pure cotton but with the same qualities. These range in weight from 225g/m2 , which we use for the Ridge tents, through to heavy duty weights of 420g/m2 and 490g/m2.
Polyester
Polyester is a great fabric: it doesn't tear, it's light and it absorbs almost no moisture. For tent roofs we use WR18 from Ten Cate, which has a weight of 240g/m2. This fabric is coated with Acrylic which makes it waterproof. This microscopic coating is environmentally friendly and poison free. The non coated underside is not completely smooth but is textured which helps reduce condensation. This fabric has a thread count of 550 and a weight of 530g/m2 which ensures high flexibility without tearing. For some tent side panels we prefer to use WR17 or Airtex. This fabric is also Acrylic coated on one side. Where there is a requirement for a surface that can be wiped clean we use polyester that has been coated on both sides or PVC. For ground strips and ground sheets we use a fabric that has a thread count of 1100. This is not only very robust but stiffer than normal. These fabrics have a weight of 450-620g/m2 and, for additional protection, they too are coated on both sides.
Polyethylene (PE)
The straps for the Winnipeg tent are made of a PE-string fabric. This is a tough string fabric that has been coated with PE for additional durability and protection. It is rot, mildew and water resistant and difficult to tear. PE has a low UV resistance and this is countered during the manufacturing process so there should be no erosion of the material due to use or exposure to the sun. PE is also completely recyclable.